SRQ DAILY Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Dining and Food Edition
"I'd rather bake more than raise the prices."
Lori Meyer, who spent 25 years as a contractor, was the friend everyone told to quit her day job. “You should do this for a living,” they said, “this is too pretty to eat,” while devouring her baked goods. The instinct started as a teenager, babysitting, when she’d end up in the kitchen boiling pumpkins and rolling dough to keep everyone busy.
Eight years ago, Ann Mae Events, “small-bite hospitality and specialty treats,” launched in Colorado with a black-and-white trailer and a rotation of community gatherings: the Big Horn Sheep Festival, Country Christmases, Victorian-themed events. When the family relocated to Florida, Lori and her daughter Laney brought their mother-daughter business to resort-style communities, corporate lunches and local markets across Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and Venice.
The charm of Ann Mae lies in the details. Monthly pop-ups arrive dressed for the season with a unique menu and theme. Coordinated baskets, tablecloths, cake stands and cloches transform a counter into a mini celebration. St. Patrick’s Day brought Corned Beef, Cabbage & Swiss pasties served in a leprechaun hat bag; a four-leaf clover napkin accompanied a buttery Irish Apple Coffee Cake. Easter arrives with what Lori Ann calls “a little bit of eggy, a little bit of bunny”: Chocolate Nest Cookies with Cadbury eggs, Sugar Cookies with sprinkled bunny tails, coconut bars with jelly beans, all dressed in polka dots and pastels.
Still, the scones shine: Bartlett Pear in barely-there glaze, lemon blueberry alongside house-made lemon curd. Savories hold their own, too: tomato-and-bacon puff pastries, cheddar biscuits and varieties of quiche. Prices hold at $6 or under. “I’d rather bake more than raise the prices,” Lori says.
Ann Mae also handles private orders and wedding dessert bars up to 200 guests. Every second Saturday, find them at the Waypoint Artisan Market in Palmetto. As they wrap their treats in satiny bows, the name falls into place: Ann for Lori’s middle name, and Mae for Laney’s—after her great-grandmother.
Ann Mae Events, annmae.events, 720-939-3038. 
Pictured: Ann Mae's spring menu: almost too pretty to eat. Photo credit: Ann Mae Events.
Join us for an evening dedicated to celebrating the arts at Booker Middle School! On April 9 at 4:30pm, Booker Middle School will offer it's 3rd annual Arts Scavenger Hunt, featuring hands-on arts experiences across campus, interactive courtyard tables hosted by teachers and community partners, a live DJ, food trucks, a free Kona Ice for every participant, and prizes for completing the hunt. The silent auction begins online, taking bids until 9pm on Wednesday, April 8th. Then, on Thursday, April 9th the bidding will continue live at Booker Middle School from 4:30pm-7:00pm. In person bidding closes at 7:00pm on Thursday, April 9.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art invites you to experience the Collegiate Student Art Showcase during Ringling Underground on April 2, 2026. In partnership with the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and developed by Camilo Loaiza Bonilla, 2025–2026 Eleanor Merritt Fellow at The Ringling, this special program features artwork by student artists from six Tampa Bay–area colleges and universities, showcasing a wide range of emerging creative voices. With live music and innovative student work, Ringling Underground will transform the Museum of Art Courtyard into a vibrant space with meaningful opportunities to celebrate creativity and support local emerging artists. Free for members and students with student IDs.
Sarasota Opera and The Bay park are partnering again this year to present three opera films at The Bay's Oval amphitheater in April and May 2026 -- all free, open to the public, and under the stars! ‘Opera at The Bay’ kicks off from 7:00–8:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, with a screening of Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, recorded during Sarasota Opera’s 2026 Winter Opera Festival and featuring soprano Ashley Milanese as Mimì, tenor WooYoung Yoon as Rodolfo, soprano Virginia Mims as Musetta, baritone Filippo Fontana as Marcello, bass Young Bok Kim as Colline, bass Brian Kontes as Benoit, and bass‑baritone Hans Tashjian as Alcindoro, with Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi conducting the Sarasota Opera orchestra. Set in 1830s Paris, the opera follows a group of young artists whose intertwined lives are shaped by love, friendship, and loss in the Bohemian Latin Quarter. La bohème showcases some of Puccini’s most beloved music.
