Farmer's Market Makes A Debut in Downtown Tampa

Tampa's downtown in the middle of the day is usually quiet. It's mostly city employees and office workers from the bank buildings walking to lunch places with a handful of homeless guys checking things out, too.

Today I biked into downtown and there was a real, live farmer's market in downtown Tampa for the first time after the city banned farmer's markets because he city feared it was competition to downtown eateries. (Yes, that's Tampa for you).

But the anti-farmer's market law was repealed and it was game on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the downtown park.

It was nothing like the downtown farmer's market in St. Petersburg you see on Saturday mornings. But there was a fun sampling of merchants peddling everything from veggie burgers and hot sauces to cheeses and jewelry.

The produce guy was supposed to show up, but I was told the fruit and veggie guy had his truck stolen somewhere in the Perry area, about three hours to the north.

So the farmer's market really didn't have too many farm goods.

But at least it was fun to see some life in downtown for change at the noontime hour along with a few adults dressed in costume.

Enjoy the photos.