Thrive
Storms can’t stop St. Pete CommUNITY Festival
One of St. Petersburg’s most prominent community activists used his local connections to create an expansive festival that promotes togetherness. Hurricanes Helene and Milton had other plans.
Helene delayed the event, initially scheduled for Sept. 28, 2024. Milton followed less than two weeks later, and organizer Aron Bryce postponed the free festival indefinitely.
However, Bryce remained resolute, expanded the free event’s offerings and dropped “West” from the St. Pete CommUNITY Festival’s original moniker. His inaugural attempt at unifying people amid an increasingly divisive climate will now take place March 8 at Azalea Park.
“The St. Pete CommUNITY Festival was always meant to be more than just an event,” Bryce said. “It’s a celebration of our city’s diversity, strength and unity.”
Bryce believes the seemingly insurmountable challenges provided an opportunity to showcase “what makes St. Pete special – our ability to overcome adversity and move forward stronger than before.” The family and dog-friendly festival runs from 2 until 9 p.m. at 1600 72nd Ave. N.
The first-of-its-kind event merges a music and arts festival with a community and neighborhood celebration. While Bryce initially wanted to showcase West St. Pete to the surrounding area, he thought the name change was appropriate as the city continues recovering from an unprecedented hurricane season.
“We wanted it to be a unifying theme,” he said. “There is never a bad time for people to come together. But especially when you’re dealing with trauma, devastation, pain and heartbreak. That’s what makes this festival that important.”
The event will feature over 20 artists and live paintings, nearly 50 community organizations and nonprofits, about 60 small businesses and nine food vendors. Mayor Ken Welch will deliver a proclamation.
The Marine Exploration Center of St. Petersburg will showcase its mobile aquarium at the festival. Photo: Zach Ostroff.
Bryce said the reboot was organic and mostly positive. He did lose money due to rescheduling conflicts, which required additional fundraising.
Music is a festival focus, and aligning band schedules proved challenging. He called it a “tremendous lift to get everybody on the same page” and “still keep a lot of those pieces intact.”
Despite some attrition, Bryce believes the festival has improved in “every category.” He called it “uplifting” to see a “massive interest” in coming together after the hurricanes.
“I truly believe the St. Pete CommUNITY Festival will play a role in moving us forward beyond the struggles everyone experienced from the storms,” Bryce added.
The event will showcase several community organizations and serve as a donation drive for three local nonprofits. Bryce encourages attendees to bring used electronics for Gadgets4Good, pet food for Hank’s Bark Box, and non-perishable food and hygiene products for the Love Thy Neighbor food pantry.
A festival map and event lineup.
Bryce believes the festival’s musical offerings set it apart from more shopping-focused events in St. Petersburg. Greg Roy & The Pressure Band will take the stage at 2 p.m. with a Bob Marley tribute, followed by a Grateful Dead tribute by Dead Set Florida at 4:30 p.m.
Ajeva will play an original set at 6 p.m., and close the festival with a Pink Floyd tribute at 7:45 p.m.
The Marine Exploration Center will bring its mobile aquarium as part of an expanded Kids Corner that also features free balloon art and face painting. Attendees can also explore Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and St. Petersburg Police Department and Fire Rescue vehicles.
Bryce is a statewide coordinator at the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and leads the Council of Neighborhood Associations. He said natural disasters and political divisiveness underscore the importance of finding “moments where you can take a step back and really remember what’s important – and that’s your friends, family, neighbors and community.”
“Unity is such a simple concept, but one I think you can never say enough,” Bryce added. “And I can’t think of a more important theme for any event to take on.”
For more information on the St. Pete CommUNITY Festival, visit the website here.
Will Michaels
February 25, 2025at6:51 pm
This promises to be a great event celebrating our city’s persistence and resiliency. The Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) also recently held a program on city flood control planning. Aron Bryce and CONA are congratulated for their leadership in addressing these vital issues.