Farmers market to return to Lakewood Ranch

After a two-month hiatus, a farmers market will once again open in Lakewood Ranch.

Starting Nov. 14, the market will now open at St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church at 11315 Palmbrush Trail.

The market will be open on Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Starting in January 2016, the market will open the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s being operated by Jen McCafferty, who also operated Jen’s MarketPlace on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, which ended Sept. 26.

“We started driving around looking in the summer and scouted out a couple of places,” McCafferty said. “The community kept asking us, can you do it more than once a month, and that was another reason for that venue, they were willing to let us.”

During open hours, the market will feature live music by local artists. It will include food and produce vendors from its former Main Street location as well as jewelry, clothing, soaps and accessories merchants.

The November marketplace will have about 25 vendors. In December, the number will be around 40.

Jen’s MarketPlace ended in September when McCafferty and Amanda Zipperer, the property manager and leasing agent for Main Street, failed to come to an agreement on a renewal contract. The vendors McCafferty was allowed to contract at the old location was somewhat restricted to limit too much competition between the market vendors and Main Street merchants.

“We had our hands tied on many of my vendors. We had to say you can’t come. Now I can say, you can,” she said.

The market is pet-friendly and parking is free.

Some vendors include:
• Farmer Pete’s Produce & Eggs
• Armando’s Fresh Produce
• Stamper Cheese
• Da Vinci’s Gelato Food Truck
• Essential Oils