Before St. Pete show, The Runarounds’ Zendé Murdock recalls an album that changed his life
In their prime, The Monkees were ridiculed for being considered the first boy-band, despite viciously fighting to compose their own music and play their own instruments. But Davy, Peter, Mike and Micky’s made-for-TV aspect soon became strongly overlooked, and sure enough, there’s a new TV band in town 60 years later. The Runarounds were formed…
The ‘world’s largest’ Christmas light maze returns to Tropicana Field this winter
After disappearing from St. Pete’s holiday calendar in recent years, this holiday season, Tropicana Field will once again host the so-called “world’s largest” Christmas light maze. Enchant Christmas’s winter wonderland also features an ice skating trail, giant sculptures, millions of lights, seasonal food and drinks, holiday shopping, as well as live entertainment, and an all-new…
Popular Tampa sandwich spot Cousin Vinny’s will be on Guy Fieri’s ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’
Legendary celebrity chef Guy Fieri is back in Tampa, this time highlighting sandwich hotspot Cousin Vinny’s. This morning, the chicken cutlet hotspot took to Instagram to announce that Cousin Vinny’s will be featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on July 10, at 9 p.m. on the Food Network. “Secrets out. The one and only [Guy…
South Tampa is getting a Hattricks
According to property records, Hattricks purchased the property for $425,000 in 2021. The lot was most recently home to Sun Country Cleaners, which has since been leveled to make way for the new sports bar.
Florida Democratic frontrunner David Jolly picks Gwen Graham as gubernatorial running mate
David Jolly, the Democratic frontrunner in the Florida gubernatorial race, named former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate during a Tallahassee press conference Wednesday, feet from the Old Capitol. “I want a lieutenant governor capable of serving our state, not just as my governing partner, but as a leader,” Jolly, a former Republican…
Heights Drive-Thru in Tampa celebrates its anniversary with free soft serve this weekend
Heights Drive-Thru has surprisingly good soft serve and coffee, along with all the junk food, alcohol, and an expanded section of random crap one might need at a convenience store pit stop. Plus, freaky collectables and goods from other local businesses, all of which earned it a Best of the Bay critics’ pick in 2025.…
Tampa Bay Democrat Sen. Darryl Rouson will not run for the Florida House this year
Tampa Bay area Democratic state Sen. Darryl Rouson, the longest-serving member of the Florida Legislature, announced Tuesday he will not run for the House District 62 seat later this year but will be stepping down after 18 years in office in Tallahassee and take a position at New College of Florida. Rouson, 70, served for…
Urban farmer and florist stars in ‘Flower Lady,’ topping Tampa Fringe 2026 shows
“Flower Lady” transports audiences (at least emotionally) to Kali Rabult’s Blue House Florals. Between the “weeds of her mind,” as she calls them, Rabult will challenge concepts of productivity, identity and occupation.
Last chance to nominate your local favorites for Creative Loafing’s 2026 Best of The Bay awards
The nomination period for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2026 Best of The Bay Awards is winding down, which means there’s only a few more days to show some love to your favorite local bars, food trucks, musicians, artists, and everything and anything you think makes Tampa Bay exceptional. To make sure we covered it all,…
Florida’s Trulieve set to become first cannabis company listed on the NYSE
Trulieve Cannabis Co., Florida’s largest marijuana provider and one of the biggest in the nation, has been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Voting shares are expected to begin trading on the NYSE floor under the ticker symbol TRLV on Wednesday morning. When that happens, it will have become the first…
Florida Republican candidates Bryon Donalds, James Fishback and Paul Renner qualify for governor race
Republican gubernatorial candidates Congressman Bryon Donalds, former House Speaker Paul Renner and conservative activist James Fishback were among those who paid the $8,480 fee Tuesday to qualify for the race. U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also qualified, but isn’t listed as the incumbent as she is running in the redrawn District 20 rather than in…
Tampa Police chief Lee Bercaw to retire, Mayor Jane Castor says her successor will pick his
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw is retiring, and outgoing Mayor Jane Castor says she’ll let her own successor pick his. “I believe wholeheartedly that the position of Chief of Police is the most important position in the entire administration, and so that decision needs to be left out to the next administration,” Castor, a former…
Florida ranks near bottom in nation for child wellbeing, according to recent data
Florida’s overall state of child wellbeing did not improve in this year’s Kids Count Data Profile, although some segments including graduation rates and teen birth did see gains. Florida jumped four spots in education ranking compared to last year’s report, up to 15th, working toward the fifth place ranking the state held two years ago. Florida’s…
Florida U.S. Senator Ashley Moody votes against Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ payments to J6 rioters
Florida’s junior U.S. senator, Ashley Moody has been a consistent supporter of the Trump administration since she was appointed to her seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January 2025. However, she broke with the administration last week in a vote on an amendment regarding the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund criticized by both Democratic and Republican…
Daniel Caesar brings first headline arena tour to Tampa next month
The Son of Spergy Tour will support his album of the same name. The “Get You” singer used his most recent album to pay homage to his father, to whom the nickname “Spergy” belongs.
