Sarasota, Florida

{{Redirect|Sarasota}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Sarasota, Florida | settlement_type = City | image_skyline = Sarasota Skyline.jpeg | image_caption = Skyline of Sarasota from Bird Key in 2018 | image_flag = Flag of Sarasota, Florida.png | image_seal = Seal of the City of Sarasota.png | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_size = | blank_emblem_type = | nicknames = Paradise,<ref>{{cite book |last=LaHurd |first=Jeff |date=1995 |title=Come on Down! : Pitching Paradise During the Roaring 20s |publisher=Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation |isbn=978-1-888438-00-0}}</ref> SRQ, Circus City | mottoes = "May Sarasota Prosper", "Where Urban Amenities Meet Small-Town Living"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=2316 |title=The Utilities Plan |publisher=City of Sarasota |access-date=February 4, 2021 |page=3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209080231/https://www.sarasotafl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=2316 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 }}</ref> | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 11 | mapframe-point = none | pushpin_map = Florida#USA | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_label = Sarasota | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Florida##Location within the United States | pushpin_relief = 1  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = United States | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Florida | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Sarasota  | established_title = Incorporated | established_date = {{nowrap|October 14, 1902 (town)}}<ref name=SaraHist/> {{nowrap|May 13, 1913 (city)}}<ref name=SaraHist/> | government_type = Commission–manager | government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission |title=City Commission |website=City of Sarasota |access-date=May 12, 2018}}</ref> | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Debbie Trice<ref name="t745">{{cite web |title=New mayor and vice mayor selected during statutory meeting |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/News-articles/New-mayor-and-vice-mayor-selected-2025 |publisher=City of Sarasota |access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref> | leader_title2 = City manager | leader_name2 = David Bullock (interim)<ref name="f217">{{cite web | title=City Manager | website=City of Sarasota | url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/Department-Pages/City-Manager | access-date=October 10, 2025}}</ref>  | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 2, 2021}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 62.38 | area_total_sq_mi = 24.08 | area_land_km2 = 38.07 | area_land_sq_mi = 14.70 | area_water_km2 = 24.31 | area_water_sq_mi = 9.39 | area_water_percent = 42.58  | population_as_of = 2020 | population_total = 54842 | population_footnotes = | population_density_km2 = 1440.74 | population_density_sq_mi = 3731.51 | population_urban = 779,075 (US: 57th) | population_density_urban_km2 = 744.0 | population_density_urban_sq_mi = 1,927.1 | population_metro = 833,716 (US: 71st) | population_density_metro_sq_mi = 542.0  | timezone = EST | utc_offset = −5 | timezone_DST = EDT | utc_offset_DST = −4 | coordinates = {{coord|27|21|30|N|82|32|37|W|type:city|display=it}} | elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/> | elevation_ft = 20  | postal_code_type = ZIP codes | postal_code = 34230–34243, 34249, 34260, 34276-34277 | area_code = 941 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = 12-64175<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID | blank1_info = 2405423<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405423}}</ref> | website = {{URL|http://www.sarasotafl.gov}} }} '''Sarasota''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|s|ær|ə|ˈ|s|oʊ|t|ə}}) is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida on Sarasota Bay, a lagoon on the Gulf Coast. The population was 54,842 at the 2020 census. The two-county Sarasota metropolitan area has an estimated 935,000 residents, making it the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Florida and 61st-largest in the United States.<ref name=PopEstCBSA>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html#v2024 |title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020–2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau, Population Division |date=March 13, 2025 |access-date=March 13, 2025 }}</ref>

The Sarasota area was explored by the Spanish in the 16th century, and was settled by American William Henry Whitaker in the mid-19th century. Sarasota's development accelerated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly with the influence of Bertha Honore Palmer and the Ringling family as the home of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The city's economy is based on tourism, healthcare, education, and real estate. Its cultural attractions include the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota Opera, and numerous galleries and theaters. Sarasota city limits contain several barrier islands between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, including Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Bird Key, and the northern portion of Siesta Key. Its coastline, including nearby Siesta Beach, draws visitors year-round.

==Etymology== The origin of the name is disputed and has given rise to several theories. Two theories involve Hernando de Soto's visit to the area in 1539. One holds that he named it after his daughter, Sara; however, he had no children. George F. Chapline created this story in 1906, including an ill-fated romance between Sara and a Seminole prince, Chichi Okobee.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Hurricane blessing legend 'protecting' Sarasota comes from fictional tale | url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/community-connection/hurricane-legend-protecting-sarasota-florida/67-549545cf-a550-465c-8195-0570b326d523 | website=WTSP |date=August 28, 2024 |access-date=December 12, 2025 |first1=Josh |last1=Sidorowicz}}</ref> Another holds that it was named "Zara Soto", Arabic for the "Radiance of Soto".<ref>{{Cite web | title=Explore the Rich History of Sarasota, Florida | url=https://www.londonbay.com/blog/explore-the-rich-history-of-sarasota-fl | access-date=July 26, 2025 | website=www.londonbay.com}}</ref> Other theories take into account the substantial beaches and indigenous mounds, with early Spanish explorers being reminded of the Sahara, combined with "zota", the indigenous word for "blue waters".<ref>{{Cite web | title=Jeff LaHurd: How did Sarasota get its name? Hint: Sahara | url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/business/2021/10/24/jeff-lahurd-how-did-sarasota-get-its-name-hint-sahara/6105051001/ | access-date=July 26, 2025 | website=www.heraldtribune.com}}</ref> Others claim that it comes from "sara-de-cota", meaning "an area of land easily observed" in the language of the Calusa indigenous tribe.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sarasota Modern|author=Andrew Weaving|isbn=0-8478-2872-7|publisher=Rizzoli International Publications|date=2006|page=10}}</ref>

The area known today as Sarasota appeared on a sheepskin Spanish map from 1763 with the word {{lang|es|Zarazote}} over present-day Sarasota and Bradenton.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Origin of the Name, Sarasota |url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/the-origin-of-the-name-sarasota/ |website=Sarasota History Alive! |access-date=August 22, 2018 |archive-date=June 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625042337/http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/articles/the-origin-of-the-name-sarasota/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1776, a British map by Bernard Romans lists a "Boca Sarasota" in the local area.<ref>{{Cite web| title=The Utilities Plan | url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=2316 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209080231/https://www.sarasotafl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=2316 | archive-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> Maps in the 1700s showed the area as "Sarazota" or "Porte Sarasote".<ref>{{Cite web | title=SARASOTA HISTORY | url=https://historicpreservationsarasota.com/sarasotahistory/ | access-date=July 26, 2025 | website=History & Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County}}</ref> A fishing camp and trading post on Longboat Key was also called "Saraxota". The name Sarasota appears on the first maps of the state of Florida in 1839, after having passed into the ownership of the United States.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Florida Memory • Map of Southern British Colonies Including Florida, 1776 | url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/323271 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510023805/https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/323271 | access-date=July 26, 2025 | archive-date=May 10, 2021}}</ref>

People from Sarasota are generally known as "Sarasotans".

