SHOPAPALOOZA FESTIVAL FEATURES CHRISTMAS TREE DISPLAY, 225+ LOCAL BUSINESSES
LocalShops1’s Thanksgiving Weekend Holiday Shopping Festival Expected to be Largest in Florida
What: LocalShops1’s 10th Annual Shopapalooza Festival 2019. This holiday shopping / community event features 225+ local small businesses, artists, crafters, food trucks and nonprofits. Special activities include: Shopping Spree Giveaway, Christmas Tree Village, Live Music, Community Group Performances and Interactive Activities for Kids and Adults. A free trolley will run from Sundial garage to Shopapalooza every 15 minutes. FREE ADMISSION
When: Thanksgiving Weekend, 10 am – 5 pm Saturday, Nov 30 and Sunday, Dec 1, 2019
Where: Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Dr NE, St. Petersburg 33701
Why: To make it fun & easy for people to do their holiday shopping with local small businesses
Website: www.ShopapaloozaFestival.com
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November 15, 2019, St Petersburg, FL – More than 225 local businesses are uniting at St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park on Thanksgiving Weekend for LocalShops1’s 10th annual Shopapalooza Festival. The event has expanded into a 2-day extravaganza celebrating small businesses, local arts, local music, and the local vibe that makes Tampa Bay such a special place.
Shopapalooza Festival takes place 10 am to 5 pm Saturday Nov 30 and Sunday Dec 1. Expected to be the biggest Small Business Saturday and Sunday celebration in Florida, the event is a fun and easy way for families to do their holiday shopping with local small businesses. Admission is free and open to the public. Registration is not required, but those who do sign up are entered into a free drawing for a $500 shopping spree, with one winner each day.
“Shopapalooza Festival celebrates and spotlights the great independent businesses that make Tampa Bay such an amazing place,” says Ester Venouziou, LocalShops1 founder.
The event, co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, is family-friendly and well-behaved pets on leashes are welcomed. One of this year’s special sections is the Neighborhoods Christmas Trees Display, sponsored by the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA St. Petersburg) and featuring trees from 10 St Pete neighborhoods:
Coquina Key Neighborhood Association
Disston Heights Civic Association
Euclid St. Paul’s Neighborhood Association
Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association (HONNA)
St. Pete Heights Neighborhood Association
Historic Uptown Neighborhood
Central Oak Park, Saint Petersburg
Riviera Bay Civic Association
Meadowlawn Neighborhood Association
Harris Park Neighborhood Association
The public gets to vote on their favorite trees, along with celebrity judges St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman; Susie Ajoc, City of St Pete Community Services Director; and Michele Tuegel, Curator + art adviser.
The festival’s other features include:
• Free Admission!
• 225+ Local Shops, Artists, Makers and Nonprofits, featuring gourmet food products, home decor, handcrafted jewelry, clothing and accessories, health and beauty products, fair trade goods, vintage finds, pet treats and toys, books, candles and much more. Visit www.shopapaloozafestival.com/the-vendors.html for the full vendor lineup.
• $500 Shopping Sprees for a lucky shopper each day! It is FREE to enter this raffle, and advanced registration is required. Visit www.shopapaloozafestival.com/win-500.html for info on how to enter and win!
• Main Stage, with emcee Pat Largo, of Comedians Uncorked. SCHEDULE: Saturday- 11a: Paul Fournier, 1p: Dean Johanesen Duo, 3p: Kimi Tortuga & LaRue Nickleson. Sunday- 11a: Scott Bihorel Yañez, Mylon Shamble & Nelson Mariscal, 1p: Steve Connelly & Ed Woltil, 2p: Veronica Naumova & Rick Bales
• Community Performances, featuring St. Petersburg Music Factory’s superstars in training. SCHEDULE: Saturday – 10:30a: Spoon Goblins, 12:30p: Anika Sky, 2:30p: Part Time Models, 4:30p Burning Days (4:30 pm). Sunday – 10:30a: Key of G, 12:30p: Wave Check, 2:30p: Lucent, 4:30p: Reactants.
• Strolling Performances both days by Tampa Bay Ukulele Society and Thrill St Pete.
• Live Painting and Sketching features artists from Creative Clay, St. Petersburg High School’s Visual Arts program and Derek Donnelley’s Public Art Project.
• Activity Zone, sponsored by WannaGo St Pete, includes cycling, running and yoga classes; aerial yoga and belly dancing performances; wall climbing; and pop-up beach volleyball!
• Kids Zone featuring crafts and learning stations sponsored by Great Explorations Children’s Museum, St. Petersburg Museum of History, and more.
• Outdoor Living Room, Treehouse Gallery’s 1,000 square-foot seating lounge.
• Food Hall featuring snacks, entrees and desserts for everyone, from vegans to carnivores!
• Snacks + Drinks throughout the park, including a human-powered frozen beverage machine!
Shopapalooza Festival is a LocalShops1 event, co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg and made possible with the support of Chart 411, WannaGo St. Pete, Council of Neighborhood Associations, Moorman Photographics, Treehouse Gallery, Ace High Printing and St. Petersburg Music Factory. www.ShopapaloozaFestival.com
ABOUT LOCALSHOPS1
LocalShops1, launched in 2008, is Tampa Bay’s source for all things local. Our mission is to provide advocacy, support and education to locally owned, independent businesses throughout the region.