Creativity is in full bloom this season as Suncoast Technical College’s (STC) Adult & Community Enrichment (ACE) program hosts its upcoming ACE Artisan Spring Sale, a vibrant showcase of original artwork created by talented students and instructors. ACE is known for its dynamic arts program, with more than 40% of its courses dedicated to creative expression. Serving over 4,000 art students each year, the program nurtures both emerging and experienced artists across a wide range of mediums. Visitors to the Artisan Spring Sale can browse and purchase an impressive collection of original, handcrafted works at accessible prices. Available pieces will include ceramics, paintings, fiber art, photography, baskets, jewelry, and more. The ACE Artisan Spring Sale invites the Sarasota community to celebrate local talent, support lifelong learning, and take home something truly special!
The Sarasota Concert Association has announced its 2026–27 season, marking the organization’s 82nd season. The season highlights five extraordinary pianists and legendary violinist Midori, along with appearances by internationally renowned ensembles including the Takács Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Lucerne Festival Strings, and The Cleveland Orchestra. Performances will take place at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Riverview Performing Arts Center, with two special holiday events at the Sarasota Opera House. For more information about SCA, visit www.SCAsarasota.org.
The second mini-festival of the Soundbox Fellowship Program unfolds across three days in April, bringing together resident musicians, composer fellows, and internationally renowned oboist James Austin Smith for an immersive exploration of how music preserves and witnesses history. "Hearing Memory" centers on a deceptively simple question: What stories does a musical score tell? When performers interpret a composer's notation, they are engaging with documents encoding memory, the last traces of a composer's imagination, voice, culture, and community. This Soundbox Fellowship Program dives into how musicians and composers bear witness to history through the act of interpretation, and what we might learn from musical cultures that have nearly been lost to time. For more information, visit www.soundboxventures.org
Senior Friendship Centers welcomes acclaimed music historian and author Jim Berkenstadt for a special presentation of his award-winning book, “The Beatle Who Vanished,” as part of its “Joyful Journeys” authors series. This free event is Thursday, April 9, 5-6:30 p.m., at Senior Friendship Centers, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota. Registration is required at FriendshipCenters.org. For more information, call 941-556-3269.
The Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open recently announced Coastal Orthopedics, a full-service provider of comprehensive orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, spine care, diagnostic imaging and physical therapy service, has once again been selected as its medical partner for the 2026 tournament taking place on April 5-12, 2026. For more information, visit SarasotaOpen.com.
Join us for the Jack Byers Golf Tournament on May 18th at The Founder's Club and be part of a day that makes a lasting impact. Proceeds from this event directly support Teen Court’s mental health programs, providing critical resources, counseling, and support for teens across Sarasota County. Whether you join as a player or sponsor, your participation helps ensure young people have access to the tools they need to navigate challenges and build a stronger future. Sponsorship opportunities and player registration are now open, and spots are limited! Gather your team and join us for a memorable day on the course for an even greater cause.
Join Sarasota County Schools for the 2026 ESE Agency Fair & YANA Event! Families will have the opportunity to meet local agencies, explore resources and services available to students, and connect with organizations that support student success. Enjoy food trucks, prizes, and helpful information about community supports that make a difference for families across Sarasota County. We hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 9, 5:00 – 7:00pm, Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice.
The Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's Office will be closed Friday, April 3, 2026, in observance of the Good Friday holiday. The office will reopen with regular business hours Monday, April 6, 2026. Customers can continue to access online services during the closure, including searching court records, official records, and making payments on the Clerk & Comptroller’s website at https://www.ManateeClerk.com/ or download the Clerk & Comptroller's mobile app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Assassins closes the season with a haunting, darkly satirical look at those who sought infamy instead of glory—challenging the idea of the American Dream and who gets to define it.
The Sarasota Players, 3501 S Tamiami Trl Suite 1130, Sarasota, FL 34239
“Reflections” is a unique art exhibition and auction centered on mirrors as both functional objects and expressive art pieces. Through painted, redesigned, and reimagined mirrors, participating artists explore the concept of reflection—examining themes of identity, perception, space, and self-awareness. This collaboration between AIA Florida Gulf Coast and SARTQ Artist Collective highlights the dialogue between architectural form and artistic expression. The event aims to showcase innovative designs that blend utility with creativity, encouraging audiences to reconsider everyday objects through an artistic lens. Proceeds from the auction will support community arts initiatives and architectural education programs.
