Huge fair with a lot of vendors to see! A little confusing without any maps or signage. Would have…read moreloved to have easily found a few vendors I was looking for. The biggest issue was that no one working the booths operated by the festival itself knew where anything was(and why I made mention, they complained that they aren't let out of the booths). I also noticed that it really isn't as accessible as it should be.

You can enjoy shows and artisans and PUBS all day long. Join the Pub crawls and have a wonderful…read moretime. Find Dragon's Lair Massage and get a 15 minute massage to keep you moving through all the day. (A Local fully Licensed and Insured massage therapist in Florida)

My family and I enjoyed the show and the horses. We had an enjoyable time…read more The horses are beautiful!

Highly recommend to any person whether you are a horse lover or a person who likes animals. It is…read more1.5 hours of talented horses and riders doing enjoyable performances. New is the Florida Cracker performance. This is the BEST show for only $12 and performances are until April 27, 2024.

Superb performances. The students are well trained and always a delight to listen to. The director…read morereally cares about the institute and its students and you can tell.

Sobe Arts is a venue for many different forms of performing arts: live music, theatre, dance and…read morefilm. Sobe Arts is headed by a guy who has a Ph.D. from Princeton, an MFA from California Institute of the Arts, and a long list of other accomplishments. If that wasn't enough, the performers are all professional locals who have had international recognition. Yup...if you haven't heard about this venue, then it will be a pleasant surprise for you. Tonight I saw the "Grand Opening Cabaret" performance. This had a mix of many skits, solo singing by Montserrat Franco whose voice just blew me away, and fascinating film montage. The films were classic Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons that included specific references to Miami Beach. This was a big hit with the crowd. Go see a show here! The price is so inexpensive that you could pay for two tickets here for the same amount as a cocktail at the W just down the street. But I guarantee you'll have a better time at Sobe Arts.

Sailor Circus Academy started in 1949 and is now a top circus training program. The venue is very…read morenice, the inside of the building really gives you a circus tent feeling. 3 times a year they have a show. The spring show we visited was called "Victorious " and it was super. Lights, music, 2 very good announcers made it a spectacular show. It was 2 hours of fun and excitement. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

I last went to the Sailor Circus about 50 years ago. It was great to get to go again. There are…read moreperformances only 3 days, Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and a matinee and evening performance on Saturday. The circus performers are kids! Their ages range from 6-18. It is truly amazing what these youngsters are capable of doing. Not only are they doing many of the typical acts one associates with the circus(tightrope walking, juggling, aerials, unicycle and bicycling feats, high flying on trapezes), but they are incredibly strong. Both the boys and the girls are able to swing from trapeze bars and hold on to other performers who spin and twirl high above the circus floor or catch a performer flying through the air. The boy who pedaled the bike was strong enough to carry 5 other performers who did handstands while in motion. It's a wonderful show put on by school children. Bright costumes and great music! The show is 2 1/2 hours, including a brief intermission.

This place is absolutely beautiful and serene. It's definitely a trip back to Pre Disney (maybe…read morepreturn of the century) Florida.. Although the only shooting I do is with my camera, there is an amazing array of wildlife readily seen from a trip a round in the car. Next time I am brining my mountain bike.

This is such a great stadium! It is conveniently located and is big, spacious and beautiful. I had…read morea great time! Not a bad seat in the house, although most seats aren't shaded and it can get very hot. Love that they have Pepsi and other bevys but the food options could be improved.

BLUF: Character, cleanliness, happy people and good concessions makes this stadium a great place…read morefor Grapefruit League spring training baseball. To date I have been to five of the Grapefruit League stadiums and Ed Smith is absolutely my favorite. Sure, I am an O's fan and biased but even so, it's a great stadium. I love the character of the Spanish-Colonial architecture, the breezy concourse, abundant trees, big bathrooms, overall cleanliness and throw backs to Camden Yards. Camden green is abound and I like that this feels like the Orioles spring training home and not just some generic stadium. Also, people here are just happy and friendly. Both the concessions and team store are great. The team store is large and has lots of O's gear. I wish that they had more Spring Training-specific stuff. Back in the day I got some nice gear that was thoughtfully designed to incorporate elements of Florida, the Grapefruit League and the Orioles. On my most recent visit most of the gear I found was classic Orioles gear with the words "Spring Training" added to it. Snooze. There are various concession lines throughout the stadium so lines are never too long. On my recent visit I stuck to classic baseball game fare like hot dogs, soft pretzels and beer. Most concessions have the same stuff but there is one that offers healthy options and one place that is dedicated to craft beer. Also, if you're into chicken, there is a Chick-fil-A onsite. There are a few official lots for the stadium that offer parking around $20 although we paid a local business to pay in their lot for $20 which was equally as convenient. The surrounding streets close before the game and the area can get a little trafficky so if you want to be there for first pitch be sure to give yourself to find parking and your seat.

As snowbirds, we love to support and enjoy local theatre. The Manatee Players are exquisite in…read moretheir sets, execution and hospitality. The venue is very nice. Our first play, The Cemetary Club, was held in the smaller theatre. Only con was the proximity of the chairs to the foward row. My 5'10" friend had her knees jammed into a chair back for most of the show. Our second play, Bright Star, was in the Stone Hall portion of the venue. It was true theatre seating and elevated stage. These volunteers do a wonderful job of entertaining. Highly recommend.

Saw "Newsies" at Manatee Players tonight (Friday). Best opening show since Les Miserable in my…read moreopinion. The cast defies adequate superlatives to communicate their amazing performance. The youthful cast permeates the audience with their energy and enthusiasm. Music is by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein and the show is based on Disney's the Newsies. It takes place in the 1890's but the story seems very relevant to today's news. Rick Kerby has outdone himself with this production. His direction of dance numbers leave the audience exhilarated and clapping. Kudos to the entire production team but special note to the set designer Donna Buckalter. In the opening number the set moves like a Rubik's cube into cleaver formations. Each and every member of the cast is perfection. They work together like they have done it for years. Everyone should be mentioned but due to space I will laude the leads Austin Greshem as Jack Kelly, Alexander Zickafoose as Crutchie, Savannah Sinclair (Katherine Plummer) and all the newsies. Javisha Strong as Medda Larkin is literally show stopping in her number "That's Rich". The cast dance numbers are Broadway worthy. Simply breathe taking. The tap number at the opening of the second act had my heart beating faster than it should. The entire show reminded me why I love theater. This show is not to be missed if you are in the area. 5/5 stars.

This year's festival ended last weekend. The 15th year of the festival and I think I've been to…read morethe last 12 or so and I'll be back next year as well. This is one those things that makes it a bit more interesting living in this part of Florida. Where else can you see moves that people fight over to see at Sundance, or Toronto but be able to get reasonable priced tickets and actually get into see? Well The Sarasota film fest that is where! Maybe the movies picked the last few years have a higher production value, and there are fewer quirky ones than in years past, but there is always something interesting to see. Had a great with the 10 I saw. Give it a try next year. WEll run and they've worked the bugs out of their system over these 1.5 decades so 5 stars for a great week of movies that make you think and talk about long after they are over.