This exhibit showcases 19th century photographs on copper, glass and tin. For more information, call 727-896-2667.

The new Vinoy Afternoon Tea menu features prix fixe offerings, including a variety of loose leaf teas, pates, exotic fruit cocktails and scones. Tea service is held Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations are recommended, but walk-in guests are also invited. Teas are from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Terrace Room. For more information, call 727-894-1000.

This exhibit showcases aluminum spherical sculptures by artists Robert Giordano. All works are showcased in the courtyard sculpture garden. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

For the very first time, more than 250 superlative objects from The State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia will travel to the United States. Artifacts span more than 800 years of Russian history and focus on themes such as religious culture and the life of the Czars. For more information, call 727-822-3693.

This exhibit highlights Florida Craftsmen members' work and gives craft art lovers an opportunity to view and purchase a variety of works from more than 250 of the state's best craftspeople. One-of-a-kind artwork is available in a wide range of mediums. For more information, call 727-821-7391.

National recording artists and world-famous barbecue are featured at Vinoy Park. Ribfest is the site for some of the finest barbecue chefs in the country to showcase their special eating delights. The event features a barbecue contest, music and more. For more information, call 727-528-3828.

This holiday fair presented by the Garden Club of St. Petersburg will feature plants and herbs, home baked goods, hand-crafted gifts and decorations and gift wrapping at no cost. The event begins at 1 p.m. For more information, call 727-360-5793.

This annual Dali Museum-sponsored exhibition features juried selections of 87 works by Pinellas County middle and high school students based on the themes of Surrealism, dreams and fantasy. The exhibit demonstrates the ongoing popularity and attraction of Surrealism and surrealist techniques for new generations of young artists. For more information, call 727-823-3767.

Anglers and celebrities will pair up in a pro-am catch, photograph and release fishing tournament on Tampa Bay. A field of 50 boats is expected to participate in the two-day tournament, departing each morning from the Vinoy Yacht Basin. Each boat will carry one team consisting of two anglers who fish, with along with a sports or entertainment celebrity and professional fishing guide. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Other events include a Kid's Fishing Derby, the Fisherman's Ball, a cocktail reception and an awards banquet. For more information, call 727-521-0270.

Entwining pride, prejudice, pathos and passion with a heartwarming and memorable score, this musical fable about heartsick Porgy and Bess is the pre-eminent opera. For more information, call 813-222-1030.

The event celebrates the innovative and creative ways that individuals and businesses reuse or recycle objects to turn them into useful household items or works of art. Exhibitors will also be showing and selling items to make your home more environmentally friendly. Admission is FREE. For more information, call Pinellas County Utilities at 727-464-7565.

A variety of vendors will line the Main Street downtown area of Dunedin during the festival with food and live entertainment. For more information, call 727-298-3260.

Held outdoors on Main Street in downtown Dunedin, this beautiful area is a perfect setting for a perfect show. The show will feature more than 100 crafters in a variety of mediums. For more information, call 727-298-3198.

Sweetwater Kayaks guides this intermediate-level sea kayak tour of historic Egmont Key. Leaving from the Gulf Pier in Fort De Soto Park, the trip features a one mile open water crossing to Egmont Key. The key is home to a bird sanctuary, lighthouse and a Spanish-American War-era fort. Some of the fort is submerged and makes a great place for snorkeling and observing underwater life. Participants may explore the deserted brickstreet of a once vibrant area or lounge on top of the fort for lunch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Wildllife frequently seen on this trip include: dolphins, rays, egrets, sandpipers, herons, gulls, pelicans, shark, tarpon, gopher and box turtles, sheephead and stone clawed crabs. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 727-906-0708. Advance registration is required.

The Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation sponsors a program for underprivileged kids that is based on love and respect, one that builds confidence, instills discipline and provides positive educational experiences. The Golf Tournament raises funds to help the foundation continue its mission. For more information, call 727-726-4673.

The James Weldon Johnson Branch Library celebrates its annual spaghetti dinner for families accompanied by children. Dinner seating will begin at 5 p.m. The mayor will read a story and the library staff will present a puppet show. Children attending the dinner and program will receive one free book. For more information and to make reservations, call 727-893-7113.

The Harborview Center is host to the 17th Annual Festival of Trees. For more information, call 727-446-2858. [email protected]

The 26th Annual St. Petersburg Boat Show is making waves for boaters and anglers of all ages. With more than 700 boats, on land and in-water, the St. Petersburg's Boat Show is the largest in-water boat show on Florida's Gulf Coast. Accessorize you new boat with the latest electronics and gadgetry. For more information, call 954-764-7642.

