Featured image: Positive Impact Santa Claus Joe Strickler with Mrs. Claus, Antoinette Taylor.

After his homeowner’s insurance increased by $150 a month, a 65-year-old man started driving for Uber to cover basic expenses. Rising costs made it even harder to make ends meet. He thought about getting a roommate to help out because he needed money for groceries. Another woman, over 55, had never eaten fresh blueberries or a whole fresh peach; canned fruit was all she could afford.

Both these neighbors benefit from Positive Impact ST. PETE, a nonprofit known for its free, weekly distribution of groceries and household items that is open to anyone in need.… Read More

Featured Image: An organizer’s rendering of Winter Wonder highlights the ice-skating rink as part of the seasonal attraction

Williams Park will undergo a much-anticipated evolution this month. From November 20 through January, Winter Wonder will transform the space into a magical seasonal wonderland complete with an ice-skating rink, a marketplace, and food service.

“This will be a showcase of what Williams Park can be,” said Shaun Drinkard, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Improvement District.

Williams Park will showcase Tampa Bay’s only open-air skating rink, designed and installed by Ice Rink Events. The company runs rinks all around the country and uses a technology that can survive the Gulf Coast’s wind, humidity, and warmer winter temps, Drinkard explained.… Read More

Featured image: Santa Parade float in 1958. Courtesy of St. Petersburg Museum of History

This year, Santa Claus will once again lead the holiday parade along St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront. The Santa Parade traces its origins back 98 years – to 1928 – and while not exactly a parade as we know it today, the very first celebration was truly spectacular. 

That year someone dreamed up a trip by Santa from the North Pole to sunny St. Pete. The idea may have originated at the St. Petersburg Times (predecessor of the Tampa Bay Times), or someone may have pitched it to them – the prime suspect being City Publicity Director John Lodwick.… Read More