Window shopping along chic St. Armands Circle doesn't cost a cent.
There's a season for everything in Sarasota and most of them feel like summer, but warm weather isn't the only thing you'll experience all year long. Each season is one for saving, from sightseeing to spring training. Here's the seasonal breakdown of ways to stay cheap without scaling back on family fun.
Summer
There's no better time to save than summertime. With perfect weather and the kids out of school, beach days are sure to be in the cards. Head to the beach rated No. 1 in the country, Siesta Beach, for free everything--parking, volleyball, sunbathing and swimming in the Gulf and even free music at the Sunday night drum circles. Or spend your day on Lido Beach, Longboat Beach or down at a South County beach--all also free. Take a dip or a scenic walk. At Venice and Caspersen beaches, the sharks' teeth you'll find are also included. Even go dolphin watching free of charge at North Jetty Beach.
Fall
Fall festivals abound in Sarasota. From the annual Ringling International Arts Festival, which celebrates innovation in all visual and performing art realms, to the annual downtown and St. Armands Circle art festivals, there are ways to celebrate on a small, or even nonexistent, budget.
Most festivals are free and all are fun. The Sarasota Blues Festival brings musical greats to the area, the Downtown Sarasota Art & Craft Festival and the St. Armands Circle Art Festival provide full days of free fun and the Halloween festivities are free or cheap and plentiful. To peruse all the fall offerings, check out http://www.sarasotafl.org/article/fall-in-love-with-sarasota/.
Winter
We often equate winter with shopping--an often leisurely indoor activity is ideal for the cooler season, after all. Shopping equals money, though, right? Not necessarily. While only window shopping is free, you can do your Christmas shopping on a budget with Sarasota's affordable options. Our local malls, Westfield Sarasota and Westfield Southgate, have trendy yet cheap options like the popular store Forever 21, and St. Armands Circle, Siesta Village, downtown Sarasota and Venice MainStreet have a multitude of shops with adorable touristy pieces and surprisingly affordable accessories.
Spring
The season before baseball season is the ideal one for cheap family fun. Florida is known for spring training, with the Yankees just an hour away in Tampa and several other Major League Baseball teams a stone‘s throw away. Sarasota is home to the Baltimore Orioles, who in 2012 played their second season in the newly renovated Ed Smith Stadium, known as "Birdland South."
Grab your family and some grub and cheer on the O's each season. For more information on the O's and their spring training in Sarasota, check out http://www.sarasotafl.org/article/sarasota-welcomes-the-baltimore-osand-you/.
