Sunday Funday - part 1

Sunny springtime rolled in last weekend, bringing with it outdoor fun and sweet strawberries! I decided to play hooky, ditched the family and visited some local markets, museums and my favorite annual fair, The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

The day started with a trip to the Hyde Park Fresh Market, where I spotted Gypsy Junque's show stopping boho bus. Gotta love the colors! By the way, click on any of the links for more info on some of my favorite finds.

The Hyde Park market happens the first Sunday of each month. It features some tasty (& very photogenic) produce, as well as a number of local vendors. You'll find everything from truffles and fruit trees to fedoras and hoola hoops. Plus several food trucks and even a kid's play zone with bouncy house and bungee trampolines (ooh - risky combination).

photo courtesy of Mon Beau Reve and Co.

In the middle of the market is a large fountain, several benches and live entertainment. Center stage featured a fab fashion show of comfy creations from local clothier Mon Beau Reve and Company.  

photo courtesy of Mon Beau Reve and Co.

With all of the beautiful weather, yummy treats, and local shops to explore I was tempted to hang in Hyde Park all day. On any other day I would have, but the art was calling me. I filled my bag with fragrant finds from Swanson Soapworks,  espresso beans from Java-Planet and a refreshing apricot iced tea from Tebella. Then it was time to head downtown.

mmm...more strawberries, please

A quick stop at the always aesthetic Oxford Exchange.

Then a walk across the bridge found me at the Tampa Downtown Market. Normally held every 3rd Sunday of the month, they tossed in an extra shopping day for March. 

Lucky me! I stumbled into fellow Etsy seller I am so not cool (vintage and repurposed) and Savannah Beach Mosaics sharing a tent and selling their colorful creations. 

View of the Downtown Market from the FMOPA. Beyond is the art fair!

At this point it was time to cool off before tackling the art fair. The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts has three strong exhibits right now, including Elger Essler's large format landscape heliograveures. FMoPA is a small museum, but always worth a visit. Quiet and cool, it was the perfect place to recharge my batteries before diving into the big event. 

I've mentioned before that this art festival is one of my favorites. There is always a wonderful mix of artwork, in many different styles and mediums (& price ranges). Plus you get to meet the artists, which is very, very cool. Once again, this show did not disappoint! My original plan was to probably go home empty handed. But... I ended up picking up the most pieces yet.... and now I have to find a place to hang it all. Fortunately they are smalls, so that shouldn't be too bad. 

Pop back in a few days to hear about the art fair. I will share some my faves, plus the pieces that followed me home. Until then, best wishes for a creative day!