This week is the twelfth annual Shine Mural Festival, where invited muralists from around the world add their unique splash of color to St. Pete. Businesses offer up their boring buildings and walls as blank canvases, ready for transformation.

Alyssa Marie, one of the local, participating artists sent out a call for volunteers so I signed up. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the festive atmosphere- there were food trucks, a DJ spinning fun tunes, tons of volunteers, and the weather was perfect (sunny, low 80s).

Since the festival’s inception they’ve added over 150 murals to the area. All this beautiful public art is another reason why St. Pete is awesome!