When it runs, what you'll find, why Friday and Saturday aren't the same market, and how it differs from the annual art festival.

Maker booths at Art After Dark under the Beacon at Lake Nona Town Center

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated September 2026

Art After Dark is a free evening makers market at Lake Nona Town Center, held every Friday and Saturday. It normally runs from 6 to 10 PM. Orlando Local Makers runs it, with more than 40 local makers set up under the Beacon. Friday and Saturday feature different vendors. Recent Lake Nona listings spell it Art Aftr Dark.

Art After Dark is one reason Lake Nona Town Center is busy on weekend evenings: two nights a week, dozens of local makers set up under the Beacon, and the square fills with people browsing before or after dinner.

It is a makers market, not a gallery night, and it runs every week, so it rewards repeat visits more than a one-time trip. The detail most write-ups miss is that Friday and Saturday are not the same market.

What is Art After Dark?

Art After Dark is a free, weekly evening market of local makers and artisans at Lake Nona Town Center, run by Orlando Local Makers.

Booths set up under the Beacon, the six-story sculpture at the center of Lake Nona Town Center. There is no ticket or cover charge, and it is open to all ages.

Art After Dark at a glance
When Every Friday and Saturday
Hours Normally 6 to 10 PM
Where Lake Nona Town Center, under the Beacon (6967 Lake Nona Blvd)
Cost Free, no ticket
Vendors 40+ local makers; different lineups Friday and Saturday
Run by Orlando Local Makers

When is Art After Dark?

Art After Dark runs every Friday and Saturday evening, normally from 6 to 10 PM.

Lake Nona's 2026 listings use the spelling Art Aftr Dark; it is the same event. It is outdoors, so check the weather, especially on summer evenings.

What can you find at Art After Dark?

Expect handmade goods from more than 40 local makers: original art, jewelry, woodwork, leather goods, candles and ceramics.

Orlando Local Makers selects vendors for each market, and each gets a single 10-by-10-foot space, so the market stays compact. For food, the Town Center restaurants and Boxi Park are steps away; see our Lake Nona restaurants guide for more.

Is Art After Dark different on Friday and Saturday?

Yes. Friday and Saturday feature different vendors, so the two nights are effectively two different markets.

If you went on a Friday and did not find what you were looking for, a Saturday visit may turn up a different set of makers.

How is Art After Dark different from the Lake Nona Art Festival?

Art After Dark is a weekly makers market; the Lake Nona Art Festival is an annual juried fine-art show held one weekend each February.

The art festival brings about 100 juried fine artists competing for cash awards. Art After Dark is a smaller, every-week market of handmade goods with a changing vendor list. Both happen at Town Center, and on the festival weekend Art After Dark has run alongside it.

For a weekday market with produce, the Lake Nona Farmers Market runs on the first and third Wednesdays at Laureate Park Village Center.

Pros, Cons and Our Take

Pros

  • Free, every weekend, with no ticket.
  • Different vendors on Friday and Saturday give a reason to come back.
  • Restaurants and Boxi Park are steps away.
  • Local makers rather than mass-produced goods.

Cons

  • Outdoors, so summer heat and storms affect it.
  • A makers market, not a fine-art show; expect handmade goods more than gallery work.
  • Vendor lineups change, so a specific maker may not be there.
  • Town Center is busy on weekend evenings.

Our Take

Art After Dark is the easiest standing plan in Lake Nona for a Friday or Saturday night: browse the booths, eat at Town Center and head home. Go on both nights at least once, since the vendors differ, and save gift shopping for it rather than a mall.

What the Neighbors Know

Art After Dark is a standing weekend-evening option for Lake Nona residents: it is free, it is every week, and it happens in the community's main square. It also gives local makers a regular place to sell close to home.

For the rest of the weekly calendar, see our Lake Nona events guide.

Official Sources

Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Art After Dark in Lake Nona?

Art After Dark runs every Friday and Saturday evening, normally from 6 to 10 PM, at Lake Nona Town Center.

Is Art After Dark free?

Yes. It is free and open to the public, with no ticket or cover charge.

Where is Art After Dark held?

It is held at Lake Nona Town Center, under the Beacon sculpture, near 6967 Lake Nona Blvd.

Are Friday and Saturday Art After Dark the same?

No. Friday and Saturday feature different vendors.

Is Art After Dark the same as Art Aftr Dark?

Yes. Recent Lake Nona listings spell the event Art Aftr Dark.