St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market features local businesses every Saturday

By Holly Hearn

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market has been occurring weekly for 27 years and features local vendors producing art, food and more. 

Farmers markets support small businesses and boost the local economy in their areas. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, markets allow owners to test new business ideas, increase access to healthy food, educate customers and promote sustainability. 

The St. Augustine Amphitheater Farmers Market has 100 vendors consistently featured, some can also be found in stores and others only at local markets. This draws thousands of visitors to the market every week. 

“It’s kind of an incubator for them,” said Katie Provow, who has been managing the market since 2017. “They can consistently come and serve their customer base. Since were here year-round, we have that consistency so people know they can come here to get their groceries and depend on their vendors to be here. The vendors have that guaranteed customer base here every weekend.”

Robin Wertz, owner of Zora Bora Gallery at 28 Cuna St. and co-creator of Twisted Sisters Jewelry, has been a featured vendor for 21 years. In fact, she got her business started at the St. Augustine Beach Wednesday Farmers Market. 

“You get to meet your neighbors. You get to see all the kids grow up,” Wertz said. “I have customers that used to come in when they were kids to come buy jewelry from me and now their kids come by jewelry from me. It’s awesome.” 

When customers shop at farmers markets, they have the most direct access to fresh food, as they do not have to be shipped across the country to grocery stores. Right now, all the popular Florida-grown crops are the most in season, allowing shoppers to get these products in the most direct way.  

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Market aims to create a welcoming and accessible environment for both vendors and customers by intentionally keeping their prices low. 

The market has a low entry fee for vendors which allows for them to be able to grow their businesses without the cost of opening a storefront or commercial kitchen. While there are some requirements for those looking to sell food items, there is a two to three-year waitlist for new vendors, as vendors will often stay at the market for long periods of time.

The market also accepts SNAP dollars to allow those customers on government assistance to shop at the market. Currently, the market will give SNAP shoppers up to $40 for spending their SNAP dollars on fresh meat and produce. 

This program incentivizes these shoppers to participate in the market and increases their access to fresh foods that they would not otherwise get at normal grocery stores. All the money paid in SNAP dollars goes directly to the vendors, which supports their business, as well. 

The success of the market has brought in many repeat vendors and customers to the market for decades at a time. 

“Providing that consistency and longevity for some people has made the market such a fixture and allowed it to thrive over the years, having so many people committed to it,” Provow said. 

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market occurs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit the St. Augustine Amphitheatre website.