City: Tampa Bay, FL

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Telephone: (727) 502-5000

Description: Bring a lawn chair or beach blanket to St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park, an open-air grassy park near downtown, for three days of blues by the bay. Past performers include Delbert McClinton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, Taj Mahal, and other world-renowned blues artists. Fans soak up sound and sun, while supporting a local charity, Pinellas Association for Retarded Children (PARC). Gates open at 12:30 p.m. each day and the festival continues well after dark. Parking is at Al Lang Field (First Street and First Avenue S.) or other nearby parking garages, with a free shuttle running along First Street. One-day tickets are $30; a three-day pass is $75. Backstage passes begin at $150. Food and beverage vendors (including beer and wine) and arts and crafts vendors line the area. Cash only—an ATM machine is on site. No pets, no coolers, no food or drinks, and no professional recording devices are allowed. Small umbrellas are permitted near the back.