Children play in Steigerwaldt/Jockey Children's Fountain at Bayfront Park
To everything there is a season in the Sarasota area. When it comes to sweet eats, simple pleasures and downright steals, you're only limited by your imagination and the calendar. Fortunately, Sarasota is generous to both, rewarding savvy spenders with thrills cheap in cost but not quality. Here's a roundup of wallet-friendly ways to spend your days.
Summer
One dollar at Ed Smith Stadium amounts to an economic home run, buying admission to the Sarasota Reds' Thursday home games. In fact, everything's a dollar, with hot dogs, soda and beer all going for less than it takes to buy a few stamps. The Reds get swinging in late spring and play 70 home games, then they pass the bat to the Cincinnati Reds. Bring the mitts to catch another freebie – a foul ball. Kids will love the right-up-close intimacy of a minor league field game.
But if all they wanna do is splash around in the water, surprise them with a trip to the Steigerwaldt/Jockey Children's Fountain at Bayfront Park. This 4,000-gallon fountain shoots filtered water from more than 30 jets. Relax on the steps of the surrounding amphitheater as the kids frolic among wildlife sculptures. Splash fountains, they'll agree, are elemental fun.
If you want the adult version of no frills, outdoor entertainment, head to Van Wezel's Friday Fest on the Bay. Held on the third Friday of each month, June through October, this free concert series leaves you in the green –literally. Kick off your shoes, spread the picnic blanket and watch the sunset as the band grooves. If you feel lighter when you leave, it can only be attributed to the varied scene and smooth tunes.
Fall
It doesn't cost much to be romantic, and in the season to end all seasons on Sarasota's coast, look no further than the shoreline. Nokomis Beach is an idyll, with gentle waters and plenty of space.
Just a few minutes south is Venice's North Jetty, notable for the legions of dolphin watchers who gather at sunset to glimpse the sleek animals. North Jetty Beach is a good lookout for the silver-grey creatures, which travel in pods and feed close to the shore.
Or hunt for silver treasures of another kind at St. Armands Circle, where the windows are always available for shopping. Be a clever opportunist and take in the theatre of people, colors and sounds against the Circle's vibrant backdrop.
Winter
Haute école is the name for the beautiful performance Lipizzaner Stallions give. If it's the cheap and chic you're after, taking in a presentation of this rare Austrian breed is in order. Beginning in January, the Col. Ottomar Herrmann's unicorn-white horses demonstrate their celebrated breeding a few times a week at the Herrmann family ranch in Myakka. While donations are accepted, admission is free.
Hoping for more haut monde? Hustle over to Philippi Mansion's Brown Bag Lunch concert series. Held weekly on the mansion's lavish grounds, the series features a variety of accomplished musicians, gratis. Philippi's stately surrounds aside, free concerts spring up everywhere on this cultural coast.
Siesta Key Beach and the pier on Venice's Caspersen Beach make scenic stages for musical acts that hit just about every note, except the ones in your wallet.
Spring
Performers, costumes and an extravaganza. Sound expensive? It isn't. The Sarasota Ski-A-Rees has been staging weekly water skiing shows for 40 years. These ski champs show off their acrobatic talents for free. Marvel as the team arranges into an elegant human tower and then turns on a dime.
Anytime of Year
Invest in the quiet abundance nature provides, no matter the season. Meander down the new boardwalk on Venice's Caspersen Beach, part nature walk and part promenade. Bring along a picnic lunch as you hike or roller blade down the linear trail in Venice's new Venetian Waterway Park. Nearly 10 miles of trail follow the Intracoastal Waterway and feature fishing platforms, scenic overlooks, a playground and up-close views of the snaking Intracoastal.
Make a day of it on one of the county's beaches – parking is free and so is a day on the sands. Stroll along Sarasota's Bayfront and count the undulating sailboats. Downtown, the Sarasota Farmer's Market sets up shop every Saturday. They say talk is cheap, but it's a currency the market is liberal with as friends and neighbors chat, chill and check out the bushels of produce.
The Sarasota area's offerings are plentiful – and rich. Luckily, you don't have to be.
Create your own custom coupon book for savings at area attractions, dining establishments and accommodations, or order a printed guide. When you're in the area, stop by the Sarasota Visitor Center at 655 N. Tamiami Trl,. Sarasota for helpful information and brochures.
If you go:
Ed Smith Stadium
www.sarsotagov.com
www.cincinnatireds.com
Kilwin's Chocolates at St. Armands, 941-388-3200
Lipizzaner Stallions, 941-322-1501
Philippi Mansion, 941-316-1309
Sarasota Farmer's Market, 941-951-2656
Ski-A-Rees, 941-388-1666
www.skiarees.com
Steigerwaldt/Jockey Children's Fountain, 941-954-4101, ext. 5403
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 1-800-826-9303
www.vanwezel.org
Venice and Nokomis Beaches, 941-486-2626
www.venicegov.com
