Lakewood Ranch Health Expo produces fresh ideas

If part of the Health and Wellness Expo's goal on Saturday at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center was to get people to eat well, it only made sense to add some fresh produce to the festivities.

Kyanne Merrill, the director of event sponsor Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, explained that since the former farmers market along Lakewood Main Street had been dropped, it made sense to add a farmers market to the sixth annual Expo.

Merrill invited the Come Under the Yum Yum Tree fruit store to sell its goods.

"They always have a nice spread," Merrill said.

Hundreds of people browsed through the health and wellness booths inside the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, then visited the farmers market on the lawn. Inside, they picked up many free items along the way and learned about all of the local health resources available.  

“I think we had a really good turnout this year,” said Amy Bailey from Brookdale Senior Living Solutions. “The people seem really engaged with the vendors this year, and to me that’s a successful event. The people seem to really want to hear all of this important information.”