By Peter Roos
A community Tech Desk, especially for seniors challenged by their devices, is offering free assistance Tuesday mornings 9am-noonthrough March at the Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th St. N. www.lealmanexchange.org 727-464-5404
The St. Pete Beach Library also offers tech assistance weekly. You can make an appointment for up to 30 minutes with the librarian on Saturdays from 2-4pm at www.Calendly.com/stpetebeachlibrary/30minutes or by calling 727-363-9238. Please note, because this program occurs outside regular library hours, no other library services will be available during this time.
Treasure Island Beach Cleanup
Join volunteers on the second Saturday of each month for a community beach cleanup, 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island from 8-10:30am. Supplies will be provided, and all ages are welcome. Meet at city of St. Petersburg Municipal Beach, 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island by 8:15am. Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes, sun protection, and weather appropriate clothing. If you have any questions, please contact Megan Jackson, program coordinator, at mjackson@kpbcares.org or 727-533-0402. More info at www.kpbcares.org.
The city of Treasure Island, in partnership with TI – Adopt A Beach, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and Volunteer Florida, is offering a few environmental education classes in April and May to help you better understand our local ecosystems. The following classes will be held at Sunset Vista Park (Gulf Blvd. at West Gulf Blvd.) in Treasure Island 10-11am.
- April 10: Natives and Invasive Plants
- April 24: Plastics/Microplastics
- May 8: Shoreline/ Coastal Resiliency
Farmers Markets continue weekly. The Corey Sunday Market operates every Sunday from 9am-2pm at Corey Ave. in St. Pete Beach. Fresh produce, crafts, and food trucks are available. On Tuesdays, there is a Gulfport morning market. On Fridays, it is in Treasure Island Community Park, and Saturdays, the market that started the trend continues in downtown St. Petersburg.
St. Pete Beach City Council will meet March 24 at 6pm in City Hall., following a 4pm revenue workshop. Residents may attend in person or online. Contact cityclerk@stpetebeach.org or 727-555-4321 or visit www.StPeteBeach.org for agenda information.
The FREE St. Pete Beach Spring concert series runs every other Friday 7-9pm starting on the second weekend of March.
- March 13 – KC and the 70s Flashback Party Band
- March 27 – The American Stones
- April 10 – Smooth D & The Boyz
- April 24 – Beside Myself (Elton John and Billy Joel Tribute)
Concerts are on the waterfront at Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Dr. St. Pete Beach; hot dogs and burgers will be sold by St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue. Beer and wine will be sold by the Suntan Art Center. Free to attend! Pets welcome on leashes. Outside food and drinks are allowed – NO GLASS.
Free Tax Preparation Assistance – St. Pete Beach Library offers free tax prep help for residents every Wednesday through April. Schedule at taxhelp@stpetebeach.org or call 727-555-4455.
St. Pete Beach Parking Permit Renewals for beach parking permits are open until April 15. Apply online or at City Hall. For assistance, contact permits@stpetebeach.org or 727-555-1020.
Spring Break Safety Tips Treasure Island Police share safety tips for Spring Break visitors and locals. Visit www.police.treasureislandfl.gov or call 727-555-6621 for more info.
Volunteer Opportunities Both St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island seek volunteers for upcoming events. Contact volunteer@stpetebeach.org or volunteer@treasureislandfl.gov for listings and info.
The St. Pete Beach Dog Park at McKenney Park will undergo maintenance March 26-27. Temporary closures expected. For updates, contact parks@stpetebeach.org or 727-555-1234.
Storm Preparedness Workshop Attend a storm preparedness workshop at Treasure Island City Hall on March 25 at 5pm. Contact stormprep@ti.gov or 727-555-8765 for registration.
Registration for Summer Camps at St. Pete City Theatre opens Monday, March 2, for Family Membership holders, and Monday, March 9, at 10am for the general public. Each camp is two weeks long, from 9am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The camp performance is the second Friday of the camp at 7pm. Camps are open to anyone 7-14 years of age, no theatre experience needed. Camp tuition is $500, with a sibling discount available. Space is limited. Please email youththeatre@spcitytheatre.org.
