Guide to the Legacy Trail

Everything you need to know to explore all 18 miles. Plus, how our city is changing and meet our inspiring 2024 Unity Award winners.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Planner

Things to Do in Sarasota in January and February

Your arts and entertainment calendar.

01/03/2024

Unity Awards

Michele Redwine Shines a Spotlight on Black Artistry

“We will not allow what’s happening in Tallahassee to take away who we are—and I believe the arts play a strong part in making that happen.”

01/01/2024 Photography by Megan McDonald

Eat & Drink

Restaurant Review

At Kolucan, Mexican Culinary Traditions Are Treated With Reverence

Diners will find established Mexican American favorites, but alongside the burrito bowls, carne asada and mole come upscale riffs on Mexican flavors previously unavailable here.

01/03/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Health & Fitness

Unity Awards

Marlene Hauck Promotes Mental Wellness From Youth Onward

Hauck has dedicated her life to breaking down stigmas around mental illness.

01/01/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Get Well Soon

Three Wellness Retreats for When You Need to Refocus and Recharge

Luckily, you don’t need to hop on a plane to find peace and solitude. Here are three retreats in the Sarasota area where you can dive in deep.

12/27/2023 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Home & Real Estate

Home View

The Sea Hagg Returns

Jan Holman has breathed new life into her Sea Hagg brand with a nautical-themed vacation rental in a nearby Cortez cottage.

01/08/2024 By Kim Doleatto

New Year, New Kitchen

Six Hot Products to Refresh the Most Used Room in Your Home

Many kitchen products on the market today are built to offer more efficiency, functionality and design features than in years past, and the return on investment is in your favor.

12/27/2023 By Tisha Leung

News & City Life

Unity Awards

Meet the Winners of Our 2024 Unity Awards

Each of this year's winners is dedicated to making Sarasota stronger and more vibrant, and our city is a better place because of them.

01/22/2024

The New Sarasota

Is Sarasota Changing for Good?

Our region is becoming more populated, more conservative and more polarized, and many residents are wondering: Is it for the best?

01/17/2024 By Elizabeth Djinis

Unity Awards

P.J. Brooks and Scott Eller Help People Find a Safe Place to Live

Homelessness erodes people’s dignity by denying them the most basic of needs: a place to call home.

01/01/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Unity Awards

Kira-Lynn Ferderber Educates the Community About Domestic and Sexual Violence

Ferderber believes educating kids is a key part of preventing violence. “It’s so important, as adults, that we make spaces that support young people," she says.

01/01/2024 By Megan McDonald

Unity Awards

Allan Mestel Uses Photography to Connect Sarasota to Conflict Around the World

"My images will always be available to anyone to represent the truth.”

01/01/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Unity Awards

David Wilkins Brings Black History to Students Who Aren’t Learning It at School

Freedom School is a series of free lessons on African and African American history for students in grades K-12 that launched last February and was renewed and expanded last fall.

01/01/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Travel & Outdoors

Essential Intelligence

The Sarasota Shell Club's Annual Show Happens in February

Here's how it became such a big deal.

01/13/2025 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Trail Etiquette

How Not to Be a Jerk When You're Riding Your Bike

Be mindful of those around you.

01/04/2024 By Hannah Wallace

Easy Riding

The Ultimate Guide to All 18.2 Miles of the Legacy Trail

What was built more than a century ago as a railroad to carry freight trains and passenger lines (and later the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus) is now an 18.2-mile paved public park that stretches from Sarasota to Venice.

01/04/2024 By Hannah Wallace

Unity Awards

Tracie Troxler Improves Our Soil, and Our Community, Through Composting

“Healthy plants and healthy ecology sprout from healthy soil, and so does a healthy community."

01/01/2024 By Lauren Jackson