==History== {{Main|History of Sarasota, Florida}}

Around 1883 to 1885, The Florida Mortgage and Investment Company of Edinburgh bought {{convert|60000|acres|km2}} for development in what is now Sarasota. Many Scottish people began to arrive in Sarasota in December 1885.<ref name=SaraHist/> The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902.<ref name=SaraHist/> John Hamilton Gillespie was the first Mayor of the town government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Caledonian Club of Florida West, a Scottish social club|url=https://floridascots.org/|access-date=November 14, 2020|website=Caledonian Club of Florida West|language=en-US}}</ref> When reincorporated with a city form of government on May 13, 1913, A. B. Edwards became the first mayor of the city government.<ref name=SaraHist/>

The city limits expanded significantly with the real estate rush of the early twentieth century, reaching almost {{convert|70|sqmi}}. The speculation boom began to crash in 1926 and the city limits began to contract, shrinking to less than a quarter of that area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cummings |first=Ian |title=Razing nears for city icon |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2014/06/15/razing-nears-for-city-icon/29253469007/ |date=June 15, 2014 |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography== ===Climate=== Sarasota has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen ''Cfa'')<ref name="Koppen">{{cite web |url = http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/ |title = World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated |date = November 6, 2008 |access-date = September 10, 2010 |publisher = University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna}}</ref> with hot, humid summers and cooler, milder winters. The high temperatures and high humidity in the summer regularly push the heat index over {{convert|100|F}}. There are distinct rainy and dry seasons, with the rainy season lasting from March to November and the dry season from December to February. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|24.08|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|38.07|km2|abbr=on|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|9.39|sqmi|abbr=on}} is water.

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the name given to the many natural deep water sections as well as humanmade channels, canals, and cuts that link the entire Sarasota Bay system.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Antonini |first1=Gustavo A. |last2=Fann |first2=David A. |last3=Roat |first3=Paul |title=A Historical Geography of Southwest Florida Waterways: Anna Maria Sound to Lemon Bay |date=1989 |publisher=Omni Print Media Inc. |page=7 |url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/uf00093670/00001}}</ref>

{{Weather box|width=auto |location = Sarasota, Florida (Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present |single line = Y |collapsed = Y |Jan avg record high F = 82.6 |Feb avg record high F = 83.6 |Mar avg record high F = 86.1 |Apr avg record high F = 89.7 |May avg record high F = 93.4 |Jun avg record high F = 94.9 |Jul avg record high F = 95.2 |Aug avg record high F = 95.3 |Sep avg record high F = 94.0 |Oct avg record high F = 91.3 |Nov avg record high F = 87.2 |Dec avg record high F = 83.6 |year avg record high F = 96.6

|Jan record high F = 91 |Feb record high F = 90 |Mar record high F = 91 |Apr record high F = 96 |May record high F = 98 |Jun record high F = 100 |Jul record high F = 101 |Aug record high F = 101 |Sep record high F = 98 |Oct record high F = 99 |Nov record high F = 92 |Dec record high F = 90 |year record high F = |Jan record low F = 23 |Feb record low F = 21 |Mar record low F = 30 |Apr record low F = 37 |May record low F = 45 |Jun record low F = 52 |Jul record low F = 62 |Aug record low F = 60 |Sep record low F = 58 |Oct record low F = 40 |Nov record low F = 27 |Dec record low F = 20 |year record low F = |precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 2.79 | Feb precipitation inch = 1.92 | Mar precipitation inch = 2.85 | Apr precipitation inch = 2.46 | May precipitation inch = 2.58 | Jun precipitation inch = 7.05 | Jul precipitation inch = 7.39 | Aug precipitation inch = 9.11 | Sep precipitation inch = 6.00 | Oct precipitation inch = 2.76 | Nov precipitation inch = 1.81 | Dec precipitation inch = 2.33 |year precipitation inch = 49.05 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in | Jan precipitation days = 8.5 | Feb precipitation days = 6.8 | Mar precipitation days = 6.4 | Apr precipitation days = 5.1 | May precipitation days = 6.0 | Jun precipitation days = 12.8 | Jul precipitation days = 15.6 | Aug precipitation days = 17.5 | Sep precipitation days = 13.7 | Oct precipitation days = 7.0 | Nov precipitation days = 5.6 | Dec precipitation days = 7.6 | year precipitation days = 112.6 |Jan snow inch = |Feb snow inch = |Mar snow inch = |Apr snow inch = |May snow inch = |Jun snow inch = |Jul snow inch = |Aug snow inch = |Sep snow inch = |Oct snow inch = |Nov snow inch = |Dec snow inch = |year snow inch = |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = |Feb snow days = |Mar snow days = |Apr snow days = |May snow days = |Jun snow days = |Jul snow days = |Aug snow days = |Sep snow days = |Oct snow days = |Nov snow days = |Dec snow days = |year snow days = |source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tbw | title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | accessdate = May 23, 2021 | archive-date = June 16, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190616075146/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=tbw | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00012871&format=pdf | title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | accessdate = May 23, 2021 }}</ref>}}

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1910= 840 |1920= 2149 |1930= 8398 |1940= 11141 |1950= 18896 |1960= 34083 |1970= 40237 |1980= 48868 |1990= 50961 |2000= 52715 |2010= 51917 |2020= 54842 |footnote=Source<ref name="2020QF">{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sarasotacityflorida/POP010220 |website=U.S. Census Bureau |title=QuickFacts for Sarasota city, Florida |date=August 2021 |access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref> | align = right | align-fn = center }}

===Racial and ethnic composition===

{| class="wikitable" |+'''Sarasota racial composition''' (Hispanics excluded from racial categories) (''NH = Non-Hispanic'') !Race !Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sarasota city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sarasota+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> !Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sarasota city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sarasota+city;+Florida+&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> !% 2010 !% 2020 |- |White (NH) |34,052 |34,575 |65.59% |63.04% |- |Black or African American (NH) |7,558 |6,611 |14.56% |12.05% |- |Native American or Alaska Native (NH) |118 |101 |0.23% |0.18% |- |Asian (NH) |676 |1,676 |1.30% |3.06% |- |Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) |15 |32 |0.03% |0.06% |- |Some other race (NH) |99 |306 |0.19% |0.56% |- |Two or more races/Multiracial (NH) |765 |1,716 |1.47% |3.13% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |8,634 |9,825 |16.63% |17.92% |- |'''Total''' |'''51,917''' |'''54,842''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |- |}

===2020 census===

As of the 2020 census, Sarasota had a population of 54,842. The median age was 50.3 years. About 3.9% of residents were under age 5, 14.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 29.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. Females comprised 52.5% of the population. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.2 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0133P%2CDP1_0137P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=place%3A64175&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 3, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL"/><ref name=QFSarasota>{{cite web |title=QuickFacts Sarasota city, Florida |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sarasotacityflorida/RHI525220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 26, 2022}}</ref>

99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=place%3A64175&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 3, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 25,147 households in Sarasota, of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.0% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 31,366 housing units, of which 19.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.0%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

{| class="wikitable" |+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A64175&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 3, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref> ! Race !! Number !! Percent |- | White || 36,282 || 66.2% |- | Black or African American || 6,795 || 12.4% |- | American Indian and Alaska Native || 285 || 0.5% |- | Asian || 1,689 || 3.1% |- | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 36 || 0.1% |- | Some other race || 4,047 || 7.4% |- | Two or more races || 5,708 || 10.4% |- | ''Hispanic or Latino (of any race)'' || 9,825 || 17.9% |}