This event in its 13th year features live music from nationally prominent bands focusing on traditional jazz and swing. The Sheraton Sand Key Resort and the Radisson Suite Resort host this musical festival. For more information, call 727-595-1611.

The Turkey Trot celebrates its 25th anniversary with an anticipated 10,000 runners trotting through Clearwater. The event features a one-mile "Gobbler" run, 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) "Wingding" and 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) "Turkey Trot." Proceeds from the St. Petersburg Times Turkey Trot will be donated to many local charities. Runners are welcome to bring canned goods and non-perishable food items in the stadium on race day. All collected foods will be given to the food pantry program. For more information, call 727-442-5838.

This free walking holiday lights display will encompass Pier 60 Park and will take place during the normal Sunsets at Pier 60 Daily Festival hours. All of the year round festivities (local artisans and crafters and Key West-style street performers) will be included in the holiday program. The event will also feature special holiday events like Beach Santa photos, Snow Days, caroling and children's activities. For more information, call 727-449-1036.

Clearwater celebrates the lighting of the Holiday Tree and street lights along Cleveland Street. The ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. in Station Square Park and attendees are guided by Santa to the Royalty Theatre to hear area churches and children's groups perform. For more information, call 727-562-4044.

This annual festival will be held over Thanksgiving weekend with a variety of seafood, live entertainment, educational seminars, arts and crafts, a children's area and guided walks of the trails at the park. For more information, call 727-733-3197.

This annual event features 150 artists and craft persons from around the country who display in downtown Tarpon Springs. Live music and a food festival are also included. Times are 10 AM to 5 PM. The event is held the weekend after Thanksgiving. For more information, call 727-937-6109.

Enjoy Tchaikovsky's holiday classic in all its glory. The event is performed by the West Florida Youth Ballet. The show times for the event are Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sun. 2 p.m. For more information call 813-587-6751.

John's Pass Village transforms into Christmas Village for this month long celebration. There will be a tree lighting on Dec. 6th with Santa Claus arriving by firetruck. Stores offer special discounts during this weekend and a Tropical Santa Photo Opportunity is available every weekend. For more information, call 727-394-0756.

This month-long festival of beautiful decorations, choirs of carolers, holiday entertainment, a large Christmas parade and more is a tradition in downtown St. Petersburg. For more information, call 727-821-6164.

This production is a community project. One hundred local children will join with professional dancers in a holiday tradition influenced by the sounds of Harlem, Brazil and Cuba. Tickets are $17 and $10. For more information, call 727-791-7400.

Join the entire community of Largo and Pinellas as we light Largo Central Park for the 9th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting & Stroll. Take the opportunity to stroll through the park and enjoy entertainment while viewing over 200,000 lights. Open to all ages from 7pm til 9pm on Friday & Saturday evening. Admission is free. For more information, call 727-587-6740.

This exhibition surveys works from artist Jim Roche's early "Potted Mama" plant series, his narrative based audio-performance works. Works will be presented in photographic form, as well as in assemblage, drawings and mixed-media. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

Heritage Village, a 21-acre historical village and museum, will host holiday tours of some of Pinellas County's most historic buildings, all of which will be decorated for the holidays. Tours will kick off during Seasonal Sensations at the Botanical Gardens and will include an open house, children's acitivities, nature walks, a train display, a craft fair, storytelling and food. In addition to the pioneer and Victorian home decorations, 12 trees decorated by members of the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society will celebrate the cultural diversity of the county's citizens. Trees representing Scotland, Portugal, Ireland, Hawaii, Finland and Germany, among others, will be on display. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

Celebrate the holiday season with tours of the beautifically decorated Victorian and pioneer homes at Heritage Village, nature walks and exhibits at the Florida Botanical Gardens, train displays, a holiday craft sale at the Extension Service, a holiday film series at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, multicultural exhibits, ornament making stations, storytelling, music, food and much more! Most activities are from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., but the holiday lighting ceremony starts at 6:00 p.m. at the Florida Botanical Gardens. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

Held in the waterfront Straub Park, decked with holiday lights, starlit sky and palm trees, will be the full length production of the traditional holiday classic. The St. Petersburg Festival Ballet will perform along with several classically trained dancers and a cast of 80 local student dancers. Performances are at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free; a non-perishable food donation is requested. Also, grand stand seats are available for $5 and there is a designated lawnchair area. For more information, call 727-827-3828.

The City of St. Petersburg presents this festival featuring real SNOW and ice skating to celebrate the holidays. The day starts with a 10 a.m. parade going through downtown St. Petersburg near the Renaissance Vinoy Resort. Straub Park hosts the event which will feature a Winter Wonderland petting zoo, arts & crafts, an ice rink as well as toboggan rides. South Straub Park will feature a crafts show. Snowfest runs until 3 p.m. For more information, call 727-893-7465.

The Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce hosts this yearly event that is traditionally held the first weekend in December. More than 240 artists will participate in the crafts fair and thousands of art patrons are expected to attend. For more information, call 727-784-4287.

One of the largest lighted boat parades in the area, St. Petersburg’s annual event (which is always held the first Saturday of December) starts at sundown and goes from the Harborage Marina north past the Pier to the Vinoy Basin. The Pier and surrounding parks offer great spots for parade watching and feature a host of activities associated with the event. For more information, call 727-821-6443.

Santa will ride down the streets of downtown St. Petersburg and bring in the holiday season. The traditional Santa Parade will march down Bayshore Drive at 10 a.m. and end at North Straub Park, where the annual Snowfest romp for youngsters will be stationed. For more information, call 727-892-5874.

Cars from the 1900s to the present will be judged and awarded prizes at this third annual car, truck and motorcycle show. Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for a Christmas present for a child. The show is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 727-525-8061.

Thousands of people walking, running and jogging along St. Petersburg’s waterfront during an evening filled with glowing luminaries and the sounds of sleigh bells in the air. The course starts and finishes at The Pier with festive music on the first floor rear patio. There is a registration fee of $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12. For more information on registration, call 727-821-4819.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular stars the world-famous Rockettes, most famous for their eye-high kicks and precision dancing. This live production has dazzling lights, scenery and costumes, live animals and Santa Claus. For more information, call 813-222-1000.

This exhibit explores how the nation's pastime mirror and influences our evolving culture. The more than 500 artifacts from the National Baseball Hall of Fame include the legendary "Abner Doubleday baseball," the first ball pitched by Cy Young in the first World Series in 1903; historic photographs and artifacts from Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and more; baseball nostalgia of all kinds; interactive displays and items that illustrate the history of baseball in Tampa Bay. For more information, call 727-822-3693.

Each year Animal Services celebrates the animals that have been adopted through the year with a festival that includes free pet pictures with Mrs. Santa Paws, $1 rabies shots, free food, prizes, clowns and face painters, dog demonstrations, a petting zoo and much more! From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 582-2600.

The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement celebrates the holidays with a craft show, music, food, and more from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors can also see a working sawmill, blacksmith shop, cane carving and Horse N' Around petting farm at this historical site. Children will enjoy hay rides with Santa from 2- 4 p.m., story telling at 5:45 p.m., and everyone can enter to win a completely decorated Christmas tree. For more information, call 727-893-7326.

Enjoy a tour of six unusual Safety Harbor homes. See a contemporary Bayshore Boulevard home with a beautiful view of the bay, two artist abodes and three historic homes. Tickets and catalogs are available at the Safety Harbor Museum. For more information, call 727-726-1668.

The annual Happy Holidays Celebration at Edgewater Park includes a boat parade and a tree-lighting ceremony. There will also be live entertainment, an arts and crafts show and children's activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the boat parade and tree lighting at 7:15 p.m. For more information, call 727-298-3260.

Charlie Daniels invites 30 to 35 of his celebrity friends to come to Florida in the middle of winter to help the Angelus, a home for severely handicapped persons who are not able to care for themselves. The concert will begin at noon in Coachman Park. Past celebrities included: Mike Alstott, Jon Anderson of YES, Archer and Park, Asleep at The Wheel, Darlene Austin, Razzy Bailey, Baillie and The Boys, Fiddlin Frenchie Burke, T.C. Carr and Jeff Carson. Tickets are $15. For more information, call 727-562-4800.

is a great race for runners in training and for endurance athletes seeking a final race before the holidays. The race starts at 7 a.m. at Madeira Beach. The course heads north along Gulf Boulevard to Indian Shores, east to the Pinellas Trail, and then north to a lakefront finish line in Taylor Park in Largo. For more information, call 727-347-4440.

Sweetwater Kayaks guides this intermediate-level sea kayak tour of historic Egmont Key. Leaving from the Gulf Pier in Fort De Soto Park, the trip features a one mile open water crossing to Egmont Key. The key is home to a bird sanctuary, lighthouse and a Spanish-American War-era fort. Some of the fort is submerged and makes a great place for snorkeling and observing underwater life. Participants may explore the deserted brickstreet of a once vibrant area or lounge on top of the fort for lunch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Wildllife frequently seen on this trip include: dolphins, rays, egrets, sandpipers, herons, gulls, pelicans, shark, tarpon, gopher and box turtles, sheephead and stone clawed crabs. For more information or to reserve a spot, call 727-906-0708. Advance registration is required.

