Shop Local at the Marketplace on the St. Pete Pier
St. Pete Pier boasts excellent weather on the water, and now is the time to get outdoors and shop. The Marketplace is perfectly set up for outdoor browsing and buying; open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come out and find some local treasures!
It’s considerably more beautiful than shopping at the mall, and the sun and breezes will make you feel glad to be outside! Check out the boats in Tampa Bay, then swing around and take a sweeping look at downtown St. Pete’s lovely skyline. The rest of the Pier, all 26 acres of it, awaits — with endless walkways and places to lounge, engaging public art, play areas, waterfront restaurants, and more. You might even want to saunter over to Spa Beach and put your toes in the sand.
And that’s in addition to the shopping! The Marketplace, just past the Pier Gateway, displays a wealth of unique merchandise from a variety of local and regional vendors, spread out in kiosks and under 10’x10’ tents. It’s the ideal venue to find unique items that you probably can’t get online. Besides, it’s nice to touch and feel (and maybe even try on) the product before you purchase. And it hardly needs saying that your patronage is a big help to local small businesses.
As the Marketplace becomes increasingly popular, more and more vendors are setting up shop. Between the mainstays, who often introduce new products, and new businesses coming on board, there are always opportunities for fresh finds. That makes repeat visits both fun and rewarding.
The Pier features a lineup that includes original art, healing jewelry, custom T-shirts, specialty foods, international apparel, rhinestone-embellished and tie-dye apparel, plus caps, crafts, mugs, and more.
Here’s a glimpse at a handful of vendors that just might pique your interest (updated August 2022):
- Hey Mon Carribean Cooking Magic— This Caribbean sauce vendor’s slogan is “from the sweet to the heat.” Hey Mon’s nine signature sauces are all made with fresh fruits and vegetables — pineapple, orange, mango, papaya, and the like. There’s also a Jamaican jerk sauce, as well as three kinds of pepper sauces, the hottest being Holy Sheet.
- Ancient Herbal Care — Robin, the owner, uses only certified organic, plant-based ingredients for her line of soaps, scrubs, lotions, creams, and masks. Many of the ingredients are sourced from Eastern and African countries.
- Hats at the Pier — Skin protection is important here in Florida, which is why this seller of mostly straw, broad-brimmed (and stylish) hats is so popular at the Marketplace. Hats at the Pier even has headwear for dogs, so bring your pooch along to pick one out.
- Wide Sky — Get unique, locally-themed t-shirts and tank tops of all sorts of styles.
- Passion Palms Creations — Selling handmade beach-themed custom resin art, get a unique cutting board, serving tray, Lazy Susan, or other serve ware at this creative shop.
- Tropico Trading — An array of eclectic Colombian goods are available, including leather goods, beachwear, home decor, hats, jewelry, handbags, art, and delicious bags of Colombian coffee.
We promise a shopping exPIERience like no other here. Happy browsing!