Local authors at Jack Kerouac House book fair
ST. PETERSBURG — Join Coastal Voices and Visions authors Suzanne Norman, Carlene Cobb and Louise Harris at the Jack Kerouac House Underground Book Fair, Saturday, May 30, noon to 4 p.m.
Coastal Voices and Visions is a short story/essay collection penned by nine authors from the Tampa Bay area and rated five stars on Amazon. Settings include Pass-a-Grille, North Redington Beach, Honeymoon Island, Gulfport and more.
The event features authors of many genres, along with vinyl records and more. Free, $5 donation accepted for nonprofit Kerouac House, located at 5169 10th Ave. N. For details, see https://www.facebook.com/snormanconsultant/
City to host info session on urban agriculture
ST. PETERSBURG — The city’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience is developing a Community Urban Agriculture Program aimed at supporting the creation of new food forests and enhancing existing permitted community gardens throughout the city. To help shape the program, the city is hosting the second of two informational sessions to gather public input and better understand community priorities and the needs of local urban agriculture operations.
The next session will be Thursday, June 11, 6-7:30 p.m. at Walter Fuller Recreation Center, 7891 26th Ave. N.
A prior session was held May 26 at the St. Pete Youth Farm.
For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/dtkaats5
Rowdies restart Score through Stories reading program
ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have announced the return of the USL Championship team’s summer reading program, Score through Stories, for its second year.
The more kids read with Score through Stories, the more prizes they can earn. Prizes include a family four-pack for Great Explorations Museum, Rowdies sunglasses. The ultimate prize for participants who read 12 or more hours is two tickets to an eligible Rowdies home match at Al Lang Stadium.
Kids and parents can pick up a Score through Stories Playbook Card at any library in Hillsborough or Pinellas County, or at Great Explorations Museum in St. Petersburg. Playbook Cards can also be downloaded and printed at home by visiting rowdiessoccer.com/score-through-stories.
Readers mark each reading milestone on their Playbook Card as they qualify for different prizes. A parent or guardian must sign the Playbook Card as the child accomplishes each milestone. Participants can bring their signed Playbook Card to their local library or Great Explorations Children’s Museum, where a representative from the library or museum will sign their card and distribute reading prizes.
St. Petersburg dips to 19th on city park system ranking
ST. PETERSBURG — This city’s local park system has dropped five spots in a ranking of city parks across the United States, falling to 19th place from 14th place in 2025, according to the 2026 ParkScore Index compiled by the Trust for Public Lands.
Tampa also dipped in the rankings to 46th, compared to last year’s 43rd place ranking.
No one is to blame, however, the Trust noted. The rating dips for both Tampa and St. Petersburg were caused by positive moves by other cities, not by changes to the local park system.
However, the region is poised for future improvement, with the Booker Creek Rail Trail acquisition expected to close in St. Petersburg this summer. Booker Creek is part of the broader Florida Gulf Coast Trail project, which aims to create a 420-mile trail spanning seven coastal counties.
Washington, DC, retained the ParkScore title.
The annual ParkScore® index ranks park systems in the 100 most populous U.S. cities and is widely considered the gold standard for park evaluation.
According to Trust for Public Land, 78% of St. Petersburg residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, just above the national ParkScore average of 76%. Tampa offers 64% of residents 10-minute walk access. St. Petersburg also outperformed on park investment, spending $222 per person on its park system, well above the national ParkScore average of $154. Tampa invests $145 per person on parks. Both cities also outperformed for park amenities and park equity, but their ParkScore rankings were limited by small median park size. St. Petersburg’s median park size is 3.5 acres and Tampa’s is 4.2 acres. Both measures trail the national ParkScore average of 5.4 acres.
Mayor, city to host State of Economy
ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Kenneth T. Welch and his economic development team will host the 2026 State of the Economy on Wednesday, June 3, from 4-6 p.m. at The Mahaffey Theater.
The State of the Economy is a snapshot of how St. Petersburg’s local economy is performing, including jobs, business growth, and overall economic trends that affect residents. It also highlights key city initiatives and strategic investments designed to strengthen economic vitality, attract new opportunities and support sustainable growth across the community.
