Variety adds spice to the Ybor City Saturday Market.
Every Saturday, vendors fill their tables with goodies to eat and crafts to carry home.
(Fred Bellet)
Some — like Dave DeAngelis — show how they make the items they sell. He turns pine needles into decorative baskets.
“In 40 years, I’ve never made the same thing twice,” said DeAngelis, who has been coming to the Ybor market since it opened nearly 17 years ago. “I’m sort of a fixture here,” he said.
He learned his craft from a book he found in a store in Clearwater.
One recent Saturday morning, he took a break to nosh a scone he bought from Reginald Beck, a baker who lives in New Tampa.
Beck spread out an array of focaccia and scones as he prepared for the market to open.
He is a third-generation baker, and this was his second year selling at the Ybor City market.
“My mother’s favorite thing was baking,” said Beck, who also teaches baking classes.
He said some of his student tell him they’re afraid to bake.
“What I specialize in is taking the fear out,” said Beck, whose company is named Fearless Bread.
The Ybor City Saturday Market is the largest continually operating outdoor market in the Tampa Bay area, according to its website.
Admission is free, and the market is open every Saturday year-round, though operating hours vary according to the season.
Dozens of vendors sell foods, sauces, baked goods, herbs and plants, honey, artwork, woodwork, candles and fine cigars.
Each Saturday at 9:30 a.m., Yoga by Loft hosts a yoga class in the Ybor City Museum Garden. And, on the third Saturday of the month, the Bay Area Greyhound Association has greyhounds available for adoption.
Directly behind Centennial Park, the Ybor City Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $4 each, with children under age 5 admitted free.
Visitors come to the market from all over the Tampa Bay area, as well as from out-of-state and international locales.
Cruise ships docking at Channelside provide a fair share of tourists checking out the market.
Some vendors, who were born in Turkey, Cypress and Tunisia, add to the market’s international flavor.
“There’s a lot of unique people here,” said Debra Chatfield, co-owner of Lutz Nutz Company. She and her husband, Richard Chatfield, started their business about 14 years ago in their home.
They sell gourmet mixed nuts and granola, including the Bodacious Blend of nuts and Amazing Oatz.
“Everything is hand done,” Debra Chatfield said. “It’s truly artisan. I have to feel good about what I’m selling.”
A love for Disney World and the famous mouse ears gave Brianna Hall, 21, an idea. She makes decorative head bands for special events, holidays and any day that calls for a unique accessory.
“They’re my own expression,” said Hall, who also sells her items online at Etsy.
Jeannie Lewis started making soaps as a hobby at home in Valrico.
“Soon enough, my whole house was filled with soap,” she said. Now, it’s a business. She and her husband, Lee Lewis, set up displays at Ybor and at other markets, including in Mirabay and Valrico. In addition to soaps, they also sell pedicure sets, shaving kits and facial masks.
“I love coming out, selling it and meeting people,” she said.
A 5k race in Ybor brought Tyrone Mussio and his daughters, Tyra and Monique Mussio, to the area, and they checked out the market after they crossed the finish line.
They strolled through the market, stopping to sample cake from Sugs Rum Cake, operated by Sugar Kerr.
They took home a rum cake, and they plan to be back.
“We’re just amazed,” Tyrone Mussio said. “We love the atmosphere and the environment, and making it a family fun day.”
What: Ybor City Saturday Market
Where: Centennial Park at 1901 19th St., in Tampa
When: Every Saturday: May through September, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; October through April, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free, and pet friendly
Information: Visit YborMarket.com, or email .
Published May 3, 2017
