We have an outstanding Arts Market and farmers market in store for you on March 23, 2019, in historic Fernandina Beach, but first, let me tell you about a major change in parking around the Market Place. The City of Fernandina Beach has posted “No Parking” signs along 8th Street and on Alachua Street at the North end of the farmers market. I wish we had been given time to get this into a press release before last Saturday’s farmers market, but we were not informed of this change. I heard the rumors and drove downtown to see the signs for myself and posted the information immediately on Facebook. Saturday, I put up a tent sign at North Seventh and Alacha Streets with directions to the closest Public Parking Lot.

For your convenience, the City’s public parking lots are located at:
-N. 5th Street between Centre Street and Alachua Street
-N. 3rd Street at Alachua Street
-N. 2nd Street at Alachua Street
-N. 2nd Street at Broome Street
-S. 4th Street (between Ash Street and Centre Street)
-S. 2nd Street at Ash Street across from City Hall
-City Hall Parking lot at S. 2nd Street and Ash Street (Weekdays: After 5pm and All-day on the weekends)
-Front Street (Parking Lots A-D) adjacent to the City Marina
-Lot D contains parking for boat trailers and oversize vehicles (No overnight parking is permitted)

Now, on to the fun stuff! Many of you have requested to see more of our artists creating their art on-site when possible. This week you will see Kim, the owner of LaSoucique Jewelry, hand forging jewelry on site. B & C Gemstones has often been found grinding gemstones during the Arts Market. We have horsehair jewelry, leather handbags and apparel, children’s clothing, mosaics, painting, and unique iron works. Other fine artists include unbelievable low priced pet collars, woman’s apparel, and beach themed jewelry. Adrian’s Handcrafted Wood brings her handmade cutting boards, serving trays, chopping blocks, and charcuteries (better known as a cheeseboard here in the south). She uses local woods found in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia like pecan, hickory, oak, walnut and maple. Another regular artist is Faith Elliott. She has taken her art in a new direction with an outstanding collection of small paintings of surfers, Amelia Island scenes, and lots of animals.

In the farmers market we have our weekly vendors with honey, jams, jellies, seafood, shrimp, meats, crab cakes, cheese spreads, flowering baskets, landscaping plants, toffee, sauces, and marinades. One of our popular bakeries includes the Great Harvest Bread Company. Their fresh milled wheat is deliciously transformed into cheddar garlic, honey whole wheat, and spinach feta breads. They have apple spice muffins, morning glory, and gigantic pepperoni rolls. Their savory biscuits are a must try. Campcraft Cocktails sells cute little Mason jars filled with all of the dried ingredients you need to flavor your favorite adult beverage. Their line-up of flavors now includes hibiscus ginger lemon, hot toddy, pineapple jalapeno margarita, bloody Mary, sangria, and their newest flavor is aromatic citrus. Rose’s Egg Rolls, Steephill Syrup, Me, Myself and Pies, and Fulford’s Beeswax Food wraps all return this week.

The Arts Market is sold out this Saturday so expect over 30 tents of amazing arts, crafts, fine jewelry, wood working, furniture, whimsical keepsakes, and more in addition to over 40 tents of seasonally grown produce, live plants and cut flowers, spices, dog treats, a variety of pecans, teas, and coffee. Between the two markets, there is just too much to list!

Our not for profit this week is Keep Nassau Beautiful; hopefully, in addition to answering your questions, I can talk them into recycling containers for use at the farmers market, and Alan Lelait will be providing soothing soft rock creating an ambiance that make shopping a pleasure! Your well-behaved leashed pets are always welcome and the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival will be on the bank’s lawn selling discounted merchandise from previous years.

So, come on down and join us Saturday morning at Florida’s Friendliest Farmers Market. Both markets are open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine. (For the safety of our customers and vendors, North Seventh Street remains closed to the public’s vehicular traffic, including golf carts, until 2:00 p.m.)

For the latest information, find both markets on Facebook; or find me, Judie Mackie, any Saturday at the Market Place.