Architecture Sarasota, 265 S Orange Ave, Sarasota
Annual juried show and graduating seniors’ capstone exhibitions in all media and disciplines.
Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
Celebrate the vibrant sounds of the nation with our last concert of the season. This concert features John Williams’ The Cowboys Overture, Leonard Bernstein’s Times Square: 1944, and Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring along with much more. Our guest vocalist for this concert is Andrea Ross.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave Building 5, Venice, FL 34285
A magical and deeply moving musical that celebrates the power of storytelling, the love between father and son, and the extraordinary hidden in the everyday. As Edward Bloom’s fantastical life unfolds—featuring witches, giants, mermaids, and more—his skeptical son embarks on a journey to separate myth from memory. What he discovers is a story far richer than he ever expected. Based on the beloved novel and Tim Burton film, Big Fish is a whimsical, emotionally rich production filled with humor, heart, and unforgettable stagecraft.
Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205
Maria A. Guzmán Capron explores the complexities of identity through vibrant figurative textiles. Drawing inspiration from her own multicultural heritage, the artist creates layered portraits of exuberant, multi-faceted characters.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
If you are oyster curious or just craving the fresh coastal seafood & hand-crafted cocktails from your new Rosemary District favorite, join us at Lefty's for our daily Happy Hours Monday - Friday from 4 pm - 6 pm and our Late Night Happy Hours every night from 9:00-Close. With seafood offerings from the Steamer and Buck-A-Shucks on oysters plus our extensive wine, specialty and seasonal cocktails and draft beers, Lefty's has your recipe to get happier and explore our menus. Join us every day for Lunch, Happy Hours or Dinner and for our downtown neighbors and Hospitality industry colleagues, we'll have live music and keep the light on for you on the weekends!
Lefty's Oyster and Seafood Bar, 428 N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
The red carpet rolls out and the arena lights up for a blockbuster weekend as Sailor Circus presents its annual spring production. Experience heart-pounding acrobatics, breathtaking aerials, and show-stopping skills, all performed by our talented students.
Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34239
This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories–that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone– Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.
Rise Above Performing Arts Centre, 3501 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34239
A collaborative effort between SPAACES, artist LaMichael Leonard Jr., and the nonprofit Art 4 Change, Squeeze brings together musicians, dancers, and visual artists to present socially engaged, experimental work in a vibrant, welcoming, and unconventional space.
SPAACES, 2051 Princeton St, Sarasota, FL 34237
This beloved classic has delighted audiences across the globe for over six decades. Tevye, the village milkman, is trying to provide his wife and their five daughters with a life filled with prosperity, faith, and tradition. But a revolution is on the horizon and everything they have come to cherish hangs in the balance. One of the most beloved musicals of all times makes its long-awaited debut on the Asolo Rep stage.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
This popular gala evening will take place at Michael’s On East in Sarasota, as a part of a weekend of events and programs surrounding this distinguished national prize. This elegant dinner heralds the jury-selected recipient of this prestigious recognition, which will be awarded in the discipline of visual art. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP) is a nationally renowned commission awarded by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation; the $35,000 award rotates annually between visual art, theater, and music. The 2026 HGP winner’s newly commissioned work will have its first public exhibition in Sarasota in the spring of 2028.
Michael's On East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239
As winter melts into spring, our spirits will rise with the blooming blossoms in anticipation of our Spring concert, “Aspire.” This performance is a heartfelt tribute to resilience, showcasing the strength of the human spirit as we passionately pursue our destinies.
Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, 6116 Crestwood Ave, Sarasota, FL 34231
Our inaugural Venice Community Center chamber music series concludes with a grand culmination of American music and culture for the country’s 250th anniversary. Listen to the cross-genre celebration of American music making, with American classical music, popular and jazz music with The Venice Symphony Brass Quintet.
Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice, FL 34285
The members of the DragonBoot Quartet are current students in the Honors Chamber Music Program at the Juilliard School. As an all-women group, they are particularly interested in performing works by women composers to highlight their contributions to the repertoire and to share with diverse audiences. Their program includes Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 33, No. 1.
First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak Street, Sarasota FL 34237
There’s trouble in River City when a fast-talking salesman gets his heart stolen by the town librarian. The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize—this, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Featuring the art of the pas de deux.
Sarasota Cuban Ballet Auditorium, 4740 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota FL 34233
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
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. The views expressed by individuals are their own, and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
Powered by Sarasota Web Design | Unsubscribe
