2017

If the waves are big enough to surf, wakeboard can be a fun alternative. Learn more about the sport and where to rent and ride wakeboards in Sarasota County.

Sarasota County has some of the best birding hotspots in Florida. 

As a rest stop for migratory birds with bountiful lands such as the Celery Fields and Myakka State Park, there's always something new to be seen through the binocular lens.

The Sarasota Baseball Classic is a tournament on the sunny shores of Sarasota County held in March 2017. For 32 years teams from the state of Florida and beyond hit the field for a tournament recognized by Baseball America as one of the premier prep tournaments in America.

We began planning our Sarasota wedding from New York City. We did our research and we considered everything from luxurious, all-inclusive spots to warm, sand-in-your-toes beach weddings. But we imagined a one-of-a-kind place that we could dress up with meaningful touches--bowls of oranges in honor of our citrus hometowns, books as favors--and that recalled the jazzy literary elegance of Fitzgerald. We realized early on that our greatest challenge would be choosing which of the many romantic and historic sites with stunning Gulf and bay views we wanted.

It's a blissful day on Siesta Key. I am at the intersection of "beach" and "ocean" avenues, and debating which path I want to take to one of the best beaches in the U.S. (and the world!).

Location

On Florida's west coast between Tampa to the north and Ft.

Siesta Key beach, ranked the no. 1 beach in America by TripAdvisor users has completed its renovations. Learn more about the new upgrades.

The sugary, white quartz sand and the Gulf Coast waters that stretch all along Siesta Key are reason enough to visit the Siesta Key public beach when vacationing in Sarasota County, Florida.

Fine dining, farmers markets, breweries and much more. Dining in Sarasota County isn’t just another meal, it’s an adventure of culinary tastes.

Sarasota County is home to award-winning chefs and 21 Zagat-rated restaurants. Beyond fine dining, however, is a treasure trove of culinary experiences. Enjoy fresh produce from a Farmers Market, or pick right off the vine at a hydroponic farm.

Spending a Saturday morning at the Sarasota Farmers' Market has been a downtown tradition since 1979, and attendees cross county lines to take part in it.

From 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. all year long, about 85 vendors gather along Lemon Avenue, between First Street and South Pineapple Avenue. They sell homemade pastas, apparel, jewelry, herbs and produce from local farms, as shoppers fill their canvas totes and wheelbarrows with fresh ingredients for weekend meals.