===2020 American Community Survey===

The 2016–2020 American Community Survey estimated 12,474 families in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2020: Sarasota city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sarasota+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1101|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The survey counted 4,056 veterans and reported that 16.7% of residents were foreign born.<ref name=QFSarasota/>

The median gross rent was $1,177; 92.5% of households had a computer and 84.2% had a broadband internet subscription.<ref name=QFSarasota/>

About 90.0% of residents ages 25 and older had completed high school, and 37.2% held a bachelor's degree or higher.<ref name=QFSarasota/>

The median household income was $56,093 and the per capita income was $43,387, with 15.6% of residents living below the poverty threshold.<ref name=QFSarasota/>

===2010 census===

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 51,917 people, 22,775 households, and 11,603 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S1101 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES - 2010: Sarasota city, Florida|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Sarasota+city;+Florida+&tid=ACSST5Y2010.S1101|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> ==Arts and culture==

===Attractions=== [[File:Interior view - Marie Selby Botanical Gardens - Sarasota, Florida - DSC00855.jpg|thumb|Marie Selby Botanical Gardens]]

Sarasota is home to Mote Marine Laboratory, a marine rescue, research facility, an aquarium, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the Sarasota Jungle Gardens and the Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary.

===Circus=== One of Sarasota's nicknames is "Circus City", or alternatively "The Circus Capital of the World",<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Engelberger |first=Clinton |date=June 21, 2023 |title=Why is Bradenton-Sarasota called the 'circus capital of the world?' |url=https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article276356021.html |website=Bradenton Herald}}</ref> owing in part to John Ringling's decision to move the winter quarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Sarasota in 1927.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LaHurd |first=Jeff |title=Real History with Jeff LaHurd: Wealth on the line, Ringling made Sarasota the Circus City |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/business/real-estate/2022/03/07/jeff-lahurd-how-and-why-sarasota-became-circus-city/9333161002/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art houses the Circus Museum and the Tibbals Learning Center, established in 1948.

Sarasota is also home to The Circus Arts Conservatory, which is responsible for the tent show Circus Sarasota<ref name="sarasotamagazine.com">{{Cite web |title=Circus Sarasota Is Back Under the Big Top |url=https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2022/02/review-circus-sarasota-2022 |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chu |first=Andrea |date=February 11, 2022 |title=Circus Sarasota 2022 debuts under the big top Friday |url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/entertainment/circus-sarasota-2022-to-debut-under-the-big-top-friday/67-3a5b906a-34d7-42d5-a7a8-b35d44af19b6 |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=wtsp.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Handelman |first=Jay |title=Circus Sarasota marks 25 years of fun and thrills under the big top |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/arts/2023/02/06/circus-sarasota-marks-25-years-of-thrills-in-anniversary-big-top-show/69845540007/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> and the "oldest youth circus", Sailor Circus.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mancini |first1=Mary Ellen |last2=Staff |first2=V. S. C. |title=The Oldest Youth Circus In America Lives In Sarasota {{!}} Visit Sarasota County |url=https://www.visitsarasota.com/article/oldest-youth-circus-america-lives-sarasota |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=www.visitsarasota.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In 2017, The Circus Arts Conservatory took part in the Smithsonian Folk Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Circus Sarasota Entertains Thousands Each Season. But First, It Needs That Tent |url=https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2020/01/circus-sarasota-entertains-thousands-each-season-but-first-it-needs-that-tent |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Showfolks Club, a social organization that also puts on an annual circus performance billed as "Sarasota's longest running circus event", is located in Sarasota.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tatangelo |first=Wade |title=Showfolks of Sarasota open house |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/events/2017/04/12/showfolks-of-sarasota-open-house/21399728007/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 5, 2015 |title=Matriarch of 'Flying Wallendas' Family Dies at 87 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jenny-wallenda-grandmother-nik-wallenda-dies-87-n336166 |website=NBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PHOTOS: Showfolks Holiday Circus 2021 |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/picture-gallery/news/2021/12/11/photos-showfolks-holiday-circus-2021/6478149001/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tatangelo |first=Wade |title=Showfolks Circus at Robarts |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/entertainment/events/2016/12/06/showfolks-circus-at-robarts/24407703007/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Circus Ring of Fame is a series of commemorative plaques in St. Armand's Circle, honoring prominent figures in circus history, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Jessi |last2=Staff |first2=V. S. C. |title=Ring of Fame Honors Circus Greats and Celebrates Sarasota History |url=https://www.visitsarasota.com/article/ring-fame-honors-circus-greats-and-celebrates-sarasota-history |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Visit Sarasota County |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Achumba |first=Adaure |date=February 3, 2023 |title=Sarasota's Circus Ring of Fame to welcome new class of inductees |url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/sarasota-circus-ring-of-fame-inductees/67-d6f466b4-ce0a-4775-844d-b5ae81952ab9 |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=wtsp.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Circus Ring of Fame Foundation to honor four new members of Circus Ring of Fame |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/12/24/four-new-circus-ring-of-famers-to-be-honored-at-the-sarasota-big-top/69740061007/ |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=St. Armands Circle |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/our-city/st-armands-circle |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=City of Sarasota |language=en}}</ref> Honorees include Paul Binder, Nik Wallenda, and the King Charles Troupe, among over 150 others.

Residents of Sarasota that have been associated with the circus include daredevil and Guinness World Record holder Bello Nock, himself an honoree of the Circus Ring of Fame,<ref name="sarasotamagazine.com"/> as well as aerialist and circus proprietor Dolly Jacobs, who cofounded The Circus Arts Conservatory.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 1, 2015 |title=Dolly Jacobs |url=https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/dolly-jacobs |access-date=November 26, 2023 |website=www.arts.gov |language=en}}</ref>

===Festivals=== Since 1998, the city has hosted the Sarasota Film Festival annually. The festival attracts independent films from around the world. It claims to be one of Florida's largest film festivals. In 2009 the annual Ringling International Arts Festival, held its premier and held its closing event in the historic Asolo theater, which had been moved and rebuilt again. The historic Venetian theater now is housed in the reception building for the museum where it is used for special events as well as performances, informative purposes, and another seasonal film series hosted by the museum.

Florida Studio Theatre produces the annual Sarasota Improv Festival. Founded in 2009 by Rebecca Hopkins, FST's annual Sarasota Improv Festival brings together improvisers from across the country and worldwide. The Festival has become a destination event, drawing thousands across Florida and beyond. Past performers have come from as far as Mexico, Canada, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom to perform on Florida's Gulf Coast.

