“Where All America Welcomes Springtime” was the slogan as each March-April the Festival of States celebration attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to St. Petersburg. What started out as the Washington’s Birthday parade and the Fair and Tourist week, became the Festival of States in 1917. State associations who wintered in St. Pete began building parade floats depicting their home states. Eventually marching bands from throughout the nation were invited and in the 1950’s, the Suncoasters – a group of civic volunteers – grew the event into a three week long, 100-event St. Pete party. The Sam Robinson Jazz Festival and RibFest highlighted concerts and food festivals, but it was the televised Parade of States that drew hundreds of thousands along the waterfront and up Central Avenue to 16th Street.
This historical image of St. Petersburg, and many more, are available in the Museum’s archives. For more information, visit HistoryStPete.org.
