The Safety Harbor Singer Songwriter Festival, which debuted April 4-6, was North Pinellas’ first major concert festival that wasn’t strictly a blues or jazz fest, entertaining locals and tourists with three days of Grammy-winning headliners, food trucks, a fashion show and performance art. The colorful and diverse shebang was organized by the town’s godmother and godfather of the arts, Todd Ramquist and one-name-wonder Kiaralinda. The couple, known for their whimsically painted and decorated home — which has been featured on national TV and other international media — also founded the promising, soon-to-open Safety Harbor Arts and Music Center (SHAMc), a facility that will offer shows and educational opportunities for artists and musicians. Always up to something (when they’re not traveling the country), the couple makes a living creating art and encourages others via a host of cool projects throughout their town. They have brought a new vibrancy to Safety Harbor, giving President Obama a run for his money as community organizers. safetyharborartandmusiccenter.com
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2014.