Chelsea Rivera

2 weeks ago | tbnweekly.com | Chelsea Rivera |Pete Catalyst

Neighborhood pools across St. Pete have opened for the summer, providing much-needed respite from soaring summer temperatures. May 31 marked the start of seasonal operations for city-owned pools throughout the area, and summer hours begin Friday. Opening hours will be 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday with varied hours for nights and weekends. A summer schedule begins Friday. Facilities are open to residents of all ages and abilities.

3 weeks ago | stpetecatalyst.com | Chelsea Rivera

Gulfport has always operated at the fringe, but for this year’s Gulfport Pride Festival, they’re really leaning in. Saturday marks the fifth year of the city’s official pride celebration, which has grown steadily. The first iteration was in 2019, a rogue unofficial street parade called the Friends of Dorothy March. Festival organizer Suzie King explained: “We just did it impromptu, and people showed up in droves. There were 300 people. We [the people of Gulfport] love to dress up.

1 month ago | stpetecatalyst.com | Chelsea Rivera

The Community Cultivators event series was designed to address political polarization and encourage civic engagement through conversation. The next event in the series, presented by the nonprofit Free Leadership, is scheduled for June 9 at American Stage. Free Leadership was founded by Krystal White, a leadership psychologist with a background in organizational effectiveness and development. “What we want to do,” she said, “is change the context of how we have political conversations.

1 month ago | stpetecatalyst.com | Chelsea Rivera

The EDGE District’s climbing gym and community hub, Vertical Ventures, commemorates 30 years of business in June. Vertical Ventures (116 18th Street S.) will host a day-long community event (“Verty Thirty”) to celebrate the anniversary Sunday, June 8. All ages welcome, no experience needed. The gym opened in Tampa in 1996, and established its St. Pete location 10 years ago.

1 month ago | stpetecatalyst.com | Chelsea Rivera

At most swim meets, people applauding from the sidelines are rooting for athletes chasing records or defeating fierce opponents. At Saturday’s Swim Across America event, to be held at Spa Beach in St. Pete, Francesca “Frankie” Grieco-Routh will be cheering for a different sort of victory – beating cancer. Frankie’s 11-year-old sister Emmersan (“Emmie”) will be competing in the half-mile open water swim in honor of her sibling, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at age 3.