In 2010, the Sarasota Chalk Festival that is held yearly in the historic area of Burns Square became the first international street painting festival in the United States. Celebrating the sixteenth-century performance art of Italian street painting, the festival hosted Maestro Madonnaro Edgar Mueller from Germany, who created the first street painting that changed images from day to night.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pelicanpressonline.com/afterhours/features/105871718.html |title=Ground-breaking Street Painting |author=Walter, Nick |date=October 27, 2010 |work=Pelican Press |publisher=JCPGroup |page=Features |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110614212534/http://www.pelicanpressonline.com/afterhours/features/105871718.html |archive-date=June 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pelicanpressonline.com/localnews/106623713.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110614212528/http://www.pelicanpressonline.com/localnews/106623713.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 14, 2011 |title=Students chalk up accomplishments |author=Toner, Moira |date=November 3, 2010 |work=Pelican Press |publisher=JCPGroup |page=Local News }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281004 |title=Street art goes global this year |author=Weingarten, Abby |date=October 28, 2010 |work=Sarasota Herald Tribune |page=E6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101028/ARTICLE/10281004 |title=Artists to make the pavement come alive in Sarasota |author=Ball, David |date=October 23, 2010 |work=Sarasota Herald Tribune |page=BN1 |access-date=December 7, 2010}}</ref> The festival has a different theme each year and has introduced new techniques in street art. Other applications of street art such as murals and "cellograff graffiti" have become companion events also produced by Avenida de Colores, Inc. The murals are part of the "Going Vertical" project, and although it sometimes coincides with the chalk festival, it is distinct from it and often continues throughout the year. Except for a few commissioned on public property in the Palm Avenue Parking Garage, the murals are on private property and are in many sections of Sarasota and Manatee County. {{As of|2014}} the Sarasota Chalk festival has relocated to Venice, south of Sarasota. The name Sarasota Chalk Festival remains the same.

It is also home to the Fabulous Arts Foundation, formerly the Harvey Milk Festival, an independent music festival in support of civil rights, focusing on the LGBTQ community.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=November 27, 2024 |title=FabAF - Queer Art & Advocacy |url=https://fabaf.org/ |website=Fabulous Arts Foundation}}</ref> It has been celebrated in May annually since 2010 on the weekend closest to Harvey Milk's birthday. It is currently the largest independent music festival in Sarasota,{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} with thousands of attendees throughout the free, public, multi-day event that also includes gallery showings, film, and other live performances.

Sarasota is home to the Whiskey Obsession Festival, the largest whiskey festival in Florida. Established in 2013, the festival features several hundred whiskies from around the world. Dozens of professional brand ambassadors and distillers participate in the festival by engaging in panel discussions, leading classes, and tastings.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.whiskeyobsessionfestival.com/ |title=Whiskey Obsession Festival |website=Whiskeyobsessionfestival.com |access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref>

===Music=== Sarasota is the home of the Sarasota Orchestra, which was founded by Ruth Cotton Butler in 1949 and known for years as the ''Florida West Coast Symphony''. It holds a three-week ''Sarasota Music Festival'' that is recognized internationally and boasts it attracts renowned teachers and the finest students of chamber music. Sarasota also boasts a symphonic chorus, Key Chorale, and professional vocal ensemble, Choral Artists of Sarasota. The Jazz Club of Sarasota is one of the largest and most active jazz clubs in the United States and has promoted jazz events in Sarasota for 39 years.

Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Brian Johnson of AC/DC, Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band, Donald Dunn of the Blues Brothers and Graeme Edge of the Moody Blues have all settled in Sarasota.<ref>{{cite web |last=Weingarten |first=Abby |title=Who lives here? |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20100617/who-lives-here |access-date=October 28, 2018 |website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref>

===Performing and visual arts=== [[File:Sarasota FL Asolo Rep Theatre01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Asolo Repertory Theatre]] [[File:Ca dZan - John Ringling Mansion from East 2.jpg|thumb|Ca' d'Zan, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art]]

Sarasota is home to a vibrant performing arts scene, with numerous venues dedicated to music, dance, theatre, circus arts, and more. Among its many institutions are the Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, and Florida Studio Theatre. These venues, along with others like the Players Centre for Performing Arts and Sarasota Contemporary Dance, contribute to a culturally rich and diverse arts community.

Several of Sarasota's theaters have historical significance. The Sarasota Opera House began as the Edward Theatre in 1925, hosting stars like Elvis Presley and Will Rogers before becoming a permanent home for the Sarasota Opera.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/historic-suncoast-buildings-the-sarasota-opera-house/article_4017fd00-d563-11e3-825f-001a4bcf6878.html |title=Historic Suncoast Buildings: The Sarasota Opera House |website=Mysuncoast.com |access-date=October 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026064705/http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/historic-suncoast-buildings-the-sarasota-opera-house/article_4017fd00-d563-11e3-825f-001a4bcf6878.html |archive-date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Historic Asolo Theater, imported from Asolo, Italy, and reconstructed by the Ringling Museum in the 1950s, originally served Queen Catherine Cornaro of Cyprus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ringling.org/history-historic-asolo-theater |title=History of The Historic Asolo Theater |website=Ringling.org |access-date=October 28, 2018}}</ref> In the 1980s, another Asolo Theater, part of the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts, was constructed around the historic Dunfermline Opera House from Scotland, housing the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and hosting film festivals and theatrical performances.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) has preserved and repurposed several historic buildings. Its Keating Theatre, once the Sarasota Woman's Club founded in 1903, served as the town's first library and community hub before being saved from demolition in 1976.<ref>{{Cite web |last=floridastudiotheatre |date=October 2, 2020 |title=How well do you know Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre? |url=https://floridastudiotheatre-stagedirections.org/2020/10/02/how-well-do-you-know-fst/ |access-date=November 16, 2023 |website=FST Stage Directions |language=en}}</ref> The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and later expanded. FST also acquired the Gompertz Theatre, originally a 1920s movie house that underwent various transformations before becoming part of FST in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gompertz Theatre {{!}} Florida Studio Theatre |url=https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/gompertz-theatre/ |access-date=November 16, 2023 |website=www.floridastudiotheatre.org |language=en}}</ref>

Sarasota and the Cultural Coast are home to fine art, film-making, circus history and performance, and decorative arts. The Sarasota Art Museum and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art are both in Sarasota.

===Architecture=== A large number of homes and buildings are designed in the Italian style. Italian architecture and culture are present in the area including at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Ringling's home, Cà d'Zan, was mostly modeled on the Venetian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Legacy of Sarasota's Historic Architecture {{!}} Sarasota History Alive! |url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1242&category=Articles&view=history&back=history |access-date=December 21, 2022 |website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Examples of those more typically seen in the same style are the residences of Edith Ringling<ref>Benz, Kafi, Sarasota History Alive! article - ''[http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&view=history&category=Articles&srctype=detail&back=history&refno=1390 Edith Ringling residence]'' archived</ref> and of Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford,<ref>Benz, Kafi, Sarasota History Alive! article - ''[http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&view=history&srctype=detail&back=history&refno=1319 Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford residence]'' archived</ref> that also are among the structures in the Caples–Ringling Estates Historic District. Italian inspired statues are also common and the copy of Michelangelo's David at the museum is used as the symbol of Sarasota.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything You Need to Know About The Ringling's "David" |url=https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2017/05/inside-the-ringling-collection |access-date=December 21, 2022 |website=Sarasota Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Sarasota School of Architecture developed as a variant of mid-century modernist architecture. It incorporates elements of both the Bauhaus and Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic" architecture. The style developed as an adaptation to the area's sub-tropical climate and used newly emerging materials that were manufactured or implemented following World War II.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

===Historic buildings and sites=== {{See also|List of historic sites in Sarasota, Florida}} [[File:Sarasota FL County crths08.jpg|thumb|upright|Sarasota County Courthouse]]

By the end of the twentieth century, many of Sarasota's more modest historical structures were demolished. Recently, two historic buildings, the Crocker Church and the Bidwell-Wood House (the oldest remaining structure in the city),<ref>Jennings, David, ''A Tale of Two Commissions'', Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, Inc. Newsletter, February 2005, volume twenty, number two, Box 1754, Sarasota, Florida 34230 – with illustrations of ''Crocker Church'' and ''Bidwell-Wood House'' by Kafi Benz</ref> first restored by Veronica Morgan and members of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation that she founded, became city property. These structures were relocated to this park, despite protests from residents who objected to the loss of park area.

