Beginning Saturday October 6, St Petersburg's Saturday Morning Market will be reopening for a new season on the beautiful waterfront of downtown St Petersburg, Florida. With up to 10,000 customers a week, and 200 vendors rotating through 130 spaces, the market is the largest farmers market in the southeastern United States.

The market is held weekly on Saturdays from October through May, from 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. It is located at the Al Lang Field parking lot (also known as Progress Energy Park) which is located on the corner of First Avenue South and First Street South.

On opening day, The Urban Gypsies, a market favorite band, will be performing in the center of the market from 10 A.M. until 2 P.M.

Each week, shoppers can browse for fresh fruits and vegetables, loaves of rustic bread, gourmet- prepared foods, specialty foods, herbs, plants, hand crafted gifts and much more. Live music every week adds an upbeat tone to the market atmosphere.

Through the four Saturdays in November, the Market will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. The market opened in early November of 2002 on Second Street. Since then it has achieved a remarkable degree of success. Many customers rave about the market, saying that it's the best thing to ever happen to St Petersburg, and visiting the market is the highlight of their week. Customers regularly travel from as far as New Port Richey, Lakeland and Sarasota.

Every week in November, a variety of entertainment will be added to the live music, and, highlights of the market's success will be shared. For example, the market represents an extraordinary sales opportunity for local vendors, with over $100,000 of sales occurring every week. Many vendors credit the market as the primary basis of the growth of their businesses.

The market is one of the few places customers can talk directly to farmers and learn about their growing practices - most of whom raise their products using sustainable growing methods. Worden Farms, the premier certified organic grower on the west coast of Florida, has become a market favorite. Worden is just beginning it's growing season, and as result, will begin attending market on October 27th.

More information is also available at www.saturdaymorningmarket.com, or by contacting Gail Eggeman, Market Manager, at (727) 455-4921 or atsaturdaymkt@yahoo.com.