WHAT:
10th Annual LOCALTOPIA, “A Community Celebration of All Things Local” – Biggest Localtopia Ever!
WHEN:
Saturday, February 18, 2023 | 10 am to 5 pm (Rain Date: February 25, 2023)
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 & 4th St N
Free Parking at Tropicana Field Lots 1 & 2 (courtesy of Platinum Sponsors: the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Rowdies) +
Free Trolley from Tropicana Field (courtesy of Platinum Sponsor: Star Trolley)
WHO:
Organized by Keep Saint Petersburg Local – Also KSPL’s 11-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 2023 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, independent businesses.
The city of St. Petersburg has experienced a lot of changes these past few years, many of which have been brought about by rampant development. “These changes not only have made it more challenging for our local businesses to continue to operate, but they have made it increasingly difficult to determine which are the ‘truly local’ businesses that started in St. Pete, especially for our newer residents,” says Olga Bof, Founder/Executive Director. “Businesses that are not ‘unique to St. Pete,’ such as franchises that exist in many other cities around the country, or an additional location of a business that started in another city
call themselves ‘local’ when they open in our city.
LOCALTOPIA represents the largest gathering of businesses that started here, and are hoping to continue to grow from here. If our newer residents and/or visitors want a ‘crash course’ in what makes St. Pete such a special place, all they have to do is spend the day at LOCALTOPIA. The festival is the greatest opportunity to get to know *and support* over 300 of St. Pete’s gems. Not only that, they’ll also partake of the extraordinary magic that is palpable on Localtopia Day. There’s a reason our tagline is that it’s a ‘Community Celebration of All Things Local’ – our fierce city pride is on display that day, and it’s a joyous occasion as attendees show their ‘Local Love’ to these amazing businesses and community organizations. Our greatest hope is that we’ll have even more residents and visitors then wanting to continue to support our independent businesses beyond just Localtopia Day.”
Bof continues, “As LOCALTOPIA is one of the largest events that takes place in the city, we want to encourage attendees to use as many means of alternative transportation as possible. We are very excited to announce that the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Rowdies have come onboard as Platinum Sponsors to provide FREE parking at Tropicana Field Lots 1 and 2. We’re equally thrilled that Star Trolley has also come onboard as a Platinum Sponsor, and will be providing a FREE trolley shuttle from Tropicana Field to the festival. It’s awesome that SunRunner is also an option this year, with free rides – there’s a stop just a block away, with other stops nearby, and we have always provided FREE bike valet.”
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, and what we are calling “Draft Beer Central” (on the corner of 2nd Ave and 3rd St N) with a dozen of our local breweries pouring special brews found only at their taprooms, plus draft beer trucks with local craft faves. We will once again have our “Local Thirst Stations” selling canned local beer.
Bof concludes, “As our city continues to grow, we need more members of our community committed to preserve our local vibe before we completely lose what makes St. Pete unique. Our local businesses have endured so much the past few years, and with a recession looming, it has never been more important to support local than right now, more than ever before.”
Major Sponsors: Presented By: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater | City of St. Petersburg Co-Sponsored Event | Platinum Sponsors: Tampa Bay Rays & Tampa Bay Rowdies and Star Trolley | Bronze Sponsors: BayFirst, Suncoast Credit Union and Treehouse Gallery | Stage Sponsor: Hideaway Recording Studio
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 + “Draft Beer Central”: 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 (View the Lineup HERE)
• STREET PERFORMANCES + ENGAGING ACTIVITIES for 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.