Concierge.com's insider take:

Locals avoid it and tourists flock to it, but there's still a lot to love about Mallory Square. Vendors selling everything from hand-painted coconuts to conch fritters set up shop in the brick, waterfront area, while tourists take in classic acts like the tightrope walker or the one-man band that looks like something straight from a Dr. Seuss fantasy. Amid all the kitsch, you can find some treasures for sale, too, like intricate palm-frond baskets woven by a man who's been a Mallory Square fixture for decades. Sunset is obviously the time to go, and the scene continues for about an hour afterward, as sailboats pass close to the docks for a photo moment and the sky glows with the day's last color.—Updated by Terry Ward