Pumpkin festivals, Oktoberfests: 8 things to do around Bradenton this weekend

Another October weekend is here, and there’s plenty of local fun on tap to help you enjoy it.

Bradenton and Sarasota are welcoming fall with pumpkin festivals and Oktoberfests, and farmers markets are in full swing.

Still need plans? We’ve got you covered.

Here’s a hand-picked guide to fun times around Bradenton and Sarasota this weekend, Oct. 14-16.

Pumpkin festivals return

The season of all things pumpkin has arrived in Florida, and some local festivals are here to help you get your gourd on.

Despite some mess from Hurricane Ian, both Hunsader Farms in Bradenton and Fruitville Groves in Sarasota will host their annual pumpkin festivals this October.

Here’s what to know before you head out to the patch.

Fruitville Grove Farm Market’s 34th annual Pumpkin Festival will feature a free petting zoo, playground, live music, circus performances, craft vendors, decorated photo spots and costume contests. Admission is also free.

Activities in the $1-$10 range include pony and carriage rides, a rock-climbing wall, a wildflower maze, a kids fun zone with a zip line, and pumpkin painting.

Food trucks and food vendors will be on site every day of the festival.

• Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct.ober 15-16, 22-23, and 29-30. Fruitville Grove, 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Free admission. $5 parking.
• Info: fruitvillegrove.com

Hunsader Farms’s 31st annual Pumpkin Festival is family-friendly event offering crafts, entertainment and harvest fun.

Live music, juggling shows, chainsaw sculpting displays, hayrides, scarecrow displays, a petting zoo and playground access are included with admission.

Activities available for an additional charge include pumpkin games, a corn maze, train rides, pony rides and arm painting.

There’s also a bounty of food and desserts to try, such as roasted sweet corn, homemade ice cream and pumpkin pie.

• Details: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30. Hunsader Farms, 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton. Admission: $15. Children 10 and under: Free. Parking: $5. Cash only.
• Info: hunsaderfarms.com.

Goblin Gathering at G.T. Bray

Manatee County’s 20th annual Goblin Gathering will bring family-friendly Halloween fun to G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton on Oct. 14. Free admission includes a costume contest and trick-or-treating. A $5 wristband is required to enjoy a hay maze, bounce houses and face painting. Wristbands are on sale at G.T. Bray’s front desk, now through 7 p.m. on the night of the event. (Cash only on the day event; parents are free.)

Local businesses and organizations will have exhibit booths set up, and there will be food vendors at the park.

• Details: 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 14. GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton. Access G.T. Bray Park via 59th St. W. or 51st St. W. and park near the Recreation Center. Free admission; $5 for activity wristband.
• Info: mymanatee.org

Oktoberfest celebrations

Celtoberfest at Motorworks: Motorworks Brewing will put a tartan spin on Oktoberfest celebrations with its seventh annual “Celtoberfest.”

The three-day event will feature a biergarten market, bagpipers and seven live Celtic-inspired bands.

Celebratory food and drink specials and stein raising competitions are also in the mix.

Tickets are required for Friday and Sunday, when most of the music will

The party is family and dog friendly, and kilts, dirndl and lederhosen are highly encouraged.

Details: 4 p.m.-midnight Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Motorworks Brewing, 1014 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Friday: $10. Kids 10 and under: $5. Saturday: $15. Kids 10 and under: $5. Sunday: Free.

Info: motorworksbrewing.com.

Rocktoberfest: Downtown Sarasota will host a three-day celebration in J.D. Hamel Park that combines elements of a traditional Oktoberfest with a rock music festival.

Vendors will offer a wide variety of German dishes, and there will be an arts and crafts market place for shopping in between performances.

Admission is free, and the event is family and pet-friendly.

• Details: 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota. Free admission.
• Info: paragonfestivals.com/festival/sarasota-rocktoberfest

Lights at Spooky Point

Marie Selbie Botanical Gardens is famous for its Christmas light displays; this year, the garden’s Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey will bring some illuminated magic to the Halloween season, too.

“Visitors to ‘Spooky Point’ will follow a lighted path through the wooded campus and past several historic areas, encountering fantastical creations around every turn,” a preview says. “Light installations will include suspended ‘orchid spiders,’ flying ‘ghost orchids,’ giant ‘bat orchids’ and many more surprises. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a hay maze will await visitors near the end of their journey.”

