ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — What is a fairgrounds? 

A place to see things you can’t anywhere else, to fire the imagination, to thrill at experiences outside the daily norm.


What You Need To Know

  • Fairgrounds is a multisensory art experience coming to St. Petesburg's Warehouse Arts District

  • The space announced a list of more than 60 participating artists

  • A spring opening is expected

That’s exactly what Fairgrounds, a uniquely immersive art- and technology-driven take on gallery space set to open this spring in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District, aims to do.

The 15,000-square-foot space will be a highlight of the district’s art-and-local-business-centric destination The Factory, and bills itself as a sort of “choose your own adventure” walk-through experience in which patrons can both create and become a part of multiple narratives made possible by the artwork. It’s a bold new perspective on art for the ‘Burg, and has attracted the interest of investors like Tampa Bay Lightning owners, developers and philanthropists Jeff and Penny Vinik.

This week, Fairgrounds announced its first roster of more than 60 participating artists. The list features folks from across the nation and all walks of life, including several hometown and Florida-grown talents. Among the locals are Chad Mize, iBOMS, Laura Spencer, Pale Horse, Nathan Beard, Zulu Painter and Macy Higgs; award-winning Floridian photographer for National Geographic Carlton Ward is also in the mix.

The Fairgrounds experience will augment these artists’ works with “creative coding” to produce a multisensory encounter, upping the ante considerably on the gallery experience by combining traditional mediums with cutting-edge tech. No opening date has officially been announced, but Fairgrounds is sure to be yet another jewel in St. Pete’s art-city crown. The 6.5-acre Factory is located at 2622 Fairfield Ave. S.