Sunday market to kick off

Come ready to fill a basket or an eco-friendly bag or two with plants, herbs, flowers and lots of food that is local, organic and fresh.

The first Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market opens on Valentine's Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the lawn at Hillsborough High School, 5000 Central Ave.

Tables will be filled with locally farmed eggs and dairy products, baked goods with no preservatives or artificial flavors, vegetarian and vegan foods, homemade jellies, jams, salsa, dips, seasonings, sauces and oils.

Get a taste of Italian, Caribbean, Belgian, English and Mexican cuisines. Handcrafted jewelry, soap, art and "green" products, including a Sunday Morning Market Tote Bag, also will be for sale.

A cooking demonstration is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. by Suzanne Crouch, chef at Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe. Local music duo Soul Shine will entertain with a techno blend of funk, reggae and jazz.

A portion of the proceeds from the first four markets on the second Sundays of February, March, April and May will fund at least one $500 educational scholarship and possibly two, market organizer Greg Barnhill said.

The goal is to have a market once a month from October through May, he said.

The initial financial backing for the market is from the Business Guild of Seminole Heights, an umbrella organization for area businesses. The hope is that the market will be profitable, but expenditure gaps as well as some upfront costs are being guaranteed by BGOSH, said guild treasurer Sherry King.

"It's going to bring a lot more people in to see our beautiful neighborhood, our beautiful high school," she said.

They also might see and sample some of Seminole Heights' businesses. "It's a cool, positive thing happening in our back yard," King said.

The market grew from conversation between Barnhill, a Seminole Heights' resident, and Tiffany Ferrecchia, the marketing operations director for the city's Downtown Market, held on Fridays at Lykes Gaslight Park.

"When I go on vacations I look for historical districts and opportunities to visit a farmer's market," Barnhill said.

Ferrecchia, an organic chef, has vendor contacts and marketing knowledge, and Barnhill tapped into Seminole Heights' businesses and artists.

"We thought, well, 'Why can't we have a market in Seminole Heights?'" Barnhill said.

It will be a complement to the Friday downtown market and a Saturday market in St. Petersburg. "It benefits everyone," Barnhill said.

More than 50 vendors have signed on for the first market and upcoming ones, Barnhill said. All three neighborhood associations in Old Seminole Heights, South Seminole Heights and Southeast Seminole Heights are supporting the market as well as area businesses.

"It really does become a community event," Barnhill said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Hillsborough High School, 5000 Central Ave.

FOR INFORMATION: Visit www. seminoleheightsmarket.com or call Tiffany Ferrecchia at (907) 967-9479.