SPL LIVING
Friendly downtown market has a special St. Pete vibe
8 StPeteLifeMag.com January/February 2020
PHOTOS/KAYLA GLEASON
sound appealing, yet thousands of St. Pete
residents are eager to do so on Saturdays.
Why?
With a mission to be “the heart of St.
Petersburg,” the Saturday Morning
Market brings not only fresh, locally grown
produce downtown but also features
live music, work by area artists and an
international array of ready-to-eat cuisine.
A much-beloved mainstay in St. Pete,
the Saturday Morning Market is now well
into its 18th season. The market, which
Saturday from October to May. “The only
comes because the track literally runs right
though this area,” said market supervisor
Jami Pressman.
What began as a small gathering of only
half a dozen vendors has grown to hosting
nearly 200 local businesses, farms and
entertainers. In fact, vendors have to be
rotated in and out because the Al Lang
Field parking lot, where the market is held,
can only accommodate 120 booths.
“We originally started in a much smaller
space, then moved to Central Avenue
when we outgrew it. Then, we quickly
outgrew that spot and eventually landed
here,” Pressman said.
But not just anyone peddling wares can
come and set up shop, the committee
is extremely selective in who they
approve. “We’ve turned down over 1,400
applications since starting,” said Mark
Johnson, one of the market directors
and member of the managing steering
committee, along with Gail Eggeman and
Carol Ringed. “It has allowed us to get
bigger and better with time as the quality
of our vendors has increased greatly.”
And Johnson’s words are backed by the
fact that the market has won numerous
awards, including the Downtown
Saturday Morning Market
BY KAYLA GLEASON
Saturday Morning Market
101 1st Street SE, St. Petersburg, FL
Saturdays October through May
9 am to 2 pm, saturdaymorningmarket.com.
The Market moves to Williams Park (1st Ave.
N. & 3rd St.) on March 7, due to the Grand
Prix. The Market is closed on March 14, then
returns to Rowdies parking lot on March 21.
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