Market season winds down

When Rye Wilderness resident Carol Spence came to the The Market at Lakewood Ranch April 24, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

It may have been the last farmers market of the season, but the  evening proved relaxing as she sipped on an adult beverage and played bingo alongside her mother, Violet McGregor.

McGregor even won the first round of bingo.  

“It’s just a really nice, friendly atmosphere,” Spence said.

Although the pair were first-timers to the weekly seasonal farmers market at the Sarasota Polo Club, they were still sad to see it end. Since December 2018, thousands of visitors have enjoyed frequenting vendor booths, where they could buy organic produce and meats, eggs, breads, pasta, juices and prepared foods. They also enjoyed live music and special events, like bingo, yoga, flying kites and petting goats.

Market Manager Morgan Bettes, who works for Schroeder-Manatee Ranch subsidiary Lakewood Ranch Communities, said she hoped to see more growth in the event, but she was pleased to have an estimated 700 to 800 visitors each Wednesday afternoon December through April.

“This market is really for the locals,” she said.

Although no details have been publicly announced yet, Bettes said she and her team are looking to change the event next season to attract more community members and partnerships and to introduce more produce to the market.

Jon and Cyndi Newman, of Waterside at Lakewood Ranch, have attended the farmers market every Wednesday since they discovered it in February.

“We love it. The vendors are just amazing,” Cyndi Newman said.

Cyndi Newman said she and her husband use the market as a midweek break, were they can relax and enjoy dinner.

They were sad to see the market end for now, and they hope next year’s will be similar.

“This is so much more than a farmers market,” Cyndi Newman said.