ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On Friday, December 23, hundreds will gather at the annual Gibbs High school reunion at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg.

Pre-sale Ticket Locations

  • Looking Good Apparel 1201 34th Street South, St. Petersburg

  • TET Hair Salon 1614 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg 

  • Big Al Salon and Barber shop 5617 E. Adamo, Tampa.

  • Tickets also available for purchase at the door

The event is back after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19. Traditionally the class of '68 organized and hosted the event, but now a new group is taking over the reunion.

"The COVID pandemic really hit the group hard and after losing several classmates, they decided to give it up." Classes United President, William Walker said.

This year Walker said he's adding a twist to the semi formal event. He plans to include students who graduated from other south county schools like Lakewood, Hollins and many more. The event is known to draw graduates from all over. 

“It’s gonna let people know that you are accepted,” he said. “Just because you didn’t wear the blue and gold like people did at Gibbs, you are accepted at this event. Everybody, no matter what color your jacket was, you can come to this event.”

Walker graduated from Lakewood but he comes from long line of Gibbs graduates from the class of 1968. It was the last class at the school before desegregation. It's also the class that started this rich tradition.

“It feels like a family reunion. It really does. I decided to call it Classes United because Gibbs started all this. He went to Gibbs, my dad went to Gibbs, my mom went to Gibbs, everybody that I know that was older than a certain age went to Gibbs.” he said. “1969 is when kids went to different schools. So that’s what I represent. All the schools we had to go to because of desegregation.”

Walker’s uncle, Charles McNorton, graduated from Gibbs in 1968 and he said the reuion originally started decades ago at someone’s house. 

“We’ve been knowing each other all of our lives,” McNorton said. “So we decided when we graduate, hy don’t we get together and do a Christmas party. So we went to a house. And then the next year, we went to another house. But then that got too small.”

Now the reunion is one of the hottest tickets in town. Tickets are on sale for $25 Advance; $35 at the door. Reserved Tables $50 and BYOB.