Green Thumb Festival - Saturday

St. Petersburg's annual Arbor Day Celebration, the Green Thumb Festival, brings together plant and flower lovers, as well as, individuals and families looking for a fun weekend activity. With more than 120 garden, plant and flower vendors and exhibitors, the annual event brings the community together for a weekend of fun.

PARKING &TROLLEY INFORMATION
Parking is available at Azalea Middle School, Azalea Youth Soccer League, and behind Walter Fuller Recreation Center. Handicap parking is located at the Walter Fuller Recreation Center's main parking lot and the Walter Fuller Pool parking lot.

Trolley Stops: 
#1 - Azalea Middle School
#2 - Azalea Youth Soccer League
#3 - Walter Fuller Pool

Please note: This event is rain or shine with the exception of severe weather. Cancellations due to weather will be announced on our Facebook page at facebook.com/stpeteparksrec

• Booth space fees are as follows: Single booth space - $300, double booth space - $500, and quad booth space - $1,000
•  The booth spaces are approximately 12' x 12'.
• Plant vendors are REQUIRED to attach a registration certificate from the Division of Plant Industry. This certificate must be available at the festival.
• Limited spaces are available for show vendors. 
• Food vendors: If you wish to be considered for the 2026 event, please send an email to greenthumb@stpete.org.

• Ask an Arborist
• Tool Sharpening
• Children’s Crafts
• Free Plant and Pine Seedlings Giveaway
• Environmental Resources and Educational Programs
• Food Trucks
• Free Mulch Delivery Raffle (must be a St. Pete resident)
• Plant/Soil/Water Diagnostics
• Pathfinder Tree Climbing

• Water Resources 
• Office of Sustainability and Resiliency
• St. Petersburg Library System
• Stormwater, Pavement & Traffic Operations 
• Sanitation

We offer Youth and Adult Workshops during the festival. Spots are limited. Registration is required. View the list of workshops below and register online:


Youth Workshops
Saturday, April 25
11 AM: Birds of Prey Presentation - Participants will experience an up-close encounter with live birds of prey while also learning why these beautiful avian ambassadors call Boyd Hill Nature Preserve their home. Discussions will include each bird species’ natural histories and the importance of conserving their habitat to protect the birds still in the wild.
12 PM: Beneficial Bugs Spotlight: The Lovely Ladybug Workshop - In this lively and interactive seminar, Mr. H will guide youth to discover why ladybugs are considered one of nature’s most helpful garden heroes. Through fun, hands‑on exploration, participants will learn how ladybugs protect plants, what they eat, where they live, and why farmers and gardeners love them. Each youth will have the opportunity to examine a live ladybug up close in a magnifying bug box. Using simple observation prompts, participants will look for body parts, colors, spots, legs, and wings—making real scientific observations just like entomologists. Ages 5-12
1 PM: In Your Backyard: Animal Tracks & Identification - Have you found tracks in your back yard, but not sure what species could make
them? Learn how to identify the tracks you may find out in your yard or nature areas. Create your own track identification guide for local species.

Sunday, April 26
11 AM: Build a Butterfly Garden - Join rangers to learn about butterfly gardens and how they help local pollinators!
After our talk, you will build your own butterfly garden in an egg carton. We will have a variety of native flowers for planting. It’s your garden, so you get to choose the flowers!
1 PM: Flower Pot Decorating - Join rangers to learn about pollinators, native plants, and why they are important! After our talk, you will decorate a flower pot and plant a native plant to grow for your garden. We will have supplies for pot decorating and a native seed for planting.

Adult Workshops
Saturday, April 25 
10 AM: Planting Herb Seed Snails Workshop - Attendees will use potting soil and recycled plastic to create a roll to propagate herb seeds
2 PM: Catch the Rain Seminar - Are you interested in watering your plants from your own water source – a rain barrel? Join Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ educators as they present how to set up your own rain barrel and making use of rainwater in the landscape. Learn about practical approaches to harness our most precious resource - water, while reducing stormwater runoff. We will also discuss how to prepare for and manage your landscape during the dry season.

Sunday, April 26
10 AM: Flowers Workshop - Attendees will repot flowering plants into mini flower boxes.
2 PM: Orchids 101 Seminar - Mike Pollen will demonstrate repotting an orchid and talk about tips for growing a healthy beautiful plant.

The Garden Club of St. Petersburg displays their creativity through juried floral designs and crafts representing gardens from around the world. Exhibits are designed with a new theme each year.

The public is invited to vote for the best of show in both the horticulture and floral design category.

Judging occurs the Friday before the festival and awards are given to the winners at the festival on Sunday at 3 p.m. inside Walter Fuller Recreation Center. All judges are from clubs within the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs District VIII and use standards set by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and use standards set by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. For more information on the Garden Club, visit www.gardenclubstpetersburg.org.

The Green Thumb Festival was established by the St. Petersburg Parks Department as an Arbor Day celebration on April 11, 1986 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. The concept was introduced by the Parks Director at the time, Litdell “Dell” Holmes, to meet the requirements of the prestigious Tree City USA award, and as a result, the City has been a recipient of the award every year since 1986.

Festival attendance is estimated at 30,000 to 35,000 over the two-day event and more than 200 educational and environmental exhibits and vendors participate. The festival continues to be free of charge.