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You Are Here: Home » Things to Do » Culture » Discover Gulfport Style »
Get To Gecko FestDiscover Gulfport Style
Labor Day Gecko Fest Celebration
Strolling street performers, whimsy costumes, extraordinary main stage entertainment, vendors with all types of weird and wonderful wares and side walk art combine for a full day of colorful surprises and characters during this free day-long family festival. Taking place every Labor Day weekend, this end-of-summer family celebration includes three stages of live entertainment.
Bring your imagination and join the Gecko Walking Parade. Wear Gecko hats, fish hats, colorful hats and costumes to celebrate the many colors of Geckos.
Participants are encouraged to bring drums, rattles, noise makers, kazoos, or other musical instruments and decorated umbrellas and balloons. Prizes are awarded for the best adults, children's and pets costumes.
This quirky celebration ends with Gulfport's famous STREET DANCE. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy the fun.
Other activities include a rock wall, bungee jump, moonwalk, face painting, drum circle and belly dance lessons.
This year's Gecko Fest will take place on September 5th, from noon to 10pm.
Colorful Gulfport
Attention to the artistic is a natural in the St. Pete/Clearwater area, primarily because of the breadth of influences on display. Nowhere is that more the case than in Gulfport, by Boca Ciega Bay.
Diverse styles abound as you meander along the shaded walkways of Beach Boulevard South in Gulfport's historic district. Boasting an eclectic array of artistic looks at life, there's nothing pretentious about this colorful little community. It's the kind of place where dogs are often welcomed indoors.
Impressionism gives way to quirky modernism, after detours into Victorian or Old Florida charm. To go with the galleries and art stores, are antique and collectible shops, and a smattering of wonderfully individual restaurants and cafes.
Historic Gulfport Casino
At the foot of Beach Boulevard, on the waterfront, is the 1930s Gulfport Casino ballroom. Hosting high energy swing nights every Wednesday and spicy Argentine tagno on Tuesdays (including lessons), this waterfront ballroom is the place to kick up your heels when visiting Gulfport.
Art Walk
It all comes to a lively crescendo on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month for the town's Art Walks. Starting at 6 p.m., the boulevard hums with shoppers, browsers and revelers, and live music sets the mood while you peruse the galleries and check in on street vendors.
In Gulfport, the locals wear terms like "offbeat," "diverse" and "carefree" like a colorful island shirt. Ever notice when a general warmth and happiness just seems to infuse a certain area, and all the people in it? Enjoy the vibe in Gulfport.
Gecko Fest Video
See video of last years' Gecko Fest on You Tube here
Gulfport Map (click on + to englarge)
For more information on Gecko Fest visit www.geckofest.com
For more information on Gulfport Casino dancing, visit www.swingtime.info/swingtime/gcsn_upcoming.htm
For information on Gulfport, call 344-3711 or visit www.gulfportchamberofcommerce.com.
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Copyright ©2009 St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.