Sarasota Art and Culture

A Cultural Gem on Florida’s West Coast

By Anthea Gerrie | Photography courtesy of Visit Sarasota

I came in winter for the opera—plus the ballet, the art, the symphony, and more theater than it would be possible to take in if attending a performance every day for a month. But I stayed for the beaches, the vintage shopping, and a brilliant dining scene I had not expected—what a multifaceted destination Sarasota turned out to be!

It may only be the sixty-ninth largest town in Florida, but amazingly, Sarasota has the same number of arts organizations as New York City. And it may be the only destination in the USA, maybe the world, which caters to culture vultures and beach bums in equal measure. So much culture that my hostess—a Manhattan transplant of ten years’ standing—urged me to give up the lazy afternoons and evenings where I delighted in getting sand between my toes to squeeze in just one more city museum—as if!

In the end, I spent more than a week alternating between the two Sarasotas, running around a bewildering array of cultural venues but chilling out every other day in a different beach town; there are so many surrounding this tiny west coast Floridian city in every direction.

An aerial view of Downtown Sarasota

It says something that the opera house is right in the center of the compact, walkable downtown—although the former A.B. Edwards theater wasn’t always a palace of high culture. It played host to America’s biggest stars, from the Ziegfeld Follies to Elvis, before the Sarasota Opera took residence in 1984.

You’ll find this handsome theater on Pineapple Avenue; one of the most endearing things about Sarasota is that principal streets have been named for the tropical fruits with which the world associates Florida. Coconut, Lemon, and Orange are other important downtown arteries, while Kumquat Court is a hidden jewel. The area has many smaller theaters, and the startlingly purple Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, where the big-ticket acts play, is just across the highway. But you’ll have to head ten minutes north toward the airport to find Sarasota’s highest-rated theater, the acclaimed Asolo Rep, which, like the Sarasota Ballet, has its principal home within the RinglingMuseum compound.

Before booking any tickets, reserve a seat on the sightseeing trolley tour, which covers almost every point of interest in ninety minutes. You’ll discover Scottish migrants were Sarasota’s original settlers in the 1880s and what the Ringling brothers of circus fame brought to the party a few decades later. Much more than the circus, it happens. While it’s been left to others to bring the actual Big Top to America’s circus capital these days, there is much more to Sarasota’s topattraction, the Ringling Museum, than its star exhibit (the biggest and best model circus you will ever see). There is also Ca d’Zan, the lavish Venetian-style mansion built by John Ringling and his wife, Mable, plus astonishing tropical vegetation and a world-class art museum.

What it lacks in grandeur by comparison, the nearby Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy makes up for in charm. Privately funded by its owner, this is a house of sheer visual fun and joy, from the galleries to the garden. There is no gift shop, cafe, or entrance fee—just an invitation to donate. Marietta was created out of love and was never intended as a profit-making attraction.

Speaking of outdoor art, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, named one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations by Time magazine, pays tribute to great art and the glories of the natural world. When I went to see works by the legendary Yayoi Kusama in its art gallery, I found many installations inspired by the great Japanese contemporary artist strung outside among the plants.The orchids, butterflies, and banyan trees are not to be missed on any visit. At The Museum of Botany & the Arts in the historic Payne Mansion of the Selby Gardens, a new exhibition, George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life, will run from February 9 through June 29, 2025, showcasing the ex-Beatle’s passion for horticulture that he indulged at his British estate. Another new exhibition, Patti Smith: A Book of Days, is on view from November 9 to August 31, 2025, at the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. The poet and former rocker is now the Selby Gardens’ artist in residence.

In the end, I spent more than a week alternating between the two Sarasotas, running around a bewildering array of cultural venues but chilling out every other day in a different beach town; there are so many surrounding this tiny west coast Floridian city in every direction.

While the opera festival runs in February and March, November’s season opener, the Fall Verdi Concert, featured favorite arias from the world’s most beloved composer of the sung word. Visitors can look forward to The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, and back to Verdi to finish the season with Stiffelio in the second half of March. Early birds get a double bill; the festival kicks off with ten performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci on the same night.

Before leaving downtown in your flip-flops, beach towel in tow, don’t neglect to visit vintage emporia The Treasure Chest, known locally as SPAARC for the domestic and sexual violence victims’ charity it supports, and The Exchange, which benefits the local arts community. You’re not done with vintage shopping even when you hit the beach. Bargain-hunting hones the appetite for lunch at Shore, Mar Vista, or Euphemia Haye, although it would be hard to beat the more casual seafood delights on offer at the Waterfront on Anna Maria Island. Utterly laid-back, the charm of this slow-paced little resort is in its old jetty overlooking the rock-strewn and flower-bedecked beaches. There is more actual sand back on Longboat Key—look for the wild, semi-hidden village beach—and the closer-in Lido and Siesta Keys.

Fine dining options abound on Main Street, which is worth visiting for its art deco architecture andthe Peruvian eats at Selva, particularly on the weekend for America’s longest-running farmer’s market. Another dining hub is St. Armands Circle, a shopping area within a five-minute ride of downtown via the free city shuttle. Crab and Fin is a favorite here, and it is expected to reopen in early December 2024 after recovering from Hurricane Milton. Still, my most memorable meals were in two restaurants whose authentic fare took me far away to another place. One only as far as Miami Beach, admittedly—home of the mid-century legend Wolfie’s Deli, which has reappeared in Sarasota’s evolving Arts District. As for South Sarasota favorite Sardinia, chef patron Dino Carta’s rustic Italian dining room and a maitre d’ from Florence transported me across the ocean to the eponymous Mediterranean island. After two hours tucking into ravioli with pecorino and orange zest, plus wild mushrooms served in lacy Parmesan baskets, it was a relief to find I had not actually left town once my authentic Sardinian dinner was done; there was so much still to see and do.

Even when I couldn’t manage to bag a ticket for the ballet, it followed me across the pond—this is a company so talented they were invited to make their international debut at London’s Royal Opera House this summer. I went to see them in Covent Garden and wished I could have followed them all the way home to Sarasota.

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Sarasota County is actively recovering from Hurricane Milton, with impacted areas progressing daily in their restoration efforts. Visitors can still enjoy Sarasota’s many unaffected and newly accessible areas, like the barrier islands, including Siesta Beach. There is strong optimism that beloved places like St. Armands Circle will soon be fully restored, welcoming back guests to enjoy cherished events and traditions in the coming months. Find more information to help plan your trip at VisitSarasota.com.