Old Miakka Farmers’ Market

Why We Love It: Far east on I-75 off Fruitville Road, in what is still deemed “Sarasota” territory, a tiny community of local vendors sets up booths on the grounds of the Old Miakka United Methodist Church. This is the Old Miakka Farmers’ Market, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday, the small group of reliable merchants offers raw foods, goat cheese, donuts, tacos, local honey and freshly baked bread. Meet a goat and become acquainted with market’s resident turkey, Mr. D’Arcy—a family-friendly bird who serves as the Old Miakka mascot. This market is truly a micro version of the ones typically found in Sarasota, and it might otherwise be easy to bypass because of its tucked-away nature. Its smallness is a big part of its charm, as visitors consider it worth the tree-shaded backwoods drive just to fill a cooler with raw goat products that cannot be found anywhere else in town.