Farmer's Market

My experience at the farmer's market:

Location - Waterside Farmer's Market in Lakewood Ranch, FL

Date - June 22, 2025


General experience:

My experience at the Waterside Farmer's Market was good! I've been a few times--my Mom likes to go and walk around--but it was nice to be back for the first time this summer. It was very hot out, being midday in late June, but we did walk around for a good hour or so. There were many great stands, and my senses were enjoying the event: great smells of baked goods, empanadas, and more, nice live music, and delicious food.


Fruits and vegetables:

There were two produce stands at this farmer's market. The first stand primarily had vegetables but also featured some fruits as well (watermelon and cantaloupe, specifically). It was laid out horizontally along the walking path, with the more colorful fruits displayed up front next to the path. On one side, there was also a man cutting the fresh watermelon and cantaloupe and selling the prepared pieces in containers. The tables were lined with tie-dye tablecloths.

The second stand was in a more central location: the plaza overlooking the water. It was also a bit bigger, and featured more fruits and vegetables (along with a larger variety) than the first stand I came across. In terms of fruits, they sold watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, cherries, oranges, tomatoes, kiwis, plums, peaches, and more. It was certainly a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. They positioned the fruits along the front sides of the stand, with the vegetables more toward the interior of the shop. The tablecloths here were colorful as well; however they were single-color tablecloths but the tablecloths varied in color across the shop.


Other stands:

Other than fruits and vegetables, there were a wide variety of other sellers at the farmer's market, from food trucks to butchers to beekeepers to artisanal soapmakers. My mom and I bought some food--we each had an apple turnover, and I had a lobster roll. Both were very tasty (although the lobster roll was particularly expensive). These vendors used a variety of marketing methods, from free samples to prize-wheels to plain old attractive signage and good smells.

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