The sun isn’t the only thing that heats up in our region during the summer. From fine art to ball games, from the circus arts to community theater, here are some of the must-do events for those touching down this summer.
JOURNEYS THROUGH LIGHT
THE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART | A different world awaits inside the doors of The Ringling Museum of Fine Art. One of the exhibitions ready to transport viewers out of the sticky summer months is Yoshida Hiroshi: Journeys Through Light. Sourced from The Ringling’s holdings and local private collections, the exhibition is an exploration of the work of Yoshida Hiroshi, a 20th-century Japanese painter and woodblock printer. Yoshida was an artist looking to escape into a different world himself—known for his lush and ornate landscapes, Yoshida would travel across the globe sourcing inspiration, before transposing his ideas onto polychrome woodblock prints. Journeys Through Light focuses particularly on Yoshida’s betsu-zuri or separate printings. Using the same set of wooden printing blocks in different palettes of color, Yoshida and his artistic associates would print the same design in multiple colors, with each piece portraying a different time of day, emotion or tonality. June 21-January 11, 2026, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, 941-359-5700, ringling.org
A CIRCUS-FILLED SUMMER
CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY | The circus will always come home to Sarasota. This summer, head on over to The Ringling Museum’s Historic Asolo Theater for the return of the Summer Circus Spectacular, the annual collaboration between The Ringling and the Circus Arts Conservatory that brings some of the top circus performers in the world to Sarasota. From June 13 through August 9, the action-packed, one-hour show offers the chance for families to experience the circus at an affordable price. Showtimes are on 11am and 2pm Tuesdays through Fridays and 2pm and 5pm on Saturdays—Summer Circus Spectacular patrons can also be admitted to the Circus Museum for an additional $5. This year’s lineup of performers is an eclectic bunch with all different types of skillsets. One of the most prominent names is self-taught aerialist Aiden Bryant. In 2020, Bryant was an aerialist in season 16 of the reality television series America’s Got Talent finishing the competition in second place and won America’s Got Talent: All-Stars in 2023. Nilson Escobar is a speed juggler who has performed around the world. Sarasota native Sian Espana is 6th-generation circus artist that performs a number of acrobatic acts including the Flying Trapeze, the Globe of Death, the Wheel of Destiny and the German Wheel. Summer Circus Spectacular, June 13-August 9, Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. 941-360-7399, ringling.org
FST 15TH ANNUAL SARASOTA IMPROV FESTIVAL
FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE | For those in need of a laugh, FST’s resident improv team is serving up the comedy, 52 weeks each year! FST Improv celebrates the full spectrum of Improvisational disciplines, going beyond game-focused Short-Form, to also incorporate Long-Form, Musical, and Free-Form styles. With a wide range of styles and shows, no two performances are ever the same. Freedom! The Musical, July 5 to July 12, 2025. Available Cupholders, July 25 to July 26, 2025. July 5-12; July 25-26. Florida Studio Theatre, Browne’s Lab, 1241 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, floridastudiotheatre.org
HOT OFF THE PRESS
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | Personal to Political: Celebrating the African-American Artists of the Paulson Fontaine Press is a nationally traveling exhibition featuring an eclectic mix of work from 17 African-American artists that includes fine art prints, mixed-media sculptures, a selection of Gee’s Bend quilts and a large-scale basketball pyramid. Creatives from all different backgrounds have worked in the Paulson Fontaine Press, from internationally renowned artists like Kerry James Marshall to the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, who learned their craft from their mothers and grandmothers. Personal to Political not only highlights the historical and technical significance of the Paulson Fontaine Press, but adds another layer to the show with the inclusion of real Gee’s Bend quilts and mixed-media sculptures from the artists represented in the Press. May 4 to August 10, 2025, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, sarasotaartmuseum.org
SARASOTA OPERA HOUSE THE SILVER SCREEN
SARASOTA OPERA | Some things just go perfectly together. Peanut butter and jelly. Hot dogs and baseball games. Going to the movies and summertime. This summer, beat the heat with the Sarasota Opera’s summer movie series: Classic Movies at the Opera House and HD at the Opera House. All summer long, from June until October, guests can see quintessential Hollywood films and award-winning high definition-filmed performances of opera and ballet from companies around the world.. HD at the Opera House will take place at 1:30pm on Sundays and feature eight different performances, starting with Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly June 8, the Royal Ballet’s performance of La fille male gardee, L’elisir d’amore July 13, Cinderella by the Royal Ballet July 27, Theodora August 10, Starstruck–Gene Kelly’s Love Letter to Ballet August 31, Ariadne auf Naxos September 14 and Otello September 28. The classic movies will play on Fridays at 7:00pm and kick off with Amadeus June 27, Foul Play July 11, The Birdcage July 25, Chinatown August 8, The Apartment August 29, The Last Picture Show September 12 and Beetlejuice October 3. 61 N Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-328-1300, sarasotaopera.org
