Sunday Market on the Deuces

BY ALLEN BUCHANAN, Staff Writer

ST. PETERBURG — Open your car window and you can smell the food as it tickles your nostrils. Open your ears and the staccato syncopated rhythm of voices young and old flood your mind with rivers of color.

No it’s not a hallucination, but the rich, cultural nuances of a community reawakening to the beauty of itself — Sunday Market on the Deuces on the corner of Ninth Avenue and 22nd Street South.

From toddler to sage; pink, yellow, brown, black and even a little blue—all shades were there and holding it down last Sunday, as they do every Sunday until the weather becomes unbearable in June.

Two pint-sized boys battled with mini-basketballs to see who could hit 21 shots first while smiling and cheering each other on. Just across the street on the northeast corner of the Deuces, children of all ages watched each other perform, dance and rush the stage for a chance to take a picture with Old Chocolate Saint Nick.

Back across the street on the northeast corner, a kaleidoscope of pitched tents shaded beautiful jewelry by D’Dazzle Accessories, handmade dolls by Black Swann, Fresh Bake goods by Miss Mary, alluring Body Oils & Perfumes from Karim & Raushanah Enterprises and the battle of the barbeque grills with Atwaters Catering in the southwest corner and Boss Ross BBQ in the northeast corner.

What more could you possibly ask for from the resurgence of the Deuces? The Golden Phoenix, the Jewel of the Deuces is coming back!

For more information about participating in the market or any other Deuces event, contact Program Manager Veatrice Farrell at 727-433-8237.

To reach Allen Buchanan, email abuchanan@theweeklychallenger.com