Tonight, Thursday, October 29, the Sunset Eats Night Market sets up along Park Road at Palmetto Bay Park, in front of the ball fields and the playground. It runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and admission and parking are free. That has been true most Thursdays this year. What changed this month is the paperwork behind it. On October 5, the Village Council voted on two items for this park. One selected an operator for the market. The other named an indoor pickleball complex that a private company will run under a 30-year agreement the council adopted in 2025. Both affect what happens at the park after sunset for years to come.
Palmetto Bay Park at 17535 SW 95th Avenue has long been a daytime park, with ball fields, a playground, a skate park and morning fitness classes. The Village is now using agreements with private operators to give it a dependable evening schedule. Tracing how the market got here, and what is going up next to it, shows that this plan is deliberate.
The market changed parks and names before the Village made it official
The Thursday market didn't start at this park. It also isn't new this year. Here is the sequence:
- August 2025. The market was still at Coral Reef Park, running as Coral Reef Sunset Eats. The Village's Safe Streets project team set up a tent there so residents could weigh in on pedestrian and traffic safety without attending a formal meeting.
- September 25, 2025. The market opened at Palmetto Bay Park, which Palmetto-Cutler News described as a walkable neighborhood park distinct from its former Coral Reef home.
- June 11, 2026. Central Makers Markets relaunched it as the Sunset Eats Night Market, every Thursday, weather permitting. The Village promoted the launch on its official Instagram account two days earlier.
- October 5, 2026. According to the Village's log of final council action, the council voted 5-0 to approve Ferenczi Consulting Corp., doing business as Central Makers, to "manage and operate the food truck and market on Park Drive." The selection came through Request for Proposal No. 2026-12-014, and the vote authorizes the Village Manager to enter into a contract.
A weekly market that changes parks and names can be gone the next season. A market picked through a formal RFP, with the Village Manager authorized to sign its contract, has become part of how the Village runs the park. The unanimous vote stands out because it came right after an item that split the council.
What a Thursday evening there looks like
The setup runs along Park Road in front of the ball fields and playground. Palmetto-Cutler News reported in July that the market has food trucks, local artisan booths, sweets, lemonade and live music. Kids can do painting activities for $10, which covers supplies, a canvas and an apron. A later report from the same outlet added fresh produce, specialty drinks, coffee and night fitness classes. Free salsa lessons rotate in twice a month.
The detail that matters most for families is the playground. The event listing says it stays open until 10 p.m. on market nights. That is half an hour after the vendors close. Tables and chairs are provided. During the summer World Cup sticker-trading meetups, the organizer suggested bringing extra beach chairs because that area was packed.
Weather still decides. The July 2 market was canceled because of severe weather and came back the following Thursday.
Here are the remaining Thursday dates on the Village calendar, all 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.:
- October: 29
- November: 5, 12, 19 and 26, which is Thanksgiving night and is still listed
- December: 3, 10 and 17
Central Makers' own page lists 5 to 9 p.m. The Village's November listings show 5:30 to 9:30, which matches the hours reported throughout the summer.
The next evening tenant comes with a 30-year agreement
The other October 5 vote was about a building that isn't open yet. Just before the market vote, the council voted 3-2 to name the new indoor pickleball facility at Palmetto Bay Park the "Village of Palmetto Bay-Diadem Pickleball Complex." The resolution recognizes Diadem's financial contribution toward construction. Mayor Karyn Cunningham and Councilmembers Patrick Fiore and Steve Cody voted yes. Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer and Councilmember Marsha Matson voted no, as recorded in the same council action log.
Diadem's page for the location describes a 25,000-square-foot complex with nine indoor smart courts, a pro shop and event space. FIU's Caplin News reported in March that it is going up on two-plus acres of vacant land. The Village bought that land in 2018 for $2.94 million, and it sat empty after an earlier community center proposal. The same report says the council awarded the $3.3 million construction contract to Waypoint Contracting. Village Manager Nick Marano told Caplin News the goal was to finish "before November," and added that timelines can change. Diadem's own company page still lists the Palmetto Bay location as under construction.
The opening date matters less to the park's evenings than the operating hours. The revenue share and management resolution the council adopted in September 2025 sets the hours below. The resident terms that follow show how the deal was written for people who live in the village:
| Term in the 2025 agreement | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Court rental | $48 per hour | $60 per hour |
| Free open play | 3 days a week, at least 4 hours a day | Not specified |
| Clinics | $10 off each | Standard price |
| Facility rentals | 50% off | Standard price |
| Pro shop and in-house restaurant | 20% off | Standard price |
| Advance court reservations | Up to 7 days | Not specified |
| Hours | Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun 7 a.m.–9 p.m. | Same |
The management services agreement gives Diadem Sports, LLC management and operation of the facility for 30 years, with an option for a 10-year extension. Diadem commits $1 million toward the building, with $500,000 up front and the rest paid in installments over the first five years. The Village receives 10% of gross operating revenue in years one through five, a share that steps up every five years, with a minimum annual payment of $200,000.
The membership page is already live. It advertises a $200 monthly membership, a $300 monthly couples membership, a $1,500 annual Founders membership and a Palmetto Bay Residents Package starting at $150. The table above shows the terms written into the 2025 agreement. Diadem sets the prices it actually charges, so check its page before you book.
Taken together, the market selection and the 2025 agreement mean that once the complex opens, part of Palmetto Bay Park is contracted to stay active until 10 p.m. six nights a week. On Thursdays, it would sit beside the market.
The skate park is the piece still in progress
The third change at the park is a renovation. The Village posted on July 30 that the skate park at Palmetto Bay Park was closed for improvements. It said the work would take three months, weather permitting, and promised updates as it moved toward a "freshly updated Skate Park." If that schedule holds, the work would wrap up around the end of October. The Village's news flash page is where a reopening notice would appear.
Why Thursday stands out on the fall calendar
Look at the rest of the village's fall schedule and the Thursday market's place becomes clearer. Most community events are daytime or one-time, and the evening ones mostly come with a ticket price.
| Event | Where | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Eats Night Market | Palmetto Bay Park | Every Thursday, 5:30–9:30 p.m. | Free |
| Yoga by the Bay | Ludovici Park and Thalatta Estate, alternating | Sundays, 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Not listed |
| 2026 State of the Village | Thalatta Estate, 17301 Old Cutler Road | Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. | Not listed |
| Dottie Barton Harvest Festival + America's 250 Celebration | Coral Reef Park, 7895 SW 152nd Street | Sunday, Nov. 15, noon–3 p.m. | Not listed |
| Tides & Tidings holiday décor | Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Avenue | Nov. 27–Jan. 6, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | $10–$18 |
| Holiday House Tour & Campfire | Deering Estate | Dec. 8, 16 and 22, 5:30–9 p.m. | Details pending |
| Mistletoe & Martinis | Deering Estate | Friday, Dec. 11, 7:30–11 p.m. | $175–$1,800 |
The Village's November calendar has the State of the Village, the Harvest Festival and the Sunday yoga sessions. The Deering Estate holiday page lists the Estate's season, including a free Holiday by the Bay day with admission and Story-Time & Photos with Santa, both on December 5.
The Deering evenings are seasonal and ticketed. The Thursday market is the one entry here that is weekly, free and held after dark.
Changes like these, from a new market operator to a building contracted for late hours, affect how the streets around a park feel day to day. One Trust Realty is based in Palmetto Bay and follows what the council approves for our parks. If you'd like to talk through how the park's evening schedule fits with your plans for a home nearby, Schedule a Consultation and we'll go over it together.
