If you've been going to Market in the Park on the second Saturday for years, have you looked at the dates Saint Leo University just announced for its new market? Most of them are your dates.
San Antonio's Market in the Park sets up at San Antonio City Park, 12202 Main Street, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the city's flyer says it happens every second Saturday of the month. In September, Saint Leo University announced a partnership with Tampa Bay Markets to start the Saint Leo University Market on Kirk Hall Lawn, 33701 County Road 52, running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All but one of its dates is a second Saturday. Starting in November, the town's market morning becomes a two-stop morning, and the two markets are different enough to justify visiting both.
The calendar, side by side
Here's the schedule each organizer has published as of mid-October 2026. The city's page lists its themed editions through December. The university lists its market dates through April 2027.
| Saturday | Market in the Park, City Park | Saint Leo University Market, Kirk Hall Lawn |
|---|---|---|
| October 10, 2026 | Fall Fest, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | No market |
| October 17, 2026 | No market | Debut, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| November 14, 2026 | San Antonio Thanks-For-Giving, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| December 12, 2026 | Winter Welcome, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Not on the university's list |
| February 13, 2027 | Second Saturday, 2027 themes not yet posted | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| March 13, 2027 | Second Saturday, 2027 themes not yet posted | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| April 10, 2027 | Second Saturday, 2027 themes not yet posted | 10 a.m.–2 p.m. |
The city's 2026 schedule started with a Valentine's Day edition on February 14 and ran a theme every month, from Pi Day in March to a celebration of America's 250th birthday in July. The city hasn't posted its 2027 themes yet. If the second-Saturday pattern continues, February, March and April 2027 will each have both markets on the same morning.
The organizer's own name for the event points to the schedule too. On Tampa Bay Markets' special events page, it's listed as the St. Leo 2nd Saturday Market.
Why the first Saint Leo market breaks the pattern
October 17 is the only date that doesn't fit, and Saint Leo explains why. The debut is part of the university's Family Weekend, with local vendors, live entertainment and family-friendly activities on the lawn. It's free to get in, and parking is free too.
That puts the debut one week after San Antonio's Fall Fest market on October 10, so this month the two markets fall on back-to-back Saturdays instead of sharing one. If you want to make a full fall day of it on the 17th, Dade City Farms is holding its 2026 Fall Festival every Saturday and Sunday in October, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 17143 Lake Iola Road in Dade City. It runs through November 1.
Starting in November, the two markets share the same Saturday.
November 14 is the first shared morning
San Antonio Thanks-For-Giving opens at City Park at 9 a.m. The Saint Leo market opens at 10 a.m. Both are open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and that three-hour window is when you can visit both. The university calls its campus "minutes from San Antonio and Dade City."
Working from those published hours, here's one way to do both:
- Get to City Park near the 9 a.m. opening, before the second market starts drawing people away.
- Head over to Kirk Hall Lawn in the late morning, any time after 10 a.m.
- Stay through lunch. Saint Leo's market runs until 2 p.m., an hour after the city's closes, and food and beverage vendors are part of its announced lineup.
Going in the opposite order also works, as long as you're back on Main Street before 1 p.m. The city's November listing gives the date, hours and address and asks people to come shop and support the community, but it doesn't say what the Thanks-For-Giving theme involves. If a theme like that makes you think there might be a donation drive, check with the Parks office at [email protected] before you load the car.
Two markets, two different kinds of Saturday
One is the town's own market. The other is run by a regional market operator, and it sells a different mix of goods.
Market in the Park is run through the city, and vendor and sponsorship questions go to the Parks email. The city's description is simple: "shop local vendors, visit with local businesses, and support your local community." For an idea of what that has looked like, a Tampa Bay Times weekend calendar from January 2020 listed plants, jewelry, baked goods, yard art, jams and jellies, Mr. Jim's Famous Hot Dogs, a basket drawing and children's activities, with the Rotary Club of San Antonio as sponsor. That listing is more than six years old, so treat it as a past example rather than this year's vendor list.
The Saint Leo market runs on a different model. Tampa Bay Markets describes its events as buy-local markets with 50 to more than 100 independent small-business vendors selling fresh, homemade, handcrafted, vintage and eco-friendly goods. Wesley Chapel readers may know the company from the Fresh Market at Wiregrass. It also runs the Dunedin Downtown Market at Pioneer Park and the Carrollwood Market, among others. For Saint Leo, the university's announcement lists seasonal produce and plants, artisan and specialty foods, baked goods, handmade crafts and gifts, bath and body products, jewelry, clothing and accessories, plus food and drinks. A rotating lineup of acoustic musicians and DJs will play at every market.
"Saint Leo University has always been a place where people come together, and this market gives us a new way to welcome our neighbors to campus."
That's Dr. Stephen Kubasek, Saint Leo's vice president of university advancement, quoted in the university's September 2026 announcement. The Laker/Lutz News reported the launch, the vendor mix and the dates the next day.
You may see vendor names floating around before November. Marketspread's directory for the Saint Leo market shows 54 vendors, including 3BQ, Bookish Lemonade, Candy's Sweetbreads, Coffee Bar & Brew, Craving Donuts, El Indio Tacos y Snacks and small beanz coffee co. Tampa Bay Markets says vendors have to be approved and register for each market separately, so being in the directory doesn't mean a vendor will be there on a given Saturday.
December 12 runs differently
On the last second Saturday of 2026, the two-market pattern breaks again. San Antonio's Winter Welcome runs at City Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. December isn't on the university's list of market dates.
On December 12, the second stop is in the evening instead. Dade City's 42nd Annual Christmas Stroll runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Meridian Street and 7th Street downtown. That leaves a four-hour gap between Winter Welcome closing and the Stroll starting, so you can do the market in the morning and go home in between.
When the calendars disagree
Before you plan a Saint Leo Saturday, know that the organizer's own pages don't all match. Tampa Bay Markets' Saint Leo page shows October 25, November 22 and December 27, 2026. Its special events page includes December 12, but Marketspread marks that date as cancelled. The university's announcement has the clearest list: October 17, November 14, February 13, March 13 and April 10. The organizers point people to network.tampabaymarkets.com for updates, so check there the week before.
The city's dates match across its own listings, and its October, November and December pages all show the same 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours at 12202 Main Street.
I'll be making the rounds on November 14, starting on Main Street and ending on Kirk Hall Lawn. If you see me, come say hello. And if a conversation between booths turns to whether it's time for a new place, Shells Florida Realty is here for that too. When it's time to buy or sell, call Shell!