In the late 1970s, Sarasota County purchased the Terrace Hotel that Charles Ringling built and renovated it for use as a county government office building.<ref>LaHurd, Jeff, ''Sarasota, A History'', The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina, IBSSN 1-59629-119-2</ref> The adjacent courthouse that he donated to the new county in 1921 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse complex was designed by Dwight James Baum.

In the next decade, the landmark hotel built by Owen Burns, the El Vernona, which had been turned into apartments, became endangered. By then, it was called the John Ringling Towers and was purchased by a phosphate miner, Gardinier, who wanted to turn it into his corporate headquarters. Plans were made to restore the building. The city commissioners initially supported the plan, but lobbying to undermine the project began, and one of the commissioners changed her vote. The project was denied at the final hearing.

Remarkable preservation success occurred during the 1990s when the community exhibition hall, the Municipal Auditorium, designed by Thomas Reed Martin and Clarence A. Martin, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and meticulously restored to its depression recovery era, 1937 WPA community project, completion status, and its architectural glory—both inside and out. The city boasts that 100,000 people use it every year and it is a boon to the community for recreation, lawn sports, as well as being heavily attended for auctions, concerts, conventions, flea markets, galas, graduations, lectures, orchid and flower shows, and a full range of trade shows of interest to the community. Later the Federal Building, designed by George Albee Freeman (the designer of Seagate for industrialist Powell Crosley Jr.) and Louis A. Simon, which initially had served as the post office was restored as well.

Most of the luxurious historic residences from the 1920s boom period along the northern shore of Sarasota Bay also have survived. This string of homes, built on large parcels of elevated land along the widest point of the bay, is anchored by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art at its center.

Many significant structures from the comparatively recent "Sarasota School of Architecture" period of the mid-twentieth century, however, have not survived. Since they do not qualify under the age criteria set for historic preservation nominations, their historical aspect often escapes public recognition. Others frequently are threatened by demolition plans for new development without consideration of their cultural and historical importance to the community instead of motivating the implementation of plans to retain the buildings and integrate them into new plans.

In 2006, the Sarasota County School Board slated one of Paul Rudolph's largest Sarasota projects, Riverview High School, for demolition. The board decided despite protests by many community members, including architects, historic preservationists, and urban planners. Others supported the demolition as they believed the structure was no longer functional. The issue was divisive. The World Monuments Fund included the school on its ''2008 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites'' in the category ''Main Street Modern''.

Following a March 2007 charrette led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a proposal was advanced to renovate and preserve Rudolph's buildings. The school board decided to allow a year to consider implementing the innovative plan proposed to preserve the buildings, which would include building a parking garage with playing fields above it rather than demolishing the structures. In early June 2008, the school board voted in a 3–2 decision to allow the demolition; School board members Shirley Brown, Caroline Zucker and Frank Kovatch voted against preserving the historic high school.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/Agenda2/June%2017,%202008%20Board%20Meeting%20on%20Tuesday,%20June%2017,%202008/91C1D8DA-C2A9-4C96-B192-147632B7E9B4Minutes.htm |title=June 17, 2008 Board Meeting|work=School Board of Sarasota County |access-date=December 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417214354/http://www.sarasota.k12.fl.us/Agenda2/June%2017,%202008%20Board%20Meeting%20on%20Tuesday,%20June%2017,%202008/91C1D8DA-C2A9-4C96-B192-147632B7E9B4Minutes.htm |archive-date=April 17, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This decision was that school would be demolished and that a parking lot would replace it. One year later, in June 2009, Riverview High School was demolished.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.docomomo-us.org/news/florida_rudolphs_riverview_high_school_demolished |title=Rudolph's Riverview High School Demolished |author=Joyce Owens |date=July 11, 2009 |work=originally published on News-press.com |publisher=Do.co.mo.mo-us.org |access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>

In December 2019, a former Sarasota High School facility was transformed into the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College.<ref name="StackPath">{{Cite web|title=StackPath|url=https://www.asumag.com/planning-design/renovation/article/21114366/93yearold-school-building-converted-to-art-museum-in-sarasota-fla|website=www.asumag.com|date=December 10, 2019 |access-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref> The 93-year-old building was renovated to include 80,000 square feet for the museum's campus with about 15,000 square feet for exhibitions, costing about $30 million according to the president of Ringling College, Larry Thompson.<ref name="StackPath"/>

===Other notable cultural features=== The Sarasota neighborhood of Pinecraft is home to a relatively liberal Amish-Mennonite community which is unusual compared to other Amish communities as it consists mainly of elderly who moved to Florida because of its mild climate, of Amish people who are on holiday and of Amish who do not fit in easily in other communities.<ref>Kraybill, Donald B., Karen M. Johnson-Weiner and Steven M. Nolt: ''The Amish'', Philadelphia, 2013, pages 241–243.</ref> ''Breaking Amish: Brave New World'', a television series of scripted reality is set in Pinecraft. It is a spin-off of ''Breaking Amish''.

The Rosemary District was an African American community and is home to the Boulevard of the Arts. Newtown is predominantly and historically African American.

==Sports== thumb|Golf being played at Sarasota in 1905 thumb|upright|alt=|Lido Beach Pool in Sarasota, 1946

Sarasota is home to the Sarasota Paradise, a Professional team that plays in the USL League One, founded in 2023, the team plays its games at Premier Sports Campus. In 2013, Sarasota became the home of the Sarasota Thunder, which was to play in the Ultimate Indoor Football League, but the team folded.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://preps.heraldtribune.com/2012/08/12/football-sarasota-thunder-coming-in-2013/ |title=Sarasota Thunder coming in 2013 – HT Preps |date=August 12, 2012 |website=HT Preps|access-date=August 25, 2018 }}</ref> Sarasota and Bradenton together held the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Conference: "The XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup will be blessed by Florida hospitality" |url=https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-baseball-world-cup/news/-the-xxx-wbsc-u-18-baseball-world-cup-will-be-blessed-by-florida-hospitality- |website=WBSC |publisher=World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) |access-date=September 10, 2022}}</ref>

The Sarasota Marathon started in 2005. In 2010, declining sponsorship and marathon registration led organizers to change the event to a half marathon. The race begins and ends near the John and Mable Ringling Museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.runthenation.com/marathon/2008_Sarasota_Marathon |title=2008 Sarasota Marathon |access-date=January 8, 2009}}</ref> In 2014, Sarasota hosted the modern pentathlon World Cup Final.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.visitsarasota.com/news-release/sarasota-bradenton-host-olympic-sport-modern-pentathlon |title=Sarasota-Bradenton to host the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon |date=December 3, 2013 |website=Visit Sarasota Florida Beaches and Beyond {{!}} Official Travel Guide|access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref>

Sarasota is home to two swim teams. The Sarasota Sharks have won national championships. A newer team, the Sarasota Tsunami, was founded by the former Sharks head coach and is also nationally competitive. The teams maintain a rivalry.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamunify.com/Home.jsp?team=flsysst |title=Sarasota Sharks |website=Teamunify.com |access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref> The Sarasota Sailing Squadron is a highly active facility that has hosted many nationally renowned regattas for both dinghies and larger vessels.<ref>[http://www.sarasotasailingsquadron.com/2006OptiStory.htm 2006 Opti Nationals]. Sarasotasailingsquadron.com (July 30, 2006). Retrieved July 17, 2013.</ref>

==Parks and recreation== In 1937 the Municipal Auditorium-Recreation Club was built with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration, the municipal government, and local residents and business owners. It became a center for sports, entertainment, and recreation. The sports activities have ranged from badminton, basketball, boating, lawn bowling, and shuffleboard, to tennis. The auditorium hosts clubs for cards, dancing, games, gardening, and numerous hobbies as well as having become the community meeting place for commercial and educational shows and the venue for local schools and charities to hold events and dances. Tourists are attracted to exhibitions provided by local businesses as well as vendors from national circuits. This building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places because of its architecture and for providing the enormous range of community activities that are scheduled at it every week.

