St. Petersburg Daily Brief: Grand Prix Wrap, Art in the Park, Community Events

St. Petersburg is coming off a busy waterfront weekend, with the city’s biggest annual race drawing crowds downtown and a few community events lining up behind it.

Grand Prix wrap: Palou takes the opener, leftovers become meals

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg capped off Sunday with a dominant win by Álex Palou, as the IndyCar season opened on the city’s temporary street course along the bayfront.

One local ripple effect has nothing to do with lap times: surplus food from team hospitality areas was collected after the race and routed to people who need it most. Organizers said the donation effort is being distributed through local partners in the days immediately after the event, turning an often-overlooked pile of leftovers into fresh groceries and prepared meals.

Outdoor art exhibit returns to Poynter Park

An outdoor gallery of billboard-sized artworks is returning to Poynter Park this weekend, with an opening-day festival planned for Saturday afternoon. Expect walk-through displays focused on kindness and inclusion, plus family-friendly activities and community booths.

CommUNITY Festival set for March 7 at Azalea Park

Looking ahead, the St. Pete CommUNITY Festival is slated for Saturday, March 7, at Azalea Park, with an afternoon-to-night schedule. Plans include live music, art installations, a vendor village, expanded kids’ programming and appearances by local first responders’ interactive vehicles. The event is advertised as free and family-friendly.

Construction EXPO at SPC spotlights skilled careers

Students and job-seekers can also mark March 10 for a Construction EXPO at the SPC Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Midtown Center. The event is designed to connect attendees with employers and hands-on demonstrations tied to construction and engineering pathways.

Sources

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2026/03/01/alex-palou-st-petersburg-grand-prix-indycar-scott-mclaughlin-nikita-johnson/
https://stpetecatalyst.com/surplus-grand-prix-food-donated-to-individuals-in-need/
https://stpetecatalyst.com/embracing-our-differences-outdoor-art-exhibit-returns/
https://stpetecatalyst.com/st-pete-community-festival-is-saturday/
https://stpetecatalyst.com/zaps/st-petersburg-college-schedules-its-2026-construction-expo/
https://ilovetheburg.com/st-pete-community-festival-2026/