SRQ DAILY Feb 13, 2026
Friday Weekend Edition
"It was an absolutely life changing experience."
If you blinked, you might’ve missed it. But for those at home in Sarasota watching Bad Bunny’s record-breaking Super Bowl LX halftime show, there’s a good chance that they spotted a prominent member of the community—Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor and music director of the Sarasota Orchestra. The performance, which featured Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, was an ode to Bad Bunny’s (Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) Puerto Rican heritage and the Latin American community. Staged primarily in a sugar cane plantation, Bad Bunny came across different scenes, one of which was Guerrero conducting a group of young string musicians.
“The best part of it was having over 1,000 people—about 800 performers and another 300 staff members—from all over the world coming together for one common purpose,” says Guerrero. “My part of it was very interesting, because it was right after this section where Benito was doing this big, complicated dance on top of a pickup truck. Then we move into this other section featuring a wedding, and we’re playing for the wedding while he’s on a dolly with a cameraman being taken from position to position.”
Guerrero, who now joins his wife and daughter as big fans of Bad Bunny, came into the performance less than a week before the Super Bowl. After being requested by Bad Bunny specifically, he knew that it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “If I hadn’t done this, my wife and daughter would have never forgiven me,” he says with a laugh. “It was an absolutely life changing experience. I got to spend some time with him before and after the show, and I have to tell you, he’s an absolute class act. He inspired the rest of us to do well. He’s a terrifically fabulous musician and I have nothing but great respect for him.”
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 34236 
Giancarlo Guerrero (center) with his wife Shirley and Bad Bunny. Provided photo.
Head to TerraNova Equestrian Center for a beautiful day in the country and experience the thrill of elite show jumping as Olympic-level riders and extraordinary horses from around the world compete in Grand Prix level show jumping. Whether you’re a lifelong equestrian fan or simply looking for a memorable day out, this is the perfect blend of sport, style, and family-friendly fun. Upgrade your experience with a Ringside Luncheon or VIP ticket and enjoy preferred parking, pavilion seating, and panoramic views of the competition arenas - all while savoring an elevated brunch buffet. Stroll through boutique shopping, let the kids explore Tiny Town Playground, or relax with friends as the action unfolds just steps away.
Show dates: 2/14, 2/15, 2/21, 2/22, 2/28, 3/1, 3/6, 3/7, 3/14, 3/15
Tickets on sale now! General admission and parking are free. Located east of Lakewood Ranch.
Visible Men Academy (VMA) is proud to present its 5th Annual Visible Art Grows Hearts Art Showcase, taking place Saturday–Sunday, February 21–22, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. This two-day celebration of art, culture, and community will feature nationally recognized contemporary artist Jerry Lynn, while raising support for VMA’s mission to educate and empower young men. The free public exhibit will transform the venue into a vibrant pop-up gallery filled with original fine art and mixed-media works that celebrate identity, storytelling, and excellence. A portion of all proceeds from artwork sales will benefit Visible Men Academy, a tuition-free K–5 public charter school for boys serving Manatee and Sarasota counties. For more information, visit vmacademy.org.
Due to illness, David Foster and Katharine McPhee have rescheduled their Van Wezel performance originally set for Thursday, February 19 to Saturday, November 14 at 7pm. Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled date. Ticket buyers who are unable to attend the rescheduled performance will receive refund and credit information from the Veteran Air Box Office at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Tickets will remain on sale for the new date and can be purchased at VanWezel.org, by calling 941-263-6799 or by visiting the Veteran Air Box Office at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Grab and go dining options are available through Mattison’s at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Select shows may have dinner service available. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the Veteran Air Box Office.
After celebrating the 2026 centennial of the Sarasota Opera House during its current season, Sarasota Opera announces today the five mainstage productions of its 2026-27 season: Hansel and Gretel, La traviata, H.M.S. Pinafore, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Jenůfa, plus the Sarasota Youth Opera’s revival of Rootabaga Country. The upcoming 68th season at Sarasota Opera will mark the first for Richard Russell serving as General and Artistic Director. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Victor DeRenzi, whose visionary leadership over his 44-year tenure leaves a legacy unmatched in American opera, will depart the company at the end of May 2026. For more information, visit https://www.sarasotaopera.org/2026-27-season-announcement
We're thrilled to announce this sweetheart of a deal, good now through 11:59 PM on February 14! Buy one ticket, get one free for our spring concert, "Aspire,"to be held on Sunday, April 12. There's no limit on this BOGO special, buy as many tickets as you desire! Just enter the number of tickets (in increments of two), and use the coupon code SWEETIE at checkout. Your BOGO deal will appear. Our last two concerts have sold out, so don't forget to get your BOGO tickets for the Aspire concert! “Aspire” is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, showcasing the strength of the human spirit as we passionately pursue our destinies. Enter the coupon code SWEETIE at checkout to get your BOGO!.
April 12, 4:30pm, Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, 6116 Crestwood Ave. Sarasota.
