ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GULFPORT Near St. Petersburg’s thriving beer and art scenes, discover the vintage seaside town that time almost forgot. Gulfport’s Tuesday Fresh Market offers goods from statewide vendors. Its burgeoning food scene runs the gamut, from craft beer and locally inspired bar fare at open-air O’Maddy’s to Italian-inspired al fresco dining at Pia’s Trattoria . Third Saturdays bring walking history tours. In October, the historical society holds haunted history tours. Toward the end of summer, downtown Gulfport comes alive with Gecko Season , a month-long party that includes a festival, costume ball, pub crawl and art show. ARTS outdoors In Florida, fine arts and culture are anything but stuffy when you can admire them outdoors. Worm Gruntin’ Festival, photo by Howard Blount Perdido Key, photo by Bill Strength By Kendra Gemma PERDIDO KEY At the Florida-Alabama border near Pensacola, Perdido Key is the low-key home to the iconic Flora-Bama dive bar, famous for Bushwhackers, Royal Red shrimp, church services and, every April, the Interstate Mullet Toss . At the Perdido Bay Tribe Museum you can learn about art created by the Creek Indians. See theater the way the ancients did: outside. In winter, Florida Shakespeare Theater performs for free in South Florida parks. Romeo and Juliet takes the stage in 2019. Tallahassee’s Cascades Park hosts Southern Shakespeare Company in May. In spring 2019, American Stage performs Mamma Mia! in downtown St. Petersburg. Live music outdoors reigns here. At Pinecrest Gardens in South Florida, hear a variety of genres between September and April. In January, the 30A Songwriters Festival in South Walton features hundreds of artists over four days. Each spring, Palm Coast Picnic & Pops features the Jacksonville Symphony. View outdoor sculptures at Winter Park’s Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. At the Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden, see bronze busts of those who have had the greatest local impact. The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach showcases nine massive modern art pieces. ISLAMORADA Northeast of Key West and south of Miami, Islamorada offers an artsy, low-key Keys experience and an art-filled creative district. Nearby Keys History and Discovery Museum Center explores Islamorada’s railroad and hurricane history. Here, a limestone Hurricane Monument honors those killed in the 1935 Labor Day Storm. The Rain Barrel Artisans’ Village — look for the giant lobster — pulls back the curtain on the island village’s arts scene. In January, the Baygrass Bluegrass Festival highlights music, beer, Everglades restoration and sustainable living. Islamorada, photo by Steve Beaudet WITH GECKO SEASON, A MONTH-LONG PARTY THAT INCLUDES A FESTIVAL, COSTUME BALL, PUB CRAWL AND ART SHOW. DOWNTOWN GULFPORT COMES ALIVE TOWARD THE END OF SUMMER,
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