Things to Do
Head to the Beach
For tons of information, see our sister website: MySarasotaBeach.com where we describe all the public beach options in the county. We suggest driving over the Ringling Bridge to the South Lido (Ted Sperling) County Park, see map below, where there’s free parking and the beach looks and feels like sugar, as described in the About Sarasota section here which also recommended nearby lunch places and a day trip up Long Boat Key to Anna Maria Island.
Budget Activities
Sarasota Magazine has assembled articles on a number of things to do in Sarasota for free, or for under $10. A few are described below.
Farmers’ Markets
The downtown Sarasota Farmers Market (below left photo) is open year-round every Saturday from 7am– 1pm. The Newtown Farmers Market in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at 2523 Cocoanut Ave. is open Thursday, Friday and Sunday 12pm–6pm, and on Saturday from 10am–4pm. A bit out-of-town is the Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market, open year round on Sundays form 10am–2pm.
Photo from YourObserver.com 09/24/15
Photo from Lakewood Range website
Cool Stuff to Do
Siesta Key Rum Distillery, 2212 Industrial Blvd, offers free tours and has a tasting room.
University of Florida, Extension Campus for Sarasota County offers educational experiences with guided walks, seminars, camps programs many or most for free. Meet and question a master gardener. Walk the shores with a natualist.
Bay Runner, is a free trolley running the below route every 20–30 minutes. In addition to being easy transportation to the beach, Armand Circle and downtown, use it for free sightseeing. It terminates at the South Lido Park beach.
Map from VisitSarasota.com
The Legacy Trail starts at 2200 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota, and offers a paved flat multi-use trail. You can see where it starts at the green connector in the picture above. Mostly
used for biking, the path (purple line) extends 18.5 miles to Venice where it joins up with other bike paths (blue lines) along the Intracoastal Waterway. The website above has a neat drone view of portions of the trail, which is a must-do experience if you are a biker.
Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th Street, is 1.7 miles from Mentone Court. The spring home of the Baltimore Orioles there are frequent home games starting in mid-March. The 8,000 seat stadium is new and tickets start at $17 for the Berm (grassy hill off the outfield) or $40 for seats.
Photo by 57Lulu, 02/2023
Photo by DaveH
CoolToday Park in Sarasota County is home to the Atlanta Braves’ spring training camp in Venice, about 35 miles south. Parking is free and the Tomahawk Ski Bar & Grill and Clubhouse Team Store are open six days a week. Venice is worth a day trip, being so close.
Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, 4951 Lorraine Rd, Bradenton, schedule has a listing of all volunteer opportunities. It’s out-of-town but worth the drive. This is probably a commitment for a seasonal or year round person.
Sarasota Walkers Meetup organizes roundtrip walks of about 3–4 miles. They offer about three walks a week, including a late afternoon walk starting at the famous sailor statue in Bayfront Park and going over the Ringling Bridge. Other walks travel the Venice Esplanade and Jetty Walk, or start at The Nest, shown below, at 1055 Blvd of the Arts.
Near Mentone Court
It’s all about walkability. Here we’ll mention some ultra-nearby activities. Just a three-minute walk from the condo is the West Coast Black Theater. Check out the calendar for progams. For 2025 adult seats are $52 and if you are under 25, then $22. Everyone raves about this venue and the shows.
Also, check to see what is going on at the WSLR radio station + Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center which is about a two-minute walk from the condo. They produce over 60 live concerts a year in their small nearby building, usually costing less than $30 for a ticket. Click on the link to check their event schedule.
Photo from VisitSarasota.com
Photo from VisitSarasota.com
A couple minutes walk takes you to the ten acre Gillespie Park with its nearby Children’s Garden, the Cookie Cottage, Breakfast House Kam’s Bubble Tea & Sushi, Maximillian’s Café, Rincon Art Gallery and studio, Sea Turtle Cottage, spas, a biergarten, salons and more.
Alto, the Boat
For visiting friends it may be possible for you to hire one of our captains, who look after Alto in our absence, to spend half a day or more on the water. The captains will offer advice on places to go and see. The boat has a bathroom and is air-conditioned. Expect to pay about $75 per hour for the captain and consider tipping as well. A half day or four hour trip is typical but they are flexible. On the way back the captain may stop and top off the fuel which you are welcome to pay for, but otherwise there is no charter fee for friends who use of the boat.
They are:
Captain Harry Baker, 941-400-4086
Captain Lisa Heeg, 708-764-0603
Both know the local waters well and can take you on tours. A favorite is motoring around Bird Key to see the homes of the rich & famous from the private rear. Or, just park at a waterfront restaurant. Pack a lunch and anchor/swim in lagoons or off sandbars. I can talk to you about this option if you are interested.
Don’t forget you can rent a Tiki Boat, go on a sailboat cruise or on a sightseeing boat or dinner cruise or live music cruise – see the options in the about The Marina section.
In the next section, we’ll talk about more things to do, starting with the restaurant scene, which is vast.
