WHAT:
9th Annual LOCALTOPIA, “A Community Celebration of All Things Local” – Biggest Localtopia Ever!
WHEN:
Saturday, February 12, 2022 | 10 am to 5 pm (Rain Date: February 19, 2022)
WHERE:
Williams Park, 330 2nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Plus Streets Closed for Festival (See Map: https://localtopia.keepsaintpetersburglocal.org/#map)
Streets closed for LOCALTOPIA:
2nd Avenue between 2nd and 4th Streets North
3rd Street between 1st and 3rd Avenues North (1st Ave N heading west will be open, but parking spaces next to the park will not be available)
The old bus lane on 4th Street North will also be closed (4th St N heading south will still be open)
Free Bike Valet at Williams Park – Corner of 2nd Ave & 4thSt N
WHO:
Organized by Keep Saint Petersburg Local – Also KSPL’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration | Presented by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater
COST:
FREE* family-friendly festival *(Please consider throwing something into the tip jars at the “Local Thirst Stations” to help support LOCALTOPIA)
NO DOGS | Please leave pets at home!
*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.
MORE INFO:
KeepSaintPetersburgLocal.org/Localtopia (Facebook event link HERE)
LOCALTOPIA 2022 will be the biggest one ever staged by the Independent Business Alliance, Keep Saint Petersburg Local (KSPL), with over 300 vendors, which makes the event the largest ever showcase of St. Pete’s small businesses! What distinguishes LOCALTOPIA from all other events is that LOCALTOPIA is the only event to solely feature ONLY St. Pete-based businesses.
Last year’s LOCALTOPIA was an extremely challenging event to put on during what was, then, believed to be the height of the pandemic, and as the first event under the County order. “We did it because we understood how much the participants needed that income (most vendors have a record sales day at the festival), and we knew how much they had endured since COVID changed our world. It pained us to have to reduce the number of spots due to distancing issues. We said that we would make our 2022 festival our biggest one yet to be able to include as many of St. Pete’s favorite businesses as we could. We hoped that by the time 2022 rolled around, we would be in a different place, and that things would get better for our local businesses,” says Olga Bof, Founder/Executive Director.
In many ways, this past year was harder for our local businesses than the first year of the pandemic. They’ve struggled with labor shortages, supply chain issues, inflation, rent increases if they have a brick-and-mortar, less events for makers, and more competition from businesses that did not start in our city – not to mention fatigue from having experienced nearly two years of life under COVID. Alas, some of last year’s vendors are no longer in business, or have moved to other cities.
We’ve been saying that our community needs to support local “now, more than ever,” for several years now; however, we truly believe that 2022 is the most important year to do so! St. Pete has changed so much in the decade since KSPL launched, and this coming year will bring even bigger changes. We need to do all we can to preserve our local vibe before we no longer recognize our city. LOCALTOPIA represents the largest gathering of businesses that started here, and are hoping to continue to grow from here. The festival is a great opportunity to show your “Local Love” to over 300 of St. Pete’s gems. These businesses and community organizations are what make St. Pete such a special place.
With the largest ever footprint at the festival including Williams Park, plus four city blocks, and an additional second stage, there’s even more local goodness at our 9th Annual “Community Celebration of All Things Local.” LOCALTOPIA is one of the few events that allows for residents and visitors alike to shop, eat, drink, and play local on the streets of St. Pete – and they’ll be spoilt for choice this year with over 70 food & drink options! Options include: nearly 20 of our city’s favorite food trucks, gourmet/plant-based/vegan/gluten-free offerings, the return of our breweries pouring special brews found only at their taprooms, draft beer trucks with local craft faves, and “Local Thirst Stations” selling canned local beer, as well as wine from the winery that started in St. Pete, Mermosa, LOCALTOPIA’s Platinum Sponsor.
As the festival takes place the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, it’s also the perfect place to shop local for your loved ones. St. Pete’s artists, artisans, and makers will have handcrafted items, some created especially for LOCALTOPIA Day. The pandemic has decimated the amount of events which local artists and makers have counted on to make a living. Not only that, they’ve also missed out on those in-person interactions that provide them with the validation that their creations and goods matter. Bof continues, “We need our community to heed the call to support them. You won’t just be putting food on their tables; you’ll also be showing these small businesses that they matter. What better time to do that than during the month of love?”
Major Sponsors: Presented By: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater | City of St. Petersburg Co-Sponsored Event | Platinum Sponsor: Mermosa | Bronze Sponsors: Suncoast Credit Union & Treehouse Gallery | Stage Sponsor: Hideaway Cafe
Festival Features:
• MAKERS & MERCHANTS: Art & Handcrafted Goods, Artisanal & Plant-Based Food & Beverages, Body/Self-Care, Books, Clothing & Accessories, Home Decor, Jewelry, Pet, Plants & Plant-Based Products, Vintage, Vinyl & Much More! (Find all the Vendors HERE)
• VILLAGES: Arts Village | Family Village | Health & Wellness Village | #AllThingsPlants Village (Learn more about the Villages HERE)
• EAT & DRINK LOCAL: 4th Street: Food Truck Rally Alley | 2nd Avenue (from 2nd to 4th Streets): More Food Trucks + Restaurants + Food & Drink Vendors + “Local Thirst Stations” Selling Local Beer in Cans & Canned Wine + Local Breweries Pouring Their Own Brews + Local Craft Draft Beer Trucks (Find all the Vendors HERE)
• 3RD STREET (From 1st to 3rd Avenues): Boutiques | Vendors on Wheels | More Artists & Artisans + Collectives | Gourmet Food | Home Decor | DJs | Literary Corner | Street Fun
• LIVE LOCAL MUSIC on the Williams Park Bandstand + NEW Second Street Stage on 2nd Avenue (View the Lineup HERE)
• STREET PERFORMANCES + ENGAGING ACTIVITIESfor All Ages, Free Demos & Crafts, 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.