The 2025 Gasparilla Music Festival, announced for Feb. 14, 15 and 16 at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa, has been postponed. In an Instagram post, organizers said ticket refunds are being processed, and promised there would be rescheduled dates. "Due to the ongoing financial strain caused by two consecutive years of extreme weather and unforeseen circumstances," they said, "we’ve had to make this tough choice."
Comedian Paula Poundstone's concert at the Capitol Theatre, scheduled for Saturday (Jan. 11), has been rescheduled for Feb. 14. Poundstone moved several shows because of the ongoing Southern California wildfires. Tickets for the Jan. 11 date will be honored.
The Bay Area Apartment Association has partnered with the City of St. Petersburg to host a Hurricane Recovery Rental Housing Fair on Jan. 22 at The Coliseum. The event runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 535 4th Ave. N. and will provide hands-on application assistance for rental opportunities at over 40 housing communities. Attendees can also receive information regarding rental assistance. For more information on the event, visit the website here.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded St. Petersburg $173,000 through its Hurricane Ian Hazard Mitigation Program, which requires local governments to match up to 25% of the funding. The city will use the grant to install a generator and electrical equipment at the Fleet Management Facility. FEMA awarded 19 communities impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Raymond James Stadium will host an outdoor hockey game Feb. 1, 2026, when the Tampa Bay Lightning faceoff against the Boston Bruins as part of the NHL’s Stadium Series. The league will build an ice rink within a climate-controlled structure, which it will remove shortly before the puck drops. The NHL expects the game to sell out, with 65,000 to 68,000 fans watching the evening matchup underneath the stars in Tampa.
The Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas County has announced that cold night shelters will open Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. All shelters - activated when “feels like” temperatures drop to 40 degrees or below overnight - provide a warm and safe place to sleep, and many serve a meal. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will begin providing free bus rides to and from shelters at 5 p.m. St. Petersburg shelters include the Northwest Presbyterian Church, at 6330 54th Ave. N.; WestCare Turning Point, at 1801 5th Ave. N.; Unitarian Universalist Church, at 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N.; and Salvation Army, at 1400 4th St. S.
The St. Pete Pier will soon add pickleball courts to its list of amenities following a partnership between the city and a local group bringing an expansive athletic and social club to the Warehouse Arts District this spring. St. Pete Athletic will operate two courts near the Pier’s splash pad from Jan. 17 to March 16. Players of all ages and skill levels can pay $5 to utilize the court and $5 to rent equipment. For more information, visit the website here.
Pinellas County officials have reopened the historic fort, dog beach and both fishing piers at Fort De Soto Park after extensive repairs and cleanup caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The amenities have remained closed since September. While the park’s causeway, boat ramp, East Beach and campground 3 reopened in late December, some areas, including North Beach, remain closed.
SPCA Tampa Bay is waiving adoption fees from Wednesday, Jan. 8 through Sunday, Jan. 12, for adult animals (7 months and up). Animals are vaccinated, spayed/neutered and microchipped. More information on SPCA Tampa Bay's hours and adoptable pets are viewable online at spcatampabay.org or call 727-586-3591.
Adam Ross is officially Pinellas County's newest tax collector. Ross takes over for Charles W. Thomas, who retired in 2024. Ross was sworn in Tuesday, Jan. 7 in downtown Clearwater.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has recommended approval of the City of St. Petersburg’s $6.9 million Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program application. St. Petersburg is the only Florida city to receive the funding and will use it to close the digital equity gap and promote technological access. Potential initiatives include device and mobile hotspot distribution and digital literacy education.
Tech Data, a TD Synnex company, and Dell Technologies have partnered to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing a Dell AI Factory in India. The “center for excellence” will serve as a “one-stop platform that offers products, solutions and services,” and showcase AI use cases. Clearwater-based TD Synnex is an information technology distribution company with over 150,000 customers.