WALLS COME TO LIFE
SARASOTA ART MUSEUM | This summer, come see the walls of the Sarasota Art Museum come to life in Chris Friday: Where We Never Grow Old. The show is the first solo museum exhibition of the multi-disciplinary artist who has made a name for herself as one of the most talented draftsmen of her time. In Where We Never Grow Old, Friday will showcase part of what she is best known for: intricately detailed, larger than life chalk drawings, typically of Black figures. Friday will also be bringing a newer aspect of her artistry to the exhibition: ceramics. Friday has sculpted ceramic works of pieces of her upbringing, everything from charm bracelets to her favorite comfort foods, before hand-gilding each piece. “Her hand-gilding these ceramics is a form of reverence. She’s opening up and sharing parts of herself with the world,” says Shearer, SAM Executive Director. “I think that she’s trying to give us a little bit of a window into the Black experience, especially around what is sacred to Black familial culture, by lifting up what might be stereotyped or feel really mundane to others.” May 4 to August 10, 2025, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota,
sarasotaartmuseum.org
REVAMPING A CLASSIC
THE SARASOTA PLAYERS | One of the advantages of living in Sarasota is that the arts scene never stops. It’s par for the course for a town built on the circus—rain, shine, or unbelievably hot weather—the show must go on. It makes sense then that the town’s oldest community theater, the Sarasota Players, continues to uphold that tradition. One of the organization’s mainstage summer productions is the iconic, award-winning musical Cabaret. Set in post-World War I Berlin, Cabaret follows struggling American writer Clifford Bradshaw, whose quest for inspiration leads him into the sensuous and captivating world of the cabaret. Bradshaw strikes up a romance with cabaret performer Sally Bowles, but as time passes, a once-thrilling stay in Berlin turns sinister as the Nazi party begins to take hold of Germany.
“Our director is Brian Finnerty, who directed the sold-out production of Into The Woods this past season. He never copies what has been done before,” says Marketing Director Amanda Heisey. “A lot of places will produce a show like Cabaret the way that it was produced on Broadway. That’s not what we do, not only because we have a different stage in the round, but we like to be able to put a different spin on shows.” July 31-August 10, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts Suite 200, Sarasota, theplayers.org
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
LECOM PARK | There is perhaps nothing more quintessentially “summer” than a night out at the ball park. Although Sarasota is not home to a Major League Baseball team of its own, it does have plenty of baseball in its midst. Nearby Bradenton holds LECOM Park, or as many around the game refer to it, the Floridian Fenway. Originally constructed in 1923, LECOM Park is the Spring Training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Once the big league team breaks for the Steel City, however, LECOM becomes home to the Pirates’ minor league affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders.
While the talent level alone of the athletes is enough to make the Marauders a draw—the Florida State League is where the stars of the future get their start. The oldest of the Spring Training stadiums, LECOM Park feels like a time portal to the 1970s. A Spanish Mission-style facade, reminiscent of the Old Bradenton railroad station, wraps around the exterior of the park. At a fraction of the cost of attending a Major League game, fans can come see the Marauders. Bradenton Marauders, LECOM Park, 1611 9th St West, Bradenton, 941-747-3031, milb.com/bradenton
LASER NIGHTLIGHTS
THE BISHOP MUSEUM | Rock out at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature this summer with Laser Light Nights. From May 23-August 30, the crowd favorite concert series returns for three nights a week. Laser Light Nights take place in the Bishop’s planetarium, blending mind-bending visuals and projections with music from iconic artists that span across genres and generations, featuring legends of rock n’ roll like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles to 80s favorite likes Queen and Journey to pop stars like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. “When you go into the planetarium, you have a great surround sound system and then it will be a performance of laser lights that will either throw shapes on the screen and graphics that go along with the music or sometimes even recreate the artist playing in lasers,” says Andrew Sandall, CEO of the Bishop. One of the highlights of the season is July 4’s Red, White & Boom show, where the Bishop opens up its Riverwalk Plaza. May 23-August 30, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 7pm and 9pm. 201 10th St West, Bradenton, 941-746-4131, bishopscience.org
SOCCER PARADISE
SARASOTA PARADISE | The Sarasota Paradise jumped onto the scene in 2023 as Sarasota’s pre-professional soccer team. Ever since, the team has only grown in scope, from winning the United Soccer League 2 (USL2) South Florida division title in 2024 to hosting a game in the country’s oldest ongoing national soccer competition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this past spring. The Paradise’s new 3,000-plus seat home field at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch will feature new digs and fan amenities, such as a team store, concessions, food vendors and a beer garden/DJ area. 5895 Post Blvd, Lakewood Ranch,sarasotaparadise.us