Sarasota is home to Ed Smith Stadium where the Baltimore Orioles have held spring training since 2010.<ref>[https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2010/02/04/get-the-most-out-of-spring-training-2010/28942132007/ Echeverria Jr., Steve. "Get the most out of Spring Training 2010," ''Herald-Tribune'' (Sarasota, FL), Thursday, March 4, 2010.] Retrieved October 5, 2022.</ref> The Orioles also have minor league facilities at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park.<ref>[https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2011/02/5-questions-12 Denton, Beau. "5 Questions: Play Ball," ''Sarasota'' (magazine), February 2011.] Retrieved October 5, 2022.</ref> Previously, Ed Smith Stadium was the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and the minor league Sarasota Reds.

The warm climate helped the Sarasota area become a popular golf destination. John Hamilton Gillespie was an early pioneer of the game in Sarasota. The Sara Bay course in the Whitfield area was designed by golf architect Donald Ross. Bobby Jones was associated with the community course in Sarasota. Many courses dot the area, including the one originally laid out for the hotel John Ringling planned on the southern tip of Longboat Key.

Sport fishing attracts enthusiasts to Sarasota as a result of the action that the bay offers. Tarpon was the biggest draw, but gigantic gar as well as many other species abounded to attract the notable Owen Burns and Powel Crosley.

Nathan Benderson Park contains a lake with a specialized 2,000 meter eight-lane rowing course. It was the venue for the World Rowing Championships in 2017, held on September 23 – October 1, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/council-approves-benderson-park-for-world-rowing-championships/article_38b90e7e-fe0d-11e2-9210-001a4bcf6878.html |title=Council approves Benderson Park for 2017 World Rowing Championships |work=Sarasota News | Mysuncoast.com and ABC 7 |date=August 5, 2013 |publisher=MySuncoast |access-date=August 6, 2013 |last1=Winitz |first1=Max }}</ref> The park has been the site of USRowing's Youth National Championship Regatta in June 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and has hosted the NCAA women's rowing national championship (Division I, Division II and Division III) in 2018, 2021 and 2022. The park has also hosted trials of the men's and women's U.S. teams for the Summer Olympic Games of 2016 and 2020.

==Government== The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. Sarasota was reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913.<ref name=SaraHist>{{cite web |title=Sarasota History |url=http://historicpreservationsarasota.org/sarasotahistory/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823011414/http://historicpreservationsarasota.org/sarasotahistory/ |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |website=History & Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County |date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> Thereafter, it was called the "City of Sarasota". Sarasota later was designated as the county seat when Sarasota County was carved out of Manatee County in 1921 during the creation of several new counties.

In 1945 the commission-manager government form<ref name="City Commission">{{cite web |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission |title=City Commission |website=City of Sarasota |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> was adopted for the city and it is governed by a five-person commission elected by popular vote, two members of which serve in the ceremonial positions of "mayor" and "vice-mayor", as chosen by the commission every April. Two at-large commissioners are elected by all voters, and the city is divided into three districts for which the residents of each elect one district representative to the five-member commission. Debbie Trice was voted Mayor for 202–2026 period.<ref name="t745"/>

Sarasota has an official seal, which was adopted in 2022, replacing the original seal that was adopted in 1902. Sarasota's seal also has the city motto on it: "May Sarasota Prosper". The city seal consists of a silhouette of the Statue of David.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2022 |title=City of Sarasota and DreamLarge finalize new City seal |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3009/}}</ref>

Many aspects of the city are overseen by the county government ranging from the schools, the libraries, the bay, major waterways, county-designated roads, the airport, fire departments, property and ''ad valorem'' taxes, voting, the health department, extension services, stormwater control, mosquito control, the courts, and the jail.

===Mayors=== The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. Sarasota was then reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913.<ref name=SaraHist/>

Since its incorporation, Sarasota has been governed by a commission–manager form of government.<ref name="City Commission"/> There are a total of five city commissioners: two that are elected "at large" and three from single-member districts. The mayor and vice mayor are selected from the five city commissioners.

