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| [ A great crowd came out for the second annual Localtopia. ] |
On Saturday, G and I ventured to Williams Park in downtown St. Pete to celebrate all things local—to eat, drink, shop and listen to—at the 2nd annual Localtopia. It was a beautiful, 70-degree, blue sky day. The Florida sun was shining and the community was out en masse to support small, independent businesses and local makers of all kinds. The park was packed, and while at times it was a bit difficult to maneuver around all the attendees, plus their strollers and dogs, and the lines for the ATM and (massive!) draft beer truck rivaled Disneyland at times, it was wonderful to see hundreds of people come together under the banner of Keep Saint Petersburg Local. The festival showcased more than 100 vendors, many of which we were first introduced to at this Localicious event last October. After surviving the long lines to get cash, beer and food, the hubby and I had a fantastic time browsing the expansive marketplace—and we even picked up a few goodies along the way!
Here's a few photos from our afternoon, if you'd like to see...
I snapped a shot of this pretty church across the street from Williams Park while waiting in line for the ATM. It was such a gorgeous day outside. This is winter in Florida!
The hubs sipped his craft beer (an IPA, I believe), made by local brewery Green Bench Brewing Co., while we pursued the impressive Localtopia lineup. I opted for Pinot Grigio, which was served in a pre-packaged plastic wine glass. Not the best wine, not the worst, but cute and convenient presentation!
This pizza was impossible to resist. The scent wafting from Open Hearth Pizza's mobile wood-fired brick oven lured us in. Pictured is a pie topped with mushrooms and truffle oil. But we decided to wait a few more minutes for pepperoni...
We luckily snagged an open belly bar in front of the bandstand and noshed on our slices (which were so large the tip had to be flipped to fit on the plate!) while listening to live music.
The Williams Park bandstand is gorgeous with its vibrant green roof. The day's musical lineup was also good. We especially enjoyed the band Danfield.
Like at Localicious, I was enamored by the O'Berry's Succulents booth. We didn't take a little green friend home this time, we've learned our apartment just doesn't get enough light, but I covet them all. Especially that flamingo planter! It just screams "Florida."
I couldn't resist the Ashe Couture Boutique booth though, filled with lovely blouses and frocks that cater to my bohemian aesthetic. While admiring a white-and-green tribal print kimono, my husband took it from me and said, "I think you want this," and bought it for me! He's a keeper.
Next, we stumbled upon Recycled Earth Pottery and this simple and chic textured cream vase. It was a steal at $15, so we scooped it up. Now we just need flowers. (To which G reminded me, Valentine's Day is coming up.)
One area of the park was dedicated to the arts and reading. This boat installation was particularly striking. The sail is made up of love notes to St. Pete, handwritten by Localtopia attendees.
I had to stop and stare for a minute at the ARTicles Art Gallery & Custom Framing booth, where a man was painting a picturesque landscape. My grandmother was a talented painter, and I envy those who share that gift! I'm creative but I'm no painter.
G was excited to stop by the Glassart booth in hopes of finding some cocktail glasses made out of upcycled gin bottles. Alas, he had no such luck, but I could have easily taken home any of these pretties, which looked even more lovely with the sunlight streaming through them.
One of our last stops of the day was to Citrus Blossom, a line of handmade scented soy candles. If you know G and I, you know we love (and quickly burn through!) candles. Our stock at home is running low, so we picked up two to add to our collection: Surfer Dude and Aloe Mist.
We couldn't leave Localtopia without trying the Tropiccool's gelato pops. I had heard good things about this gourmet popsicle bar, and Troopiccool delivered—in style! In a double-decker bus to be exact. I ordered (and devoured) a Toffee Pecan pop and G got the Key Lime Pie.
All in all, it was a great Saturday. Food, booze, shopping, live music... it doesn't get much better than that.
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