ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hundreds of people celebrated 727 Day at the St. Pete Pier on July 27—a day meant for supporting local businesses, while also celebrating the fifth anniversary of the pier's reopening.
"We started celebrating for real at 7:27 a.m., just like a shout out and we’re really happy to be here," said Brandon Bell, a local resident. "We went to a minor league game today for 727. We went to a couple places, we’re really happy, this is great, we love being here, this is fun."
Bell is a father who took the spirit of 727 day to a whole new level, bringing his kids out to enjoy a fun day in the sun, while also supporting local businesses.
"We’re actually one of the first food trucks to be on the pier when it first opened, so this our 5 year anniversary," said Kenny Alexander, the owner of Big Red BBQ.
The Big Red BBQ food truck is among the more than 100 businesses participating in the festivities.
"It’s probably Pinellas county’s biggest unofficial holiday," said Jason Latimer, the Director of Public Relations at Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
Every year, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater hosts 727 Day as an ode to the locals—celebrating the people and businesses that make hospitality and tourism thrive.
The 727 t-shirts made for the event, were gone in no time.
"We really want to celebrate our hospitality and our tourism industry, but we also want to say thank you to the residents who help support and make a great experience for more than 15 million visitors each year," said Latimer.
This industry helps employ more than 100,000 residents and drives $11 billion in economic impact for Pinellas County.
"They're great," said Alexander. "We get our name out more. The more people that eat this food, the more customers I’m going to have."
727 day lasted all weekend long with deals, exclusive giveaways, and community events.
"We have to support local because we just have to for this," said Andrea Dort, a local.
With a mobile passport, people were able to unlock more than 100 local deals at restaurants, shops, and different attractions.
And the heat did not stop people from coming out either.
"I’m just happy to be here, happy to be experiencing the 727 vibes," said Maggie O’Sullivan.
The celebration also marked the fifth anniversary of the pier’s reopening, but organizers said they had to cancel the planned drone show due to inclement weather.
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