Continuing a holiday tradition, the Florida Orchestra performs highlights from The Messiah, including the Hallelujah chorus, along with a Brandenburg Cocnerto, Robert Shaw's Many Mood of Christmas Suite No. 3, music of Hanukah and more. Tickets are $21, $32, $38 and $45. For more information, call 813-286-2403.

The exhibition features seventy-five works on paper by sixty-four artists who have been creating art since the 1930s. Artists represented include Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, Sam Gilliam, Elizabeth Catlett, and Howardena Pindell. For more information, call 727-896-2667.

Continuing a holiday tradition, the Florida Orchestra performs highlights from The Messiah, including the Hallelujah chorus, along with a Brandenburg Cocnerto, Robert Shaw's Many Mood of Christmas Suite No. 3, music of Hanukah and more. Tickets are $21, $32, $38 and $45. For more information, call 813-286-2403.

Luminaries around Spring Bayou in Tarpon Springs are lighted during Christmas Eve making the walkways of Craig Park glow with the holiday spirit. For more information, call 727-943-5523.

This free event features performances and competitions by team bands and cheerleaders as well as a pre-football meeting of the players and coaches who will be facing each other in the New Year's Day bowl game. This beachside pep rally includes live music, skydivers, a tug-of-war and other contests from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. For more information, call 727-461-3222.

Downtown St. Petersburg comes together with more than 20 venues featured in this alcohol-free celebration for adults and children alike. Centered around the Pier and Vinoy basin, First Night features everything from fire sculptures to music, dancing, poetry, puppetry, theater, art, games and fireworks. For more information, call 727-823-8906.

The Coliseum is hosting a New Year's Eve Celebration featuring Donna the Buffalo, a six-member band of electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, accordian, fiddle, bass, drums and rubboard on a journey that began with old-time Appalachian music. For more information, call 727-892-5202.

Eclectic Ybor City is the site of this festive celebration featuring the TECO Energy Parade, a pep rally by the marching bands, cheerleaders and a spectacular fireworks show. The parade will feature floats and thirty marching bands. This free family event starts at 5:30 p.m. and runs along 7th Avenue. The fireworks show blasts off at 8:15 p.m. For more information, call 813-874-2695.

One of the premier college football bowl games and the first bowl game of New Year's Day, the Outback Bowl features two of the nation's top teams from the Big 10 and SEC plus national television coverage. The game is played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. A week-long series of events precede the big game including the Bowl Beach Day. Don't miss the halftime show which features more than 5,000 performers. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (Gates open 9:30 a.m.). For more information, call 813-874-2695.

A day-long religious celebration by Greek Orthodox followers that includes a morning service at the St. Nicholas Cathedral, dive for the cross in Spring Bayou, releasing a white dove of peace, Greek foods, music and dancing. The festival is held the 6th of January every year. For more information, call 727-937-3540.

Held outdoors on Main Street in downtown Dunedin, this beautiful area is a perfect setting for a perfect show. The show will feature more than 100 crafters in a variety of mediums. For more information, call 727-298-3198.

The Arts Center will host ongoing demonstrations of the art and science of glass blowing. Visitors will watch as glass artists play with fire to melt silicon, color it and blow the molten glass into goblets, vases, pitchers and other objects. Visitors will also get a chance to try their hand in several workshops at the glass studio. School children will take part in the creative process by helping the artists design pieces while at the same time learning about the chemistry of glass. This project is being produced in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts, which is exhibiting Chihuly Across Florida: Masterworks in Glass. Dale Chihuly's art is collected and admired throughout the world. Transportation between The Arts Center and the Museum of Fine Arts will be available via trolley service during posted hours of operation. For more information, call 727-822-7872.

This exhibit will show works by world-class artists such as Mark Sudduth, Sam Stang, James Wilbat, Elio Rafaela, and Jonathan Andersson - all of whom are represented in major museum collections throughout the world. For more information, call 727-822-7872.

Educated at Temple University, the School of Visual Arts, and Parsons School of Design, Fran Hardy is a painter’s painter. She works exclusively with the luminous egg tempera and oil technique developed by Jan van Eyck, which replicates the quality of light glowing through stained glass. Her subject matter is primarily the natural environment with the glorious hues of vegetation, fruits, and vegetables. These luscious paintings captivate the viewer’s attention, not only to the fastidious detail, but the beauty to be found in everyday life. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

Florida's largest annual gathering of clowns brings together families from across the state. The event is held at the Largo Cultural Center and Park 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 727-587-6793.

