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| Oxford Exchange view from club floor landing |
I took some "me" time yesterday at a couple of Sunday Markets. The first was a holiday bazaar on the club floor of The Oxford Exchange. The brunch crowd filled the first floor cafes, restaurant & shops. Upstairs the joint was jumping with eager customers and a mix of local handmade & vintage vendors. I blew my budget on optical lenses, letterpress blocks and an Edison wax cylinder (because I love the packaging).
I have more photos of this charismatic locale to share soon. It is such an inspiring space that I find it impossible to resist stealing a few pictures. In November I attended a wonderful evening of chocolate, tea & coffee tastings, as well as a lively book group. I have already posted a few photos of the chocolate event here.
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| one of the many cozy chairs at OE |
Then there was a sunny stroll over to the Hyde Park Fresh market. The walk led me by cute restored bungalows and historic buildings, like Firehouse #3 with these gorgeous wood and iron doors.
We are fortunate to have several weekend markets and each is a bit different. Hyde Park Village holds theirs on the 1st Sunday of each month. In addition to the yummy fresh farmer's market fare there are handmade goods, local shops with booths and even a kid's stretch of sidewalk for budding entrepreneurs.
All day the reds and purples kept capturing my attention. Check out these cool eggplants.
And you can never have too many rosemary plants...right?
What do you know - more purple!
Do you have a favorite outdoor market? What is your must-have item or favorite vendor?
I'm in St. Pete, so I have to say the Saturday Morning Market in downtown is my favorite. I also like the Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market when the whether is cooler. I've been meaning to check out the Tampa markets. Then there's Oxford Exchange, it's been on my list of places to check out for well over a year. You should check out ARTpool Gallery here in St. Pete. I think it's probably a slightly smaller, funkier version of OE.
ReplyDeleteJenn, great suggestions! I have got to get over to the awesome St Pete Sat. market one of these days. Have you ever had the jams from http://frivolousfruitproducts.com ? They sell at gulfport & make some of the best products I've had (esp. the Lemon and Hot Pepper ones). Artpool is very fun and funky but a totally different vibe from OE - both wonderful in their own way
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