06/01/2026
As each season comes to a close, it’s hard not to feel a little emotional, so buckle up for the Market Manager's end of season rundown. (TLDR: Thank you for supporting us!)
Behind the scenes, there’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into making this market possible. We work diligently with our Friendors to ensure all required paperwork, insurance, food inspections, fire inspections, and other necessary requirements are completed. At the beginning of each season, inspectors from the DBPR and the City of Bradenton Fire Department conduct thorough onsite inspections of our food vendors, and season after season, our vendors pass with flying colors.
It’s not something we often talk about here, but it deserves recognition. We maintain strong relationships and open lines of communication with both our local DBPR inspector and fire inspector, and we’re grateful for their partnership in helping keep our market safe and successful.
A huge shoutout goes to the City of Bradenton, Florida - Government for allowing us to be here and believing in us. We shout all the THANK YOUS to the Public Works Department and the Action (Dream) Team. These dedicated crews work tirelessly throughout the week and on weekends to keep downtown looking beautiful. Whether it’s blazing heat, rain, or humidity so thick you could slice through the air, they show up with positive attitudes. If you see them, be sure to thank them and let them know how much they’re appreciated. They're on the streets before sunrise on Saturdays making sure the streets sparkle for us. They're placing barricades and bollards to keep our footprint safe.
To the Bradenton Police Department, thank you for everything you do. Not only do you help keep our community safe each week, but you take the time to connect with everyone who visits the market, including making lasting relationships with our Friendors. You answer countless questions with patience and a smile. You also help with so many things behind the scenes that most people never see, and we hope you know we appreciate you.
Let’s also give a round of applause to all of our incredible Youth Booth kids. This was our third season offering the Youth Booth program, which is open to students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. We provide the tent, table, and chairs, while the kids bring products they’ve created and curated themselves. It’s rewarding to watch their confidence grow with each customer interaction and every sale. You have a direct hand in inspiring a young entrepreneur to keep pursuing their dreams!
We also had an artist design a new Youth Booth logo for us that we can't wait to debut next season. Huge thank you to Arielle Katarina Illustration (we'll share more about her and the logo this summer)!
Thank you to every volunteer who helped out, from Westminster to our high school kids.
To the Market Team, you are AWESOME! This season seemed to fly by, and that's largely because each of you made it such a joy to work together.
This year, we were also proud to provide space for dozens and dozens of nonprofits and community groups. These booths helped connect valuable organizations with a larger audience, allowing them space to share their missions and expand their impact within our community.
To our Friendors, YOU are the heart and soul of this market. Your commitment and passion are what make this place so special. Without you, there would be no market to gather around. I always hear people talking about how friendly our vendors are (hence why we call them Friendors), and what a great vibe the market is. We couldn't agree more. We have the best of the best here!
And to our community members who continue to show up week after week, season after season - thank you. There simply aren’t enough words to express our gratitude. Some Saturdays bring relentless heat, threatening rain clouds, and some uncertainty; yet, your continued support makes it worthwhile. We talk about you often. We celebrate the customer who came down to find the perfect gift for their kid. We smile when we see someone returning for their favorite breakfast item or weekly drink. What may seem like a simple purchase to you becomes something much bigger for us. It becomes a routine, a connection, a conversation, and a building block for community. And we never take it for granted that you CHOOSE to spend your Saturdays with us. You could go anywhere, but you keep choosing to spend it with us, and we take that to heart.
We know many of you are eager for information about vendor applications, the Youth Booth, and more. We will spend the summer planning everything, and we will share updates here on our page. Be sure to follow along all summer for any announcements.
Thank you to Paddywagon Downtown Bradenton for hosting our end of season Friendor get together, to FEWD Tent for cooking up a delicious taco and nacho bar, and Kristin's Cookie Chronicles for supplying the cookies!
Thank you to the Realize Bradenton team for believing in me to lead this market. I do not take it lightly and always strive to improve every season. There is much work left to do!
What I love most about this market is that you never feel alone here. People come to eat, to share an experience, to buy a gift, to see their favorite Friendor, or listen to musicians. They come to people watch and dog watch, to get out of the house for some fresh air and exercise. Week after week, they come to celebrate local with us in the heart of downtown. Thank you for making this market what it is - a place to connect and feel welcome. We couldn’t do it without you, and we can’t wait to do it all over again next season! ❤️
Until October, we hope you have a wonderful summer (preferably somewhere cool with plenty of air conditioning)! Enjoy making memories and spending time with loved ones, just as we hope all of our Friendors do. When fall arrives, we hope you'll come back and catch us up on all of your summer adventures.
With love and gratitude for another season,
Heather Empsall, Market Manager
📸: Photos by Janet Combs Photography
