Dozens of vendors offered everything from home-made salsas and hot sauces to breads, brats and empanadas. My husband and I bee-lined for the fresh produce, coming away with an armful of tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini and green beans – enough for the week!
But there was so much more. Sustainable seafood from Florida, house plants, raw honey, and fresh cheeses. Baked goods galore (I found out what a hummingbird cake is) and lovely chocolate fudge for our daughter. Also services ranging from landscaping to composting.
It’s a stroke of genius to start this market on the grounds of the Carrollwood Cultural Center. The location is perfect – large and shady with ample parking. There is enough space for live music, tables and chairs to eat at, and plenty of trash cans to keep the place clean.
It’s exciting to see North Tampa getting the attention it deserves from green businesses. The arrival of Whole Foods at Northdale and Dale Mabry is no fluke. There is huge demand here for fresh, local, organic foods and products and the North Tampa Market helps meet that.
So come on out! The Market is open the second Saturday of every month and will run year-round. I plan to check out the breads from 20 Shekels (which sold out so fast we couldn’t even try them) and to get to know the many other vendors we could only stroll past yesterday.
A market like this is one of the places where the rubber meets the road for green businesses. I encourage you to visit and see if you don’t love what you find there!
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