St. Petersburg Festivals

St. Petersburg's American Stage Theatre Company, hailed as Tampa Bay's best professional theatre, takes one production each year outdoors. Originally known as "Shakespeare in the Park," a season's American Stage in the Park play may actually be of any genre and runs from mid-April to early May in Demens Landing Park in downtown St. Petersburg.

For three days in March, St. Petersburg celebrates Louisiana culture with the Cajun-Zydeco Crawfish Festival, treating visitors to live bands, dance instruction, arts and crafts, kids activities, and 10,000 pounds of spicy crawfish!

Over 50 authors convene for the Festival of Reading at the University of South Florida in Saint Petersburg for an October festival every year. Writers of all genres, including several children's authors, participate in the annual festival to sign books, read excerpts from their books and answer questions. Book lovers flood the St. Petersburg campus during the Festival of Reading for a chance to meet their favorite word artists every year.

This three-day festival in February showcases and celebrates the finest in jets, planes, helicopters, yachts, motorcycles and, of course, cars, with a series of luxurious exhibitions fueled by gourmet foods and premium cocktails.

A November festival of interactive theatre celebrating the legendary Caribbean pirate tradition, the Florida Pirate Festival renders Vinoy Park a haven for miscreants and scoundrels with music, rides, comedy, cannons, storytelling, artisan crafts, nighttime fire shows, food and a bounty of colorful characters.

A two-day festival in April celebrating Earth Day and Arbor Day, St. Petersburg's Green Thumb Festival presents environmental and horticultural exhibits, a flower show, entertainment, children's programs and a plethora of plant vendors.

Spanning three days in Late March or April, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg features an IndyCar Series race, an Indy Pro Series race and an American Le Mans Series race, all running on a waterfront track in downtown St. Petersburg. In between races, the event also offers concerts, family entertainment and other attractions.

Put on in March by the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society, the International Folk Fair is one of St. Petersburg's largest spring festivals. Comprising two days for students followed by two for the general public, the Folk Fair celebrates the heritage, culture and traditions of ethnic groups from over 40 countries and offers visitors entertainment, demonstrations, crafts, cuisine and more.

Considered one of the best fine arts shows in the country, St. Petersburg's two-day Mainsail Arts Festival, held in April, showcases artwork in a variety of categories--ceramics, fibers, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, oil and acrylic, photography, sculpture, watercolor and wood--for viewing and for purchase. Along with the visual arts are performing arts, culinary arts and children's activities, making the festival an enjoyable experience for any visitor. Exhibiting artists compete for $50,000 in prize money.

The Sunday of Martin Luther King Day weekend, renowned marching bands from across the country perform their half-time drill routines in the Festival of Bands honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field. On Monday, the actual holiday, the MLK Drum Major For Justice Parade begins at Third Ave. South and Martin Luther King St., goes north to Central Ave., east to Bayshore Drive and finally north to Fifth Ave. North, finishing at Vinoy Park.

Springtime (April or May) brings PierFest, two lively days of extreme sports and rock music at St. Petersburg's landmark Pier. PierFest draws BMX bikers, skateboarders, inline skaters and wakeboarders from throughout the southeast U.S. to compete and show off their skills in front of sparkling Tampa Bay.

With three November days of rock concerts, children's entertainment, car, truck and motorcycle shows and, of course, a world-class ribs competition, Ribfest offers a savory experience for the whole family. Best of all, Ribfest's proceeds go to support children-related charities in the St. Petersburg area.

Beginning in downtown St. Petersburg with a Santa Parade and then unrolling in Straub Park, St. Petersburg's SnowFest celebrates the holiday season North-Pole style with real snow, ice-skating, a Winter Wonderland petting zoo, arts and crafts, toboggan rides and a night-lit Jingle Bell boat parade. SnowFest usually falls on the first weekend of December.

Each year the St. Pete Pride festival expands with more people attending, more vendors selling and more fun. The street festival shuts down several blocks of St. Petersburg for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and supporters to show their pride in a parade and festival activities. The St. Pete Pride Season is made up of over 40 events taking place all over St. Petersburg that generate money for the GLBT Community in St. Petersburg, Florida. A golf tournament, silent auctions, comedy festival and many other exciting events make St. Pete Pride one of the top gay pride events in the nation.

More than 500 boats go on display in the water and on land at the St. Petersburg Boat Show, the largest of its kind of the Gulf Coast. The show lasts four days in November and includes powerboats, yachts, fishing boats, engines, electronics and accessories, also offering free boating and fishing seminars for both kids and adults.

Almost every festival event imaginable becomes part of the two-week long Festival of States. To celebrate the past and future of St. Petersburg the city creates a sense of community by having various smaller festivals throughout the two weeks that make up the Festival of States. In addition to a day and night parade, a comedy showcase and a coronation ball, there is a KidFest, Health Fair, Festival of Pets and art show. The Franklin Templeton KidsFest has carnival-type activities to entertain kids and their families while the Pet Food Warehouse Festival of Pets pampers the four-legged members of families. Harvey's 5K and Festival Health Fair keep St. Petersburg running, and for those into a more relaxing afternoon, the Festival Art Show features local Florida artists. The Festival of States really has a little bit of everything from the whole state and then some.

One of Sail America's top events in the country and the largest sailboat show in the Southeast, Strictly Sail St. Petersburg features an in-water show of 6- to 50-foot sailboats, gear, equipment and more, along with free introductory sailing experiences for visitors and over 100 seminars, activities, parties and children's activities held annually in November.

A two-day June festival celebrating Caribbean culture, the Tampa Bay Caribbean Carnival offers a costume parade, calypso, reggae, salsa, samba, live bands, arts and crafts, food, drinks and fun in the St. Petersburg sun.