This Tampa Bay Area Resort Turns the NFL Draft Into an All-Out Beach Party

Draft night takes over downtown St. Pete

Photo: Samuel Spencer

Bucs Beach Bash is an annual event hosted by TradeWinds and its partner, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. TradeWinds is heaven on Earth, if heaven served piña coladas and was prone to giving you sunburns.

Upon arriving at my oceanview suite at RumFish Beach, one of two neighboring TradeWinds properties on St. Pete Beach, I had little time to peer out over the sea before being summoned to dinner at Palm Court Italian. The restaurant technically belongs to Island Grand, RumFish’s sister property, but guests of either resort are encouraged to take advantage of the amenities at both. My table did, starting with drinks, wine, and a helping of prosciutto and melon before I tucked into a chicken parmesan so massive I barely finished half. With a bulging belly and a dollop of red sauce on my jeans, I was ready to conquer the night.

The group I was traveling with made our way to downtown St. Petersburg, where the first day of the Bucs Beach Bash was soon to begin. The NFL Draft is a big deal. It’s a chance for NFL teams around the nation to bolster their squads, but it’s also an opportunity for fans to celebrate the inauguration of new players.

And that is exactly what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans did on Thursday night. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t prepared for the entirety of downtown’s Central Avenue to be a Bucs-dedicated block party. St. Pete’s beloved street was packed full of Bucs fans, team store pop-ups, drink stations, games, giveaways, free Bucs tattoos, and opportunities to snap pics with Bucs legends, cheerleaders, and the team’s official mascot, Captain Fear. General admission to all that revelry is free.

Photo: TradeWinds Resort

Downtown St. Petersburg is one of my favorite places in all of Florida. Walkable places in Florida are few and far between, but St. Pete was made for the curious wayfarer. Restaurants and shops are conveniently close, and bars can be found lined up one after another. The St. Pete Pier is a short walk away, offering unbeatable views of the Gulf.

My group spent the better part of the evening walking around, soaking up all there was to see and do. Soon, it was NFL Draft time. Fans gathered in front of a behemoth of a screen to watch the drama unfold. Each pick drew groans and cheers from the massive group of fans. The Bucs had the #15 overall pick in the first round, and when they selected their new player, Rueben Bain Jr., the crowd went absolutely nuts.

As a sports fan myself and a Tampa local, it felt good to be a part of something so unifying. Here in the Tampa Bay area, football heritage runs deep, and it was cool to see the team and the city come together to meet the fans where they live.

Loungers, pickleball, and poolside margaritas

Photos: TradeWinds Resort

The next morning, after having a coffee on my room’s veranda overlooking the ocean, I had breakfast at RumFish’s Gulfside Kitchen. I ate French toast as envious seagulls watched me savor every bite.

I spent the next couple of hours enjoying the TradeWinds beachfront, spanning some 40 acres. The beach is pristine. Complimentary beach chairs sprawl across the sand, featuring QR codes to order ice-cold beverages right to your chair. Free-to-use beach toys can be found nearby, as well. My favorite part of the beach has to be the High Tide Slide, a three-story inflatable slide located right there on the sand. Guests can enjoy unlimited rides on the slide.

The beaches at Island Grand and RumFish are conveniently interconnected by a firm walkway, so guests (including guests with disabilities) can get back and forth from one resort to the other. What I love most about Tradewinds is how close everything is. Once I got there, there was no reason to get back in my car and drive anywhere. Everything I could have ever wanted during my stay was a convenient walk away — like, for example, the tennis and pickleball courts.

I’m a massive tennis and pickleball fan. I play sports whenever I can, even on vacation. TradeWinds has two beautiful tennis and pickleball courts, as well as racquets, paddles, and balls for whenever you want to play. Plus, there’s an on-site coach who puts on tennis lessons and pickleball clinics.

After working up an appetite on the court, my group had lunch at The Hall, a grab-and-go food center with pizza, ice cream, snacks, and drinks. It’s the perfect choice for something fast and yummy that you can take right back to your beach chair and eat in the sun.

Photo: TradeWinds Resort

I spent the rest of my afternoon lounging beside one of TradeWinds’ many pools, reading, soaking up the sun, and sipping on a refreshing margarita as I awaited the start of the second round of the NFL Draft.

My group had dinner at the RumFish Sports Bar & Deck, whose electric atmosphere backdropped our viewing of the second round of the draft. A staple at TradeWinds, the massive sports bar has screens everywhere. Even more impressive was the enormous 33,500-gallon aquarium located smack dab in the middle of the restaurant. The aquarium, which was featured on Animal Planet’s hit series TANKED, holds more than 30 species, including a huge green moray eel.

We ended the night at the beachfront stage where the Caribbean Chillers, a Jimmy Buffett tribute band, put on a fantastic performance, capturing that tropical beach sound that Buffett was so famous for.

The Bucs bring the party to the beach

Photos: TradeWinds Resort

The next day, my last full day at TradeWinds, the Bucs Beach Bash capped off an incredible weekend by throwing a massive party at TradeWinds Resort. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an official partner and many other local brands represented, the TradeWinds beachfront was converted into a full-on Bucs paradise.

Before that, however, I made sure to grab a bite at the recently opened Playa Taco Cocina y Tequileria, a fast-casual taqueria with incredible tacos and a vast tequila selection. Seating was generous, and the decor was adorably beachy. After lunch, we made our way to the event, which was just beginning.

The beach was covered in booths, drink tents, activities, and much more. Pirates roamed the grounds, taking pictures with anyone brave enough. A massive game of corn hole took place, as well as other games and competitions. There were drinks and food, and Captain Fear himself was in attendance, keeping attendees rowdy as usual. As the sun set on the Bucs Beach Bash, the final performance arrived on stage: country-rock singer Uncle Kracker. The show was a hit, and like the rest of the festivities, it was free.

I ended the night by walking over to the bonfire near RumFish and having a s’more (or four). Draft weekend in St. Pete Beach, it turns out, ends exactly the way it should: on the beach, entertained, and slightly sticky from marshmallows.

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