The latest news from the most popular tourism destination on the Gulf of Mexico: St. Pete/Clearwater is right here.
For the most up-to-date Gulf of Mexico, Florida destination updates to help make your holiday perfect, visit VSPC.com.
JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa Opens Its Doors
Just in time for summer travellers, the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa is officially open, welcoming Mariott’s original luxury brand to Clearwater Beach. The hotel brings two new restaurants, an expansive full-service Spa by JW, JW Kids Club and 162 elegantly appointed guestrooms and 36 spacious Residences, in addition to 16,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The rooms and restaurants will all have magnificent views of the 300-ft private beach, which faces Sand Key across an inlet and looks toward the Gulf of Mexico.
St. Pete Pride 2023
Home to the largest Pride parade in all of Florida, St. Pete Pride is celebrating 20+ years of Pride celebrations. From what started with small gatherings to a colourful parade, St. Pete Pride is now a month-long celebration. With the promise of strengthening St. Pete’s inclusivity and diversity, St. Pete Pride offers a safe haven for all communities. The LGBTQIA+ community is celebrated throughout the year in St. Pete but come June, the streets are doused in more colour to amplify and support the community. Below are some of this year’s celebrations and events:
- June 2: St. Pete Pride 21st Anniversary Kick-Off Party
- June 10: LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Day
- June 17: Shade of Pride: A Juneteenth Pride Celebration
- June 23: Friday Night Concert
- June 24: St. Pete Pride Parade & Festival + TransMarch
- June 25: St. Pete Pride Street Carnival
- June 30: Queer-E-Okee at The Palladium
Tinned Fish Craze Makes its Mark in St. Pete
Barbouni is welcomed to the St. Pete dining scene as the new tinned fish and raw bar at Baba, one of the city’s favourite restaurants, and offers only 9-seats for guests but 48+ tinned fish from around the world to choose from. A Greek-inspired ouzeri (a type of tavern), Barbouni is a celebration of owner Debbie Sayegh’s culture and roots serving up Greek inspired dishes for every visitor.
Tiny Restaurants, Big Flavour
St. Pete’s dining scene seems to be getting… smaller… but it’s not what you think. St. Pete is seeing an expanding trend of exclusive and intimate restaurants popping up around the city. Bin 6 South has a dining area that can accommodate 12 guests at a time. This upscale wine bar and restaurant has six seats at a communal table and six seats at the bar. The close quarters create an intimate environment that shines more focus on the unique and cutting-edge dishes being served fresh. Barbouni, St. Pete’s elusive tinned fish restaurant, also only offers nine seats for guests. The owners were looking for a new space for this restaurant concept but found that repurposing the café at Baba has proven to be an exclusive space for Barbouni. The new globally-inspired neighbourhood restaurant, Calida, is the largest of the lot with room for 25 diners. The petite spot closely resembles a European wine bar than a traditional restaurant drawing inspiration from partners Ian Florence (chef) and Dayna Bennett’s (owner) treks around the world.
Coachman Park is Reinspired for Summer 2023
Imagine Clearwater is the city’s latest project to connect downtown Clearwater with the intercoastal waterfront park, Coachman Park. The event space and amphitheatre, named The Sound, will accommodate up to 9,000 concertgoers and a year-round performance schedule. In addition to the new covered amphitheatre, the redeveloped 19-acre Coachman Park will include a playground with $1.2 million in new equipment, a splash pad, a lake area with a pedestrian bridge, strolling and bike paths, and picnic pavilions. The much anticipated grand opening will occur on July 4, 2023.
Shrimpfinity at Fairgrounds St. Pete
The latest from Fairgrounds St. Pete funky art installations – Shrimp! Guests can immerse themselves in a world of fantastical shrimp-themed exhibits with bright awe-inspiring colours. St. Pete’s premier art and technology museum is constantly pushing the bounds of what people think of traditional art museums. Escape reality in the whimsical world of Fairgrounds St. Pete by experiencing the new Shrimp themed exhibit presented by MILAGROS Collective.
We hope you find this information helpful. Enjoy your trip to the Gulf of Mexico!
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