Mayors of Sarasota, Florida, include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former Mayors |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/former-mayors |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=City of Sarasota}}</ref> {{div col |colwidth=25em}} * J. Hamilton Gillespie (1902–1907), property developer * J. B. Chapline (1907 and 1908), a real estate agent * G. W. Franklin (1908 and 1909), a furniture store owner * J. Hamilton Gillespie (1909 and 1910) * Hamden S. Smith (1910 and 1911), ice company owner * Harry H. Higel (1911 to 1914), property developer and Great Floridian * A. B. Edwards (1914 to 1916), realtor * Harry H. Higel (1916 and 1917 second stint) * G. W. Franklin 1917–1919 * A. B. Edwards (Arthur Britton Edwards)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1529&view=history&back=history|title=A. B. Edwards | Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hsosc.com/mr-sarasota/|title=Mr. Sarasota|date=July 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1523&category=Articles&view=history&back=history|title=Arthur Britton Edwards "Roots" | Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/history/2022/09/05/sarasotas-first-mayor-and-first-real-estate-agent-put-city-map/7942959001/|title=Sarasota's first mayor saw nearly a century of change | Sarasota History, Jeff LaHurd|first=Jeff|last=LaHurd|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref> 1919–1921 * E. J. Bacon 1921–1931 * E. A. Smith 1931–1937 * Verman Kimbrough 1937–1939 * E. A. Smith 1939–1945 * J. Douglas Arnest 1945–1948 * J. Fite Robertson 1948–1951 * John L. Early 1951 – April 1953 * Leroy T. Fenne April 1953 – December 1953, owner of the Sarasota Hotel<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1249&view=history&back=history|title=The Sarasota Hotel | Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref> * Ben Hopkins, Jr. 1953–1955 * John D. Kicklighter 1955–1956 * A. Ray Howard 1956–1957 * Frank L. Hoersting 1957–1958 * Col. Fred W. Dennis 1958–1959 * Frank Hoersting 1959–1960 * Marshall E. Marable 1960–1961 * John 0. Binns 1961–1962 * Herschel C. Hayo 1962–1964 * David Cohen 1964–1966 * Jack Betz 1966–1969 * D. William Overton 1969–1970 * Jack Betz (John C.) 1970–1971 * Gerald E. Ludwig 1971–1972 * Fred E. Soto 1972–1973 * J. "Tony" Saprito 1973–1975 * Elmer G. Berkel 1975–1976 * Ronald Norman 1976–1978 * Elmer G. Berkel 1978–1979 * Fred E. Soto 1979–1981 * Ronald W. Norman 1981–1982 * Rita J. Roehr 1982–1983 * Annie M. Bishopric 1983–1984 * Lou Ann Palmer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/136194|title=Florida Memory • Lou Ann Palmer.}}</ref> 1984–1985<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasota-mayor-gets-lifetime-achievement-award/67-391880125|title=Sarasota mayor gets "Lifetime Achievement" award|website=wtsp.com|date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref> * William G. Kline 1985–1986 * Kerry G. Kirschner 1986–1987 * Fredd G. Atkins 1987–1988, first African-American mayor * Rita J. Roehr 1988–1989 * Lou Ann Palmer 1989–1990 * Kerry G. Kirschner 1990–1991 * Fredd G. Atkins 1991–1992 * Jack Gurney 1992–1993 * Gene M. Pillot 1993–1994 * Nora Patterson 1994–1995 * David Merrill 1995–1996 * Mollie C. Cardamone 1996–1997 * Gene M. Pillot 1997–1998 * Jerome Dupree 1998–1999 * Mollie C. Cardamone 1999–2000 * Gene M. Pillot 2000–2001 * Albert F. Hogle 2001–2001 * Carolyn J. Mason 2001–2003, first African-American woman mayor * Lou Ann Palmer 2003–2004 * Richard F. Martin 2004–2005 * Mary Anne Servian 2005–2006 * Fredd G. Atkins 2006–2007 * Lou Ann Palmer 2007–2009 * Richard Clapp 2009–2010 * Kelly Kirschner 2010–2011 * Suzanne Atwell 2011–2013 * Shannon Snyder 2013–2014 * Willie Charles Shaw 2014–2017 * Shelli Freeland Eddie 2017–2018, a lawyer * Liz Alpert 2018–2019, an attorney * Jen Ahearn-Koch 2019–2020, a marketing consultant * Hagen Brody 2020–2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/former-mayors|title=Former Mayors | City of Sarasota|website=www.sarasotafl.gov}}</ref> * Erik Arroyo 2021–2022<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/commissioner-arroyo | title=Commissioner Erik Arroyo | City of Sarasota }}</ref> * Kyle Battie 2022, former television show host<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2022/11/15/commissioner-kyle-battie-becomes-mayor-sarasota-florida-new-commissioners-sworn-in/10671016002/|title=Sarasota city commissioners select Kyle Battie as new mayor|first=Anne|last=Snabes|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref> * Liz Alpert 2023–2024<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2023/nov/16/sarasota-gets-new-mayor/|title=Sarasota gets a new mayor|date=November 16, 2023|website=Your Observer}}</ref> * Debbie Trice<ref name="t745"/> {{div col end}}

==Education== [[File:New College of Florida's College Hall & Cook Hall Rear Elevations (Former Charles Ringling & Hester Ringling Sanford Estates).jpg|thumb|New College of Florida campus]]

Public primary and secondary education is provided by the Sarasota County Public Schools school district. The district includes 15 elementary schools, five middle schools, and the following secondary schools: Booker High School, Pine View School for the Gifted, Riverview High School, Sarasota High School, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Sarasota Military Academy, and Oak Park School. Sarasota was also home to the Flint School, a preparatory school for boating. Private education includes Liberty Christian Academy, Ascension Lutheran School, The Classical Academy of Sarasota, Sarasota Christian School, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School and Out-of-Door Academy.

In higher education, Sarasota is home to New College of Florida, a public liberal arts college and the honors college for the State University System of Florida. Additional colleges in Sarasota include Keiser University of Sarasota (a private, not for profit university); FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training (Florida State University's MFA Acting Conservatory in conjunction with the Asolo Repertory Theatre); Ringling College of Art and Design, a school of visual arts and design; and satellite campuses of Eckerd College, based in St. Petersburg, Florida; and Florida State University College of Medicine, based in Tallahassee, Florida. Other colleges in the city include East West College of Natural Medicine, an accredited college of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Nearby educational institutions with regional draw include State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, and a commuter branch of the University of South Florida, with the main campus located in Tampa.

==Media== {{See also|List of television stations in Florida|List of radio stations in Florida}}

===Television=== Sarasota is part of the Nielsen-designated Tampa-Saint Petersburg-Sarasota television market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediainfocenter.org/compare/top50/#tv |title=Top 50 TV markets ranked by households |publisher=Northwestern University Media Management Center |access-date=September 3, 2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807070323/http://www.mediainfocenter.org/compare/top50/#tv  |archive-date=August 7, 2007}}</ref> The local television stations are ABC-affiliate WWSB and the SNN: Suncoast News Network, a continuous local cable news operation run by Comcast, Frontier FiOS and the ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune''. WWSB is the only network station with studios in Sarasota. Other network and public television programming serving the community is offered by Fort Myers and Tampa television stations. Comcast provides cable television service. DirecTV and Dish Network direct broadcast satellite television including Tampa Bay Area local and national channels to Sarasota residents.

Sarasota made national headlines in July 1974 when WWSB (then called WXLT) news anchor Christine Chubbuck shot herself live on-air.

===Radio=== Arbitron has identified the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market as the seventy-third largest market in the country,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arbitron.com/radio_stations/mm001050.asp |title=Arbitron Radio Market Rankings: Spring 2007 |publisher=Arbitron |access-date=September 3, 2007}}</ref> and the sixth largest in the state of Florida. There are eight radio stations in the city: WSMR (89.1FM, classical music), WSLR-LP (96.5FM, variety-talk and community issues), WKZM (104.3FM, religious; repeating WKES Lakeland), WSRZ (107.9FM, oldies), WLSS (930AM, talk), WSRQ (1220AM, 98.9FM, 106.9FM, talk), WTMY (1280AM, talk), WTZB (105.9FM, rock music; commonly known as The Buzz) and WSDV (1450AM, adult standards). WHPT (102.5 FM, Hot Talk) and WRUB (106.5FM, Spanish) are licensed to Sarasota and have broadcasting facilities in the Sarasota / Bradenton area, but have studios in the Tampa Bay area and are focused on that region.

The community also is served by most radio stations from the Tampa Bay radio market, as well as some stations from the nearby Fort Myers radio market.

===Newspaper=== The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is the daily newspaper published in the city and the weekly newspaper is the ''Sarasota Observer''. From neighboring Manatee County, the ''Bradenton Herald'' also is distributed daily in the area and ''The Bradenton Times'' is an electronic weekly newspaper that covers Sarasota topics as well. ''Sarasota Magazine'' also served the community.

===Filming location=== In 1952, Cecil B. DeMille filmed and premiered ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (with James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton) in Sarasota. In 1998, two studio films were filmed in Sarasota: Alfonso Cuaron's ''Great Expectations'', with Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hank Azaria, Anne Bancroft and Robert De Niro; and Volker Schlondorff's ''Palmetto'', starring Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, and Gina Gershon.

''Out of Time'' (2003), a crime drama starring Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes used the Blackburn Point Bridge, Boca Grande and Cortez. In 2013, Taylor Hackford's action movie ''Parker'', with Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte had scenes filmed at Ca' d'Zan in Sarasota.

