Local Artist to Lead and Create Live Painting Section at Shopapalooza Festival

Alyssa Marie, is the St. Petersburg artist behind a new addition at this year’s Shopapalooza Fesival 2025. Alyssa is creating a “Paint-By-Number” artwork for a special live painting section for the community to participate in on November 29 and 30. There is no cost to participate in this experience at St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park (701 Bayshore Dr NE). More than 350 local makers and small businesses are coming together on Thanksgiving Weekend for LocalShops1’s Shopapalooza Festival. The 2-day extravaganza celebrates local businesses, local arts, local tastes, local music, and the local vibe that makes Tampa Bay such a special place

“I am honored to be participating in an event that helps local artists and business owners thrive the way Shopapalooza does. I can’t wait to watch these pieces come to life on November 29 and 30,” said Alyssa Marie of Alyssa Marie Gallery. The design was chosen by the community from a contest the artist ran on her Facebook and Instagram asking people to vote between four birds – Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Roseate Spoonbill and Nanday Parkakeet. The Spoonbill and the Blue Heron won. Participants will be invited to paint two canvases each sized 4×4’ of a design that she created custom for this event of these two beautiful birds surrounded by Florida oranges and greenery.

Alyssa’s studio painting has expanded to larger and larger surfaces. She painted her first mural just six months after moving to St. Petersburg Florida in 2017. In 2020 she was passionate about getting the community that she had fallen so in love with involved in the mural process and created a mural as a “Paint-By-Number” design where the lines and numbers would be traced on the wall and she invite the community to come fill in the shapes until a breathtaking mural revealed itself. “This idea turned out to be a massive hit and before I knew it, I couldn’t get walls big enough for these events. Since then, I have been approached to make smaller paint-by-number masterpieces for individuals for corporate events and beyond and that’s what I’ll be doing at Shopapalooza,” added Alyssa. For more information about Alyssa Marie visit www.thehappymuralproject.com or
www.alyssamariegallery.com.
Celebrating 15 years, the free community festival takes place on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30 from 10 am to 5 pm. With more than 350 local makers and small businesses participating, Shopapalooza is expected to be the biggest Small Business Saturday (and Sunday!) celebration in the nation, Shopapalooza is a fun and easy way for families to do kick off their holiday dreams while shopping, drinking, dining and supporting local makers and small businesses. A complete list of the 350 + participating businesses will be available by Nov 1 at shopapaloozafestival.com. Admission to Shopapalooza is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but those who do sign up are entered into a free drawing for two $500 Palooza gift cards from LocalShops1, two $250 shopping sprees from St. Pete Shopping Co, and other prizes. The event, co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, is family-friendly and well-behaved pets on leashes are welcomed.

“We are so excited to be celebrating 15 years. 2025 will be our biggest and best yet and are excited to add the paint-by-number experience with our local and very talented artist Alyssa Dunlap. It’s a great opportunity to come out and support our local makers and small businesses. Shopapalooza Festival kicks off the holiday shopping season by celebrating the great independent businesses that make Tampa Bay such an amazing place.,” says Ester Venouziou, LocalShops1 and Shopapalooza founder.