This exhibit features the work of Dale Chihuly, a world famous glass artisan. Chihuly and his studio assistants have created these spectacular, large-scale glass sculptures specifically for St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts. The works will be placed throughout the galleries in the city and respond to the architectural features of the Museum's neo-Palladian-style building, as well as its interior space. Some of his best known series will be represented: the Seaforms, Persians, Baskets, Macchia, and Venetians. Chihuly is one of the leading glass art pioneers. On display Jan. 18 to May 23, 2004. For more information, call 727-896-2667.

This day of festivities begins with a breakfast at 8 a.m. followed by a rally and march at 10 a.m. which will end at Coachman Park. For more information, call 727-443-2974.

The Tampa Bay Flower Show will introduce expert and novice gardeners to the special climate and eco-systems of the Tampa Bay area. Seventeen demonstration gardens, more than 150 garden product exhibitors, as well as dozens of educational presentations and demonstrations will fill the Expo Center. The Flower Show will provide demonstrations in planting, flower care techniques and planting materials. Featured speakers will include well-known horticulturists and authors such as Pat Lanza, author of Lasagna Gardening. Show times are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults at the door, $6 in advance. $5 for children 12 and under. For more information, call 727-572-7100.

The 32nd annual show and sale features more than 120 invited artists from more than 20 states. The show offers paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry, sculpture and glass. The exhibition is held in South Pasadena, near St. Petersburg. For more information, call 727-347-6136.

The Tarpon Springs Historical Society pays tribute to the pioneering families of the area. The event is held from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Heritage Center. For more information, call 727-943-4624.

Festival-goers will have more than 60 different vintages from around the world to choose from. More than a dozen of the area's top resturants will also be on hand, serving samples of their varied and delicious menus. There will also be a silent and live auctions to participate in. The event is from 5:30 - 9 p.m. For tickets, call the Oldsmar Chamber of Commerce at 813-855-4233.

The Pinellas County Historical Society presents its annual festival held at Heritage Village. This free event features traditional folk music, storytelling and pioneer crafts and performances by skilled artisans. Sheep to shawl activities, vintage 1890s baseball, a traditional rug hooking and embroidery show and a food court are all included in the day's activities. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

This annual mega-fashion extravaganza continues to showcase its elegance with the glitz, glamour and greatness of the latest fashion styles. Lavishly gowned models who showcase designs from the top fashion houses in Europe and the U.S. will grace the runway with this year's latest fashions. For more information, call 727-892-5767.

Held outdoors on Main Street in downtown Dunedin, this beautiful area is a perfect setting for a perfect show. The show will feature more than 100 crafters in a variety of mediums. For more information, call 727-298-3198.

Cirque du Soleil brings its second production to St. Petersburg. Named for the Spanish word for elation, joy and jubilation, the show has an international cast of 56 actor-athletes and musicians. It will be performed under the Grand Chapiteau in the parking lot of Tropicana Field, where Quidam was the company's first area production in 2002. Ticket prices range from $35 to $70 and are sold online at www.cirqueclub.com.

The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is the season opener of the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. This first CART race will be run on a waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Bayfront Center and extending onto runways at Albert Whitted Airport that overlook the Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be televised nationally as well as broadcasted to over 180 countries via International television. For more information, call 888-34-SPEED (77333).

British artist Trevor Bell worked in the State of Florida for over two decades. As a professor in the art department at Florida State University, he was head of graduate painting, extremely prolific, and exhibited internationally until his return to England in the late 1990s. His large-scaled shaped paintings, undulating with intense form and color, exude a sculptural quality while referencing the history of color-field painting and abstract expressionism. Bell is exhibited broadly in Europe and America, and his work is held in numerous prestigious public collections including: Aberdeen Art Gallery, Scotland; the Arts Council of Great Britain, the British Museum, the Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee, IBM (Atlanta and Boca Raton), the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, the Phoenix Art Museum, the University of Leeds, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

Tom McCarthy is one of America’s preeminent metalsmiths. He has exhibited broadly in America, ranging from the Meadows Gallery in Denton, Texas to the Under 40 National Crafts Exposition at Western Kentucky University, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg and in the Southeastern Fine Craft Biennial held at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. Tom’s work is exquisitely crafted with an elegant minimalist approach. His use of non-traditional materials such as stone, concrete, and industrial wire, as well as traditional metals, sets his work distinctly apart. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

Jean-Claude Rigaud, of Haitian decent, received his BFA from the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, and undertook further studies at the Teachers College at Columbia University, and at the University of Miami. His work, in the grand tradition of encapsulating space with line and form, is held in numerous public and private collections. Working primarily in stainless steel, Rigaud’s sculptures define a new space and command the viewer’s response. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

The open loop course for this marathon and relay begins on the Clearwater Causeway, heading south through five unique, beach communities to Indian Shores, before heading inland to Seminole and north along the Pinellas Trail, finishing downhill near Coachman Park on Clearwater's beautiful waterfront. It also includes a two-person relay with each running 13.1 miles. The 26.2 mile race begins at 7 a.m. Along with the marathon, don't forget the 10k race that starts at Taylor Park, for those runners wanting a little less mileage. For more information, call 727-347-4440 or 888-LIV-2RUN.

