WHAT: Saturday, February 3, 2018 | 10 am to 5 pm (Rain Date: February 24, 2018)
WHERE:
Williams Park, 330 2nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 3370
Free Bike Valet
WHO:
Organized by Keep Saint Petersburg Local
COST:
FREE* family-friendly festival *[$5 Suggested (Minimum) Donation]
*Not* pet-friendly since 2016 due to large crowds. Because we love our furry friends, we want to ensure that they (and our human friends) stay safe, so we request that attendees please leave pets at home.
MORE INFO:
KeepSaintPetersburgLocal.org/
The Independent Business Alliance, Keep Saint Petersburg Local, is proud to bring back LOCALTOPIA to Williams Park for its 5th year, with new elements (see below) that will make it the best one yet! LOCALTOPIA is St. Pete’s largest “Community Celebration of All Things Local” showcasing nearly 200 of our city’s favorite independent businesses and community organizations. The family-friendly festival also commemorates KSPL’s 6-Year Anniversary!
Festival Sponsors: Presented by Happy Feet Plus | Gold Sponsors: Mazzaro’s Italian Market / Freedom Bank / Tampa Bay Rowdies | City of St. Petersburg Co-Sponsored Event
New Elements:
Partnership with the City of St. Petersburg (Sustainability & Resiliency Manager, Mayor’s Office), St. Pete Eco Village, and the Suncoast Surfrider Foundation to make Localtopia 2018 the most sustainable one yet!
Founder/Executive Director, Olga Bof, says, “Our Independent Business Alliance not only works to help keep St. Pete local; we want to help keep it as green as possible too! As KSPL organizes one of our city’s largest events, we believe it’s our duty to lead by example. Localtopia has always included sustainability components, such as the Free Bike Valet, recycling bins on-site, vendors with eco-friendly/repurposed products. At this year’s festival, we decided that the majority of the beer should be sold in cans, as these could then be placed into the recycling bins on-site, producing less waste.
To make Localtopia 2018 the most sustainable festival we’ve held to date, we’re partnering with the City of St. Petersburg’s Sustainability & Resiliency Manager, the St. Pete Eco Village, and the Suncoast Surfrider Foundation. We’re thrilled that this new partnership allows us to incorporate and showcase more sustainable resources and initiatives, which have only really come online this past year.
We’re very pleased and proud to announce that we are eliminating single-use plastics and Styrofoam at next year’s festival. Our vendors are committing to NOT use items such as plastic bags, cups, straws, cutlery, etc. We’re also able to go one step further – the partnership with the St. Pete Eco Village will allow us to even compost on-site as they will have a vermiculture machine set-up at the festival. They’ll be instructing attendees on how to use the machine, as well as how to compost at home. KSPL will also be managing a bulk-buy of compostable items that vendors will use at the festival, including the food trucks, restaurants, and the breweries pouring draft beer, to aid in this becoming a zero waste event.”
“The Suncoast Surfrider Foundation is extremely excited to partner with KSPL’s Localtopia 2018 to help further support their ever expanding eco-friendly initiatives. Eliminating single use plastics and Styrofoam is a huge victory for our environment and community. Every step forward to ensure a greener and more sustainable city is a win-win for the 20,000+ individuals who represent this amazing day of celebration,” says Thomas Paterek, Chair.
In addition to the aforementioned, the St. Pete Eco Village will also have two tiny houses on display. They were the organizers of St. Pete’s first Tiny Home Festival and are seeking approval to become the first Tiny Home Community in the city. They’ll also be demonstrating composting, solar technology, aquaponics, vermiculture and more (including hands-on kids activities).
“The St. Pete Eco Village is proud to be a partner of Localtopia 2018. We are grateful for the festival’s commitment to being even more sustainable through added eco initiatives and waste reduction. We are also thankful for the opportunity to help educate and demonstrate sustainable living at the event. A more sustainable St. Pete is a benefit to all. It takes a village to create a community and Localtopia helps make that happen,” says Chris Kenrick, General Manager.
New Element:
New, larger Skate Village moving out of Williams Park onto 2nd Avenue North
In honor of St. Pete soon having the largest skate park in Florida, we are expanding the Skate Village that has been part of the festival since its inaugural year, and moving it out of Williams Park onto 2nd Avenue North. St. Pete skateboarder, Tommy Wray, will serve as Localtopia’s “Skate Coordinator” and a larger skate ramp will be created by Jay Turner of School of Skatin, with demos & tricks by St. Pete’s best + lessons. Vendors in the Skate Village include Local Longboard Company’s new mobile, full-service skate truck, Deadly Rival Roller Derby and the St. Pete Skatepark Alliance.
2nd Avenue North is also where local breweries will be pouring their own brews.
New Elements:
New Eco Village, and Expanded Health & Wellness Village with Outdoor Spin Rides + Live DJ
More vendors will be showcased in the expanded Health & Wellness Village next to the new Eco Village. Central Cycling will host outdoor spin rides all-day with a live DJ in the area where the festival’s skate ramp used to be. The new Eco Village is where you’ll find our sustainability partners: the St. Pete Eco Village and the Suncoast Surfrider Foundation, among other eco-friendly vendors.
New Elements:
3rd Street Changes
3rd Street is where you’ll now find boutiques, apparel and more mobile vendors (artists, makers and community organizations will remain within Williams Park). We’re also adding a live DJ on 3rd Street (DJ SugarBear). 3rd Street is where you’ll also find “Restaurant Row,” nearest where local breweries will be pouring their own brews.
Festival Features:
• MAKERS & MERCHANTS: Art & Handcrafted Goods, Artisanal Food & Beverages, Body/Self-Care, Books, Clothing & Accessories, Home Decor, Jewelry, Pet, Plants, Vintage, Vinyl & Much More! (Find all the Vendors HERE)
• VILLAGES: Arts Village | *New* Eco Village | Family Village | *Expanded* Health & Wellness Village with *New* Outdoor Spin Rides + Live DJ | *New* Skate Village on 2nd Avenue (Learn more about the Villages HERE)
• EAT & DRINK LOCAL: 4th Street: Food Truck Rally Alley | 2nd Avenue: Local Breweries Pouring Their Own Brews | 3rd Street: Restaurant Row (Find all the Vendors HERE)
• ALSO ON 3RD STREET: Boutiques | Vendors on Wheels | DJ | Street Fun
• LIVE LOCAL MUSIC on the Williams Park Bandstand (View the Lineup HERE / MC: Matthew McGee)
• ENGAGING ACTIVITIES for All Ages, Free Demos & Crafts, “Biggest Local Raffle,” Live Screen Printing and More Surprises!
About Keep Saint Petersburg Local:
Keep Saint Petersburg Local is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the American Independent Business Alliance, working to build a thriving local economy and a unique community. The Alliance does this by nurturing connections for and acting as the voice of locally-owned, independent businesses and by raising awareness of the importance of buying local.
About Local Businesses:
Independent, locally-owned businesses are essential to a vital local economy and community character. They use the goods and services of other local businesses. They’re owned by our friends and neighbors, or maybe even you (they employ our friends and neighbors too). Community-serving businesses are the backbone of local economies, civic life, local charities and wealth creation for millions of citizens, as well as a training ground for future generations of entrepreneurs.
The problem is that today, independent businesses face unprecedented competition from larger chain competitors, internet merchants and franchises that enjoy national or international branding power and major economies of scale. As a result, community-based businesses comprise a smaller portion of our economy than ever before. We’ll lose much more than places to shop, dine or do business if we allow current trends to continue.