Vote in 'The Pier Memories' Photo Contest!

The St. Petersburg Pier is more than just a public place for people to gather. It is an experience.

That seems to be the underlying theme of the photos that readers uploaded for the "Thanks for the Pier Memories" Photo Contest!

There are 108 snapshots to vote on, from photos of a special kiss or romantic date to images of pelicans, including one in a Santa hat. There also are many, many shots of the iconic Pier itself.

It's easy to vote and just takes a few moments. Here's how:

1.) The photos are numbered. Scan through the images.

2.) Pick the numbered photo that is your favorite, and let us know which one it is in the comments section below the article.

It's that easy! Please just vote once. This is the honor system.

We'll count up the number of votes. The winner will be announced on April 30, 2013. The winning photo will be featured as the St. Petersburg Patch photo of the month for May. How's that for bragging rights?

'Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest'

There are more prizes, too. LocalShops1 also will give the winner a pair of tickets to the "The Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest," which is May 18th. (Click on the link for details.)

The "Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest" is sponsored by Patch, LocalShops1 and The Pier marketing department.

The Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest will take place on Saturday, May 18^th on the Fifth Floor next to Cha Cha Coconuts beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

The first 500 ticket holders receive a FREE limited edition Pier martini glass, a limited edition poster, and three “tastings”  – from each bartender booth.  There will be a People’s Choice Award and Celebrity Judges.

The judging will be announced at 8:15 p.m., and there will be a community toast to The Pier at sunset. The Pier is scheduled to close on May 31.

Tickets are $10 each or two for $19.73 for the Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest. You can buy your tickets now on the LocalShops1 site.

ORIGINAL POST LAUNCHING THE CONTEST: With nearly a million visitors a year, the St. Petersburg Pier is not only the city's waterfront icon, a colorful beacon on Tampa Bay, but also the place for the public to gather, dine and just hang out.

The city Pier hosts family visits, romantic dates, club meetings, fun runs, motorcycle rider gatherings, fund raisers, live entertainment, you name it.

It's also just a great spot for locals to wet a line and fish.

Now that the 40-year-old Pier's future is uncertain – its fate at the center of a court battle – the folks at Patch and LocalShops 1 thought it was high time to honor The Pier's place in the local community.

Today Patch launches a photo upload contest!

It's easy to enter the "Thanks for Pier Memories Photo Contest." Just upload your photos to the article.

The Pier photos can be new or old, from a favorite family event or more artistic images of The Pier. Enter as many photos as you like. But please caption them!

The winning photo will serve as the St. Pete Patch's Facebook background photo for the entire month of May.

The contest runs until 5 p.m., Monday, April 15, 2013.

After the deadline, Patch readers will have the chance to vote on the winning Pier Photo! The winner will be announced on April 30, 2013.

We've already uploaded a couple of reader photos to get the contest started!

The Thanks for The Pier Memories Photo Upload Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. Click here for complete Official Rules.