Waterfront Parks Centennial Celebration
Get ready to celebrate….
St. Petersburg’s Downtown Waterfront Parks Centennial Celebration!
On Christmas Eve 1909, St. Petersburg Times editor William Straub announced what he described as the best Christmas present St. Petersburg had ever received -- the city’s purchase of land for Waterfront Park -- property that would be dedicated in December 1910. Now, 100 years later, join in celebrating this special anniversary by participating in a Waterfront Parks Centennial Celebration event.
“Picture Your Parks” on Saturday, January 30 invites photographers of all ages and levels of expertise to one of two free workshops, at 10 AM or 1:30 PM, led by professional photographer Jim Swallow, at the Vinoy Hotel. Register at http://www.stpeteparks100.org to ensure space availability.
The Centennial Celebration is seeking your waterfront park photos! Photos will be displayed on the Centennial Celebration website and the best will become a part of the Centennial Celebration "traveling" exhibit. Photo submission rules are on the website, http://www.stpeteparks100.org. The "traveling" exhibit will go on display starting March 1, in various locations throughout the city. Also, if you are interested, a juried waterfront park photo contest, with prizes, will be coming this summer. Check the website next month for the “traveling” exhibit locations and later this year for the juried contest details.
Perspectives on the Parks”, a series of performances and discussions about the parks, underwritten by a Florida Humanities Council grant, begins on Wednesday, February 10, at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Steidinger Auditorium, 100 8th Avenue Southeast (next to USF-St Pete), at 7 p.m., preceded by a reception with cash bar at 6 p.m. The first panel will focus on the history of the parks and the role the parks have played in the development of St. Pete.
The second “Perspective on the Parks” program will be Thursday, April 29, at Studio@620 with a focus on the history of segregation in the parks.
All Centennial Celebration programs are free. For information on all of the events and on the history of the waterfront parks, visit the Centennial Celebration website, http://www.stpeteparks100.org.
