The best things to do this spring on Siesta, Lido, Longboat keys

The don’t-miss events from around the keys in February, March and April.


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  • | 12:00 p.m. January 27, 2023
Andrew and Luz Hereth celebrated 15 years of marriage at the 2022 Valentine’s Day vow renewal on Siesta Beach.
Andrew and Luz Hereth celebrated 15 years of marriage at the 2022 Valentine’s Day vow renewal on Siesta Beach.
Photo by Harry Sayer
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February

Feb. 5

Moonlit Paddle

Take your kayaking adventures to the next level with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island. Explore the coastal waters while discovering the Sarasota Bay nightlife — wildlife, that is. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Cost is $45 or $40.50 for Mote members. Continues Feb. 6, March 6 and 7, and April 5 and 6. Begins around 5:30 p.m., depending on sunset. Visit Mote.org.


Siesta Key Farmers Market

From 8 a.m. to noon at Siesta Key Village, 5104 Ocean Blvd., the Siesta Key Farmers Market features a variety of vendors selling produce, rum, bread, wellness products, artwork, natural candles and more. Continues every Sunday. Visit SiestaKeyFarmersMarket.org.


‘Hallelujah!’ Leonard Cohen and Friends

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Hear the music and stories of Leonard Cohen and his friends with a multimedia presentation. The program is from 3-4:30 p.m. and will be followed by a Champagne reception with an opportunity to meet the artists. Registration is $40 for members or $45 for nonmembers. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.


Feb. 7

Lido Sunrise Beach Walks

From 8-9:30 a.m. every Tuesday through March 28, enjoy a self-guided beach walk along South Lido Beach, 2201 Benjamin Franklin Drive, Lido Key. Register for $5 at the Ted Sperling Park playground before walking at least 1 mile. After completing four walks, participants receive an event T-shirt. Visit SCGov.net/parks.


New Orleans Jazz Night

Kid Dutch returns to the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, with guest jazz artists. The event begins at 8 p.m. and is $20 for members or $25 for nonmembers. Advance registration is recommended. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.


Feb. 8

Siesta Sunrise Beach Walks

From 8-9:30 a.m. every Wednesday through March 29, enjoy a self-guided beach walk along Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Register for $5 at the main pavilion before walking at least 1 mile. After completing four walks, participants receive an event T-shirt. Visit SCGov.net/parks.


Feb. 11
The first Market on Longboat Key in January 2022 brought out a variety of artists and vendors.

The Market on Longboat Key 

From 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, browse the wares of dozens of local vendors, including produce, art and home goods. Admission is free. Continues March 11. Call 941-316-1999, ext. 1111.


Feb. 12

Morning Paddle

Start your day on the water with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island. Morning kayak tours, from 8:30-10 a.m., are guided through Sarasota Bay and across seagrass beds. Keep an eye out for dolphins, manatees and other wildlife that make up the bay’s ecosystem. Participants must be at least 12 years old. Cost is $45 or $40.50 for Mote members. Continues March 5 and April 16. Visit Mote.org.




Feb. 14
John and Roberta Montelione danced at the 2022 Valentine’s Day vow renewal on Siesta Beach to celebrate more than 30 years of marriage.

Say ‘I Do’ Again

The annual Valentine's Day tradition of love returns to Siesta Beach and Nokomis Beach Park for couples looking to renew their vows of love. The event includes a certificate, a gift, a flower, music and refreshments. Check-in starts at 4:30 p.m. Registration is $15 per couple. Visit SCGov.net/parks.


Feb. 17

The Thomas Carabasi Jazz Quintet

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Enjoy music by jazz legends including Charles Mingus, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and more. The program is from 5-6:30 p.m. and costs $25 for members or $30 for nonmembers. Happy hour wine and cheese are included. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.


Feb. 24

Famous Composers and Their Muses

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Storyteller and musician Sandra Moulin will perform highlights from her one-woman shows alongside stories of composers Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Gershwin and Hoagy Carmichael. The program is from 3-4:15 p.m. and costs $20 for members or $25 for nonmembers. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.


Feb. 25-26
Don McCullough was one of dozens of artists at the 2022 Longboat Key Festival of the Arts.

Festival of the Arts

The second Festival of the Arts will be at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. Dozens of local vendors will be selling art, jewelry, photography and more from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission is free. Visit ArtFestival.com.


Feb. 26

A Salute to the Flute

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Storyteller and musician Flautist Rick Aaron and pianist Lee Dougherty perform a classical repertoire with pieces by Mozart and Bach, followed by contemporary Spanish music. The program is from 3-4:30 p.m. and costs $20 for members or $25 for nonmembers. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.


March

March 2

Beach University

Learn about the local beaches and coastal ecosystems with the Siesta Beach Ambassadors. Beach University runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Thursday in March at the main pavilion on Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. Admission is free, and the seminars are open for ages 10 and older. Visit SCGov.net/parks.


‘Tell and Show’: Art and Performance Expressing Identity

From 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, Hermitage fellows Tamara Anderson, a performer and writer; Lesley Mok, a drummer and composer; and B. Ingrid Olson, an artist, will discuss their processes and share their work. Registration is $5. Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.


March 4

Home and Garden Tour

The Longboat Key Garden Club’s Home and Garden tour will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details will be announced closer to the event date. Visit LBKGardenClub.org


March 10
Longboat Key Garden Club brings an inflatable projector out to Bayfront Park for its Dinner and a Movie event.

Dinner and a Movie

The Longboat Key Garden Club Party returns with its annual movie under the stars at Bayfront Park, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Enjoy a gourmet dinner, a live auction and concession snacks beginning at 5 p.m. Ticket details will be announced closer to the event date. Visit LBKGardenClub.org


‘Comedy and Community’

Hermitage Major Theater Award winner Madeleine George is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a playwright and a writer for Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building.” Currently working on a new play, George will discuss what she’s doing next and her plans for the $35,000 Major Theater Award commission. Registration is $5. Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.


March 12

Nate Jacob’s Jukebox

The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, hosts a performing arts program. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will perform an exclusive selection of highlights from their current and prior seasons. The program is from 7:30-8:30 p.m. and will be followed by a Champagne reception with an opportunity to meet the artists. Registration is $40 for members or $45 for nonmembers. Visit TBIEducationCenter.org.



April

April 1

Run for the Turtles

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium hosts its 37th annual 5K and 1-mile races to support sea turtles at Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key. The 1-mile fun run begins at 7:30 a.m.; the 5K begins at 8 a.m. An award ceremony will follow the 5K. Registration details will be available closer to the event. Visit Mote.org.


April 21-23
Bill and Chase Mudgett checked out boats at the 2021 Suncoast Boat Show at Marina Jack.

Suncoast Boat Show

Boat enthusiasts will assemble for the annual boat show in Sarasota Bay to admire cruisers, motor yachts and other types of watercraft on display. Admission is $17; military and children 15 and under are free. The show will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota. Visit SuncoastBoatShow.com.

 

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