St. Pete Beach is going to celebrate a different kind of new year this weekend. A press release says that on Saturday, Jan. 15, locals and public officials will unite to celebrate the 25th Russian New Year event hosted by the Russian Heritage Foundation.
If you're not a geography or history buff, the City of St. Petersburg was actually founded in 1875 and named after the Russian city. There are currently tens of thousands of local residents with Russian ancestry residing in the 'Burg.
On Saturday, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and the U.S. Congressman Charlie Christ will join Russian Heritage Foundation Founder Margo nee Vondersaar-Catsimatidis to kick off the festivities with a press conference. Festivities start at 11:30 a.m. outside of the Tradewinds Resort located at 550 Gulf Blvd. on St. Pete Beach. Bring the entire family to slide by and see local Russian-American residents demonstrating dances in centuries-old ethnic costumes.
Keep in mind, although this is an open-air event, attendees are encouraged to obey social distancing guidelines and wear a mask.
Following the New Year event, the foundation is hosting the 25th Annual Russian Winter Ball that evening under an outdoor pavilion, climate and air-conditioned environment. With just hours before the big day, the ball has already sold out.
For more details son the Russian Heritage Foundation, visit russianheritage.org.
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This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2021.