Outdoor art performances, Ringling Reflections gallery tour, farmers market, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, Sarasota. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Sarasota Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: Radio crew’s beachside circus tour, self serve sandbag stations opening today, and outdoor art performances at the Hermitage Sunsets Series this fall — catch up here.
State-level stories: Former Wake Forest star joining FSU, various plant seeds rocketing to the ISS, and an archival tale of Florida’s 19th-century pineapple rush — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Treat your pup to tiki luau fun
- Homeschoolers join Ringling’s free virtual art adventure
- Join relaxed gallery tours and create art
- Build speaking confidence at Toastmasters meeting
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Decor: You don’t need a trust fund to score standout pieces with personality. Check out Sarasota’s decor finds that prove small digs lead to big style payoffs.
Travel: Craving something offbeat? Discover roadside gems along Florida’s forgotten highways, from underwater hotels to hills that defy gravity.
Cleaning: Tackling the whole house can feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. This cleaning checklist breaks the job into manageable bites so you can crush it room by room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Steven Postans Antiques is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
This week
🔪 Murder by Malbec @ P | Tuesday (8/12) at 6:00pm – Prosecco on arrival sets the scene for cracking tomato-asiago bisque, gorgonzola-spiked greens, plus a murder mystery with crab-topped salmon, chicken saltimbocca, osso bucco, or veggie pasta. Cap it with chocolate Grand Marnier mousse, because this dinner-and-drama combo beats couch time any night.
🎷 Jazz Thursday @ Sarasota Art Museum | Thursday (8/14) at 5:30pm – Thursday nights at the Sarasota Art Museum just got classier with O Som Do Jazz, co-hosted by the Jazz Club of Sarasota. It’s the perfect reason to roam the galleries, sip something smooth, and marvel at your own impeccable taste.
🍦 Ice Cream Cone Resin Canvas @ Art Ovation Hotel | Thursday (8/14) at 6:00pm – Finally a reason to haul out that thrift-store seashell stash: join a resin workshop that turns glass shards, shells, and more into a chic ice cream cone canvas. It’s basically proof your glitter habit was justified all along.
🎤 Open Mic Night @ Downtown Bradenton | Friday (8/15) at 9:00am – Swing by Kava Social Club’s open mic night, where karaoke holdouts, poet laureates in training, and tone-deaf guitar heroes all mingle under one ramshackle roof. Pull up a stool, cheer on your neighbors, or embarrass yourself onstage.
🎪 Ringling Reflections @ Ringling Museum of Art | Friday (8/15) at 10:00am – If you’ve been itching to roam the museum without the snooty commentary, this gallery tour is your ticket. Bring your care partner to gab about color and memory, then whip up a monthly-themed art piece, free to join, just sign up before spots vanish.
This weekend
💃 Zumba with Yaël Campbell @ Sarasota Garden Club | Saturday (8/16) at 10:30am – Dust off those sneakers and head to The Bay for Yaël Campbell’s Zumba, where flailing arms count as cardio, and impromptu singalongs are practically a requirement. Bring the kids, rope in a buddy, and meet your new favorite workout crew.
🏖️ Ashley Lux Band @ Beach Club Siesta Key | Saturday (8/16) at 8:00pm – Patio lights, pop-rock power, and a few guilty-pleasure throwbacks await at Beach Club Siesta Key, where the Ashley Lux Band brings enough energy to make your sunscreen sweat. Pack comfy shoes, revive your inner rock star, and blame us for sore cheeks.
🎸 90s Country Tribute with Steele River @ Joyland Country Music Club | Saturday (8/16) at 8:45pm – Grab your cowboy boots and head over to Joyland for a night of ’90s country with Steele River, where the biggest throwback competition is in the wardrobe. Dust off your boots, hat, and best two-step for a foot-stomping good time.
🎶 Reggae and R&B Saturday @ Tigoor Restaurant & Hookah Lounge | Saturday (8/16) at 10:00pm – If you’re over dry turkey and family drama, swing by December 28 for sun-kissed reggae grooves and silky R&B vocals. No velvet ropes, no attitude, just old friends swaying under warm lights. Think of it as winter’s best loophole.
🍅 Farmer’s Market @ Waterside Park l | Sunday (8/17) at 10:00am – Sunday mornings lakeside are an open-air hobby show where over 90 vendors flog everything from organic kale to bear claw pastries. There’s live music, a kids’ art corner that’ll keep little hands busy, and even yoga if you want to pretend you woke up energized.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Ross David @ Wicked Cantina – 6 pm
- 8/13 Justin Layman @ Siesta Key Oyster Bar – 1 pm
- 8/14 DJ Karolina @ Gilligan’s Island Grill – 10 pm
- 8/15 Chris Otto @ Gilligan’s Island – 1 pm
- 8/15 Sinewave @ Gilligan’s Island Grill – 6 pm
- 8/15 Jay Stevens @ McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre – 6:30 pm
- 8/15 DJ Crawford @ Gilligan’s Island Grill – 10 pm
- 8/16 Shakey Pudding @ Gilligan’s Island Grill – 1 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Roger Pettingell (COLDWELL BANKER REALTY)
A marble and glass-framed foyer sets the tone for this Jonathan Parks-designed Bird Key standout, where 20-foot ceilings, luminous floors, and walls of glass keep the bay views front and center. The kitchen is pure eye candy with a waterfall-edge island, Wolf range, and built-in planning desk, while the main-level suite comes with dual walk-in closets, his-and-hers baths, and a private study for plotting your next adventure.
Upstairs, a spacious loft doubles as a game room or media lounge, and each guest suite gets its own balcony for sunset spotting. Out back, 100 feet of direct Sarasota Bay frontage, a fountain-lined lawn, and a 10,000-pound boat lift make it easy to play all day. Minutes from downtown, St. Armands, and the Gulf’s best beaches, this is modern coastal living with a serious wow factor.
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