The Nathan Benderson Park Market Moved to Fridays. Here's How Lakewood Ranch's Market Week Fits Together Now
November 12, 2026
November 12, 2026
On a Tuesday last November, Suji Fugleberg brought her two daughters to the new market in the Nathan Benderson Park parking lot. She told Your Observer the market wasn't as busy as she expected. She wondered whether people simply didn't know it now happened every week. She also liked that her family could "hop over to the playground after."
A year later the market is back, still beside the playground, but in a new location and on a different day. The Market at NBP now runs Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., October 23, 2026 through March 26, 2027. The Farmers' Market at Lakewood Ranch keeps its Sundays at Waterside Place, and the Lakewood Ranch Main Street Market keeps its monthly Saturdays. On the weekends Main Street holds its market, Lakewood Ranch's markets now fall on three days in a row, starting Friday morning. Every other weekend still has two, with Friday and Sunday as the bookends.
Last season, Your Observer described a market that ran Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with 55 vendors in the lot on November 25, 2025. The organizer, Jessica Gill of My Promotions, told the paper she saw a need for a weekday market. She pointed to people who are self-employed, work from home or keep different hours.
The 2026 version shortens the hours by an hour and moves to the last weekday. It also moves within the park. The park's own listing places it in the Homewood Suites additional parking lot next to the playground, with free parking. A Sarasota Tonight listing calls it "back in a new location" and describes the grass lot just north of the playground. The park's listing promises more than 20 local artists and small businesses, plus coffee and infused drinks, produce, baked goods, gluten-free options, crafters, food trucks, live music and themed events. The park's address is 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle.
The market's own sponsored announcement in Your Observer leads with "Start Your Weekend With Shopping, Food and Friday Fun!" Last year's pitch was a break in the middle of the week. This year it's sold as the start of the weekend, and the calendar backs that up.
The Friday market is the smallest of the three. Each one runs on its own schedule.
| Market | Day | Hours | Location | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Market at NBP | Every Friday | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Homewood Suites additional lot by the playground, Nathan Benderson Park | 20+ vendors promised | Oct. 23, 2026 to Mar. 26, 2027 |
| Lakewood Ranch Main Street Market | One Saturday a month | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 8141 Lakewood Main Street | 70+ vendors | Oct. 10, 2026 to Apr. 3, 2027 |
| Farmers' Market at Lakewood Ranch | Every Sunday | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 1561 Lakefront Dr., Waterside Place | 100+ vendors | Year-round |
The Sunday market at Waterside is the big one. Travel + Leisure named it one of the best farmers' markets in the U.S. Its vendor categories run from produce, meat and poultry to flowers, local honey, coffee and pet goods. It's also more than shopping. There's yoga at Waterside Park, live music, and the Kids' Zone @ The Yard for children.
Main Street's market leans toward makers, artisans and local retailers, with more than 70 vendors along Lakewood Main Street. With only seven dates all season, it's the easiest of the three to miss.
The Friday lot is short enough to walk in a single loop, and that suits a morning that may end at the playground or the water. My Promotions' November exhibitor directory lists 30 entries. They include Kurtos Chimney Cake and Breads, Flip Flops Pantry & Sweets, Barefoot & Breezy, Country Comforts LLC and Mr. B's Apiaries.
The Friday and Sunday markets run every week. Main Street is the one that decides whether a weekend has all three. Its remaining dates are November 14, December 12, January 9, February 6, March 13 and April 3. Waterside's online vendor map lists every Sunday from November 15 through December 27. Before the holidays, two weekends have a market on all three days:
On those weekends the order follows the size. Friday is the smallest, Saturday is a mid-size artisan street market, and Sunday is the farmers' market with more than 100 vendors and the most to do. The three run on different hours, too. The Friday market opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 1 p.m., an hour before the two weekend markets wrap up at 2 p.m.
From mid-November to Christmas, Lakewood Ranch's event calendar mostly fills the gaps between market days.
On December 4, the market and the evening event are both on a Friday, at opposite ends of the day. The Market at NBP is open in the morning, and Music on Main starts at 6 p.m. On December 20, the Waterside market wraps up at 2 p.m., two hours before Christmas on Main opens on Main Street at 4 p.m.
Main Street's market comes around about once a month, so most Saturdays this season have no Lakewood Ranch market. Two downtown markets fill that gap.
The Sarasota Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's centered at Main Street and Lemon Avenue in downtown Sarasota and stretches to First Street and Pineapple Avenue. The Bradenton Public Market runs Saturdays from October through May, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton.
On a Saturday like November 21 or December 5, the Lakewood Ranch weekend still has its two weekly markets, NBP on Friday and Waterside on Sunday. Either downtown market can fill the Saturday in between. Then on the next Main Street date, all three are back in Lakewood Ranch.
The Market at NBP keeps its Friday slot through March 26. After that, the Waterside market on Sunday is the only one of the three still running every week.
If you're mapping out your season around the Friday market, the Sunday stalls or Main Street's monthly Saturdays and want to know more about this side of Lakewood Ranch, Chris Carpenter is glad to share what he knows. Let's Connect.
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Whether you're looking to purchase your first home, a forever home, or that investment or commercial property, Chris would be honored to have the opportunity and partner with you on the journey.