The fifth Florida African American Heritage Celebration will feature the sounds of gospel, jazz/blues and traditional African drumming and dance; the aromas of authentic ethnic recipes; an exciting marketplace with arts and crafts and other merchandise with African and African American themes and styles and hands-on activities and visual and performing art workshops for adults and children. The event is at Pinewood Cultural Park in Largo, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

Laissez les bon temps roulet! Louisiana comes to St. Petersburg for this tasty treat of a festival. Live music fills the air and 10,000 pounds of crawfish jambalaya, etouffe, funnel cakes and assorted Cajun cuisine will fill the festival attendees. The festival will be held under a 20,000 sq. ft. pavilion and will include a kid's tent for families. Admission is $10 per day or $25 for a three-day pass. Children 10 and under are admitted free. For more information, call 727-892-5767.

To mark the 100th birthday of the world famous surrealist, the Salvador Dali Museum hosts a significant international gathering, a surreal cocktail party, benefit dinner, and DaliFest in March. The international conference, ''Persistence of Memory: New Critical Perspectives on Dali 1904-2004,'' is to be organized in cooperation with Fundacio Gala-Salvador Dali, the Palazzo Grassi, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the AHRB Research Centre of Surrealism and its Legacies (U.K.) and the University of South Florida. For more information, call 727-823-3767.

The Folk Fair allows visitors to travel the world in a day without leaving the country. This festival features cultural customs of more than 50 countries and nationalities. Each ethnic group sets up a village with cultural exhibits, ethnic foods and gift items. Held at the Bayfront Center. For more information, call 552-1896.

Celebrate jazz music at this swingin' affair featuring more than 32 hours of music. The Sheraton Sand Key Resort will host this special event on the white sands of Clearwater Beach. For more information, call 727-466-0571 or 1-800-299-1930.

The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement celebrates with country & folk music, antique engines & tractors and hay rides. The settlement is located at 3130 31st Street South. For more information, call 727-866-6401 or 727-893-7326.

Heritage Village hosts this day-long event with military encampments, displays of memorabilia, swing dancers, vintage cars and townspeople in period costumes. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

The Salvador Dali Museum is marking its 22nd anniversary with the 3rd annual DaliFest, featuring reduced admission to the museum, three exhibitions, food and activities for everyone. Admission is $4. A free outdoor festival includes live music, flamenco dancing and kids' activities. For more information, call 727-823-3767.

The Dunedin Highland Games Festival Committee presents the 38th Annual Military Tattoo at Dunedin High School's Memorial Stadium. The Military Tattoo is a highlight of the Highland Games and features Massed Pipers, Drummers, and Highland & Country Dancers, The City of Dunedin Pipe Band, the Parade of Clans, the 2nd Time Arounders, and High School Marching Bands. Come and enjoy a thrilling night of music, dancing and pageantry. Tickets are $8.00 in advance, $12 at gate, $4.00 for children 6-12 yrs, under 6 yrs free w/adult. For more information, call 727-733-3197

This three day music festival, now in its 10th year, features a tropical atmosphere, spectacular blues music and multiple food vendors. Proceeds from the Sound Advice Tampa Bay Blues Festival benefit Pinellas Association for Retarded Children. The event is co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg and is a part of the City's Festival of States. For more information, call 727-502-5000.

The 83rd edition of the St. Petersburg Festival of States is chock full of action packed events designed to attract audiences of all ages and tastes. Music is the focal point of this springtime festival, the South's largest civic celebration. The Festival includes an illuminated night parade & 5k run on Tuesday, April 8, along with an Arts & Crafts Show, Open Car, Motorcycle & Truck Show and much more throughout the week. All events are based at St. Petersburg's downtown parks. For more information, call 727-898-3654.

The entire community celebrates its Scottish heritage at this annual event in Highlander Park. Since 1966 competitors from throughout the United States and Canada have taken part in Scottish band contests, Highlands dancing, piping and drumming, and traditional games. For more information, call 727-298-3260.

Enjoy the evening at a Black Tie dinner catered by the Wine Cellar. The event will start at 7 p.m. For more information call 727-898-3654.