Guests can also opt to arrive at the garden light show via a narrated boat tour on select nights (Oct. 14, 15, 21, 28 and 29; $140 per person for non-members).

• Details: Admission times at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. nightly. Oct. 14-31. Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Members: $20. Non-members: $25. Ages 5-17: $15. Ages 4 and under: free. Advanced purchase required.
• Info: selby.org

Performing arts and shows

West Coast Black Theatre Troupe presents Guys and Dolls: “A Tony Award winner for Best Musical, ‘Guys and Dolls’ tells the story of New York City gambler Nathan Detroit, who dreams of setting up a big dice game while avoiding the authorities—and marriage to his longtime fiancée. WBTT will add its own special twist to this crowd-pleasing show,” a preview says.

• Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Nov. 20. Donelly Theatre at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Campus, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. Adults: $50; student/military: $20.
• Info: 941-366-1505. westcoastblacktheatre.org

The Players Centre presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’: “Feed the need for musical hilarity with this delicious sci-fi smash about a man who seeks fame at the cost of his morals with the help of a man-eating plant,” a show preview says.

• Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12-14; 2 p.m. Oct. 15-16. Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Adults: $30; Students 24 and under: $13;
  
  
• Info: 941-365-2494. theplayers.org

Carmen Ciricillo at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre: “Carmen Ciricillo’s 25 years of marriage and raising kids has given him all the material he needs to be a comedian,” Ciricillo’s bio says.

• Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, 6:30 and and 8:50 p.m. Friday and Saturday. McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $25.
  
  
• Info: mccurdyscomedy.com

Farmers’ markets

Downtown Bradenton Public Market: This weekly market is a community gathering place that welcomes vendors offering fresh local produce, meat, pantry and home goods, packaged foods, plants, clothing, accessories and more.

Food, drink and dessert vendors make the market a great place to grab a tasty snack.

This year, the market is nearly doubling in size with plans to host about 100 vendors each week, including a core group of businesses and some rotating selections, organizers say.

The market also features live music performances from different regional artists each week. Kid’s activities, special events and cooking demonstrations add to the fun throughout the season.

• Details: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, Oct.-May. Old Main Street, Bradenton. Free.
• Info: realizebradenton.com/public-market

The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch welcomes more than 90 regional vendors to Waterside Place each Sunday. Offerings include produce, meat and seafood, prepared foods and breads, crafts, jewelry, plants and pet treats. Live music from a rotation of local musicians and yoga sessions are another regular feature at the market.

• Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Dr., Lakewood Ranch. Free.
• Info: mylwr.com/185/Farmers-Market-at-LWR

Oneco Farmers Market is open seven days a week. The permanent market boasts more than 100 vendors in one location, including meats and seafood, fresh produce, sweets and treats. There are also restaurants and arts and crafts vendors to check out, and the market frequently hosts free community events.

• Details: Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Oneco Farmers Market, 5108 15th St. E., Bradenton.
• Info: onecofarmersmarket.com

Sarasota Farmers Market brings vendors selling arts and crafts, goods and services, produce, food, plants and more to downtown Sarasota. There’s also live music to enjoy.

• Details: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Lemon Avenue and Main Street, downtown Sarasota.
• Info: sarasotafarmersmarket.org

Newtown Sarasota Farmers Market offers local produce, fresh-baked goods and other items twice a week in the Newtown neighborhood. The market also hosts community gatherings including events for kids and food festivals.

• Details: 10 a.m.-5p.m. Friday and Saturday. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 2523 Cocoanut Ave., Sarasota.
• Info: newtownfarmersmarketsrq.org

Meadows Farmers Market: Started in Oct. 2021, the Meadows Farmers Market promises organic fruits and vegetables straight from local farmers. Other attractions include artisans, food vendors and live music. Events at the market include yoga, tai chi, wellness talks and holiday celebrations.

• Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays October through April. Held in the parking lot of 5041 Ringwood Meadow, Sarasota.
• Info: sites.google.com/view/meadowsfarmersmarket

Red Barn Flea Market combines the best of a farmers market, a flea market and a food court in one stop. At Red Barn, you’ll find permanent storefronts, vendor booths, fresh produce, local food offerings, live entertainment and more.

• Details: Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 1707 First St. E., Bradenton.
• Info: redbarnfleamarket.com.