The Bay Area Renaissance Festival continues in Dade City on weekends through March. Each weekend has a theme which can be seen on their website www.bayareaRenfest.com. The 90-minute drive from St. Petersburg is like a trip in a time machine, taking you back to a small town fair in 16th century England. Ticket prices are $26.95 for adults, $18.95 for children 5-12 and $22.95 for seniors over 65. Some area Circle Ks have tickets for three dollars less.
Dolphin Landings charter boat center behind Dolphin Village Shopping Center in St. Pete Beach has been offering 2-3 hour sailing adventures for almost 40 years. They use some vintage 40-50 foot sailboats built locally by Morgan Yachts and maintained impeccably. Afternoon departures generally see dolphin playing in the Intracoastal. The sunset sail that leaves 90 minutes before sunset daily, weather permitting, is a magical experience. Don’t let the condition of the center concern you. Reconstruction of an elevated Publix store is about to start.
Spring break is here and The Wharf Waterfront Restaurant & Bar in Pass-A-Grille is everyone’s favorite clubhouse featuring Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 3:30-6pm (bar only), rock music on the patio with Rob Tyre Wed.-Sat. 6-9:30pm., daily specials (Fish Fry Tuesday, Taco Wednesday), seafood dinner specials (Grouper Oscar is a favorite), amazing coconut or peel-n-eat shrimp, and the best grouper sandwich on the beach! Come by boat (new docks), dine alfresco on our updated patio or in their breezy dining room or boisterous bar. Enjoy shrimp, wings, burgers, Reubens, seafood baskets and ribs and be sure to leave room for their specialty desserts. There’s even a kids’ menu! Cool merchandise and gift certificates available online at restaurant. www.order.toasttab.com/egiftcards/the-wharf-pass-a-gril
The TradeWinds Resort has launched six new dining concepts since fall 2025, focusing on fresh, coastal, and casual options. Key additions include Pete’s Gulf Bistro (American fare), Playa Taco Cocina y Tequileria (tequila and tacos), Coastal Pizza, Sunshine Grounds n’ Goods (Kahwa coffee), an ice cream and candy bar, and grab-and-go options. This new food court area has become the hub of the resort. The Tradewinds are waiving any parking charges for locals that are coming to try these new venues, so just let them know at the reception kiosk that you read about them in Paradise News and are coming to dine. Pete’s Bistro is open 7am-10pm daily.
Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner last evening in the pavilion at the TradeWinds Resort. The mission of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber is to support businesses, promote tourism, and provide a platform for collaboration to enhance the business environment and the quality of life in our communities. An expo and cocktail hour was held in the garden near the pool before the dinner event. The weather was so beautiful this pre-event lasted more like two hours.The Tradewinds outdid themselves with an offering of Cabernet braised short ribs of beef with celery root and potato, Latin Gruyere cheese, roasted asparagus, an awesome salad of field greens and berries to start and a delicious Crème Brulee.
Chamber Leader Charlie Justice set the tone for the evening and introduced Scott Berry who led the board very successfully through 2025, a year of struggles for most. Scott introduced Tim Johnson of Waterfront Realty, who is taking over as chairman of the chamber’s large and impressive board. Having recently attended funerals of great men he knew around the country, Tim said none of us have more or less than 1,440 minutes per day for the rest of our lives, and talked about the need to be mindful that this time is our most valuable resource and not to waste any.
After dinner, Chairman Justice thanked an impressive array of sponsors, starting with the title sponsor, Duke Energy.The tourism sector of our business community was represented by the top hospitality names in the area, TradeWinds Resort. Sirata Resorts, Don Cesar Resort & Spa, Plaza Beach Resorts, and the Hotel Zamora, all as named sponsors.
The Rays and Rowdies donated a package for a door prize valued at $3,000, including a box for 16 people at an upcoming game. The financial sector was well represented in the sponsor group with Mitchell Insurance Services, Bank OZK, Edward Jones and Synovus Bank, as named sponsors. Not-for-profits were represented by Habitat for Humanity and Tampa Baywatch, both of which were awarded top honors. Several service companies also were sponsoring, including Belfor Property Restoration, whose semis were in front of the TradeWinds afterthe storms.