The events include a three-on-three basketball competition (open to all age groups), The Tasco Extreme games sanctioned by the Southeastern Skateboarding Series competition. A two-day Tire Kingdom and Michelin Cruzin and Fantasy Lows Car Show and competition will be happening along sides of The Pier approach Cars will be entered in the show from all over the state. Other features include celebrity autograph signing; interactive games such as Moon Walk, Pedestal Joust, Velcro Obstacle Course, Human Gyro Wheel, Hi Ball, and Rock Climbing Wall; and lots more. For more information call 727-898-3654.

This evening 5K race-walk and one-mile race begins and ends at the Pier approach near Spa Beach. The race begins at 6:15 p.m. The course follows along beautiful Bayshore Drive along St. Petersburg's waterfront. For more information, call 727-898-3654.

SouthTrust Bank sponsors this illuminated night parade starting at 8 p.m. from Vinoy Park along Bayshore Drive to the Bayfront Center. This event at the waterfront in St. Petersburg is one of the Festival's most popular happenings. For more information, call 727-898-3654.

More than 150 artists and craftmakers from across the state display their works at this festival. South Straub Park is the location for this free event. For more information, call 727-898-3654.

KidsArt Festival features 25-30 activity areas with hands-on activities for elementary school aged children as well as performances by school groups. The festival will be held in North Straub Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 727-898-3654.

Come and check out this wonderful display of restored antique automobiles and hybrid cars. There will also be music and hands-on activities. This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact 727-582-2127.

The American Stage, St. Peterburg's professional theater, offers a live production of a William Shakespeare work in a beautiful outdoor setting. This year's production is a performance of the comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Celebrating its 19th season, performances run Wednesday through Sunday on the waterfront at Demens Landing in downtown. Blanket seats are $7 on Wed., Thurs. and Sunday nights and $10 on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, call 727-823-7529.

The waterfront of downtown St. Petersburg provides a picturesque setting for the 29th Annual Mainsail Arts Festival. As a leading cultural event on St. Petersburg's outdoor calendar, nearly 300 artists set up in downtown's Straub Park. This festival is nationally ranked in the "100 Best Fine Art Shows," with more than 100,000 visitors enjoying and purchasing quality art and listening to top name entertainment. This free festival features visual exhibits in seven categories, craft demonstrations, a children's arts activity tent and culinary arts/food vendors. Live entertainment includes rockabilly, rhythm & blues and surf music. Festival Hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 727-892-5885.

In its 21st year, this event has grown into Florida's largest triathlon. More than 1,700 athletes will compete in the 1.5 k swim, 40 kilometer bike race and 10k run as the first qualifying event for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships. For more information, call 727-825-1271.

Sunsets Beach Fest attracts thousands to Pier 60 Park on Clearwater Beach for 3 days of great music, food and fun. This festival is set up on the sands south of Pier 60, featuring local and national artists in a variety of music styles. The Sunsets Beach Fest runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday, enjoy a Mardi Gras Beach Party from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. The three days of festivities will include artisans, crafters, street performers, music, food and beverage. Don't miss the Friday evening Fireworks Spectacular at 8:45 p.m. over the water off Clearwater Beach. For more information, call 727-449-1036.

This retrospective exhibition documents the career of Arline Erdrich, an artist who lives and works in Florida. This exhibition documents the evolution a life pursuing spiritual enlightenment and responding to times of triumph and tragedy. Included in the exhibition are early works relating to self-portraiture and identity, to the abstracted accrilage landscapes influenced by America’s southwest, through the eastern philosophy influence Tau/Tao works, and the powerful Chaos series, works that metaphorically relate to natural and personal crises. For more information, call 727-518-6833.

Heritage Village hosts this living history event in its 20th year as Union and Confederate troops battle. The event includes artillery demonstrations, infantry drills and the big battle. Period crafts and other items will be for sale at the event. Admission and parking are free. The annual Heritage Village Skirmish is scheduled for 2 p.m. Artillery demonstrations and infantry drills will be held on the hour. Other activities include the Officers Call, a court martial, and the Grand March. Food will be available for purchase. Bring comfortable seating or ground cover for the battle. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

In honor of Earth Day and in cooperation with activities at the Florida Botanical Gardens and Family Day at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Heritage Village hosts a number of activities in appreciation of the natural wonders of the Earth. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m and is free. For more information, call 727-582-2123.

Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, it is the epic musical story of the fugitive Jean Valjean, who is pitted against the cruel and self-righteous Inspector Javert in a lifelong struggle to evade capture. For more information, call 813-229-7827.

The Tampa Bay Area's original and largest annual food festival returns to Vinoy Park celebrating its 18th anniversary with 50 restaurant vendors, chef specialties, kids activities throughout the weekend and concerts. There will be a Fireworks Display on Saturday night. Event hours are Friday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon -7 p.m. General admission is $10. Children 12 and under are free and will have an arts and crafts tent with face painting, puppet making and much more. For more information, call 727-892-4193.

