The city Flower Mart blooms again.

Baltimore's city tradition stemming to 1911 that includes flowers, crab cakes, lemon sticks and Dixieland music appeared to be ending with the century because of the dwindling and aging of its sponsor, the Women's Civic League.

But league leaders announced yesterday that the Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association has agreed to sponsor the one-day May event next year.

"The Flower Mart continues," Liz Godwin of the league announced at the weekly news conference held by Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke. Schmoke, who will step down in December after 12 years as mayor, was equally happy.

In May, the mayor promised to find another group to take over the event before he departed.

Yesterday, he called it one of Baltimore's "best traditions."

"A lot of people were worried over the Flower Mart, and that we may have seen our last," he said.

New leaders said they hope to expand the event, which will be held May 17 next year with a rain date of May 18.

The association is negotiating with the Eubie Blake Society about a concert at the festivities.