Venice Farmers Market Update
Editor’s Note: We spoke with Antonio Hernandez to get an update about the Venice Farmers Market in Venice, Florida. Antonio is the Chief Events Officer for Independent Jones, the company that manages the market and other markets and events in the region. The popular Venice Market is open 8am to 1pm every Saturday year round. The address is 401 W. Venice Avenue on Venice Island next to Venice City Hall. Learn more at TheVeniceFarmersMarket.org.
Antonio, what’s the latest with the Venice Farmers Market? We’re enjoying welcoming our seasonal visitors back, including some of our vendors that travel out of the area during the summer. The market now has more areas for visitors to sit down, relax and enjoy live music and tasty market finds. We’re now open 8am to 1pm year round. We’re also excited to announce that we’re expanding our space to accommodate more vendors. The new area will be along Ave Des Parques next to the City of Venice parking lot.
Who are some of the newer vendors? Some of our new vendors include Sasha’s Cuban Cafe, Petrichor Mushrooms, King of Guacamole, El Guajiro Cigars, Greek Triangles (spanakopita), Twila Mae’s Chicken Salads, Cookies by the Graham, Spiked Pickles, Virginia Howell Photography, and more. Readers can read profiles about all of our vendors posted on our website.
What are your responsibilities and what do you enjoy about your work? I have the pleasure of overseeing all of the market operations each Saturday. That includes logistics and vendor support. Meeting so many friendly residents and visitors from around the world is rewarding. It’s also meaningful to see our vendors succeed by offering visitors fresh and unique products.
Who are the key supporters of the Venice Farmers Market? Our market thrives thanks to the collaboration between the City of Venice, the community, and our dedicated vendors.
Where are you from originally and what brought you to event management and Independent Jones? I was born in Port Charlotte. I worked previously in the craft beer industry as a brewer. I attended events regularly and that led me to meeting Morgan Bettes, the owner of Independent Jones. Morgan convinced me to join her team full time and I’m glad she did. I’ve been with the company since 2017 and I’m now a co-owner.
What are some of your other interests? I enjoy cooking, especially Mexican-style cuisine as a way to connect with my heritage. I also love the outdoors, which is where my passion for photography was born. I enjoy encountering wildlife on my walkabouts deep in Florida’s preserves and parks.
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