I am still not sure what the definition of a “Pumpernak” is, but here is the story I got:  Ann Ruben’s husband’s grandfather owned a deli called Pumpernicks in South Florida and as a tribute to him, she calls her shop Pumpernaks (that’s pumper + the knack from knick knacks).  After a few minutes visiting with Ann, I realized that her shop is aptly named.  It’s a lot like her, part whimsy and a lot of fun. Pumpernaks is located in downtown Lakeland in Trader’s Alley between Tennessee and Kentucky Avenues.  As you enter the alley from Kentucky Ave, you will see her sign.

From there you only have about 100 yards to go and it is well worth the walk down the red brick paved alley. Since her shop is so small (about the size of an average bedroom) she has a lot of stuff outside in the alley.

Yes it is small, but it is a classic example of big things coming in small packages.  Ann has a great eye and a sense of whimsy that makes her shop a great place to visit on a Saturday morning.

By the way, Pumpernaks is only open on Saturdays from 10:30am – 5:00pm, with the exception of First Fridays and a few other special event days.

The other nice piece of the equation is that she prices things very fairly so you can pick up any thing from a brass “nude beach” sign to a puppet and a lot of things in between without breaking the bank.  Pumpernaks is definetly something to add to your “cool things to do on a Saturday” list.