A new market, called So Tangerine!, is using fresh produce and local art to bridge the gap between Gulfport and St. Petersburg's Greater Childs Park neighborhood. Starting Aug. 15, the newest bazaar in the Tampa Bay area will be a "Florida Market" that runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
SoTangerine! positions itself as a "Florida market", and says the new market "evokes the feel of Florida — a lush greenway, Gulfport’s cozy charm, and a pervasive sense of community."
Market manager Phil Reed says, in addition to standard open-air market fare (fresh fruits and veggies, jams, woven baskets, and handmade items), he hopes to see Floridana vendors join with the Gulfport-based market.
So49, the parent organization representing the businesses along 49th Street, says it seeks to find vendors of locally-crafted and locally-grown items, but "if we cannot find a local vendor we will consider others in an effort to meet the needs of the community," Reed writes on the SoTangerine! website.
So49's other aspiration for the market: to take a step in uniting the Greater Childs Park neighborhood with Gulfport. The two communities, separated by 49th Street South, rarely intersect.
Gulfport Neighbors, a service-based community improvement organization, stages co-city cleanups with the Greater Childs Park Neighborhood Association, and So49's mission statement says it seeks "to unite, enhance, and promote the 49th Street South business corridor and embedded residential communities," but integration of the two communities has been slow.
"Our monthly meetings," Reed explains, "were filled with great discussions and research presentations about how we could expand So49’s reach into the community and fill a void: a market offering the working class communities an opportunity to take part in a local market."
The market will take place on the Tangerine Greenway, part of the city's historic trolley route. At the eastern edge of Gulfport, Reed says he hopes to see plenty of foot traffic from both Childs Park and Gulfport.
"We hope keenly that SoTangerine! can bridge two communities — Childs Park and Gulfport," Reed said.
