Miami, Fla. — The City of Miami’s Little Haiti Cultural Complex (LHCC) features a weekly, open-air market every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the historic Caribbean Marketplace, 5925 NE 2nd Avenue, in downtown Little Haiti.
The activated marketplace is in its nine month since launching on March 11, 2017.
It features a unique theme every weekend, and it offers a variety of goods and services, such as fresh produce and juice, Haitian coffee, pastries and food, organic tea, handmade beauty products, on-site massages, screen t-shirts and Afro-Caribbean art and craft vendors.
In addition to shopping from a variety of local vendors, guests can also enjoy curated cultural programming showcasing Afro-Caribbean art, music and entertainment.
Entertainment highlights from past market days include Soul 2 Soul Yoga, Caribbean trivia, Haitian folk dance and an African drum circle. The market days also feature a Kids Zone with activities and giveaways.
Local Haitian artist Louis Rosemond was not only a vendor at the opening, but recalls being one of the original vendors when it was the “Marche Ayisyen” (Haitian Market) in the 1990s. He says he was happy to be a part of it then and will continue to be a part of it today.
“It is a legacy for our children,” Rosemond said. “This is one of the few places still preserving the culture of Haiti.”
Caribbean Market Day is a part of a greater initiative to revive the building known as the Caribbean Marketplace. It was a thriving market during a time when Haitian-owned business and cultural pride was booming in the neighborhood. After closing due to structural and financial issues a newly renovated building reopened in 2014.
“The Little Haiti Cultural Complex is proud to be at the forefront of maintaining the integrity, vision and revival of the Caribbean Marketplace,” Abraham Metellus, the Cultural Arts Center manager, said. “Local businesses and other stake holders are happy to see energy bubbling from the iconic building once more.”
Today the Caribbean Marketplace can be enjoyed daily as a creative environment for collaborative work meetings with free WiFi, a site for a lunch break in a cultural setting, and/or a place to shop for authentic and local Caribbean arts and crafts.
“Caribbean Market Day gives young entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their businesses and it allows visitors to experience the Little Haiti community positively,” Nancy St. Leger, the director of Nancy St. Leger Danse Ensemble said.
This event is free and open to the public. Vendor applications are still being accepted; interested parties may register via Eventbrite, as well as onsite. For more information call 305-960-2969 or email LHCC@miamigov.com.
The Little Haiti Cultural Complex (LHCC) is a division of the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Department committed to presenting and preserving Afro-Caribbean cultures‚ inspiring the next generation of leaders and leveraging arts and culture as tools for transformation and community building. For more information, visit www.littlehaiticulturalcomplex.com.