Tampa Jewish Federation blasts local leaders over decision to book Kanye West concerts
Tampa Bay Jewish leaders are now condemning the Tampa Sports Authority’s (TSA) decision to book two Raymond James Stadium concerts headlined by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West and a guy who identified as a Nazi up until just a few months before his latest tour. The Tampa Jewish Federation, which oversees and…
Florida officials brace for risk of parasitic screwworm
Florida enacted emergency rules Friday to prevent the New World screwworm from making its way to the Sunshine State. The state created protocols to protect Florida’s cattle herds from the parasitic fly after it was found in Texas earlier this week. Florida will not accept any warm-blooded animals from infested zones until June 10, according…
Undefeated Rowdies celebrate Pride night in St. Pete next week
The currently-undefeated Tampa Bay Rowdies are celebrating Pride month with collectible rainbow swag for its LGBTQ+ fans. The June 13 match against Hartford Athletic from Connecticut marks the Rowdies’ eighth consecutive year celebrating Pride month. Only three months into the season, the Bay area team sits atop the USL Championship and is currently undefeated with…
Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy bring co-headlining tour to Tampa this fall
Both bands last played in the Bay area on separate tours in 2022. Soccer Mommy has since released Evergreen in 2024 and a stripped version last year. Snail Mail dropped her third studio album, Ricochet, in March.
St. Petersburg agrees to look at benefits of ditching Duke in favor of city-run electric utility
Responding to the frustrations expressed by local residents, the St. Petersburg City Council has taken a major step towards potentially jettisoning its longtime relationship with Duke Energy Florida and creating its own city-run electric utility. The council voted 4-3 Thursday to spend up to $590,000 to hire Texas-based NewGen Strategies and Solutions to analyze whether…
Rick Scott is pressuring Tampa Sports Authority to cancel Kanye West shows at Raymond James Stadium
A public stadium shouldn’t host rapper and producer Kanye West, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said Thursday. In a letter to the Tampa Sports Authority, the government organization that operates Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Scott urged the authority board to “carefully review this decision” of hosting the rapper, for shows June 26 and 28. “West’s…
‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ author campaigns for Pinellas Democrat in St. Pete this month
As a fundraiser for Democratic Congressional candidate Brandt Robinson, “Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney will hang out with fans (old enough to vote) at the Coliseum after the two have a live conversation about creativity, education, and civic engagement.
Tampa Bay’s best things to do this week include Red Bull cliff diving, ‘Love Island’ watch parties and more
There’s a ton of stuff to do in Tampa Bay this week, including Redbull cliff diving, St. Pete Opera’s summer production of “La Boheme,” photographer Jesi Cason’s “Alt Tampa” exhibition, journalist Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now” screening, and “Salud and Happy Days” improv featuring Dave Decker.
White weirdo running for Florida governor refers to recent ‘teen takeovers’ as ‘Black Teen Riots’
James Fishback, a weird little white guy and Florida gubernatorial candidate who once called for a Black man to be lynched, held a press conference in Clearwater Beach this morning for the sole purpose of re-labeling “teen takeovers” as “Black Teen Riots.” Fishback, a half-Colombian, white nationalist-endorsed Republican, made the racist declaration a day earlier…
St. Pete Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross says she will not run for re-election
St. Petersburg-based Democratic House Rep. Lindsay Cross stunned political observers on Thursday when she announced she will not run for re-election. In a statement Cross said she had worked hard over the past four years to live up to the promises she made to the voters in HD 60, which includes parts of St. Petersburg…
