Coquina’s market has a new spot for your next beach day

Same beach, a different place to browse

If Coquina Beach Market is part of your Sunday routine, head for the trail south of the trolley turnaround. The organizer announced a booth-location change beginning October 2, at 2650 Gulf Drive S. in Bradenton Beach.

The market’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, putting the next Sunday date on October 4. The setting is still Coquina Beach, on the southern end of Anna Maria Island. For Parrish readers, this is a beach-day trip rather than a new neighborhood market.

The change is small on a map but useful on arrival: the street address stays the same, while the vendor booths have a new place along the trail.[1]

A Sunday date that leaves room to wander

I’d make this a two-part outing: browse first, then give the beach the rest of the afternoon. It is a good excuse to get out together without turning the day into a stack of reservations. The market provides somewhere to start; you can decide how ambitious the rest of the day should be once you get there.

For a family trip, Coquina has more to work with than a stretch of sand. Manatee County lists a playground, picnic areas, restrooms, changing cabanas and shower stations. There are concessions as well, so a beach stop does not have to end the minute someone announces they are hungry.

My preference would be to bring towels and a picnic option even if the initial plan is just to browse. That leaves room for the best kind of change of plans: deciding you are not ready to go home.[2]

A few details that make the outing easier

The county lists parking and a trolley stop at Coquina. Beach hours are sunrise to sunset, separate from the market’s shorter shopping window. Pets, alcohol and glass containers are prohibited under the posted beach rules.

For visitors with mobility needs, the county identifies a beach-access mat at Coquina. It also lists beach wheelchairs available without a rental charge at the concession stand, first come, first served, with identification held during the loan. Availability on a particular visit is not guaranteed.

The organizer posts day-specific vendors and weather cancellations on its Facebook page. That is the one useful last-minute check before leaving Parrish; this guide is not a promise that every scheduled market will run.

The appeal of this outing is the combination. A little browsing, somewhere to sit and eat, and the beach right there when shopping has had its turn.[2][3][1]