'727 Day' celebrates community in Pinellas with events, more than 100 deals at local businesses

'727 Day' in Pinellas County

This weekend, residents are celebrating getting to call Pinellas County home. Kailey Tracy reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - This weekend, residents are celebrating getting to call Pinellas County home.

"727 Day" is held on the weekend of July 27, which is the area code for Pinellas.

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"This year, 727 Day is the biggest and best ever," Brian Lowack, the president/CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said. "We started this a few years ago and back by popular demand, it's bigger and better than ever. We've had so many of the residents taking advantage of this, and they asked if we could expand it. The businesses have seen an uptick from it."

You can take advantage of deals all weekend from shops, to resorts, museums, restaurants and bars. 

"727 Day is all about thanking the residents for opening up their homes to our 15 million visitors that came here last year, and it's also a way that we can educate the community on the value of tourism, while at the same time, providing a benefit to these local businesses that really make it happen in the destination," he said.

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"I think it's important to recognize what our community does to welcome these visitors that come to us all year round and so, to participate with the rest of the area, other partner museums and all of the restaurants and events that Visit St. Pete Clearwater is putting on, it's great to be a part of it," Beth Bell, the CMO at The Dalí Museum, said.

Dig deeper:

In order to take advantage of the discounts, go online to 727 Day’s website and download the passport. You’ll see more than 100 businesses offering deals, like Grove Surf and Coffee. They participated in last year’s 727 Day, but staff says this year’s means even more after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Helene flooded the St. Pete Beach location with almost three feet of water. 

"Not saying we ever took our community for granted, but especially after something so hard, to see everyone come out and everyone rooting for us really struck us to our core and was like, wait, we love St. Pete to begin with, but after that, it's even like so much more appreciation," Katie Gorey, the general manager of Grove Surf and Coffee, said.

"It really is such a special place," Gorey said.

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It’s a sentiment Lowack echoes.

"I think the residents and the businesses alike here in Pinellas County have gone through so much in the past year, so this couldn't come in a better opportunity to both recognize the residents, say thank you, and then provide an opportunity to drive some business to these local businesses who were impacted last year by the storms," Lowack said.

When you check in at the businesses on the passport, you get points towards a T-shirt by local artist Chad Mize while supplies last, or a 727 print. The first 727 fans at the Clearwater Threshers game on Sunday will also get a shirt.

Sunday at 9 p.m., more than 1,000 drones will transform the sky above the St. Pete Pier into a light show lighting the city’s history, and celebrating the Pier’s fifth birthday. Before that, starting at 4 p.m., technology leaders will also showcase the newest in artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality on the Pier. You can also get a shirt at VSPC’s booth on the Pier during Sunday’s festivities while supplies last.