On the second Tuesday of each month, from 5 to 8 p.m., Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources parks a local taco food truck near the pickleball courts at Nokomis Community Park, 234 Nippino Trail E. The Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce listing says it's free. It invites you to "bring your gear and enjoy the park your way, whether that's pickleball, a ride along The Legacy Trail or simply relaxing in the park."
Those three options keep different hours. The park stays open until 10 p.m. The Legacy Trail is open from 6 a.m. to sunset, all year. On a winter Tuesday, sunset comes early in that 5-to-8 window. So there's an order that works: ride first, eat second, play under the lights last.
The season, Tuesday by Tuesday
The series started Oct. 13, 2026, and runs through March 9, 2027. These are the second Tuesdays in that run:
| Month | Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| October | Oct. 13, 2026 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| November | Nov. 10, 2026 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| December | Dec. 8, 2026 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| January | Jan. 12, 2027 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| February | Feb. 9, 2027 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| March | March 9, 2027 | 5 to 8 p.m. |
For questions about a specific night, the county points people to 311 or 941-861-5000.
Why the 10 p.m. closing matters
Most of the outdoor spots on this stretch of Nokomis close with the daylight. Nokomis Riverview Park, half a mile up the trail at 251 Riverview Drive S., is open 6 a.m. to sunset. The trail runs on the same sunset rule.
Nokomis Community Park keeps going for hours after that. When the county renovated the 17-acre park, it added eight lighted pickleball courts and resurfaced the tennis and basketball courts. It also added new shade structures, a pavilion, picnic shelters and improved restrooms, according to an April 27, 2026 county release. That project won a national award from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials in the Developed Recreation Parks and Facilities category.
So the lights are what make Taco Tuesday work as an evening out. A taco truck on a Tuesday in December would be nice anywhere. Here it sits next to courts you can keep playing on after dark.
The county lists outdoor pickleball as first-come, first-served all year. That means no reservation and no booking window. If the courts are busy when the truck arrives, eat first and keep an eye on the paddle line.
Ride first, while the trail is still open
The park's Legacy Trail access came out of the same renovation. The county's project page lists "a connection to the Legacy Trail" next to the new courts, restroom and picnic shelter. The Friends of the Legacy Trail mile table puts the Nokomis Community Park access at mile 1.0. That makes a short out-and-back easy to fit in before dark.
Here's what's within about a mile and a half in either direction, measured from the park access:
- South 1.0 mile: Venice Train Depot, mile 0.0
- South 0.2 mile: Patriots Park Trailhead Access, mile 0.8
- North 0.25 mile: Colonia Lane Crossing, mile 1.25
- North 0.5 mile: Nokomis Riverview Park, mile 1.5
- North 0.8 mile: Dona Bay Bridge, mile 1.8
- North 1.6 miles: Laurel Road Crossing, mile 2.6
A ride north to the Dona Bay Bridge and back is about 1.6 miles round trip. A ride south to the depot and back is 2 miles. On a taco night, either one gets you back to the truck before it's dark. Most people won't want to ride the whole trail on a Tuesday. If you do, the Fruitville Road end in Sarasota is at mile 18.5.
The county lists the trail, its parking areas and its trailheads as dog-friendly. The park itself allows dogs on a leash.
The water side of the park is for daylight too
Besides the courts, the county lists a canoe and kayak launch, a fishing pier, grills, a community garden, outdoor fitness equipment, and both paved and unpaved trails. If you have a kayak, try a weekend morning at the park's own launch. Or use Riverview Park, where the county says you can launch steps from the parking lot and reach the trail by a short boardwalk.
On a Tuesday evening, the grills and pavilion fit better. They're part of the park that stays open until 10 p.m.
This corner has been the town's gathering spot for a century
This corner of Nokomis has served the community since the 1920s. According to the county's project history, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fred Albee and his wife bought land on both sides of Nokomis after a visit in 1917. They gave part of it for the Nokomis School, which opened in 1924. The school was a two-room Mediterranean Revival building for grades one through eight. Prefabricated classrooms replaced it in 1970. The Nokomis Community Center opened on the same site in 1992.
The most recent renovation was paid for with South County park impact fees, designed by AM Engineering LLC and built by Tandem Construction. The ribbon cutting was May 14, 2025. The park also has a recreation building and indoor rental space. For room questions, the county lists the park's phone number as (941) 486-2753.
Two December evenings in a row
December has a nice pairing. On Monday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m., the county's events guide lists a free "Mystical Oasis Sound Bath" at Nokomis Beach Park on Casey Key Road. Kelly Kelita will play crystal and metal singing bowls and a hand pan as the sun sets. The next evening, Dec. 8, is Taco Tuesday back at Nippino Trail. That's sunset on the Gulf one night and tacos with lighted courts the next, both free and both from the county.
For a daytime outing on the same trail, the Venice Area Historical Society runs free docent-led tours of the 1927 Historic Venice Train Depot at 303 E. Venice Ave. The fall and winter series runs Oct. 31, 2026, through April 28, 2027. Tours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on select dates, including Wednesdays and Saturdays. The grounds also have a former Ringling circus railcar with exhibits, a caboose and picnic tables. From the Nokomis Community Park access, it's a one-mile ride south.
The creek lot next door
The park may grow toward the water. On June 2, 2026, Sarasota County commissioners voted 5-0 to buy a vacant, roughly 1.01-acre parcel on Nash Avenue from Maiden Lane Property LLC for $1,375,000. The Business Observer reported that the lot has 145 feet of frontage on Curry Creek. Shawn Yeager, the county parks interim director, listed possible uses: a walking path, picnic areas, water access for fishing and wildlife viewing toward Curry Creek and Roberts Bay, and a bigger community garden next door. The county said it would develop a concept plan once the land was acquired, and the report set Aug. 31 as the closing date.
Nokomis is home port for us at The Real Estate Captains, so we follow how projects like the Curry Creek lot take shape. If you own near Nippino Trail or Nash Avenue and want to know how the park's growth could affect your home's value, give us a call for a free market valuation. We're glad to talk it over, maybe even at the taco truck on Dec. 8.
