Sidewalk Sale This Weekend on West Bay Drive

With the state of the Largo Open Air Market in limbo following the closing of the Community Center event in March, Tanya Pistillo felt something had to be done.

She had already been working to resurrect the market at Ulmer Park in the fall, but the owner of Wandering Star Gallery didn’t want the vendors to suffer through a summer of doubt and drought when it came to setting up shop in town.

So she brainstormed and came up with an idea that could alleviate many problems at once; a sidewalk sale along West Bay Drive that will benefit vendors and visitors as well as local merchants.  

“I asked most of the vendors from the fresh market to come, and I think most of them will,” Pistillo said last week.

“It’s Mother’s Day weekend, so hopefully there will be a lot of traffic.” 

The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will stretch from the 200 block to the 400 block of West Bay, roughly from Largo Feed to Marcotte’s Architectural Salvage. 

“This is the first time we’ve ever done anything like this,” said Marcotte’s co-owner Jenni Martin, who is helping Pistillo organize the event.

“We hope it drives traffic to this area now and in the future.” 

According to Pistillo, who recently formed a Downtown Largo Merchants Association, there will be a variety of vendors, music and food, including the PAO food truck. 

And she hopes to continue the sales throughout the summer so people see the what she and other local merchants are trying to do with the area.

 “What I hope people get out of it is to let the community know we’re here and we want to do everything community related.”

“There are things going on downtown. This is a place you want to go to, not get away from.”

What to Know If You Go:

• What: Downtown Largo Sidewalk Sale Extravaganza
• Where: The north side of West Bay Drive, from Largo Feed to Marcotte's Architectural Salvage.
• When: Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Details: Vendors from the defunct Largo Open Air Market and local businesses will set up booths along West Bay Drive selling a wide variety of goods. Food will be available from the PAO truck, and there will be art, entertainment and plenty of fun activities.
• Contact: For more information, visit the Downtown Largo Merchants Association Facebook page for the event.

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