Gasparilla Music Fest announces music lineup
TAMPA — Water Street Tampa will present the Gasparilla Music Festival, running Friday through Sunday, April 10-12, at its new home on Meridian Fields, 101 S. Meridian Ave., Tampa.
Gates open daily at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at gmftickets.com.
Event organizers recently announced the music schedule for the 2026 festival. Friday’s headliner Mt. Joy will be joined by Shakey Graves, GZA & the Phunky Nomads, lovelytheband, and Tampa legend Tom G. Saturday brings the dance vibes with headliner Two Friends along with performances by Jai Wolf, Bryce Vine, Kasbo and Forester. Sunday’s closer Gov’t Mule will be ending the weekend on a high note. Other artists on the Sunday lineup include Drive-By Truckers, Cimafunk, Kaitlin Butts, The Suffers and East Nash Grass.
“We are really excited for what we have in store this year,” said David Cox, the executive director of the Gasparilla Music Foundation. “We really think Tampa is going to be blown away not just by the incredible musicians but also by this amazing venue right in the heart of the city.”
The full schedule with daily schedules and performance times is listed on the festival’s website and on its app. For more information, visit gasparillamusic.com.
The festival includes a broad range of musical genres, and past festival performers at the Gasparilla Music Festival have included Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, Louis the Child, Nas, Cage the Elephant, The Roots, Billy Strings and hundreds more. The independent and volunteer driven festival has been voted Tampa Bay’s No. 1 festival in each of its 13 years and includes a critically acclaimed lineup of food options. The Gasparilla Music Foundation works throughout the year providing music instruments to Title 1 classrooms and support to local musicians.
Ruth Eckerd Hall launches secure digital ticketing
CLEARWATER — Ruth Eckerd Hall Inc., one of the nation’s most honored performing arts centers organizations, has partnered with True Tickets, the secure digital ticket delivery service built for arts, culture and entertainment venues. Together, they are bringing mobile-first ticketing to venues across the region — including Ruth Eckerd Hall, the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, The BayCare Sound, and more — delivering a seamless, secure, and connected patron experience.
Guests purchasing tickets at any Ruth Eckerd Hall Inc. venue can select digital ticket delivery. Each digital ticket is delivered as a dynamic QR code, allowing staff to scan in real time and move patrons quickly through entry. Through True Tickets, Ruth Eckerd Hall Inc. has control over how tickets are shared, and every delivery, transfer and scan is reflected directly in the ticketing system, giving a clear view of who actually attends events — not just who buys the tickets.
This partnership reflects a growing trend among leading venues to adopt solutions that go beyond fraud prevention and help them build lasting audience relationships through better data, flexibility, and trust.
To learn how to access Digital True-Tickets, visit https://www.rutheckerdhall.com/events/digital-ticket-guide.
Spring concerts set for St. Pete Beach
ST. PETE BEACH — The city of St. Pete Beach Resident Services Department recently announced a series of free spring concerts designed to bring the community together for evenings of live music and waterfront fun.
The concerts will be presented from 7 to 9 p.m., at Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Following is a list of scheduled performances:
• Friday, March 27: The American Stones
• Friday April 10: Smooth D and the Boyz
• Friday April 24: Beside Myself — Elton John and Billy Joel Tribute Band
Concertgoers can enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere while listening to crowd-favorite hits performed by talented live bands. St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue will be on-site serving hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill. Beer and wine will be available for purchase with donations benefiting the Suntan Art Center and the Veterans of South Pinellas.
Parking for all concert events is free, as well. Residents and visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy music under the spring sky. These events are part of the city’s ongoing efforts to provide engaging, accessible, and fun recreational opportunities that strengthen community connections.
Stirling Studios announces April exhibition
DUNEDIN — An opening reception for “Traces, Spaces, & Faces” will take place on Saturday, April 11, from noon to 4 p.m., at Stirling Studios & Gallery, 730 Broadway, Second Floor, Dunedin.
This April, an extraordinary collection of over 100 original oil paintings will be unveiled in a refined joint exhibition featuring still life master Fran Failla and Master portrait artist Markissia Touliatos. The exhibition will run April 2-26. Admission is complimentary. The April 11 reception will provide visitors with an opportunity to meet both artists and preview this exceptional body of work in an intimate gallery setting.
Failla’s still life paintings are distinguished by their classical sensibility, luminous light, and rich, atmospheric depth. With a painterly voice rooted in tradition yet undeniably contemporary, Failla transforms everyday objects into timeless visual poetry. A multiple award-winning artist, she also shares her mastery through instruction at the Morean Arts Center and the Beach Art Center in Indian Rocks Beach, shaping the next generation of representational painters.
Touliatos is celebrated for her refined portraiture, capturing both likeness and presence with remarkable sensitivity. Her award-winning work reflects a deep understanding of form, light, and human character. Among her distinguished commissions are the miniature portraits of the Governors’ Wives of Florida — an honor that underscores her precision and stature within the portrait tradition. Touliatos teaches at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, where she is known for her commitment to classical technique and artistic excellence.
Vinoy Park to host Mainsail Art Festival
ST. PETERSBURG — The 51st annual Mainsail Art Festival will be presented on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29, on the waterfront at Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Drive NE, St. Petersburg.
Admission is free. Festival hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.mainsailart.org.
The Mainsail Art Festival is one of the premier cultural events on St. Petersburg’s outdoor calendar. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors attend the festival to enjoy and purchase quality art and to listen to live musical entertainment. The Mainsail committee of hard-working volunteers produces this annual fine arts festival exhibiting artists competing for $60,000 in prize money.
More than 250 juried art and craft exhibitors will participate in this year’s event. Visitors can expect to find ceramics, digital art, fibers, glass, graphics, jewelry, metal, mixed media, oil, acrylic, photography, sculpture, watercolor and wood.
The festival also will feature live music entertainment, the Young at Art Student Show and Awards, Kids Create art activity tent, and a culinary arts food court.
TFO announces Susana Weymouth retirement
ST. PETERSBURG — The Florida Orchestra recently announced that Susana Weymouth, chief development officer, will retire this season. She leaves a remarkable legacy as a lifelong champion of the arts — impacting The Florida Orchestra, Tampa Bay’s cultural landscape and beyond.
Since joining TFO in December 2020, Weymouth has helped drive significant fundraising momentum for the largest professional orchestra in the state. Contributed revenue has more than doubled during her tenure, alongside major gifts that have strengthened the orchestra’s endowment. Most recently, those efforts culminated in a historic $10 million gift, the largest single donation ever made to the orchestra at one time in its 58-year history.
Weymouth also expanded TFO’s partnerships with corporations and foundations, especially as title sponsors of concert series. She deepened engagement with patrons and donors through sponsorships of musicians, guest artists and individual concerts, while broadening support for education and community programs that serve tens of thousands of students and residents across Tampa Bay.
“Susana has been an incredibly dedicated colleague and partner,” said Ignacio Barrón Viela, TFO president and CEO. “Her passion for this orchestra, her care for our donors and community, and her belief in the power of music have built unstoppable momentum and strengthened this organization in ways that will endure well into the future.”
Weymouth will transition from the bay area to be closer to a family home in Savannah, Georgia, but will remain in an advisory capacity to the orchestra. As TFO looks ahead to the next chapter of development work, it has engaged Aspen Leadership Group to conduct a national search for a vice president of development.
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