Sarasota Farmers Market to reopen in August

After an extended hiatus associated with the local COVID-19 outbreak, the Sarasota Farmers Market intends to reopen downtown on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The market announced it will operate for its regular hours of 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. next month. In a release, the market shared a customer code of conduct it has implemented in response to the coronavirus. The new guidelines ask customers to:

• Wear masks;
• Maintain 6 feet of distance from others;
• Stay at home if you are sick or have been in contact with a sick person;
• Pre-order and prepay vendors online, if possible;
• Avoid gatherings and keep walkways clear;
• Make a shopping list before coming;
• Designate one shopper per household;
• Only touch items you intend to buy;
• Shop quickly and get everything to go;
• Leave pets at home, unless it is a service animal.

The market will have hand sanitizer available at designated stations and vendor booths, the release said. The release encouraged the public to follow the market’s social media pages for more information about reopening plans.

“We know this is an unprecedented time, and we know the market has always been a special tradition in the history of downtown Sarasota,” market Chairman Travis Kinsey said in the release. “We are excited to get back to serving our community, who has supported the farmers market for many years."