Kahwa Coffee was the coffee sponsor. The city of Treasure Island and Belleaire Business Association each had a table.We were lucky enough to be seated at one of two Tradewinds tables, front and center and met the folks responsible for keeping the guest experience at the aging resort exemplary.
About 250 guests represented the tourism and hospitality members thoroughly as well as a cross-section of nonprofits and small businesses. Three awards were presented. Awardees included: Habitat for Humanity, Tampa Bay Watch, and Clean Eatz. Clean Eatz is bucking the trend in food prices by offering fresh, healthy affordable meals and meal plans. They have a new location at 6840 22nd Ave. N where Cold Stone used to be, in the shopping center just south of Tyrone Mall. Stop in when you are near Tyrone Mall after 11am. Other locations include: 2927 West Bay Dr., Belleair Bluffs, 4061 Clark Road in Sarasota, plus Winter Garden and Orlando. It was a terrific event.
Corey Avenue is going all-in for St. Patrick’s weekend with a full-day street celebration on Sat., March 14. The avenue will close to traffic as a live music stage takes over the street beginning at 11am, featuring The Sandy Bottom Boys, Beach Rats, Horny Toads, and Big Brother. With live music, kids’ activities, late shopping, and district-wide participation, Corey Avenue continues building momentum as a destination for full-day community gatherings.
Metaphysically Me on the 400 block of Corey Avenue continues to grow as a gathering space this March with a full calendar of weekly and special events. Tuesday Sound Baths, Wednesday Guided Meditation, and Thursday Gentle Yoga & Reiki offer steady midweek morning and evening. Opportunities to reset and recharge. Learn more online at www.metaphysically.me.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission continually tests Florida waters, monitors the Red Tide organism and reports conditions weekly. In the last week of February 2026, the red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed in two samples from Northwest Florida. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were not observed. FWC continues to use satellite imagery (USF and NOAA NCCOS) to help track nearshore and offshore conditions. It has been monitoring an offshore patch of elevated chlorophyll (not suspected to be K. brevis), and imagery from Feb. 26 revealed that it persists. You can get added to email list on their website and get your own copy of the reports.
It is home tour season. Both Gulfport Merchants Chamber and the Pass-a-Grille Womans Club have tours in March. The Pink Flamingo Tour of Homes, March 7, 11am-5pm, features 13 homes and gardens in Gulfport’s Garden District. If you missed the announcement in our Gulfport Matters column last month under What’s Happening, make a note on your 2027 calendar for the first week of March, 2027. You could still make it to the 2026 Pass-A-Grille Home Tour on Saturday, March 21st 1-5pm. There’s a QR code in their ad on page 21 or visit www.passagrillehometour.com. Tickets are $35 online, $40 day of.
The 30th annual Tampa Bay Blues Festival is scheduled for April 10-12 at Vinoy Waterfront Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. The three-day event features premier blues and rock artists, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Taj Mahal, Jimmie Vaughan and Samantha Fish. A kickoff concert is scheduled for April 9 at 7:30 at the Palladium Theater features GA-20 and Jackie Venson. Tickets are available at www.tampabaybluesfest.com.
If you are or know a fan of the beach and country music, you might wish to consider the Country Thunder Beach Package which is being offered at the Tradewinds Resort. 3-night minimum stay (rate valid 2 days pre/post event date May 6-13).
- Country Thunder Music Festival General Admission ticket (1 for each registered guest on the package, ages 11+).
- General Admission tickets are $345 each and are non-refundable. Visit www.countrythunder.com/florida for details.
- Children 10 and under are free of charge in general admission areas.
- Visit www.justletgo.com and look for theCountry Thunder Beach Package.
- Nightly Resort Amenity Fee is additional. Parking is $25/night – one vehicle per bedroom. Book by May 8, 2026.
- To check rates use Promo Code: COUNTRY26 or call 844.890.4396
