🏳️‍🌈 Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest

Thursday, May 7-Saturday, May 9, 925 Maddox Gallery Studios + LGBTQIA+ Center, 925 N. Lime Ave., Sarasota, and Selby Five Points Park, 1 Central Ave., Sarasota

The Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest returns for three days of LGBTQIA+ music, art, drag, performance and community programming. The festival opens Thursday with “Still We Rise: Queer & Trans Defiance,” an exhibition at the new 925 Maddox Gallery Studios + LGBTQIA+ Center, followed by additional gallery programming and a Tea4T Drag Open Stage on Friday. On Saturday, the celebration moves to Selby Five Points Park from 3-10 p.m., with music, vendors, visual artists, nonprofits, a Youth Makers Booth, collage and zine-making and performances by The Tilt, Sorry Barb, Lesa Silvermore Band, MeteorEYES, DJ Dalignaga and Azara Ballet. For more information, click here.

🛼 Bradentucky Bombers vs. SoFlo Roller Derby

Saturday, May 9, 5 p.m., Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex, 5309 Twenty-Ninth St. E., Ellenton

Cancel the chill night at home: the Bradentucky Bombers are back on the track against SoFlo Roller Derby, with fast-paced jams, big hits and the kind of crowd energy that makes sitting quietly feel beside the point. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 for ages 7-12 and free for children 6 and under. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎭 North Port’s Got Talent

Saturday, May 9, 6-9 p.m., North Port Performing Arts Center, 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port

North Port Parks & Rec brings back its fifth annual local talent showcase, with performers taking the stage for music, dance, comedy and whatever else your neighbors have been quietly practicing while the rest of us were scrolling. Admission is $5, and children ages 3 and under get in free. For tickets or more information, click here.

🪄 Mind Magic LIVE With Joshua Seth

Friday, May 8, 7 p.m., Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College, 1021 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Mentalist Joshua Seth brings Mind Magic LIVE to Sarasota Art Museum for a night of mind reading, comedy and audience disbelief. Tickets range from $29-$49, with free parking at the museum, so the only thing you’ll have to overthink is whether he somehow knew you were going to pick that card. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎹 Herbie Hancock

Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m., Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock comes to the Van Wezel with a career that now stretches across seven decades, 14 Grammy Awards and a catalog that has helped reshape modern music more than once. Expect a night with one of the rare artists who can make “icon” feel like a factual job title rather than a compliment. For tickets or more information, click here.

🪩 Friday Night Dance Party

Friday, May 8, 6-9 p.m., Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, 600 U.S. Highway 41, Palmetto

The free 107.9 WSRZ’s Friday Night Dance Party takes over the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa with David Jones, Meredith Michaels, food, games and three hours of throwback singalong material. No cover means you can spend the evening dancing to ’70s favorites without explaining any of your choices to your knees. For more information, click here.

🦋 The Butterfly House Experience

Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota

Step inside a pop-up butterfly house with 30 to 40 butterflies, a small bit of wonder tucked into the Bazaar’s courtyard scene. It’s free to enter, family-friendly and designed for anyone who could use three minutes of standing still while something beautiful flutters by. For more information, click here.

🦸 SiestaCon

Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m., Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

SiestaCon brings comics, cosplay, tournaments, artists and assorted fandom energy to Robarts Arena for a one-day Sarasota convention. Come for the beach-town spin on con culture, stay for the costumes, collectibles and the joy of seeing people take fictional universes more seriously than most of us take our inboxes. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎤 TAE & The Neighborly

Sunday, May 10, 7 p.m., Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota

Green Bay band TAE & The Neighborly brings a mix of soul, R&B, pop and rock to Fogartyville, with rich instrumentation and vocals built for the kind of room where people actually listen. The band released its debut full-length album, “Self Help,” in 2024, so this is a chance to catch them before everyone else starts saying they saw them first. Tickets: $22 members; $27 non-members; $13 students (13+) For tickets or more information, click here.

🛍️ Waypoint Artisan Market

Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Waypoint Bar & Grill, 11000 U.S. Highway 41 N., Palmetto

Waypoint’s last artisan market of the season lands on Mother’s Day weekend, with more than 45 local artists and small businesses selling bath and body goods, candles, jewelry, plants, pet items, art, coffee and more. There’ll also be live music, food, drinks, a free book exchange and kid activities, which is a long way of saying: bring your mom, your bestie or your most market-tolerant loved one and call it a plan. For more information, click here.

🐢 Longboat Key Turtle Crawl

Thursday, May 7, 6-8 p.m., Longboat Key

The Longboat Key Turtle Crawl turns a night out into a fundraiser for Longboat Key Turtle Watch, with stops at Harry’s Continental Kitchens, The Lazy Lobster and Lo’ Key Island Grille. Tickets include a small plate and paired drink at each restaurant, plus a swag bag, raffle entry and the satisfaction of helping sea turtles without having to personally patrol the beach at dawn. For tickets or more information, click here.

