Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Braves Spring Training Weekend Guide

Explore Venice, hunt for shark’s teeth and catch a sunset ahead of game day.

Squeeze in an extra afternoon and night with a Friday afternoon arrival and check into the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel Venezia in Venice, a short 20-minute drive from CoolToday Park. Explore the city of Venice all afternoon and plan to catch a performance at the Venice Theatre under the leadership of its new executive director, Kristofer Geddie. After the show, grab dinner at local gem, Dockside Waterfront Grill. Tucked away in Venice's historic Fisherman's Wharf Marina, Dockside provides a casual, but stunning, waterfront dining experience with live music and cold drinks after a long travel day.

Zen out with Yoga on The Great Lawn, coffee break before the game

Get a healthy start ahead of the Braves game and add some zen to your Sarasota County itinerary with a free outdoor yoga class at Wellen Park, the city of North Port’s mixed used entertainment and dining district. 

Every Saturday the district hosts Yoga on The Great Lawn, a free yoga class for registered attendees just a short 5-minute drive from CoolToday Park. Fuel up and treat yourself to a post yoga matcha (or coffee if that’s your thing) at Foxtail Coffee before a quick wardrobe change into your game day gear to watch the Atlanta Braves in action at the state-of-the-art CoolToday Park. Don’t forget to grab a cold one during the 7th inning stretch at the Tomahawk Tiki Bar & Grill. 

After the game, indulge in a bowl of the Island Jambalya and take in a beachside sunset at Venice staple, Sharky’s on the Pier or try the catch of the day at Fins at Sharky's.

Keep it salty at one of the local beaches 

No weekend is complete without a toes in the sand, drink in hand beach day. One of the most popular near Cool Today Park is Caspersen Beach. Known as the ‘Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World’ the renowned beach not only offers warm sand and beautiful ocean views, it's easy to find fossilized shark’s teeth up and down the Venice coastline including Caspersen Beach, Casey Key, and Manasota Key beaches. 

If the beach isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of other outdoor and water recreation within a 20-minute drive of CoolToday Park. Rejuvenate your senses with a dip at Warm Mineral Springs, a natural 85-degree spring enriched with healing minerals. Or take a walk on the wild side and hop on a river boat tour at Myakka River State Park and tally how many alligators you see along the banks. 

End your spring training weekend with one more trip to Downtown Wellen Park for lunch at the Banyan House and take in views of the lake on the outdoor patio before your weekend ends.