8 Fun Things to do in St. Petersburg for FREE

 

Downtown St. Pete

Beautiful St. Petersburg

By JP Chartier

So you find yourself in St. Petersburg, Florida and you’re looking for something fun to do, but you’re running short on cash. Well I’m going to help you out, listed below are 8 really fun things to do for FREE in St. Pete. 

First A Little About St. Pete:

The “Burg” as its known by the locals is Florida’s fifth largest city with 250,000 people and 61 sq. miles of land. With an average of 361 days a year of sunshine, the city has earned the nickname of the “Sunshine City,” in fact, it holds the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days of sunshine – a stretch of 768 days beginning in 1967.

 8 Fun Things to do in St. Pete for FREE! 

 

Party at the “Get Downtown First Friday” Block Party Event  – Every first Friday of the month St. Pete closes off a section of downtown between 2nd and 3rd St. South on Central Ave for a block party event. There is live jazz music, food, drinks and vendors stretched out along Central Ave. between the hours of 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm. The event is organized by the Breakfast Optimist Club of St. Petersburg and is a safe and entertaining way to spend the evening.

Party down at the First Friday Celebration

Hang out at a beach within city limits Not a lot of people know that St. Pete has two beaches within city limits, white sand, water and fun can be found at Spa Beach and at North Shore Beach, both are walking distance from downtown.

North Shore Beach – 901 North Shore Dr. NE. St. Petersburg

Spa Beach – 615 2nd Ave. NE. St. Petersburg

Take a bike ride or a walk along a scenic trail St. Pete has two great bike/walking trails. The North Bay Trail snakes its way along the Tampa Bay and gives visitors spectacular shoreline views. And the Pinellas Trail, or the Fred Marquis Trail as it’s properly called, begins in downtown St. Pete and ends up 38 miles later in Tarpon Springs. Check out my article on the North Bay Trail here.

Views from the North Bay Trail near downtown

Take in some art at the “Art Walk” – Downtown St. Petersburg galleries along Beach Dr. and Central Ave. hold a special once a month meet and greet with local artists called the “Art Walk.” Artists will discuss their artwork and galleries extend their hours (5:30 pm-8:30 pm) on the 2nd Saturday of the month. See a complete list of galleries here

Art Walk – 2nd Saturdays downtown

Read a book at one of the beautiful parks along the water downtown Situated along the water of the Tampa Bay and located close to downtown are several family-friendly parks where you can relax with the family while enjoying a lunch, or to just sit back and read a few chapters with a wonderful sea-breeze and sunshine.

My favorite place to read in St. Pete

Another prime spot

People watch on Beach Dr. after dark Beach Dr. is an interesting place, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants and galleries to choose from, or to just window shop. Grab a beverage, grab a bench, then sit back and take in the action! St. Pete’s nightlife is hoppin, there are open air restaurants and cafe’s stretched along the 7-miles of shoreline.

Nightlife on Beach Dr.

Take a stroll down Central Ave Central Ave. slices through downtown St. Pete and ends up near the coastline of the Tampa Bay. There are a multitude of shops, restaurants and galleries to choose from in the downtown area, however, there is also a section of Central Ave. (further west) called the “Grand Central District” and it can be found between 16th and 31st St. This area is a thriving community for artists and home décor type shops, including an abundance of antique shops.

A vibrant downtown awaits you in St. Pete

Take a short hike at the Sawgrass Lake Park – This wonderful 400 acre park gives visitors a taste of the wilderness even though it’s located in the most densely populated county in the state of Florida. The park offers incredible trees, abundant wildlife sightings and even a chance glance at an alligator while hiking the one mile long wooden walkway which transverses the largest maple swamp on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  The Sawgrass Lake Park is located at 7400 25th St. N. and is a great way to spend some quality family-time and learn about the wildlife in the area at the education center at the same time. During bird migrations the park becomes a popular spot for birders, and is listed as one of the premier birding sites in Florida.

Educational Center is surrounded by trees galore

The beginning of the 1 mile wooden walkway

St. Petersburg is full of excitement and interesting things to do, and not all of it requires money. From the bustling waterfront entertainment district to the beautiful wind swept parks, St. Pete has something for everyone!

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JP Chartier

Hi my name is JP Chartier and I write for Gutter Pup Adventures.com where you can expect to read well-written and entertaining articles about the people and places that often get overlooked at many popular vacation destinations around the world. You will also find articles on camping, hiking, kayaking and several other popular vacation activities here too.

My goal is to seek out the hidden ‘gems’ for you and bring them alive through my writing and photographs, so your next trip or vacation will be a much more rewarding and fulfilling experience.

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10 Comments on 8 Fun Things to do in St. Petersburg for FREE

  1. I love FREE, plus St.Petersburg looks pretty nice (judging from your pictures), so I have some good incentives to go visit it.

  2. wow….768 days of straight sunshine? that is amazing….never been, but it sounds like a great city, and that nature walk looks pretty sweet. thanks for taking the time to share with us JP!
    Mike recently posted…Comment on Overland Marathon: Mozambique to Tanzania by EmmaMy Profile

    • I know right? That’s a lot of sunshine!! If you ever make it to the Tampa Bay area it’s worth the time to swing over the bridge and checkout St. Pete, let me know if you do, I’ll give you a little tour my friend.

  3. It seems a lot sunnier than the last time I was there! 😛
    Andrew recently posted…A Date With Malaria Part ThreeMy Profile

  4. Traveling Ted // September 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm // Reply

    When I was in St. Petersburg earlier this year, it rained and was clouding 2 of the four days I was there. I guess this means it will only be cloudy two more days of the year. I would love to check out the boardwalk to see a gator in St. Petersburg. Great list of free things to do.
    Traveling Ted recently posted…A Three Ontario Canada campgrounds adventureMy Profile

    • If it rained all day, that’s pretty rare here, and you got two in a row – sorry about that :) Didn’t get to see a gator the last time at the park, but I usually do.

  5. suzette - TrySomethingFun.com // September 8, 2014 at 1:04 pm // Reply

    Not what I expected for St Pete; really nice beaches too!

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