Music at the Phillippi Farmhouse Market

New to the Sarasota live music scene this Season has been a little music festival that's been growing along with the Phillippi Farmhouse Market on Wednesday afternoons. This new farmers market, run by the Sarasota County Agricultural Extension, includes a music booth set up in the center of the array of farm, flower, takeout and crafts booths that ring the field along S. Tamiami Trail at Constitution Boulevard on the grounds of the historic Phillippi Estate. In contrast to the other early morning markets in Sarasota, the Phillippi Farmhouse Market is an afternoon event, opening at 11AM and closing at dusk. The music begins at 11AM and continues until 5PM, with a different musical group playing each hour.

All the musicians are volunteers, playing for tips and CD sales. Marco Cicerone, of Natural Vibes, opens the show each week, with his up-tempo steel drum dance and party tunes. He stays all afternoon, lending the use of his sound system to all the other performers. This season has seen an interesting variety of musical styles, including folk, folk/rock, blues, bluegrass, Americana, reggae, dulcimers, washtub bass, and other fun stuff.

Local and visiting musicians who have played at the Phillippi Farmhouse Market so far include Hymn for Her, Myakka (Brad & Lisa Fitzgerald), Susan James, Ray Paladino, Dean Johanesen, Marco Cicerone, and Dennis Brock, among others. There's lots of free parking on the grounds of the Phillippi Estate, the takeout foods are inexpensive and delicious, and there are picnic tables set up in the center of the field, so you can eat, socialize, listen to the music, and dance in the sunshine.