🍕 Pizza & Focaccia Night

Sunday, May 10, 6-8 p.m., VistaCucina, 3800 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Chef Riccardo leads a hands-on class in pizza and focaccia, from dough hydration and flavor development to baking, garnishing and taking home your own focaccia starter. It’s BYOB, which means you can pair your handmade pizza with whatever makes you feel most Italian without needing anyone’s approval. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎨 Coloring & Conversation

Friday, May 8, 7-9 p.m., Salt Your Soul Gift Co., 7256 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

This 18-and-up gathering keeps the social stakes low: curated coloring pages, light conversation, tea and water, and a room full of people who also think making new friends should not require a fluorescent name tag or terrifying icebreaker. Tickets are $5. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎤 Karen Hester’s Tribute to Dolly

Sunday, May 10, 7:30 p.m., Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice

Karen Hester brings her Dolly Parton tribute show to Venice Performing Arts Center, with the voice, sparkle and big-hearted stage presence required for anyone brave enough to step into Dolly territory. It’s a Mother’s Day night out with rhinestones, country classics and the kind of songs that can make a theater feel like a front porch. For tickets or more information, click here.

🖼️ Artists of The Collective: Art After Hours

Friday, May 8, 6-10 p.m., The LML Collective, 1929 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota

The LML Collective hosts its first Art After Hours event, with original artwork, handmade gifts, music, complimentary wine and light bites. It’s part after-hours shopping, part local art hangout and part last-minute Mother’s Day rescue mission for anyone who’d rather give a one-of-a-kind find than panic-buy something beige. For more information, click here.

🕯️ Candlelight: The Soundtrack of the ’60s

Saturday, May 9, 8 p.m., St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota

Candlelight brings its string quartet concert format to St. Boniface Episcopal Church for a ’60s-themed program performed under the glow of candles. The show is open to ages 8 and up, with anyone under 16 required to attend with an adult, which feels right for a night devoted to music that may make several generations argue over who had the better decade. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎭 Broadway Sing-A-Long

Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m.-midnight, Art Ovation Hotel Ballroom, Sarasota

Sarasota Rising’s Broadway Sing-A-Long turns musical theater into a full-room sport, with karaoke, sing-alongs, dance-offs, trivia, costume contests, raffles, live performances, a DJ, photo booth and a Youth All-Stars portion from 7-9 p.m. Guests are encouraged to dress as a favorite Broadway character or theater icon, which means this is your chance to be dramatic in public and call it philanthropy. Proceeds benefit the 2026 Living Arts Festival. Tickets: $10 under 21; $25 over 21; $150 VIP table of four. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎶 Sixth Annual Gospel Jubilee Showcase

Saturday, May 9, 1-3 p.m., Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota

Selby Gardens hosts its Sixth Annual Gospel Jubilee Showcase under the banyan trees on the Great Lawn, with Westcoast Black Theater Group, Brenda Watty and Shantel Norman. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the Selby House Café, and access to the performance is included with garden admission and free for members. A limited number of chairs will be available for preregistered guests on a first-come, first-served basis; additional guests may bring their own chairs. Tickets are $28 for adults; $12 for children ages 5-17; free for children 4 and under, and free for Selby Gardens members. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎻 Baroque Treasures

Sunday, May 10, 4 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St., Sarasota

Mark Mother’s Day with a Baroque program led by harpsichordist Paolo Bordignon, who opens with music by Bach and Couperin. Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe Bobby Nunes and principal harp Phoebe Powell each perform a Handel concerto, then join forces for Debussy’s “Album of Five Pieces for Oboe and Harp,” with strings and harpsichord rounding out the afternoon. Tickets are $50 for general admission and $70 for VIP seating. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎻 Rachid Halihal in Concert

Sunday, May 10, 5 p.m., Prana Yoga, 3840 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota

Moroccan musician Rachid Halihal brings Andalusian, North African and Middle Eastern music to Prana Yoga, joined by Sheldon Sands, Tahja and special guests for an evening of oud, violin, voice and movement. The program draws from classical Egyptian repertoire, Morocco, Andalusia, North Africa, the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Gulf, with listeners invited to sit, dance or whirl as the spirit moves them. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For tickets or more information, click here.

🌿 Leonard Reid House Centennial Mother’s Day Event

Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m., Leonard Reid House, 2529 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota

The Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition continues the Leonard Reid House’s centennial year with a Mother’s Day event honoring Ethel Reid and Viola Reid. The program will include a session on money management, tied to Leonard Reid’s efforts to save and purchase property, plus a horticulture workshop on African and Florida native plants surrounding the historic home, which was relocated from Overtown to Newtown. For more information, click here.

✂️ World Collage Day

Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

Artists Kat Sjogren and Boyd Parris leading a workshop built around the theme “Notice What You’re Noticing.” Inspired by Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, the session invites participants to slow down, gather small details and turn light, texture, memory and emotion into layered visual compositions. Basic supplies will be provided, including vintage papers, photographs, scissors and glue; participants may also bring their own photos, magazines, memorabilia and ephemera. For tickets or more information, click here.

🎺 Riverview High School Kiltie Bands Spring Concert

Thursday, May 7, 7 p.m., Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota

Riverview High School’s Kiltie Bands close out the school year with a free spring concert showcasing the full program, from the Kiltie Color Guard, Highland Dancers and Percussion Ensemble to the Varsity Band, Symphonic Winds and Superior Rated Wind Ensemble. The evening will include marches, folk-song variations and festival pieces, along with recognition of graduating seniors. Donations will support the Kiltie Band program. For more information, click here.