The Ultimate Insider's Guide: 2021

Fifty budget-friendly family adventures from beaches to arts, dining, family-friendly fun and more. Plus: the legacy of Philip Hiss.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

The New Maestro

Acclaimed Conductor and Musician Bramwell Tovey Takes Up the Baton for Sarasota Orchestra

Tovey also serves as artistic adviser to the Rhode Island Philharmonic and as principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

12/03/2021 By Kay Kipling

Museum Road Trips

These Six Museums Are Perfect Day Trips From Sarasota

From Dalí to Tiffany to classical and crafts, there’s plenty to dazzle the eye in neighboring museums.

12/01/2021 By Kay Kipling and David Warner

Museum Road Trip

The James Museum Is Rich in Paintings, Sculpture, Jewelry and Artifacts

Special exhibitions do a commendable job of expanding upon notions of the West.

12/01/2021 By David Warner

Museum Road Trip

The Tampa Museum of Art Is the Heart of the City's Revitalized Downtown

TMA is known for its antiquities collections and world-class holdings of photography and 20th-century artworks.

12/01/2021 By David Warner

Museum Road Trip

The Dalí Offers a Surreal Experience in St. Pete, Just Like the Artist Himself

St. Pete civic leader James Healey called the museum “the greatest gift to the city since sunshine."

12/01/2021 By David Warner

Museum Road Trip

Winter Park's Morse Museum Is Home to the Most Comprehensive Collection of Tiffany Pieces in the World

Galleries feature iridescent vases, tiles and plates, jewelry from the early 1900s, lamps and lighting from Tiffany and more.

12/01/2021 By Kay Kipling

Museum Road Trip

The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement Celebrates American Artisans

MAACM houses treasures from Gustav Stickley, Elbert Hubbard, the Byrdcliffe Colony and pottery maker William Grueby.

12/01/2021 By Kay Kipling

Free & Freeish

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing With These Free Arts Experiences

Free admission to the Ringling on Mondays, author talks at local bookstores, historic driving tours—there's something for everyone.

12/01/2021

Museum Road Trip

The Polk Museum Offers Fascinating Art in Lakeland

It exhibits a variety of changing shows by local, regional and national artists, even extending to artwork by young students.

12/01/2021 Photography by Kay Kipling

Best of Sarasota

Free & Freeish

Great Things to Do in Sarasota for Under $10

Sometimes the best things in life are free (or freeish).

12/21/2021 By The Editors

Eat & Drink

Free & Freeish

Delicious and Cheap Spots to Grab a Bite in Sarasota-Manatee

From an incredible selection of Asian food to over-the-top doughnuts, you can eat well on a budget here.

12/21/2021 By Cooper Levey-Baker

On Island Time

How to Visit Longbeach Village

Where to eat and what to do.

12/14/2021 By Kim Doleatto

Hitting the Road

Miss Susie's Newtown Kitchen Goes Mobile

The truck has a busy schedule, with multiple stops scheduled for most weeks, most of them located in north Sarasota.

12/03/2021 By Cooper Levey-Baker

I'm a Boba Boy in a Boba World

Here's Where to Get Great Boba in the Sarasota Area

Seven places that will satisfy your bubble tea craving.

09/24/2021 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Fashion & Shopping

Beachy Keen

Driftheory Transforms Seashells and Driftwood into Jewelry and Ornaments

"People love Sarasota so much and want something to reflect that love," says owner Danielle Ferrantino.

11/29/2021 By Allison Forsyth

Home & Real Estate

Home Tour

An Original Longboat Key Cottage Modernizes and Holds Onto Its History

Take a peek inside this respectful redo.

12/14/2021 By Kim Doleatto

Trend Report

Make a Statement With a Stylish Cement Firepit

If you’ve ever coveted the sleek concrete firepits at modern luxury hotels and restaurants, you’re in luck.

12/03/2021 By Kim Doleatto

News & City Life

Only in Sarasota

Only in Sarasota: Poinciana at Fishery Point

This beautiful poinciana tree, framed by a palm and other foliage, was spotted in full bloom while exiting Bayou Louise.

12/14/2021 By Staff

Long Live Longbeach

Historic Longbeach Is a Sweet Reminder of Vanishing Old Florida

This is what coastal Southwest Florida looked like before master-planned communities, Gulf-front condos and growth took hold.

12/14/2021 By Kim Doleatto

You Must Remember Hiss

Brilliant, Imperious and Public-Spirited, Philip Hiss Helped Establish Sarasota’s Claims to Fame

Of all the fabulous characters who made Sarasota what it is today, Hiss is the great mystery.

12/14/2021 By Robert Plunket

Free & Freeish

Yes, We Have Great Nightlife in Sarasota—Here's Where to Find It

Best of all: none of these options cost more than $10.

12/01/2021 By The Editors

Free & Freeish

Five Essential—and Cheap!—Sarasota Experiences Everyone Must Have

Selfies, art strolls, shopping and more.

12/01/2021

Free & Freeish

Kids of All Ages Will Love These Free Local Activities

Take a trolley, hit a playground, go bowling and more.

12/01/2021

From the Editor

Elected Officials Are Putting Sarasota's Character and Natural Assets at Risk

More than ever, we need enlightened leaders who had the strength and vision to maintain a balance between unchecked growth and stagnation.

12/01/2021 By Susan Burns

A Home for Black History

A New Museum Will Bring to Light the Often-Forgotten Role of African Americans in Sarasota

It will be the site of historical exhibits, talks from authors, cooking demonstrations and youth mentorship programs.

11/30/2021 By Elizabeth Djinis

Essential Intelligence

The Incredible History and Uncertain Future of the Iconic Florida Orange

The citrus industry is in trouble, but the orange continues to symbolize the Sunshine State’s allure.

11/30/2021 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Cheat Sheet

How to Sound Like a Local: A Sarasota Pronunciation Guide

Don't you dare say "Van Weasel."

11/29/2021 By Susan Burns

Travel & Outdoors

The Party's Over

What Happened to the Longboat Key Peacocks?

Only 10 to 12 males remain

12/14/2021 By Kim Doleatto

A Sailing Sisterhood

The Luffing Lassies Celebrate 50 Years of Women on the Water

“Isn’t this great? All these crazy women out playing?”

11/29/2021 By Susan Burns