GET READY - ST. PETERSBURG OFFERS UP WEEKEND OF SENSORY DELIGHTS
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (November 7, 2012) – From world-class acrobats and barbecue ribbers to classic cars and a decade of Saturday Morning Market freshness, St. Petersburg offers an invitation to be amazed this weekend.
The Big Top is up and St. Petersburg is primed for the breathtaking acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA for the next five weeks beginning tomorrow, November 8, in the Tropicana Field parking lot. KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner searching for his place in the world as he experiences fear, identity, recognition and power. Tickets are still available for selected performances under the white tents at www.cirquedusoleil.com. Cirque du Soleil last visited St. Petersburg in 2005 with Varekai.
On Friday, St. Petersburg’s annual three day celebration of ‘Rockin’ Ribs, Helpin’ Kids’, also known as Ribfest, kicks off its 23rd year of giving back to the community in Vinoy Park. The festival features live music from national artists including Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Montgomery Gentry and Heart, a Family Fun Zone hosted by Great Explorations, a classic car and truck show and, of course, barbecue ribs from some of the best ribbers in the Bay Area with all the fixins’.
Festival goers will find more than enough parking along the downtown waterfront and are encouraged to locate long-term parking in either the BayWalk or South Core parking garages for an event rate of $10. Parking is also available in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot for $10, while parking in The Mahaffey garage will cost $5. Parking will not be permitted at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel during the event.
Persons needing disabled parking will find approximately 30 first-come, first-serve spaces located in the North Shore Park parking lot adjacent to the baseball field and accessible from Ninth Ave. NE. Once this lot fills, additional disabled spaces are available in festival-designated long-term parking facilities on a first-come, first-served basis. A wheelchair accessible trolley, which follows the festival shuttle route, will provide assisted transportation to Vinoy Park.
Spaces for motorcycle parking will be available at North Shore Dr. and Ninth Ave. N. on a first-come, first-served basis. City parking enforcement will patrol throughout the weekend to ensure parking laws are obeyed. For more information on parking, shuttle stops and locations, visit www.loopertrolley.com/events.html.
Festival goers are encouraged to avoid traffic congestion and hop aboard the free festival shuttles running to and from Ribfest. Shuttle stops are located at:
- The Mahaffey parking lot, located on the east side of First St. between Fourth and Fifth Ave. S;
- the Al Lang Stadium parking lot/South Core parking garage, located on the east side of First St. just south of First Ave. S;
- the BayWalk parking garage, located on the east side of First St. halfway between First and Second Sts. N;
- and the Renaissance Vinoy Resort, located on the south side of Fifth Ave. NE, just west of Bayshore Dr.
Shuttles run every 10 minutes and will be available from 5 to 11:30 p.m. on Friday; from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Do-it-yourselfers will find everything from furniture, decorating ideas, interior design techniques, landscaping and remodeling to the hottest trends in kitchen design and window coverings at the Tampa Bay Home Show, Friday through Sunday, November 9-11, at Tropicana Field. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free. www.tampabayhomeshows.com
Throughout the month of November, the Saturday Morning Market celebrates a decade of serving the Bay Area with fresh and organic produce, baked goods and other sweet treats, flowers, unique clothing and jewelry and freshly prepared gourmet dishes. On Saturday, Mayor Bill Foster honors the Market’s 10 year anniversary with a proclamation and then blends his bass as part of a barbershop quartet between 9 and 10 a.m. Special guests, including a living statue, survivors of Titanic, and members of the Nutcracker Ballet, will make guest appearances at the Market throughout the month. www.saturdaymorningmarket.com
Later Saturday, Central Ave. will be closed to traffic between Fifth and Sixth Sts. N. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a vintage car show hosted by the Sake Bomb. Uniformed officers will be on hand for traffic control, though officials anticipate minimal traffic impact.
Meanwhile, classic car buffs can browse several varieties, makes and models of foreign and domestic automobiles, including vintage, sports cars and hot rods during the free St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s Vintage Motor Classic on November 11. Vehicles circa 1979 and older, along with race cars from the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, will be on display in South Straub Park from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There’s also a car corral where cars, boats and motorcycles will be listed for sale. Visit www.spyc.org/classic for information.
The Dali Museum honors veterans by hanging a wish on the Dali Wish Tree during special ceremonies on Monday, November 12. The 11 a.m. free ceremony features the Exhibition Drill Team of Admiral Farragut Academy and is open to the public. Veterans, along with members of the military, police and fire receive free admission to the museum with ID on Monday, while immediate family members enjoy a special rate of $11. For more information, visit www.thedali.org.