ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Shopapalooza Festival is taking over Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg this weekend.
What You Need To Know
The Shopapalooza Festival is taking over Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg for its 15th year
More than 350 vendors have filled the park
Business owners said the event is a great way to meet new customers and gain exposure
The event runs all weekend long
350 businesses and tens of thousands of people filled the park’s 11 acres on Saturday.
Gopali Imports is one of the hundreds of businesses.
Alex Gopali is the owner, and he started the business 13 years ago. That same year, he had his third open-heart surgery for a heart transplant to help his cardiomyopathy.
“My doctor told me to get the perfect match heart like that either has to come from my sister or twin brother or something like that, that’s how perfect the body match was,” said Alex Gopali, owner of Gopali Imports.
For nearly just as long as Gopali has had a new heart, he’s been coming to Shopapalooza in Vinoy Park. He says it’s a great way to stay in touch with the community and his regular customers.
“This really helps to keep the local vibe and local shopping alive,” he said.
The event happens annually on Small Business Saturday, which was started in 2010 by American Express. American Express said small business owners it surveyed are expecting 20% of their annual revenue to come on Saturday.
“Vendors will say of the two days of Shopapalooza I was able to make more money than I have in the last six months of doing other festivals. That means a lot, that means we’re doing something right,” said Shopapalooza spokesperson Pat Largo.
Gopali Imports hopes to continue to stay busy the rest of the year because of the exposure from Shopapalooza, an event that Gopali is grateful to be a part of.
“Very lucky to be alive, don’t you think?” Gopali said.
It’s the community support and Gopali’s second chance at life that keeps him coming back year after year.
Shopapalooza Festival will continue on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.