Two hosts, one published ladder
Markets for Makers fills the Special Events Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Entry runs through the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd entrance at Gate 3.
The venue prices admission as Range from $6 to $18, admits children 12 and under free, and prices parking at $10 online and $12 onsite. The organiser's ticket page prices every tier.
The VIP ticket covers both days
All-weekend VIP costs $16. It adds a first-picks shopping hour on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m., an XL tote, a dedicated entry line and access at any time across both days. Children under 12 enter free.
Saturday general admission prices at $12 for arrival after 11 a.m., $10 after 1 p.m. and $8 after 3 p.m. Sunday reads $12, $10 and $6 on the same three windows.
Two full days at general admission cost $12 plus $12, which is $24. The VIP ticket costs $8 less and opens the building an hour before everyone else.
The VIP hour pulls the arrival to 10 a.m. Parking gates open one hour before the 11 a.m. start, so the two clocks meet.
Parking is one entry
The organiser prices parking at $12 per car in person, $10 prepaid online and $16 for RVs and buses, with cash and cards accepted at the gate. The venue's pre-purchase catalogue lists Markets for Makers - November 2026 at $10.00, marked Good for One Time Entry. Enter Thru MLK Blvd.
The parking portal states that each ticket covers one parking entry, that the printed price includes the convenience fee, that the ticket does not include event entry, and that sales are final.
Seven partners, one across the street
The venue's trip-planning page names seven hotel partners with its own distances: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa Fairgrounds Casino at 0.2 miles, Wyndham Garden Tampa Fairgrounds/Casino at 1.5, Staybridge Suites Tampa-Brandon at 2.7, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa East/Brandon at 2.8, Courtyard Tampa-Brandon at 4.4 and Cambria Hotel Tampa-Brandon at 5. Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa East closes the list at 5.0.
The page carries no nightly rate for any of the seven.
Start with the property across the street
The Holiday Inn Express sits 0.2 miles out, and the partner card reads directly across the street from the Florida State Fairgrounds. The venue's U.S. 301 directions use the same property as the landmark at the entrance.
Walk in and the parking charge leaves the weekend. Two show days at $10 prepaid come to $20, and at $12 on the day they come to $24. The walk also skips the MLK entrance queue.
The 1.5-mile backup
The Wyndham Garden opened in 2025 and publishes free parking, free wifi and a heated pool. Hold it when you plan to drive. The hotel lot covers the car overnight and leaves the fairgrounds charge in place for each show day.
Which nights
Saturday alone needs the night of 21 November with a Sunday checkout. Both days need the nights of 21 and 22 November with a Monday checkout. Saturday arrival to Monday departure is two nights. Saturday arrival to Sunday departure is one night and one show day.
The VIP hour moves the arrival earlier without moving the checkout. Ask for an early check-in in writing.
The stay that needs a kitchen
Staybridge Suites Tampa-Brandon, 2.7 miles out, publishes all-suite rooms with full kitchens, free laundry and a 24-hour convenience store. Two show days with children make the kitchen carry breakfast and a dinner.
Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa East includes hot breakfast and free wifi. Courtyard Tampa-Brandon at 4.4 miles and Cambria Hotel Tampa-Brandon at 5 miles complete the roster.
The Hilton Garden Inn card reads less than 2 miles while the distance field beside it reads 2.8 miles. Plan on 2.8 and ask the property to confirm the drive.
Camping closes 48 hours out
The fairgrounds sells event camping, pet-friendly with electric hookups, open to area events. The annual Florida State Fair is excluded. Reservations require payment online 48 hours ahead.
What to ask the property
Ask for the weekend rate in writing. Then ask for the cancellation deadline with its clock time. A Saturday-night hold you may drop needs a deadline that clears the hour you decide.