Attention shoppers...
Courtesy LocalShops1
Florida shoppers, clear some trunk space. A holiday shopping extravaganza expected to become the nation’s largest Small Business Saturday event will take over St. Petersburg for an entire weekend.
The 16th annual Shopapalooza Festival runs Saturday, Nov. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Vinoy Park, located at 701 Bayshore Drive NE. Admission is free, and over 350 local shops, artists, makers and nonprofits will fill 11.3 waterfront acres with gifts, food and entertainment. The event is produced by LocalShops1 with the City of St. Petersburg as a co-sponsor.
The complete vendor roster will be revealed Nov. 1 at the festival’s website. Shoppers can expect handcrafted jewelry, clothing, home décor, candles, books, vintage finds, pet goodies and holiday specials, including BOGOs and merchandise unavailable elsewhere.
Come hungry. Browardist is told four food halls will gather selections from over 40 restaurants, bakeries and food trucks, while a local beer garden will raise money for Jump for Kids.
Each day also brings a free-to-enter $500 shopping-spree raffle, live bands on the main stage and acoustic Dockside Sessions on a new second stage. Elsewhere, guests can help paint a community mural, watch an adoptable pet parade, meet young sellers along Kidpreneurs Row or recline inside VPN Studios’ 10,000-square-foot outdoor glam lounge.
The Kids Zone adds crafts, play stations, princesses, Santa and music activities. Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome, and complimentary trolley service will connect South Core Garage with Vinoy Park from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