La Musica Chamber Music has received an extraordinary gift: a New York Steinway & Sons Model “D” concert grand piano, lovingly stewarded for decades by the Grant family and now restored to concert condition to serve Sarasota’s musical community. The piano, known affectionately as “Eugene”—named for Eugene Grant, in whose home it lived for nearly its entire life—made its official debut at La Musica’s concert on February 9 at Riverview Performing Arts Center.
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition, “Something Borrowed, Something New,” opening to the public on April 19, 2026. This landmark exhibition offers a never-before-seen look into the extraordinary contemporary and modern artworks held in private collections throughout Sarasota, Longboat Key, and Tampa, Florida. The exhibition features a “who’s who” of the modern and contemporary art world, with works by such legendary figures as Louise Bourgeois, Yoan Capote, Chuck Close, David Hockney, Alex Katz, KAWS, Faith Ringgold, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, Ai Weiwei, and more. Visitors will experience an eclectic range of media, including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and new media works. More at SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Make your Saturday mornings even more fun! Check out the Backyard Science program for elementary-aged learners at The Bishop’s incredible indoor Mosaic Backyard Universe. This wildly popular learning program offers a wide range of activities, observations, and crafts that are sure to spark curiosity and ignite learning.
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th Street West Bradenton FL 34205
Thursdays, 10am. Discover with our expert guide, Kendra Cross, why Sarasota is the only place in the world that the Amish and Mennonite communities come to vacation en masse. In Pinecraft, enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for shopping and a pie shooter sample of their delicious pie!
Stelliferous is your monthly guide to the night skies and the latest news from the world of astronomy. You can enjoy our upgraded Planetarium system and feel like an astronaut as you experience our 50-foot dome!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities. Explored in a variety of media, including basket weaving, beadwork, collage, clay, textiles, photography, metalwork, and printmaking rooted in ancestral technologies, their work shares similar stylistic and social concerns, such as vibrant color, hard-edged geometries, curvilinear patterns, and bold mark-making, all infused with personal stories and those of their kin.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Join us for a weekly guided tour of the night sky in our state-of-the-art planetarium. As Earth moves around the sun, different objects come into view. We'll not only discuss what you can see this season, we'll fly you there!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
Award-winning Hermitage Fellows offer a unique glimpse into their creative process, sharing original works in process with our Gulf Coast audiences. These free hour-long programs take the shape of musical performances, playreadings, concerts, visual art demonstrations, panel discussions, master classes, exhibitions, open studios,and more. The presentations are often works in process, giving Hermitage audiences a look into the creative process before these works go on to leading theaters, concert halls, and museums around the world.
Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6660 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223
Showcasing 100 rare posters along with sculptures, cocktail shakers, and furniture pieces, this exciting exhibition celebrates the centennial anniversary of Art Deco and the artistic significance it brought to the early 20th-century.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Selina Román blends photography, abstraction, and self-portraiture to explore themes of beauty and the politics of size. Roman’s photographs transform the gallery into a space of quiet resistance, subverting traditional ideas of feminine beauty.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Art immersion class for children ages 6-18. Small classes with fine arts materials. Visit linarinconart.com for more information and to register.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Creative Academy, 927 N Lime Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237
The summer 2026 exhibition at Selby Gardens will celebrate the creative collaboration between two legendary figures and longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence. The exhibition will feature Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images will offer an intimate portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her remarkable career.
Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
In this heartwarming tale, a man visits a tailor to have his suit pants let out after realizing he’s gained some weight since he last wore them. What starts as a simple alteration turns into a transformative journey. Through their deepening conversations both their lives are altered. A Tailor Near Me is a story of self-discovery, friendship, and the magic of a perfectly tailored suit.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Join us under the stars for a night of good eating and great observing! We have partnered with the Local Group of Deep Sky Observers (LGDSO) to bring Sidewalk Astronomy to The Bishop. At this free event, you’ll have a chance to see Jupiter, Saturn, and much more through powerful telescopes!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th Street West Bradenton FL 34205
From Billy Joel to Alicia Keys, from Ray Charles to Freddie Mercury, Three Pianos celebrates the piano legends who refused to play by the rules. These aren’t your cookie-cutter rock stars: they’re the rebels, romantics, and risk-takers who turned 88 keys into pure magic.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
Think while you drink! Gather your friends, co-workers or family and join us for a fun-filled evening. Prizes and specials each night. Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm. Gecko’s on Clark – Monday ; Gecko’s on SR64 & Stickney Point – Tuesday ; Gecko’s on Hillview – Wednesday.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits delicious Sunday Brunch is from 11am-3pm. Guests are invited to indulge in a delightful brunch experience on the beautiful covered patio or casual dining room with nautical touches. The brunch menu features a variety of mouth-watering dishes created by Chef Cesareo Cardenas, including his decadent Crème Brûlée French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs, succulent Lobster Benedict, the flavorful Tripletail Brunch Burger and Crab & Shrimp Omelet. Guests will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa with the purchase of any entrée. Prices range from $13 to $26. Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling 941-529-0555.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, 4870 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
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