Tickets on sale for Lawn Party by the Bay

Tickets for the Kiwanis Club’s annual Lawn Party are on sale. The party will follow the same successful format but is being rebranded as the Lawn Party by the Bay.

Although details of the Dec. 3 event are not yet finalized with the city of Sarasota for use of Ken Thompson Park, club president Michael Garey says there’s no reason to feel the new location is in jeopardy, so the party planning continues.

The Longboat Key restaurants on this year’s roster are the Blue Dolphin Cafe, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, Euphemia Haye, Harry’s Continental Kitchen, La Norma Italian Restaurant, Lazy Lobster of Longboat and the Resort at Longboat Key Club.

One local eatery doesn’t normally open to the public, but the Longboat Key Fire Rescue makes an exception for the Lawn Party. The crowd favorite is back by demand and will be serving their now famous firehouse chili. 

Tickets are priced at $75 a person, $650 for a neighborhood table for 10 or $1,000 for a sponsor table. A sponsor table accommodates 10 guests, but includes reserved VIP seating with your name or logo on the table, banner and program.

Woody and Sue Wolverton’s names will be printed on the patron sponsored panel per usual. The couple are regular silver sponsors, and this year, they brought in two friends, Dan Long and Bob Dods, to each match their $5,000 gift.

“Woody is our oldest living Kiwanian,” Garey said. 

Wolverton isn’t a founding member of the club but joined shortly after its inception in 1972. 

There are still three sponsorship opportunities available: $1,000 valet parking sponsor, $2,000 event program sponsor and $2,500 site sponsor. 

The Lawn Party is advertised as the biggest fundraiser on Longboat Key because it raised over $90,000 last year for the Children’s Guardian Fund. CGF helps children who were removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect by providing for emergency needs and enrichment programs like tutoring and summer camp.  

For information, visit LBKLawnParty.org.