Cortez, Fla. (August 31 2022) – Do you love feeling the salty breeze in your hair and the sun on your face? Are you looking for deals on fishing poles, cast nets, and life preservers? Have a hankering for coastal art and beachy crafts? Then make plans to attend the Cortez Nautical Flea Market!

This FREE family-friendly event, held on Saturday, October 8th, 2022, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, is co-hosted by the Florida Maritime Museum (FMM) and the Cortez Cultural Center (CCC). Parking will be available at the F.I.S.H. Preserve located on Cortez Road next to the Cortez Cultural Center directly east of the Florida Maritime Museum.

The Cortez Nautical Flea Market has something for everyone! In addition to bargains on marine gear and nautical arts & crafts, this free event will feature a food truck, fun activities for all ages, and freebies from local community organizations.

There is still time to sign up as a vendor! Early bird registration fee is only $25 until September 15^th and $35 after. For more details, visit https://www.floridamaritimemuseum.org/nautical-flea-market or call (941) 708-6120. To reserve your spot as a marine flea market vendor, use the link above (FMM side); to sign up to be an arts and crafts vendor, email [email protected] (CCC side).

This year’s event is sure to be bigger and better than ever thanks to sponsorships through the Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum! We would like to express our gratitude to the Bradenton Herald for their media sponsorship and the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage for sponsoring free parking.

Thanks to the efforts of the Friends of FMM, we have event sponsors not only for Nautical Flea Market, but for all events throughout the year. We really can't say thank you enough to the AMI Islander for 12 months of media sponsorship and to Chiles Hospitality for their year-round commitment as a Platinum sponsor. Want to help support? Reach out to the Friends of FMM at [email protected] for the 2022 sponsorship package.

The Florida Maritime Museum, located at 4415 119^th Street West in the historic fishing village of Cortez, offers a snapshot of old Florida through a collection of informative exhibits, educational programs, community events, and research materials. Visit FloridaMaritimeMuseum.org for more information, or call (941) 708-6120.

The Florida Maritime Museum is a part of the Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller's Historical Resources Department, with additional support from the Friends of the Florida Maritime Museum. The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and share traditional knowledge, cultural artifacts and personal stories specific to Florida's fishing and maritime heritage. Situated on the Cortez Nature Preserve, FMM grounds were purchased with funds from the Florida Communities Trust Preservation 2000 Program and the Manatee County Board of County Commission. The Cortez Commercial Fishing Village and the 1912 Cortez Rural Graded Schoolhouse are designated on the National Register of Historic Places.