Eat, Shop and Chill at Two Upcoming Indie Market Events
James Cutman of Myakka's Gold Apiary sells hand-crafted body butter, lip balms and, of course, a variety of locally harvested honeys.
Image: Courtesy Photo
Orange blossom, saw palmetto, wildflower, Brazilian pepper, feral and creamed are some of the types of homegrown honey on hand at the South Gate Farmers’ Market on Thursday, Feb. 17, thanks to James Cutway of Myakka’s Gold Apiary. He is one of the roughly 20 vendors who will be sharing their hand-crafted foods and goods at the market every third Thursday of the month.
Organized by 73° Flea in conjunction with the South Gate Community Association, this week's event is just the fourth farmers' market to take place in the South Gate neighborhood. Vendor products include vegan and gluten-free desserts, candles, jewelry, body creams, beef jerky and more.
Can’t make it Thursday? No worries. Catch the Rosemary Indie Market this Saturday, Feb. 20, at Mandeville Beer Garden in the Rosemary District. It’s not an exact copy of the farmers' market, but it still features local talent and a chill vibe. Expect to find vintage treasures along with one-of-a-kind items. There will also be live music, with Ben Jacobs performing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Michael Miller performing from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Both events are family- and dog-friendly.
73° Flea president Farrel Hansen has been running the Rosemary Indie Market for just more than a year in the hopes of maintaining a platform for local creatives to showcase their talents, grow their businesses and connect with the community.
Three years ago, Hansen was a macrame vendor at the first 73° Flea market, which was originally held at local breweries. A fellow vendor who specialized in homemade vegan cookies sold out on her first market, soon quit her day job and now runs her business, We Vegan Eats, full-time. It’s one of Ferrell's favorite stories and keeps her inspired, she says.
“It's such a family affair. It’s about community over competition,” she says. “I'm hell-bent on making a cool scene here that’s not just for the snowbirds and the retired.”
The Southgate Farmer's Market takes place 4-8 p.m. every third Thursday of the month at the South Gate Community Center, 3145 South Gate Circle, Sarasota. The Rosemary Indie Market takes place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. every third Saturday of the month at Mandeville Beer Garden, 428 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota.