Held outdoors on Main Street in downtown Dunedin, this beautiful area is a perfect setting for a perfect show. The show will feature more than 100 crafters in a variety of mediums. For more information, call 727-298-3198.

This event is held on the weekend closest to July 4th. The city of Clearwater celebrates the July 4th weekend with a "Taste of America" food expo and concerts in Coachman Park. Fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. on the 4th of July. For more information, call 727-562-4813.

The Florida Aquarium celebrates the Fourth of July holiday with Freedom Fest outside the Aquarium and along Channelside Drive. This event features music, strolling entertainment, food vendors, stilt walkers, jugglers, barber shop quartet, face painting, family entertainment, hands-on exhibits, marine exhibits and a fireworks display. For more information, call 813-273-4030.

The Pier will have all day activities to celebrate Independence Day, including live music in the courtyard, entertainment, childrens' activities and prize drawings. Fireworks will begin at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 727-821-6443.

Dunedin celebrates Independence Day at Edgewater Park with live entertainment, arts & crafts vendors, children's activities including pony rides, a petting zoo and a moonwalk. Food vendors will also be stationed around the park. For more information, call 727-298-3260.

This annual event is the only midnight race in the Tampa Bay area. Held every year on July 4th, one minute after midnight, the Run includes a 5K and 10K and begins at 12:01 a.m. on the Dunedin Causeway. For more information, call 727-733-8442.

Festivities begin at 10 a.m and the day includes a sandcastle contest, games, live music, a children's pageant, a parade and of course, fireworks beginning at 9 p.m. Activities are located on Shore and Beach boulevards as well as Gulfport Beach. For more information, call 727-893-1070.

The City celebrates the Fourth with a day-long gala of exhibits, entertainment, food and a giant fireworks display over the waterfront. For more information, call 727-893-7494.

The Rotary Club of Dunedin hosts the second annual Honeymoon Island Beach Bash from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will include food and drinks, an arts and crafts show, business vendors, a giant waterslide, bungee jumping, a rock-climbing wall and a moon walk for children. The Blue Jay's pitching machine will be on hand, as well as entertainment including music and karaoke. There will be a donation of $5 per car at the gate. For more information, call 727-515-7767.

The City of St. Pete Beach features a fabulous fireworks display to celebrate the 4th. The show starts at dusk at the County Beach Park across from Dolphin Village. For more information, call 727-367-2735.

The YMCA of the Suncoast presents this bicycling event in Palm Harbor and New Port Richey for cycling enthusiasts. There will be cycling events and entertainment for children, families, amateurs and professionals. For more information, call 727-467-9622.

The City of Largo presents Halloween Spooktacular: Friday, October 24, 2003, 6:30pm-10pm at Largo Central Park (corner of Missouri Avenue and Seminole Boulevard). This event is a Halloween carnival with inflatables, rock climbing wall, giant slide, carnival games, arts & crafts and trick or treating. Trick or Treating is free and anyone can enter the Halloween Carnival with a $5.00 wristband. For more information call 727-587-6775

Super Saturdays at the Science Center feature planetarium shows, laser shows, special programs and great science adventures from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Planetarium shows are at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the laser show is at 1:30 p.m. and special programs are at 2 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, children under 3 are free. All shows and exhibits are included. For more information, call 727-384-0027.

Every 4th Saturday of the month, Gulfport showcases the galleries and shops that make up its ArtVillage and features a sidewalk sale. Guests can visit the many wonderful shops that feature original paintings, pottery, handmade jewelry, wearable art, sculptures, hand blown glass, collectibles and much more at this village gathering. Gulfport's Art Village features shops, restaurants, cafes and nightspots on Beach Blvd. The sale runs 11 - 3p.m. For more information, call 727-321-0830.

Every 3rd Saturday of the month, Gulfport showcases the galleries and shops that make up its ArtVillage. Guests can browse and enjoy a festive evening featuring art, music and more in this pedestrian-friendly historic district. More than 40 galleries, studios, boutiques and restaurants are featured in this monthly event from 6-10 p.m. Most shops serve free treats and refreshments. For more information, call 727-321-7741.

Every 1st Friday of the month, Gulfport showcases the galleries and shops that make up its ArtVillage. Guests can browse and enjoy a festive evening featuring art, music and more in this pedestrian-friendly historic district. More than 40 galleries, studios, boutiques and restaurants are featured in this monthly event from 6-10 p.m. Most shops serve free treats and refreshments. For more information, call 727-321-7741.

St. Petersburg closes its main street for a street party on Central Avenue and Third Street in the heart of downtown. This block party features free live music from 5:30 to 10 p.m. For more information, call 727-393-3597.