As many of you already know, right off Magnolia Square in downtown Sanford you will find a very special grocery store and deli, in many ways just the way I know it from Germany… Every time I walk into Magnolia Square Market I feel a bit closer to home – and best of all, the bread, cheese and meat tastes as close to home as it can! This store truly has high quality products!

The Muesli rolls are amazing and I love the pretzel sticks (tip, bread freezes and thaws well, so don’t be afraid to buy in bulk). I typically also buy some slices of Leberkaes (tastes great with sunny side eggs on top, some mustard and a fresh pretzel!) and some of the amazing hams.

Magnolia Square Market even has Quark! For those of you who have never tried Quark, it comes very close to Greek Yogurt (which is obviously a total hype right now), just a bit thicker. Quark is also the ingredient for the typical German cheesecake  (favorite of mine – my dad used to bake it and it was always my first choice on birthdays).

Speaking of cake: the mini Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte) is delicious and makes a very special dessert to bring to a party. I have also tried the mini fruit tarts and the absolutely decadent chocolate covered truffles – a dream! Besides those items you can find some other mini pies and cream puffs and, very special, gluten free treats! In fact, the store offers a very good selection of gluten free products, from sweets to bread to packed goods like gluten free pasta.

I could go on and on about Magnolia Square Market and tell you about all the great products, but I think it’s best if you check it out yourself. If you know and like German products and food, this store is for you! Did I mention you can also buy beer and wine (not just the typical Riesling, no, Germany actually has some very good wines) here?

Magnolia Square Market also offers fresh sandwiches – just pick your favorite breads from the bakery and deli, et voila!

Ok, to keep it short, here a list of my personal MUST BUY items (trust me, if I wasn’t narrowing it down, there would be plenty more…):

• Bakery: Pretzel Sticks, Muesli Rolls and Whole Grain Bread
• Cooled Items: Quark
• Desserts: Truffles
• Grocery Items: Seitenbacher Muesli, Maggi and Knorr Sauce Mixes, Spaetzle, Potato Pancake-, Knoedel- , and Kaiserschmarrn Mix (OK, this is Austrian, but I still love it!), Zwieback
• Meat: Leberkaes and Leberwurst
• Sweets: Milka chocolate (picked up the one with strawberry yogurt filling last, OMG!) and Prinzenrolle (“Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate”)
• Last but not least: any beer because they all taste amazing

But here in their own words. What is Magnolia Square Market?

A True German Deli with Gluten Free, Bakery, Deli, Grocery items. Our Goal is to provide you our Guests with High Quality Food and Drink Products at a fair Price. Our Market has a full service Bakery and Delikatessen, Beer and Wine, Groceries specializing in German Products, Gluten Free Goods and Organics. Our Market is an extension of our restaurant Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Cafe which we have been operating for over 10 years.

Need I say more? If you are a fan of the Willow Tree Cafe, you will also love Magnolia Square Market! Thank you Theo for bringing it to Sanford!!

This event was posted by Lauren Patterson

On the fourth Friday of each month beginning at 6:00PM and lasting till 9:00PM, downtown Sanford hosts the Sanford Art Walk, a gallery tour around town. Come join us as we feature Central Florida artists in a gallery setting. Mingle with the artists as you enjoy live music, food and lots of ART!

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

We even have several new art venue additions this month!

In conjunction with the Sanford Art Walk, The Sanford Welcome Center will be hosting its April 27th “Artist’s Choice” art show from 6-9PM. Come check out the incredible artwork of some of Sanford’s own local artists!

If you would like to submit your artwork or if you have any additional questions, contact us at 407.302.2586 or go to our website www.sanfordwelcomecenter.com.

[Theme: “Artist’s Choice” – A completely open theme with all the usual rules applying.]

Alive After 5 Seafood Shindig!

What’s the best thing about living in Florida? THE SEAFOOD! Come and enjoy the spring weather at Downtown Sanford’s Alive After 5 Seafood Shindig on Thursday April 12th from 5-8pm! With food and beverage samples, live music, local art and community businesses, it’s the perfect excuse to go out on a Thursday night!

This wonderful event is every second Thursday of the month from 5-8pm in Sanford. Only $7 per person. See you there!!

For further questions, info, and vendor information contact The Historic Sanford Welcome Center at 407.302.2586, info@, or visit us at 230 East First Street in Downtown Sanford.

Shop at Seminole Towne Center, April 4-7, and visit exhibitors offering a selection of handmade art and craft creations and for the latest trends and ideas to enhance your home and lifestyle. You’ll also find products offered by popular home-based business representatives. Exhibitors located throughout the mall and available during regular mall hours.

For more information contact Huff’s Promotions at (330) 493-4130.

Mark your calendars: the same event will also take place from June 14-17, 2012!

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From the facebook event page:

Throughout the month of April, you can lend a hand to build a better Sanford community.

Join in making a positive statement through a simple art project. Trace your hand on a piece of cardboard, an old cereal box, a file folder or something sturdy. You may decorate it or add a word, thought, or phrase that conveys a positive message for building community.

