The atmosphere was almost like a festival – I think that, even though it’s only mid-March, the weather was just so great that people couldn’t help but smile.  If you  haven’t made it down to the Market, make it a point some Saturday morning.  It’s there each week, in the parking lot next to Al Lang Stadium, and there’s no charge to get in.  But do bring money, ’cause you’re going to want to be bringing some things home!  (Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the huge, warm, sticky, delicious cinnamon-raisin bun that my wife and I split as a mid-morning treat.  Yum!) 

For details on the market, check out their web site.  This weekly event is just one more of the reasons that it’s so nice to live in St. Petersburg…

One of the Plant Booths at the Market

Very Dapper Vendors! And Great Food!

When the Saturday Morning Market first opened in November of 2002, it was a great feeling for those who have lived in St. Petersburg for a long time.  We’ve seen lots of other cities and towns with Saturday Morning Markets, and we’d had a few that tried to get going here in St. Petersburg, but this one felt different, somehow.  I love it when the fall weather arrives – humidity goes away, cooler temperatures sneak in, and you can go hang out downtown at the Market and get great food, hear great music, buy wonderful fresh produce, handcrafted items, plants, and, especially, wonderful, sumptious food!  It’s just such a treat!

But, alas, every year, as spring comes to an end and the summer sun gets hotter, the market has shut down, gone into a summer hibernation until Fall. But this year, for the first time, somebody got a little bit creative and all of the powers that be were flexible and there’s a whole new thing going on – the Saturday Summer Market! It’s moved just a couple of blocks away from it’s normal home – the summer version is being held in the Mahaffey Theater parking garage.

If that sounds dismal, believe me, it’s not.  This garage has very high ceilings, so there’s no sense of being closed in.  It’s fully open on the sides and at each end, so there’s plenty of light and this morning, when my wife and I went down there, the breeze was beautiful – we walked around for an hour and a half and did not even get a bit warm.  And, since the whole thing is undercover and shielded from the sun, I did not have to apply one speck of suncreen, which makes me very happy.

There are still lots of vendors, great food and beverages, handcrafted soaps and candles and craftwork, plenty of fresh, delicious produce, great barbeque, lots of varieties of other foods for breakfast or lunch, desserts, music, and everything else you’d hope for in a morning market.  Parking is plentiful and just a one minute walk away, and it only costs a buck, so no need to bring quarters for meters or for watching the time.

If you haven’t been down to check it out, you ought to – it’s a nice way to spend Saturday morning – and a great way to go home with some very nicely priced treasures!

Market Staffer on the 4th of July!

Colorful Handcrafted Hats

The Spirit of the Saturday Market...