Mixon Fruit Farms closes its doors in Bradenton

By Liz Ramos
| 4:15 p.m. July 29, 2023

Lakewood Ranch's Jacqueline Darby shares memories of going to Mixon Fruit Farms with Janet Mixon. Darby has been going to Mixon Fruit Farms for 40 years.

East County
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Lakewood Ranch's Jacqueline Darby made sure to get her final ice cream cone Saturday at Mixon Fruit Farms.

The ice cream has been a must-have snack every time she's visited the farm. She used to take her family members who were visiting from Michigan to Mixon Fruit Farms on every one of their trips to buy oranges.

"The ice cream is fantastic, the deli is amazing, and I love their orange juice," said Darby, who first visited Mixon Fruit Farms 40 years ago. "I love coming here. It's always the spot to bring everybody."

Patrons steadily came through the gift shop, deli and cafe. They played in the Amazing Play Place and took the last two tram tours to enjoy all Mixon Fruit Farms has to offer before the store closed permanently.

Bradenton's Loretta Lea said she was heartbroken to see Mixon Fruit Farms close.

She loves grapefruit and would always go to Mixon Fruit Farms every year for the past 50 years to purchase fruit.

Mixon Fruit Farms' Amazing Play Place will reopen in September for birthday parties.

Bradenton's Dylan Anderson, who is 11, holds Noodle for the first time while visiting Mixon Fruit Farms. Anderson says Noodle is soft.

Damen Hurd, the president of Wild World Rescue, talks about Noodle, an American alligator, on Mixon Fruit Farms' final day.

People listen as Damen Hurd, the president of Wild World Rescue, share facts about Speedy, a tortoise.

People enjoy the second-to-last tram ride at Mixon Fruit Farms.

Marie Lovy prepares an ice cream cone for a customer on Mixon Fruit Farms' final day.

Dean and Janet Mixon say goodbye to Mixon Fruit Farms with their grandchildren Waverly Busa and Sully Hubert.

Becky Benjamin and Kevin Mattos visit Mixon Fruit Farms from Rhode Island for the last time as the farm closes its doors. They've been visiting the farm for the past 40 years. "It's nice to be here on the last day," Mattos says.

Mixon Fruit Farms sells the last of its bags and fruits before closing its doors.

Bradenton's Loretta Lea and Sarasota's David Sellars enjoy ice cream at Mixon Fruit Farms. Lea says she's heartbroken to see Mixon Fruit Farms close. She's been visiting the farm for 50 years.

The cafe for the deli is packed on the last day Mixon Fruit Farms is open. The deli will reopen when Mixon Fruit Farms hosts an auction in September.

Waverly Busa, who is 4, and Sully Hubert, who is 14, help their grandfather Dean Mixon, the owner of Mixon Fruit Farms, make and bag kettlecorn.

Anna Maria Island's Lori Zaworski takes her 8-year-old daughter Isabella Disalvo on a tram ride at Mixon Fruit Farms. Zaworski has been visiting the farm since she moved to the area in 2007.

A line for ice cream wraps around the gift shop and cafe at Mixon Fruit Farms.

Speedy, a tortoise, enjoys a snack. Speedy was found in east Bradenton and is now taken care of by Wild World Rescue and Sanctuary at Mixon Fruit Farms.

Rick Greytak finishes his second-to-last tram tour at Mixon Fruit Farms, where he has been working for the past four years.

author

Liz Ramos

Managing Editor Liz Ramos previously covered education and community for the East County Observer. Before moving to Florida, Liz was an education reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance in Virginia for two years after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism.