First Friday St. Pete 'Paused' Because Of Funding Issues: Organizers
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — First Friday St. Pete remains indefinitely on hold as organizers cite issues with funding, according to a Facebook post.
The event takes over Central Avenue’s 200 block with live music, vendors and drinks on the first Friday of each month. Launched 20 years ago by the Breakfast Optimist Club and resurrected by the Lay-Lee Foundation and Nightlife Productions in recent years, it’s been used to raise money for local charities.
On Nov. 3, organizers wrote in a Facebook post that their November event was canceled, but they hoped to return for December.
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In a new post Sunday, they wrote that “First Friday St. Pete is still paused for now.”
Producing the event costs about $12,000 each month — this includes insurance, city sanitation and police, permits, and more — “with no profit to our company and with a lack of interest from local businesses to sponsor the event, much less larger sponsors,” organizers wrote.
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Simply put: “We do not have the funds at this time,” they wrote.
They’re seeking sponsors the monthly event. More info can be found at the event’s website.
“We all love the event, but it takes businesses sponsoring the event to make it possible,” organizers wrote on Facebook.
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