🌅 🌐 PSL’s Business Scene Is Booming

Good Afternoon, Sunland

It’s Tuesday, and I hope everyone is safe… I am, thanks for asking.

For the uninitiated — or the lucky, depending on how you look at it — we had ourselves a full-on hailstorm yesterday. I was on my way to Staples in Fort Pierce to pick up some new Sunland News flyers. I walk in… boom, power goes out. I step outside and hail is just falling from the sky.

I would say this came out of nowhere, but I actually did read early in the morning that hail was a possibility, so no surprise there. Still, not something you see every day. I saw folks on Instagram and Facebook posting golf ball-sized hail — which, yeah, not ideal.

Thankfully it passed, and as far as I can tell, no major damage has been reported. I did come across this interactive map where folks have been reporting what they saw.

👉 Check it out here

📌 Programming Note

Doubling back on one from last week: yes, you’re seeing this in the afternoon — and that’s on purpose. I got a lot of feedback about timing, and for now we’re sticking with our usual rhythm: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

That said, I’ll be testing out a short Tuesday and Thursday morning edition just for premium subscribers. So if you want to support the newsletter not just to keep it going, but to help fund bigger community projects you can check out the premium tier here:👉 Support Sunland

And if you don’t? All good. I love the flow of the afternoon editions too! Feels like a nice break in the week. Whether you read every issue or just one, I appreciate you being here.

🍗 Sponsored:
Stoney’s $5 Meal Snack Pack

If you haven’t heard me talk about Stoney by now, let me reintroduce you. In my mind, advertising or not, this is hands-down one of the best plates of food you can get in St. Lucie County — and for the price? Untouchable.

Every Tuesday, Stoney’s BBQ drops a $5 Snack Pack that’s enough to fill you up for lunch, dinner, or both. It’s real food, real portions, real good. Don’t overthink it — just go get one.

👉 See the Deals

📈 Main Squeeze
244 People. On a Tuesday.

That’s how many folks showed up for the Port St. Lucie Business Club networking event last week. Two hundred and forty-four people. On a Tuesday night. That’s not small talk. That’s a movement.

I’m not usually the networking event type. Not because I don’t like meeting people or seeing what folks are working on. Time just doesn’t always permit. But I’d been meaning to check this one out. I met Nic, one of the co-founders of the PSL Business Club, at a local media event a while back. We’ve been supporting each other from afar ever since. This time, I made it a point to show up.

I walked into the Nursing Building at the IRSC Pruitt Campus and was greeted right away. Michelle, Nic’s wife and also co-founder of the Business Club, was the first person I saw. She got me checked in, gave me a wristband, and welcomed me in like family. Ten dollars at the door got you a name tag, a warm plate of wings and pizza, and entry to one of the most well-put-together networking events I’ve ever been to.

There was music playing, people mingling, IRSC tables set up with information, and every table had notepads and pens ready if you wanted to jot something down. I even saw a live portrait painter tucked into one corner capturing people mid-conversation. A photographer roamed the room snapping candids, and the whole space just felt intentional. Not stuffy. Not overly formal. Just real people doing real business.

I talked with Darrell Lucas, one of the Club’s community connectors. He told me they expected a big turnout, and they weren’t wrong. The energy in the room was exactly what you’d want from a city that’s growing. New business owners, longtime professionals, creatives, service workers, and everyone in between. It was the kind of event where you could feel possibilities in the air.

My only complaint? I didn’t win a door prize. So let me give you a heads-up. If you go, bring a bag. You just might walk away with something.

The next PSL Business Club event is coming up Tuesday, May 20 at 6 PM at The Encore in Tradition. If you’re even a little curious, show up. Whether you run a business or you’re just looking to meet people in the area, I promise you’ll walk away with something valuable.

👉 Check it out here

🥳 What’s Happening
10 Out of Town Mother’s Day & Weekend Events

Wednesday, May 7

• 🌼 Mother’s Day Flower Workshop – Stuart – Hands-on floral workshop at the Belvedere Bungalow, perfect for a thoughtful pre-Mother’s Day night out. | 6 PM–8 PM | Ticketed | Details

Saturday, May 10

• 🎨 Sunset Market – Family-friendly evening with local vendors, live music, and Mother’s Day shopping. | 5:30 PM–8:30 PM | Free | Details

• 🛍 Mega Indoor Rummage Sale – Score deals on clothing, toys, and more—with games and prizes too. | 8 AM–1 PM | Free | Details

• 🎪 Second Saturday Market – Eau Gallie Arts District – Food trucks, handmade goods, live music, and an artsy crowd. | 4 PM–9 PM | Free | Details

• 👑 Cinderella at the King Center – Brevard Ballet Youth Academy presents a fairytale favorite. | 6 PM | Ticketed | Details

• 🛍 Mother’s Day Market 2025 – Stuart – Over 2K interested! Shop local gifts and celebrate moms at Memorial Park. | 10 AM–2 PM | Free | Details

• 🌸 Mother’s Day Orchid & Garden Show – Breathtaking orchid displays and garden goods at Tangled Roots. | All day | Free | Details

Sunday, May 11

• 🐟 Mother’s Day at Manatee Lagoon – DIY flower cart, sustainable landscaping talk, and nature fun. | 11 AM–3 PM | Free | Details

• 💐 Mother’s Day Bloom Bar – Vero Beach – Build your own bouquet by the beach with Pura Vida Flower Farm. | 10 AM–1 PM | $30 per bouquet | Details

Tuesday, May 6 – Sunday, June 1

• 🎶 Beautiful – The Carole King Musical – A soulful, Broadway-style retelling of the music legend’s life. | 7:30 PM–9:45 PM | Ticketed | Details

If you have an event, send it to me here

🍹The Refill
🧡 I’m Coming Home Again 💙

Here we go! Today we begin our six-game homestand and we’ll be playing the Clearwater Threshers. We both hold a 15-12 record in our respective divisions.

Today, Art Shamsky will be in attendance to throw out the first pitch, chop it up with folks, and sign copies of his new book. https://a.co/d/iWkQu1o 

He is one of the Miracle Mets from 1969 when we won our first World Series. Actually, it was the first time we weren’t 9th or 10th in the National League since our inception in 1962, hence the coining of the name “Miracle Mets.”

Anyways, head out to Clover Park to support our guys.

Game starts at 6:10pm!

One love yall!

- darius “odgtm” garrido

🥛 Last Drop
✨ The Short List

1. 🎤 Meet the Singing Surgeon

   Port St. Lucie’s own Dr. William Vinyard is going viral for serenading patients before surgery.

   👉 Watch him in action

2. 🏎 F1 Miami Grand Prix Gets 10 More Years

   Formula 1 has signed a 10-year extension with Miami, keeping the race here through 2041.

   👉 Read the full story

3. 🚄 Brightline Lost $549M in 2024

   Even with Orlando routes booming, Brightline still ran a half-billion-dollar deficit last year.

   👉 Here’s the breakdown

4. 🎶 New Festivals Fill the SunFest Gap

   SunFest took the year off, but 561 Music Fest and Vintage Vibes stepped up in West Palm.

   👉 See how it went

5. 🩺 Florida Ranks 12th Best State for Nurses

   Florida lands in the top quarter nationally, but lags in salary and job openings.

   👉 Explore the rankings

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