This Summer, Visitors to Sarasota County Can Find Fun, Escape and Value

Summer is a great season to visit Sarasota with a variety of deals, offers and special activities available throughout the season.  June kicks off with the destination’s restaurant weeks, known as Savor Sarasota, which offers amazing deals on the region’s best dining. The savings continue throughout the season with the destination’s Fun in the 941 offers on activities, accommodations and restaurants that let vacationers live like a local.  Beyond the special savings, Sarasota offers beautiful beaches, plenty of special events and seasonal offerings. Here is what visitors can expect to find this summer in Sarasota County:  

Savor Sarasota
Foodies looking for a way to experience all the local fare should check out Savor Sarasota. Running June 1st through the 14th, dozens of restaurants will feature prix-fixe, multi-course lunch and dinner menus for $25 and $40 per person. June 1-14 https://www.visitsarasota.com/savor-sarasota

Fun in the 941
Visitors to Sarasota County can take advantage of summer deals and visit like a local with the destination’s Fun in the 941 special offers. These deals allow visitors to easily find savings to experience dining, entertainment and attractions like the locals. Some offers visitors can take advantage of include:

• Through September 11th, Siesta Key is offering a discount on lounge chair rentals at their private beach, located near Beach Access 12. Siesta Key Beach is TripAdvisor’s 2023 No. 2 beach in the U.S. and No. 11 beach in the world.
   
• Now through September 11th, The Bay is offering free 2-hour kayak tours through the restored mangrove bayou and along the Sarasota Bay shoreline. The Bay is a community, city, and park conservancy initiative that is conserving and transforming 53 acres of city-owned land into a signature public park that sits on Sarasota Bay.
   
• Through August 31st, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art offers free admission every Monday. The Ringling was founded in 1946 and houses one of the largest and most comprehensive art research libraries in the southeastern United States.
  http://www.funinthe941.com/
   

Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling
The Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling are partnering to present the Summer Circus Spectacular at the Historic Asolo Theater. This family-friendly event showcases some of the finest circus artists from around the world. The Ringling is also offering a Summer Circus Spectacular for camp groups, giving them the opportunity to experience an entertaining circus show, the Tibbals Learning Center and the beautiful Bayfront Gardens. June 9 – August 12
https://www.ringling.org/events/summer-circus-spectacular-1

Improv Festival by Florida Studio Theatre
The Sarasota Improv Festival is returning for its 13th year and will feature over 20 of the top improv troupes from across the country and as far as Canada and the United Kingdom. MC Hammersmith, a multi-award-winning hip-hop improviser and comedian from the United Kingdom, is headlining. Founded by Rebecca Hopkins in 2009, the Sarasota Improv Festival has become a destination event, drawing thousands of people from across Florida and beyond. The festival will be held at Florida Studio Theatre’s downtown Sarasota campus Thursday, July 20 through Saturday, July 22. https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/events-and-tickets/13th-annual-sarasota-improv-festival/

A Beautiful Mess: Weavers and Knotters of the Vanguard Exhibit at Sarasota Art Museum
From micro artworks to mammoth room-sized installations, the national roster of women artists in “A Beautiful Mess” push the boundaries of their textile-based medium. Using rope, yarn, clay and wire, this group of conceptual artists knot and twist their medium into sculptures that range from minimal and hyper-organized to utter pandemonium. This art is on display at the Sarasota Art Museum now through June 25. https://www.sarasotaartmuseum.org/a-beautiful-mess/

Grand Carnival 2023 - A Pride Month Celebration
Art lovers can enjoy the Grand Carnival 2023, presented by Project Pride SRQ at The Circus Arts Conservatory. This unique event will feature exciting visuals by Botanica Design Studio and live performances by Ada Vox of “American Idol” and “Queen of the Universe” and Zee Machine, nominated for Breakout Musical Artist at The Queerties Award. June 3; 8 pm – 10 pm
https://www.ppsrq.org/grand-carnival-2023

Squeaky Wheel Fringe
Squeaky Wheel Theatre Group, the newest nonprofit theatre group on the Gulf Coast, is providing an inclusive and accepting artistic environment that is unafraid to be loud, push boundaries and challenge artists and audiences alike. Their first event will be Squeaky Wheel Fringe, a four-day, 20+ performance event featuring both local, national and international artists. June 7-11 https://www.squeakywheeltheatre.org/

Donald Harrison Jazz Quartet
New Orleans-born saxophonist Big Chief Donald Harrison is a musician and composer who is considered a master of every era of jazz, soul, funk and a composer of orchestral classical music. He has been a mentor to artists as diverse as The Notorious B.I.G., Jonathon Batiste, Christian Scott, Trombone Shorty and Esperanza Spaulding. Tickets are $30 for members, $33 for non-members and $17 for students. June 9; 8 pm https://wslr.org/event/donald-harrison-jazz-quartet/

That Must Be The Entrance to Heaven at Urbanite Theatre
Urbanite Theatre is hosting the world premiere of Franky D. Gonzalez’s That Must Be The Entrance To Heaven. Gonzalez is a recipient of the 2020 Charles Rowan Beye New Play Commission at Urbanite Theatre and a staff writer for the fourth season of “13 Reasons Why.” This show is about four Latino boxes all chasing a world title to achieve their personal versions of heaven. June 9 – July 9 https://www.urbanitetheatre.com/heaven

Whether it is a hotel, resort, condo, vacation home, or RV park, Sarasota County provides a variety of options to suit any travel preference. Visitors can book their getaway at www.visitsarasota.org and check out even more to do on the destination’s events calendar.

About Sarasota County
Situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Sarasota County welcomes more than 2.7 million visitors annually. Within its 725 square miles, the county serves up a diverse menu of cultural and recreational activities and attractions, including award-winning dining, world-class fine arts and performing arts, professional and amateur sports and the area’s circus heritage. Vacationers can enjoy city life in downtown Sarasota, revisit old Florida in Englewood and Venice, enjoy some of the best beaches in the U.S. on Siesta Key and Longboat Key, or play in North Port’s many parks and waterways. Sarasota County is perhaps best known for its 35 miles of pristine coastline in addition to 6 barrier islands, delivering options for beach getaways that are unrivaled almost anywhere else in the U.S., including Siesta Beach, named the No. 1 beach in the country and No. 11 in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards – the third time it has held the national title. To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com. Connect via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joel Kaiman, [email protected]
Maddy Kraftchick, [email protected]