Our goal is to collect 1,000 hands by the end of April to display throughout Sanford, from Crooms Academy to the RiverWalk, Magnolia Square, Goldsboro, and Ft. Mellon Park.

This simple act is rooted in the belief that WE have the power to make our community better by reaching out to work together, hand in hand.

Every Saturday in April from 9am to 11am, there will be a table set up at The Princess Theater at 115 W. 1st. to share materials (and camaraderie!) for those who want to make hands. You can join others in creating a visible sign of our desire for a better community.

A drop off box will also be set up at Maya Books and Music in Magnolia Square for people to create hands on the spot and contribute to a positive movement for Sanford.

If you’d like to lend a hand in building a better Sanford, please join us and spread the word!

Questions? Message me at mkshaw79@yahoo.com

If you’d like to lend a hand but you can’t make it in person, just send your decorated cut-out hand in the mail to The Princess Theater, 115 W. 1st Street, Sanford 32771. Or we will have drop off boxes at Maya Books and Music in Magnolia Square and at the Creative Sanford office in The Welcome Center on the corner of 1st and Palmetto.

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Please also share the following article with your friends 101 Reasons to Love Sanford

The fair is in town As I have mentioned in a previous post about the Sanford fair, events like these get me really excited And this time I can’t wait to go because it will be little N’s first fair visit. I think he might still be too little to ride anything but just strolling around and seeing all the lights and listening to laughter and new sounds will be a fun experience for him. And maybe by the next time the fair is in town he will be a big boy and conquer the ferris wheel…

Here is more info about the fair:

2012 Seminole County Fair – Free admission and parking!

Friday, March 23 through Sunday, April 1

Please note: the fair is at a NEW LOCATION (it used to be at the Seminole Towne Center!):

Seminole Town Center Auto Mall, 127 N Oregon St., Sanford, Florida 32771

Hours:
Friday, March 23 – Fair opens at 4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays – Fair opens at 1 p.m.
Weekdays – Fair opens at 4 p.m.

The 14th Annual Seminole County Fair is a traditional celebration for the whole family. The event will feature state-of-the-art thrill rides, a variety of delicious fair food, challenging games of skill and a Kiddieland designed especially for small children. The Seminole County Fair will be held March 23 through April 1 at the Seminole Towne Center Auto Mall.

And here…. the list of rides!

• Giant Wheel
• Himalaya
• Fireball
• Club Scene
• Thunderbolt
• Cliffhanger
• Scooter Starship 2000
• Monkey Maze
• Wacky Worm Coaster
• Super Slide
• Family Swinger
• Haunted Mansion
• Cuckoo Haus
• Tilt-A-Whirl
• Fireball 2000
• Happy Swing
• Fire Chief
• Zipper
• Mini Himalaya
• Go Gator
• Mini Indy
• Pop-A-Wheelie
• Dinosaur
• Red Baron
• Wind Jammer
• Sky Flyer

Come out and commemorate St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 8th for Downtown Sanford’s Alive After 5 “It’s a Green Thing!” Our street festival just keeps getting better and better…with food and beverage samples, live music, local art and community businesses, it’s the perfect excuse to go out on a Thursday night! This wonderful event is every second Thursday of the month from 5-8pm in Sanford. Only $7 per person.

So come out and GET YOUR GREEN ON in beautiful Downtown Sanford!

For further questions, info, and vendor information contact The Historic Sanford Welcome Center at 407.302.2586, info@sanfordwelcomecenter.com, or visit us at 230 East First Street in Downtown Sanford.

This fun event starts at 5pm on Seminole Boulevard and Palmetto. With beautiful Lake Monroe and its Riverwalk as a backdrop, this monthly event promises to bring us some of Orlando’s best food trucks for an amazing and unique culinary experience.

Remember to bring cash and patience (lines can be pretty long!). If you’d like to sit down while eating, bring chairs or a blanket too

Stay after the event and visit Sanford’s restaurant and bars – simply put: make it a fun night out on the town!

Read more about the event here.

The crawl starts at 8pm in downtown Sanford. As usual, for $10 you get to enjoy a free drink (up to $5) at each of the participating bars.

Participating Bars:

• Sanford Wine Company
• Twisted Vine
• Little Fish Huge Pond
• The Palette Cafe
• West End Trading Company

Theme this month: Sade Hawkins Bash – costumes are encouraged

For a taste of what expects you, watch this video that I did a while back…

On the fourth Friday of each month beginning at 6:00pm and lasting till 9:00pm, downtown Sanford hosts the Sanford Art Walk, a gallery tour around town. Come join us as we feature Central Florida artists in a gallery setting. Mingle with the artists as you enjoy live music, food and lots of ART! The event is open to the public and admission is free.

In conjunction with the Sanford Art Walk, The Sanford Welcome Center will be hosting its February 24th “Wuve, True Wuve” monthly art show from 6-9pm. Come make your partner’s eyes sparkle with love or tear up at the sight of all things romantic. It will be the perfect event to celebrate the month of true “wuve!”

If you would like to submit your artwork or if you have any additional questions, contact us at 407.302.2586 or go to our website www.sanfordwelcomecenter.com.