2021

There is plenty of family fun to be had in Sarasota County. Enjoy a list of 11 activities featuring wildlife, physical activities and natural entertainment.

As any parent will tell you, on a vacation with children, it's clear who's running the show. Sure, you're the adult "making the decisions," but let's be honest: if the kids aren't happy, nobody's happy. That's why it's important to have a full arsenal of kid-friendly activities at your disposal.

Longboat Key is the quiet neighbor to the hustle and bustle of Lido Key and St. Armand’s Circle. But don’t ignore it - there are plenty of things to be done in this beautiful strip along the Gulf.

Sunday evening Drum Circles on three Sarasota County beaches gather together artists, dancers, locals, tourists, children and adults for a night of dancing, music, sand, sunsets and judgment-free peace and unity.

Walking along the beach on a Sunday night, the siren call beckons you. Louder and louder it becomes as you succumb to its song, a beat that mimics that of your heart. Approaching the source of the rhythm, a gathering appears. Dozens and dozens of people from every demographic form a circle on the sand, headed by a plethora of percussionists.

Spas

• The Ritz-Carlton Members Spa Club gives its members and Ritz-Carlton hotel guests special treatment. The spa features treatment rooms, saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools, in addition to lounges, products with all organic ingredients, and special relaxation therapies.
• Tranquil treatment rooms and custom treatments will leave guests feeling transformed after a visit to the recently remodeled Island House Spa at the Resort at Longboat Key Club.

Sarasota County offers family fun for story-loving tots and older siblings to parents and grandparents.

Museums and Aquariums

• Mote SEA features three galleries, each home to dozens of aquatic animals, as well as interactive experiences and immersive learning opportunities. Dive into the ocean during Mote's Virtual Reality Experience, or encounter majestic rays during the Ray Feeding Experience.
• The Tibbals Learning Center at The Ringling Circus Museum has the world's largest miniature circus.

For a small community situated in south Sarasota County, the Englewood Farmer’s Market packs an “over the top” experience distinguished by the number and quality of vendors, vibrant atmosphere and friendly hospitality. More than 6,000 visitors come to the popular Englewood market on Thursdays from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Elevate your Bachelorettes, birthdays or just a regular weekend (or weekday) nights around Sarasota for the perfect Girls Night Out (or In).

Ah, the Girls Night Out. The reprieve all women need to let loose with the gals, complain about the responsibilities lingering back at home, and recharge with some girl power.

We all need it.

And yet each G-N-O looks different to each gaggle of girls. Maybe it’s Bachelorette Party time. Maybe someone needs a little extra girl love in her life. Perhaps it’s just time.

When desire strikes to cook seafood at home, check out these Sarasota-area resources.

Living in our coastal community affords us opportunity to enjoy delicious seafood on a year-round basis.  And as I see it, there are pretty much three options for procuring that delicious seafood:

Learn about all the different shells you can find on the beaches in Sarasota County.

“Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh, “Gift from the Sea”

Born and raised in Sarasota, I grew up on Siesta Key. My childhood memories included hours and hours of swimming, running up and down the white sandy beaches, building sandcastles and watching tangerine colored sunsets on the beach lined shores of the Gulf of Mexico.