Chiselers welcomed hundreds to Market Minaret Mixer in Tampa

Shop for a treasure while saving a treasure — that’s the fun and fruitful formula for the Chiselers Market Minaret Mixer. The preview cocktail party held on the eve of the Chiselers Market is the largest annual fundraiser dedicated to safeguarding the magnificent Plant Hall, formerly the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, located at the University of Tampa. The passionate preservationists welcomed nearly 400 guests for hors d’oeuvres, a bourbon tasting and a silent auction on March 8, plus early access to the vast selection of gently used and donated furniture, silver, china, home and garden accessories, art, books, jewelry and designer clothing. The bargains cost “twice the price” at the mixer for the perk of avoiding huge crowds at the next day’s Chiselers Market. The women’s group takes its name from the tools they first used to scrape paint from hotel tiles. Since then, they have raised over $11 million to match historic preservation grants to pay for restoration work, including the iconic minarets.