Sunday Fun Day At Wellen Park in Venice, Florida
Farmer’s market enthusiasts in the area, please add the Fresh Harvest Farmer’s Market at Wellen Park to your Sunday morning calendars. With dozens of vendors selling beautiful produce, fresh foods, soaps, and candles, and situated in a charming eclave of fountains, play areas, great food, live music and interesting gathering places, this is a farmer’s market with a little more. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a one-stop-shop when divvying up your family’s precious weekend time.
There is much to love about strolling through a vibrant farmer’s market, and the new farmer’s market at Wellen Park is the perfect setting for a delightful morning. Walking through fresh produce stands where everything is laid out in baskets and sorted so the eye can linger on the beauty of it all is essential to the experience. Then, you fill your bag with the freshest ingredients which will surely amp up your weekly food prep, and often at a substantial savings over the grocery store. It is a win/win for the senses and the pocketbook. Scents of freshly brewed coffee and piping hot scones play well with the multitude of seating nooks that allow you to enjoy your treats while you rest a bit. On our recent visit, we were able to experience all of this plus grab beautiful, fresh produce for the week. We even took time to enjoy a tasty fish and chips lunch and sat near an old oak tree where a guitarist serenaded the gathering crowd. It was rather nice, getting a bonus lunch date while checking off some food shopping.
The list of vendors at Fresh Harvest Farmer’s Market is lengthy, but you can expect to find Apotheca Brown Soaps and Sundries, where you can stock up on your summer graduation and shower gifts. Betty’s Embroidery could provide that one-of-a-kind baby gift you need, and Willow Grace Candle Company has all the specialty candles to make guests feel special. Knife-sharpeners, stylish bandanas, specialty olive oils and even premade frozen foods and fresh fish are available. All of the vendors were well stocked and busy talking with shoppers. The dining options at Fresh Harvest Farmer’s Market are plentiful as well, with a number of food trucks onsite offering everything from crepes to Italian sausage and peppers to fresh chicken salad, as well as a couple dedicated restaurant stands that offer seafood and hotdogs. Within walking distance is great brick and mortar shopping and additional restaurants catering to every appetite. A list of all vendors is attached here Fresh Harvest Vendors 2023.xlsx – Microsoft Excel Online (live.com).
Where is Wellen Park? Well, it’s not quite in North Port and also not quite in Venice, though residents from both cities frequently argue that it’s definitely one or the other. The official address sides with Venice. Situated near Cool Today Park, winter home of the Atlanta Braves, the area is spreading with upscale shopping and trendy restaurants mixed in with behemoth sized housing developments. The Fresh Harvest Farmer’s Market is held every Sunday from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM and is located in Downtown Wellen, 19745 Wellen Park Blvd, Venice. For more information, please visit Fresh Harvest Farmers Market – Wellen Park.
Photos courtesy of Jodi Schwarzenbach