St. Petersburg’s Deuces corridor marked a festive milestone on September 19 as the city celebrated the grand reopening of the historic Manhattan Casino and invited the community to Deuces Day Out at Deuces Corner Park. The day began with a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by self-guided tours of the newly renovated Manhattan Casino event spaces. The reopening highlighted both the building’s renewed future and its deep past as an important stop on the Chitlin Music Circuit.
The ceremony featured live performances by Henry Ashwood, Jr., Jeremy Carter, James Suggs, Maurice Allen, Joe Porter, Joel Bolds, and vocalist Allison Nash, setting a celebratory tone for the broader neighborhood gathering.
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Deuces Day Out brought music, food, and community engagement to Deuces Corner Park at 9th Avenue S. and 22nd Street S. Guests enjoyed performances from the Gibbs High School Jazz Band, Alejandro Arenas & Allison Nash, Deneen Wyman, and Imam Wilmore Sadiki, alongside lunch from Love22 while supplies lasted.
The event also gave residents a chance to learn more about Mayor Welch’s Imagine the Deuces initiative, meet the Burg Bid development team, connect with Deuces Live! leaders and business owners, and pick up commemorative Black History materials and Manhattan Casino reopening posters.