The growing demand to support local businesses was on display Saturday in St. Petersburg with the return of Shopapalooza, a festival of indie businesses, artists, food halls and breweries. More than 350 vendors lined up along more than 11 acres of Vinoy Park the weekend after Thanksgiving.
The festival, hosted by small business advocates LocalShops1, began in 2010 and is co-sponsored by the city. It featured home decor, jewelry, clothing, beauty products, vintage items, pet goods, books and candles. There were also four food halls made up of about 40 vendors representing local restaurants, bakeries and food trucks.
The free public event continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at 701 Bayshore Drive NE.
Theresa Arenholz, Sea Turtle Trackers director, shows off a sea turtle shell to shoppers at Shopapalooza.
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Schuyler Lambert, 11, of Atlanta, Ga., holds a skunk at Shopapalooza’s Pet Skunk Advocates & Rescue booth.
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Local magician Steven Vitale, top, performs magic tricks for an audience in St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park.
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Shoppers browse for items at Shopapalooza, an annual event that started in 2010 in St. Petersburg.
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Jessica Merker, a poet with Merk the Moment, writes an original poem for a customer at Shopapalooza.
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Merk the Moment poets Kelley Johnson, top, and Jessica Merker, write original poems based on a question and answer session with clients at Shopapalooza.
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Kelley Johnson, a poet with Merk the Moment, reacts as she reads a poem she wrote for a customer.
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Shoppers relax and browse for items in Vinoy Park.
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Earrings made by local crafts artist Jacaranda Hill are displayed for shoppers to purchase at Shopapalooza.
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Local crafts artist Jacaranda Hill assists customers with their purchases. This was the sixth time Hill has been a vendor at the festival.
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