Welch will be joined by City Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz and guest speakers Michelle Detweiler, president & CEO of Parc Center for Disabilities, and Pat Mack, founder and CEO of PVM.
Seating is limited. Registration is required for all attendees: https://tinyurl.com/56xjdm2a
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be shared on the City of St. Petersburg’s Facebook Page, facebook.com/StPeteFL.
Free parking is available at the Mahaffey Theater.
City seeks developers for affordable rentals
ST. PETERSBURG — The city of St. Petersburg is accepting applications from qualified developers for its Affordable Rental Housing Program under the Sunrise St. Pete initiative.
The program aims to meet post-disaster housing demands by providing funds to developers for the construction, substantial rehabilitation, or conversion of affordable rental housing units for households earning at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Funding will come from Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) dollars allocated to the city by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Approximately $42 million in CDBG-DR funding available to award to qualified projects.
Applications must be submitted by Friday, June 12 at 5 p.m.
For more information about eligibility, how to apply, and to view the program guidelines, visit https://tinyurl.com/2a86frm9
Bay Pines VA gets more funding for infrastructure fixes
ST. PETERSBURG — Bay Pines VA Healthcare System has received funding for non-recurring maintenance projects in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, after receiving funding in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Several areas of the hospital expected to benefit from the additional funding include restore Buildings 2, 23, and 71; correction of structural deficiencies in Building 36, renovation of elevators in Building 100 and roof repair.
The funding is part of a record $4.8 billion in nationwide VA spending to modernize, repair, and improve health care facilities in FY2026 via the Veterans Health Administration’s Non-recurring Maintenance program.
St. Petersburg Distillery opens 31 South Speakeasy
ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg Distillery has unveiled 31 South, a 45-seat speakeasy inside its working distillery, above the production floor. Now open to the public, 31 South welcomes guests Thursday through Saturday evenings from 6-11 p.m.
The second-floor lounge draws on the spirit of the Prohibition era, the company said in a press release, with a palette of deep greens and blues, warm wood finishes, and gold accents. Locally sourced furnishings and historic photography further shape the space, creating a setting that feels both transportive and genuinely local.
Speakeasy bites will be curated by Chef Johnathan Rodriguez, who brings national culinary experience from Michelin-rated venues.
The cocktail program features a curated menu of libations created with St. Petersburg Distillery’s premium, handcrafted spirits. Tastings of the distillery’s spirits are also available, offering guests a deeper exploration of the house portfolio.
31 South Speakeasy is located within St. Petersburg Distillery at 800 31st St. S.
Schmitt gains new fence franchise
ST. PETERSBURG — Entrepreneur Patrick Schmitt has signed on as one of the newest franchise owners of 76 Fence, which calls itself one of the nation’s fastest-growing fencing franchise brands.
Schmitt’s three-territory expansion will serve communities in Bay Pines, Clearwater, Dunedin, Holiday, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park, Redington Beach, Safety Harbor, Seminole, South Pasadena, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs and Treasure Island.
Those interested in learning more about 76 Fence Pinellas or requesting an estimate can visit https://76fence.com/pinellas-county.
SPC, Tampa Bay Wave partner for career collaboration
St. Petersburg College has announced a partnership with Tampa Bay Wave to strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem and create new pathways for students to enter high-growth technology careers.
The collaboration connects SPC students, faculty and programs with Tampa Bay Wave’s nationally recognized accelerator, providing access to mentorship, entrepreneurial resources, and real-world startup experience across sectors such as fintech, cybersecurity and healthtech.
The partnership comes as Tampa Bay Wave continues to expand its impact through support from Bank of America, which recently awarded the organization an Economic Mobility Grant to fuel tech innovation, job creation and economic growth across the region.
Through this partnership, SPC students will have opportunities to engage directly with startup founders, participate in innovation-driven programming and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping the future workforce.
Tampa Bay Wave has played a key role in building the region’s tech economy, supporting more than 570 startups, helping companies raise $1.1 billion in capital and contributing to the creation of nearly 6,000 high-wage jobs.
“This partnership allows us to connect our students to the innovation economy in a meaningful way,” said Dr. Emmanuel Hernandez-Agosto, vice president of academic affairs at SPC. “By working with Tampa Bay Wave, we are creating opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience, build networks and step into careers that are shaping the future of our region.”