The holiday season typically conjures up visions of a winter wonderland with snow as a backdrop. But who says wintertime has to be cold? Come to sunny Sarasota, where it's summertime all year long. Here, we have the same holiday festivities without the frostbite.
Holiday parades abound this season and don't think they're limited to land! In Sarasota, we love every excuse to be on the water.
Both Venice and Downtown Sarasota hold holiday parades on December 4, 2010.The Venice Christmas Boat Parade starts at 6 p.m. on the Intracoastal waterway. It begins at the Albee Road bridge in Nokomis and heads toward the Circus Bridge in Venice. The Sarasota Holiday Parade begins at 7 p.m. and runs along Main Street.
The Annual Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights takes place on December 11. Beginning at 6 p.m., the boat parade starts at City Island and will help you get in the spirit weeks before Christmas.
The Downtown Sarasota Holiday Arts & Craft Show will be held December 18-19 at Five Points at the intersection of Main and Pineapple streets. The event begins at 10 a.m. both days.
Experience the sounds of the holidays on December 9 at the annual Holiday Swing Courtyard Concert. The event will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall presents a variety of comedic plays and endearing holiday performances this year, including the Moscow Ballet Great Russian Nutcracker, which takes place on December 26 at 1 p.m.
Our favorite area attractions are adding to the festivities with a variety of fun events. From November 21, 2010 through January 2, 2011, Historic Spanish Point presents Heritage Holidays. On December 21, Mote Aquarium hosts a holiday performance by the Sarasota Orchestra (1-3 p.m.).
Sarasota Jungle Gardens Holiday Lights event takes place on select nights between December 3 -23 and the breathtaking Selby Botanical Gardens' Lights in Bloom takes place December 17-December 27, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Ringling Museum and the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota each have a slew of holiday events. For detailed information on all of the Sarasota attractions' spectacular holiday events, peruse "Sarasota's Holiday Cheer in Summer Weather" here: http://www.sarasotafl.org/article/sarasotas-holiday-cheer-in-summer-weather.
Sarasota brings its original flair to the holiday season yet again with the Atomic Holiday Bazaar, December 11-12, an event featuring crafts inspired by rock and roll. The 34th Annual Sandy Claws Beach Run, December 11 (7 a.m.), features a mile-long run and a 5k run on beautiful Siesta Beach, the number 2 beach in the world according to Dr. Beach.
Celebrate Hanukkah with your kids at Sarasota's Temple Sinai on December 8 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. with "Hanukkah for Children" at the Gulf Gate Library. Enjoy latkes and cookies while your kids make crafts and everyone shares stories. It's free and open to the public. Just stop by!
Hanukkah may conclude on the 9th, but holiday cheer doesn't have to end there. On December 12 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., stop by Temple Sinai for fun and food--lots and lots of Jewish food!
Of course, no holiday trip is complete without some shopping and Sarasota has plenty to offer in that department. Visitors will be able to check every gift off their holiday lists after paying a visit to the quaint shops on St. Armands Circle and Venice Main Street, as well as the fashionable stores in downtown Sarasota. For more information on the fun holiday events taking place in Sarasota & Her Islands this season, check out www.sarasotafl.org.
For more information on Sarasota's holiday parades, visit these sites:
www.venicemainstreet.com
www.venicechristmasboatparade.com
http://sarasotachristmasboatparade.com
For more information on holiday concerts and events, visit these sites:
www.atomicholidaybazaar.com
www.parksonline.scgov.net
www.ringling.org
www.mote.org
www.sarasotajunglegardens.com
www.selby.org
www.vanwezel.org
www.starmandscircleassoc.com
www.floridajewish.com
