Judie Mackie
Find your favorite, locally produced products Saturday in Nassau County. Whether you find it convenient to Fernandina Beach or Yulee, the Market Place family of markets will have two markets Saturday to make shopping local convenient for you. The Fernandina Beach Market Place farmers market on North Seventh Street, between Centre and Alachua Streets, and the Wildlight Market Place near I-95, located at 123 Tinker Street, will both be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Both markets will have live music, family friendly vendors, and your well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome to join you.
Each week, the farmers market in Fernandina celebrates the city's bicentennial by featuring a product that you would also have found in a community coastal market 200 years ago. This week the market is featuring fresh, wild-caught shrimp. Fernandina, also known as the "Birthplace of the Modern Shrimping Industry," is home to the 60-year-old Isle of Eight Flag's Shrimp Festival. Always held the first weekend in May, this annual, three-day festival draws over 100,000 people to Amelia Island each spring. Though Fernandina's shrimping fleet continues to decline in numbers, you can still find fresh, wild-caught shrimp every Saturday at the farmers market, just like you would 200-years ago. The Chesser Seafood booth often sells out. If you would like to order in advance, please call Debbie or Eddie at 904- 509-3337.
Fernandina will also have booths that offer gluten-free baked goods made by Something Good, fresh guacamole, salsa, and ceviche by the King of all Guacamole, and Lizzie's Cheese Straws who are introducing their newest flavor, a combination of white cheddar, chive, and garlic. Other returning booths include JD Beef, elderberry syrup, Ganas Pecans, Gypsy Microgreens and more. Weekly booths include seasonal produce, local honey, freshly baked breads, delicious dips, homemade soaps, jams, eggs, soy candles, plants and flowering baskets, salad dressings and more.
In addition to the Wildlight Market Place food vendors, there will also be arts and craft booths like Reburn Candles, Terns Woodworking, Purple Dolphin's homemade soaps and body products, beaded jewelry by Handcrafted by Alice, and novelty items by Shandbr Etching.
Both markets welcome semimonthly vendors, Friends Products, Ferras' Bakery, and Red Flag Spicy Foods. Friends will have a booth full of authentic, vegan Middle Eastern dishes, Ferras' brings breads, pastries, and savory stuffed doughs freshly baked for the market, and Red Flag has an amazing variety of mild to seriously hot sauces. Both markets will feature live music. Underdawg, a trio of harmonized vocals that also includes a guitar, a banjo, and a standup bass is performing at Wildlight, and Fernandina is debuting Ruth Fravel, a violinist and Suzuki instructor who also plays weddings and other special events. Suzuki is a method of music education created by a Japanese violin salesman who believed that children could learn music just as easily as they learn their native tongue.
After all of the rainy days our local communities have endured, isn't it time we enjoy a morning outdoors with some Florida sunshine? For more information and the latest details, both markets can be found on Facebook, Instagram, or online.
Judie Mackie can be contacted at Judie@PirateCommunications.com