ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s a term we hear a lot this time of year, "shop local," and this weekend, there is a special holiday-themed Indie Flea Market taking place in St. Pete that will bring hundreds of local small businesses together all in one place.
Rosey Williams started the Indie Flea Market 12 years ago, selling vintage clothing out of the trunk of her car. It has now grown to more than 300 vendors, all coming together this Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Albert Whitted Park in downtown St. Pete.
“This is a big time of year for small businesses, especially with the holidays. It’s so much more important to shop local,” said Williams. “There are so many amazing vendors, they’re all small businesses, independent businesses, local crafters, artisans, food makers, pretty much anything.”
Jewelry maker Murlene Joseph, owner of Hello Myrrh, like most of these vendors, only has an online presence, working out of her home.
“I’m an introvert, so I don’t normally interact with people, so this is kind of my time to shine, to put a face to the business,” said Joseph.
Then there’s candle maker Krystal Lopez, owner of the Space In Between. She says "Shop local" is more than just a saying; it’s an experience.
“My first Indie Flea I took a Polaroid of all my customers, wrote them a note, and then I gave it to them, so it was kind of neat, so I took my first picture. You never know what happens next, and now here I am,” said Lopez.
Sabrea Tucker, owner of Prop & Grow, says this event, in many ways, can save the year financially. Her flower and plant businesses suffered an estimated $8,000 in damage due to the hurricanes.
“So we do not have a brick-and-mortar, we do not have a large land, literally our nursery is our home, so all of our plants are in our back yard,” said Tucker. “With the damage we sustained to our roof, we still haven’t been able to rebuild, so it’s been extremely difficult for us to keep moving forward. So hopefully, with this market, we’ll be able to jump-start into a new year.”
New this year, the market reached a major milestone when the City of St. Pete became an official co-sponsor. At the same time, The Dali Museum signed on to be the official community partner for the holiday event.
“We recognize Indie Flea and the community as supporting arts and creativity,” said Marketing Manager Alexis Chamberlain. “So similar to The Dali, where we foster emerging talent through a variety of programs, so we just thought the collaboration made so much sense.”
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