In June 2017, director Kevin Smith shot his 2022 film, ''KillRoy Was Here'', in Sarasota.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/kevin-smith-horror-anthology-movie-killroy-was-here/|title=Kevin Smith's Monster Movie 'Killroy Was Here' Begins Filming At A Florida College|website=/Film|last=Giroux|first=Jack|date=June 15, 2017|access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/kevin-smith-horror-movie-killroy-was-here-florida-1202467952/|title=Kevin Smith Filming Horror Movie 'Killroy Was Here' at Florida College|website=Variety|date=June 15, 2017|last=McNary|first=Dave|access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref>

==Infrastructure== ===Transportation=== [[File:Ringling Causeway from Bird Key.jpg|thumb|Ringling Causeway, Florida State Road 789]]

====Airports==== The major airport in the area is Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) which is shared by Sarasota and Manatee counties.<ref name="By Air, Sea and Road">{{cite web |url=http://www.manateechamber.com/manatee-county-transportation-information.aspx |title=By Air, Sea and Road |access-date=September 10, 2010 |publisher=Manatee Chamber of Commerce}}</ref> Since being opened in 1941, it has been the area's major airport. Before this, Lowe's Field functioned as the main airport for the Sarasota Area from 1929 to 1941.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Municipal Airport/Lowe Field |url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/markers/municipal-airport-lowe-field/ |access-date=August 8, 2018 |website=Sarasota History Alive!}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/FL/Airfields_FL_TampaS.htm |title=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Florida, Southern Tampa area |website=Airfields-freeman.com|access-date=July 23, 2018}}</ref>

Five airlines offer service out of the airport to locations primarily in the United States and Canada. The airport serves more than 1,300,000 passengers per year. The airport holds full port of entry status providing U.S. Customs inspections for international travelers.<ref name="By Air, Sea and Road" /> St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport and Tampa International Airport are located about an hour north of Sarasota, and Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers an hour and 45 min south of Sarasota. All three offer a wider range of national and international flights.

====Public transit==== Sarasota County Area Transit has a bus service called ''Breeze'' which offers service throughout the county and also offers limited connections with Manatee County Area Transit. Sarasota County has joined the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority to plan and build future transportation infrastructure including light rail, commuter rail and longer range bus service.

====Rail==== A key issue is providing Sarasota with access to the Florida High Speed Rail. The Seaboard Coast Line ran intercity train service to the city until 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/markers/atlantic-coast-line-railroad-depot/ |title=Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot - Sarasota History Alive! |website=Sarasota History Alive! |access-date=October 28, 2018 |archive-date=July 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731031248/http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/markers/atlantic-coast-line-railroad-depot/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is no Amtrak train which stops in Sarasota, but Amtrak provides Amtrak Thruway at Sarasota Station, located approximately {{convert|2|miles}} from the city limits of Sarasota, to the nearest Amtrak terminal in Tampa.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=July 8, 2019 |title=Sarasota, FL (SRA) |url=https://www.amtrak.com/stations/sra |website=Amtrak}}</ref> A freight-only rail line operated by Seminole Gulf Railway does serve industries in Sarasota. The Seaboard Coast Line ran the last passenger train, the ''West Coast Champion,'' to the company's depot on 1971.<ref>"Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot". Sarasota History Alive!. http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/history/markers/atlantic-coast-line-railroad-depot/{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }} Retrieved March 29, 2021.</ref>

====Water==== thumb|Sarasota marina

As a city located on the Gulf of Mexico, water transportation is a key consideration. The Intracoastal Waterway is a {{convert|3000|mi|km|adj=on}} waterway providing water access to and from the Atlantic coast for tugs, barges, and leisure boats. Port Manatee and the Port of Tampa both provide nearby deep water ports.<ref name="By Air, Sea and Road" /> Port Manatee provides cargo service primarily while the Port of Tampa is more diverse. Port Manatee formerly even had a cruise line, ''Regal Cruise Line'' from 1993 to 2003. It was seized by U.S Marshals on April 18, 2003, for not being maintained.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/cruiselines/regal.asp |title=Cruise Line & Ship Profiles |website=Cruiseserver.net |access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article201140084.html |title=Port Manatee has been without cruise service for 15 years. He's trying to bring it back |last=Jones |first=James A. Sr. |work=Bradenton Herald|access-date=September 22, 2018 |year=2018 }}</ref> The waterway enters Sarasota Bay which provides access to downtown Sarasota at the city pier.

====Roads==== Because of its location on the Gulf of Mexico and its proximity to several other large metropolitan areas, road transportation is critical to the Sarasota area. The major roads in the area include: * 24px I-75 – the only freeway in the area, I-75 is located {{convert|5|miles|4=0|spell=in}} east from the center of Sarasota and is a major interstate leading south to Miami and north to Tampa * 24px U.S. 41 Tamiami Trail – a major north–south route through Sarasota enters the city from the south before heading west at the south end of U.S. 301; after briefly following Bayfront Drive, the Trail heads north again paralleling the coast * 24px U.S. 301 – heading north from its intersection with U.S. 41, U.S. 301 follows Washington Boulevard running parallel to U.S. 41 until the two roads merge again in Manatee County * 24px SR 780 – Fruitville Road (Third Street) – a main east–west thoroughfare linking U.S. 41, U.S. 301, and Interstate 75 * 24px SR 789 – starts out as John Ringling Causeway before heading to Bird Key and Lido Key, SR 789 turns north and becomes Gulf of Mexico Drive, a major road on the islands between Sarasota and Bradenton

==Sister cities== {{See also|List of sister cities in Florida}}

The U.S. sister city program began in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative. The Sarasota chapter was established in 1963. A sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=January 31, 2021 |title=What Is a Sister City? |website=Sister Cities International |url=http://sistercities.org/about-us/what-is-a-sister-city-3/}}</ref>

Sarasota's sister cities are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Sister Cities|url=https://sarasotasistercities.org/#|publisher=Sister Cities Association of Sarasota|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} * {{flagicon|FRA}} Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France (1994) * {{flagicon|RUS}} Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia (1994) (suspended)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sarasotasistercities.org/vladimir-russia/|title=The Sarasota Sister Cities relationship with Vladimir, Russia is currently suspended by the Sarasota City Commission due to the aggression by Russia with its invasion of Ukraine.|publisher=Sister Cities Association of Sarasota|accessdate=October 20, 2023}}</ref> * {{flagicon|ISR}} Tel Mond, Central District, Israel (1999) * {{flagicon|SCO}} Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland (2001) * {{flagicon|CHN}} Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian, China (2007) * {{flagicon|MEX}} Mérida, Yucatán, México (2010) {{div col end}}

===Friendship cities=== * {{flagicon|SUI}} Rapperswil-Jona, Kanton St. Gallen, Switzerland (2017)<ref>{{cite web |title=Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland|url=https://sarasotasistercities.org/busseto-italy/|publisher=Sister Cities Association of Sarasota|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref> * {{flagicon|ITA}} Busseto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Busseto, Italy|url=https://sarasotasistercities.org/busseto-italy/|publisher=Sister Cities Association of Sarasota|access-date=February 1, 2021}}</ref>

==See also== * List of people from Sarasota * Newtown

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Sarasota, Florida}} {{wikivoyage|Sarasota}} * {{official website|http://www.sarasotafl.gov/}}

Category:Sarasota, Florida Category:Cities in Florida Category:Cities in Sarasota County, Florida Category:County seats in Florida Category:Sarasota metropolitan area Category:Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico