Published on 10/28/22: Onto my second Halloween activity recommendation, Halloween on Central! This 2nd Annual event is huge and happens this Sunday (10/30) from 12-5pm. Over 20 blocks and nearly 2 miles of streets will be closed for the celebration. This is St. Petersburg’s largest Halloween event and promoted as family friendly with lots of children’s activities and trick or treating!
Family Friendly – Mostly
That topic is my only word of caution to parents, as there were a few things last year we navigated around with our then 6 year old. ie adult themed costumes. With that in mind, I’ve identified some specific areas below where businesses are focused on family friendly activities. If you know of other businesses on Central doing the same, please add/tag in the comments! As you venture to these locations, you may still pass areas that are not as child friendly.
Halloween on Central Location
First, this event is on Central Ave, between MLK and 31st Street, including The EDGE District of St. Petersburg and The Grand Central District. From their posts: “free treat bags and trick or treating for the kids, costume contests, zombie flash mobs, haunted house, haunted pirate ship, comedic juggling, weiner dog races, roller derby, skateboard demos, free rides on the new SunRunner, and SO much more!” Side note, the haunted pirate ship is at my favorite sports bar in town, Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill!
Imagine Museum @ 1901 Central Ave: Free for kids, $7.50 for adults. Includes Haunted Scavenger Hunt, candy to hand out, curated pumpkin patch for a “fantastic selection of pumpkin masterpieces”, glass blowing demo (Colt loved this last yr) and selfies with their version of E.T.
Zoie’s @ 2245 Central Ave: 12pm is face painting and balloon animals. Magic Show 2pm & 4pm. Kids costume contest 3pm. They’ll host “Kiddie Games” as well, such as ring toss & balloon pop. Also a dunk booth! FREE youth t-shirts while supplies last.
900 Block – Randy the comedic juggler!
Official candy tote bags are free for costumed kids while supplies last. The locations to pickup are:
Alcohol: “Not allowed to walk around with open containers. Need to keep it on the premises of the businesses with liquor licenses.”
Bike, scooters and skateboarding is allowed, simply need to “stay under 5 mph”.
Bathrooms: Portable toilets available, including handicap and wash stations all along the event path. If you’re eating or drinking at the nearby businesses, they may have additional options.
Parking (pulled from multiple sources):
Free parking in Tropicana Field Lot 6 thanks to the Tampa Bay Rays (per sponsor). The rest of the Tropicana area is paid via the Park Mobile app. Also, the nearby neighborhoods offer street parking, though you may need to go a ways out depending on the time you arrive.
Riding a bike? Car-Free St. Pete is hosting a free bike valet in the parking lot at Central Avenue and 18th Street to secure your bike while you explore!
Happy Halloween from Loving St Pete to you! Thank you for following along and supporting local!
Photo Credits
I took photo 4 and 11 at last year’s event and the rest are from the event sponsors mentioned above.
As a local Tampa Bay Area Realtor, with over 25 thousand people following my LovingStPete Guide on Social Media, I know our area well! You’ll receive up to K at closing when you use my LovingStPete Team to buy or sell a property. While I may tend to focus on waterfront and beach real estate, I can certainly help with any residential property! I’m a Florida native and St. Pete resident with a past that includes developing a vacation rental advertising business, ran for more than a decade and then sold to HomeAway/VRBO. I’d love to help you buy or sell properties around St Pete, simple contact me.
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Written by : St Petersburg Realtor, Mike Braswell
Mike Braswell is a St Petersburg Realtor, serving St Pete, Clearwater, all nearby beaches and more. He's part of the LovingStPete Team at Keller Williams. Mike, Leah, and Ryan are the trusted real estate team in our area.
Mike founded a property advertising business and operated for 10+ years as CEO/Owner, eventually acquired by VRBO. Mike enjoys boating and is an avid tennis player. Mike grew up on an avocado farm with 15+ varieties, some of which you can find in our local Publix/Winn Dixie as his dad still farms the same farm at 88 years old!
This 2nd Annual event is huge and happens this Sunday (10/30) from 12-5pm. Over 20 blocks and nearly 2 miles of streets will be closed for the celebration. This is St. Petersburg’s largest Halloween event and promoted as family friendly with lots of children’s activities and trick or treating!
