St. Petersburg has been called the “city that publicity built.” As early as the 1920s, tireless civic promoters used ingenious techniques to put St. Petersburg on the map, and it worked. Stories have been told of bathing beauties waterskiing from St. Petersburg, up the eastern seaboard, to the Hudson River. Former Mayor Frank Pulver, flanked by women in bathing suits, walked through Times Square and Wall Street and passed out Florida oranges. Other publicity techniques included a staged “Purity League” which made national headlines by measuring the short hems on bathing suits on the city’s downtown beaches!

Following World War II, and with the advent of air conditioning, inland neighborhoods of St. Petersburg became largely affordable retirement homes. The city’s image as an endless summer playground soon and “Sunshine City” became that as the city of “newly wed and nearly dead,” or “God’s waiting room.”

Despite the fact the city’s median age dropped 10 years in two decades, and at 39 years of age is one of the youngest cities in Florida, St. Petersburg’s reputation as a retirement community has been slow to change. The city, however, has garnered national and international publicity for a variety of “positives,” ranging from the world’s most comprehensive Dali Museum, its outstanding youth and recreation programs, one of the largest public school systems in America, education initiatives, a thriving 24-hour downtown and internationally known events.

“The Events Capital of the South” 

St. Petersburg’s events calendar includes more than a thousand special events a year – most held in the downtown core in public venues or outdoor waterfront parks. A key in transforming the city’s image from a sleepy retirement community to a high quality urban resort has been the national and international publicity generated through these events, some of which include:

 - The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – Since the inaugural race in 2004, the Grand Prix has resulted in hours of international television exposure in more than 200 countries. On broadcasts, St. Petersburg has been called the “Monte Carlo of the west,” and Indy Racing League champion driver Dan Wheldon has made St. Petersburg his home. Each April, the legends of racing converge upon St. Petersburg for a dazzling three-day race.

 - In 1998, St. Petersburg’s major league baseball team, the Devil Rays, debuted at Tropicana Field, a stadium the city built to attract a professional franchise. Now, for more than 80 home games a year, the Rays are featured from home plate St. Petersburg.

 -   St. Petersburg was the birthplace of professional baseball’s spring training in 1914 – and has hosted seven teams at the waterfront Al Lang Stadium each spring, including the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies, and – currently – the Devil Rays. Due to its legendary history, St. Petersburg has long been the “home base” for most sports writers covering spring training. An attraction in the city, called “Baseball Boulevard,” is a mile-long trail of home plate-shaped plaques that chronicles the 90-year history of baseball in St. Petersburg, leading fans from the spring training stadium on the waterfront to Tropicana Field.

 -   Other sports events that have attracted international attention include the NCAA Final Four (and several internationally televised preliminary NCAA tournaments), a world cup triathlon, yachting events, Davis Cup tennis and more.

 -  Cultural events and festivals fill the downtown parks and venues nearly every weekend. Highlights include one of the largest Martin Luther King, Jr. parades in the U.S.; Mainsail Arts Festival; American Stage in the Park; Ribfest; Snowfest; a blues festival; the Festival of States (week-long civic celebration); the Caribbean Carnival; Regata del Sol al Sol (a Mexican-American celebration that coincides with a yachting race to Isla Del Sol, Mexico); St. Pete Pride; the Taste of Pinellas and more.

 -  Úrban *Fresh* St. Pete Arts as the city’s mark for identifying itself as a cultural destination was initiated with the new publication Guide to Arts and Events in St. Petersburg, Florida.  It will be used by cultural groups and the city in marketing materials in the future.