Fantastic Fall Festivals St Pete to Clearwater Beach

Why Visit the Florida Gulf Coast During the Fall?

The beaches from Clearwater Beach to St Pete Beach on the Florida Gulf Coast are exciting places to visit year round. While we experience seasons like everyone else, our winter temperatures are mild, making us a popular tourist destination from January through March. Other season attract visitors too, summer time at the beach still being as popular as ever.

Although we enjoy year-round tourism, the numbers go up and down as the seasons come and go. One of our lower seasons for visitors is autumn. School starts and family vacations must end, at least for a little while. Attention goes back to the daily duties of life and Clearwater Beach, St Pete Beach, and the coastline in between is left for future vacations.

Does that mean that Clearwater Beach, St Pete Beach, and the beaches in between aren’t worth visiting in the fall?

Absolutely not.

In fact, it is difficult to find a more dynamic time than October at our Gulf Coast beaches. Why, you ask? Is it the cooler temperatures? The remarkable sunsets? The cheaper accommodations? While those are good reasons, they are not the number one best reason. To learn why you should visit us in October, then read on.

11 Days of Bliss on the Florida Gulf Coast

Clearwater Beach to St Pete Beach is a great place to visit as the year coasts toward a close. In fact, you might find October is the most exciting month of the year!

Clearwater Jazz Holiday

The magic begins with Clearwater Jazz Holiday. The event has reached its 35^th year, now pulling in some of the greatest talent in jazz. The seating is in open air Coachman Park. Enjoy great music under the Florida sun or stars at this fun, four days of concerts. Clearwater Jazz Holiday is October 16 through 19.

World Windsurfing Championship

For the first time ever, the Youth World Windsurfing Championship is coming to the USA, with Clearwater Beach hosting the event! The event will take place at one of our favorite locations, Pier 60. Watch this one week event from the Pier, the water, or the beach. This competition is new to us but not to the world. International windsurfers will compete at this event, introducing Clearwater Beach to people from around the globe. World Windsurfing Championship at Clearwater Beach runs from October 18^th to the 25^th.

2014 World Paddle Association Championship Race

Joining the biggest weekend of the year are the Paddle Board Races at St Pete Beach. Head to the beach to watch the standup paddle board races just off shore. This event will be held on the U.S. east coast for the first time, right here at St Pete Beach. If you are a fan of the exploding trend of standup paddle boards, then this is an event you will want to attend. The 2014 World Paddle Association Championship Race happens October 24^th to the 26^th.

Beach Walk Chalk Walk

Beach Walk is a beachfront boardwalk-style sidewalk at Clearwater Beach, popular because its proximity to the sands and beachfront shops. During our favorite October weekend this sidewalk is transformed into a canvas for a host of chalk artists. The event has been a hit each year, filling the sidewalk with viewers. The event draws a wide variety of artists, offering visitors an amazing selection of chalk art. With all the other events happening at the beach, this event provides a very pleasant and interesting addition to the activities. Come to Clearwater Beach to see this event, or, if you are here for some other festival, make sure you visit the Beach Walk while you are here. Beach Walk Chalk Walk Festival runs October 24^th through the 26^th.

Stone Crab Festival Weekend

The stone crab season is a very special holiday on the Florida Gulf Coast, with events dotting the coastline of the Florida Gulf Coast.

Tarpon Springs Annual Greek Food and Wine Festival

At the top of the county, you will find Tarpon Springs, home of the famous Sponge Docks, one of the largest suppliers of natural sponges in the world. This fun tourist area is known for its Greek culture, making the festival held here make perfect sense. The Tarpon Springs Annual Greek Food and Wine Festival is held October 24 through 26, joining the culinary festivals of the Stone Crab Weekend, with a Greek twist, of course. If you like tourist towns, Greek culture, and good food, give this one a try!

John’s Pass Seafood Festival

Near the bottom of the county you can enjoy John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk, another well-known tourist attraction on the Florida Gulf Coast. John’s Pass Seafood Festival joins the big weekend events of October 24 to 26 of 2014. The event includes live music, vendors, arts and crafts, and, of course, seafood. John’s Pass is fun on an ordinary day. Visiting the boardwalks during a festival is a real treat. Don’t miss this event in Madeira Beach, just north of Treasure Island.

Clearwater Beach Stone Crab Festivals

The stone crab weekend at Clearwater Beach one of the best events of the year at this famous Gulf Coast beach. Cooters and Frenchy’s are the two main spots for the festivals. Cooters fills their parking lot with extra seating and live music while Frenchy’s closes off Baymont Street in front of their original restaurant for a banquet and block party with live music. The event is very lively and lots of fun. Daytime crowds are great but when the sun sets the party atmosphere really cranks up, giving guests some great beach memories. And then, of course, there’s the stone crabs, which are in season only once a year. This annual beach festival is one you don’t want to miss, so mark your Clearwater Beach calendars for the weekend of October 24^th to the 26^th.

Autumn at the Beach

If you can make it to the Florida Gulf Coast during October you should definitely do so. Even more events occur during November and December but we will cover those in later blog posts. Be sure to keep your eyes on Clearwater Beach, Madeira Beach, St Pete Beach, and Tarpon Springs for the autumn season. We have a great festival line up for you here on the Florida Gulf Coast.

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