Siesta Key TripAdvisor billboard to be displayed at Siesta Fiesta

Siesta Key's recognition for winning TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice Award for the 2015 Best U.S. Beach will be proudly on display this weekend at Siesta Fiesta, the arts and crafts festival.

TripAdvisor gave Siesta Key a photo-op billboard to display the Key's ranking. Visit Sarasota County donated the frame to hold the sign.

Although the billboard currently resides inside the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce office in the Davidson Drugs Plaza, Debra Lynn-Schmitz, executive director, told members at the Siesta Key Village Association that the days the billboard had been outside, it had been a popular attraction with tourists and locals alike. 

The billboard was displayed during the day outside of the Village Cafe; Kay Kouvatsos, the owner, said whenever she walked out side people would ask her to take their photo with the turtle, manatee and dolphin cutouts. 

Schmitz said she planned to display the billboard at Siesta Fiesta this weekend next to the Siesta Key Association booth.

Also at the meeting, SKVA President Wendall Jacobsen reported that he and other Siesta organization leaders had discussed at a recent President's Council meeting the possibility of getting another webcam for either the Village or the beach. Sarasota County has a webcam installed at Siesta Key Public Beach, with a link to the real-time video on scgov.net. He said there could be an option for other Siesta Key organizations to link to the county's webcam if they ultimately decided not to purchase one for the Village.

No decisions have been made—Jacobsen said the idea was only at the very beginning stages, but the webcam could be a good promotional activity for the Key.

"If you're sitting at home in Michigan and it's ugly outside, you have that option," he said.