DUNEDIN, Fla. — Nestled along the picturesque coastline of Pinellas County, Florida, lies the charming city of Dunedin. With its pristine beaches and vibrant downtown, this hidden gem has been attracting visitors from all over the world.
It's the smallest city in the country to host an MLB team for spring training — the Toronto Blue Jays. In recent years, its downtown is bringing in a lot more people as well.
We met up with Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski. Serving in city government for 18 years, she proudly highlights the city's unique appeal.
"We have a lot of unique attributes in this city that you would never know," Bujalski said. "With only being ten square miles, we have been voted most walkable. You can pretty much walk everywhere."
Dunedin, a city of fewer than 40,000 residents, welcomes nearly a million visitors annually, according to Bujalski.
Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island are major draws for the city, in addition to hosting the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training. That alone brings in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, turning the small city into a bustling hub of baseball enthusiasts.
In recent years, Dunedin's downtown has emerged as a major attraction.
Filled with history, a vibrant arts scene, and a variety of festivals, Bujalski says it offers something for everyone.
"We have a lot of festivals that people come here for, like Highland Games and the Celtic Festival. We have the largest Mardi Gras celebration southeast of New Orleans," she explains.
Founded by two Scotsmen, Dunedin takes pride in its Scottish roots. The city has a sister city in Scotland and boasts a world-renowned bagpipe band. "We've just celebrated 60 years of piping. We have two world championship pipe bands," says Bujalski.
The mayor emphasizes the importance of preserving the downtown's charm by keeping it local. "When I tell you everything is locally owned, it really is locally owned. All the businesses here are owned locally. We are not a national franchise. That's what we love. We do not want to be too big. We never want to overgrow. We want to just keep improving on what we have. Everything is authentic," Bujalski shares.
Currently, Dunedin is celebrating Pride and will host a full week of 11 events. City leaders raised a Pride flag on June 1st, marking the start of the festivities.
In August, the city’s bagpiping band will compete in the World Championship. Additionally, Dunedin's charming downtown recently served as the backdrop for a Hallmark movie, further cementing its reputation as a picturesque and welcoming destination.