The Dog Days of Summer are HOT! HOT! HOT! So let’s COOL DOWN!
August in Florida reminds us of a few songs you may recognize:
- ‘Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful 1966
- ‘Margaritaville‘ by Jimmy Buffett 1977
- ‘The Heat Is On’ by Glenn Frey in 1984
- ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’ by David Johansen in 1987
- ‘When The Heat Hits The Street’ by Laura Branigan in 1985
- ‘Summer Nights‘ by Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta in 2000
Yes, it is hot in Sarasota and Manatee Counties, but there are many cool things to do here in August.
We have several beaches in the area where you can cool down with family and friends. Some have great picnic areas and restaurants.
- Anna Maria Island has a choice of beaches, Manatee Public Beach, Coquina Beach, and Bean Point Beach.
- Longboat Key has 12 miles of shoreline.
- Lido Key Beach – John Ringling, a fan of Italian culture named this beach Lido which means ‘beach’ in Italian.
- Siesta Key Beach is an 8-mile strand of beach.
- Turtle Beach is located in South Siesta Key, a quiet and quaint beach.
- Casey Key Nokomis Beach is the oldest public beach in Sarasota County.
- Venice has the Venice Beach which is close to downtown and the Caspersen Beach which is one of the longest stretches of beach still in its natural state along Sarasota County shoreline.
- Caspersen Beach has the only dog-friendly beach (Brohard Paw Park) in the area.
Venice Beaches are known for their seashells and the ‘Shark Tooth Capitol of the World.’ (If your wondering why we do our Family Adventure Shark Tooth Tour on Manasota Beach in Charlotte County it’s because we find so many teeth there! But please don’t tell Venice 😉 more info below!)
Be sure to check out our “Shark Teeth & More Family Tour” where you will spend the morning on the beach with our tour guide, learn about sharks, find your very own shark’s teeth. and their teeth, AND it includes lunch! www.sarasotasuncoasttours.com
If you are not a beach-type person, or just want to take a break from the beach, there many events going on in Sarasota and Manatee Counties during the month of August.
- August 2 – First Friday Gallery walk down Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota where shops are open from 6:00-9:00 pm and refreshments are served. http://www.palmavenue.org
- August 2 – Peace & Love Tour to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Woodstock Festival at the Riverview Performing Arts Center https://tickets.sunevents.com
- August 7-10 – 2019 Shark Days at Mote: Real Sharks, Real Science at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. https://tickets.mote.org.
- August 10-11 – Back-to-School Celebration at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. sarasotajunglegardens.com
- August 10, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm – 3rd Annual Woodstock Revival Festival at the Sarasota Downtown Farmers Market **
- August 16 – Friday Fest on the Bay at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall **
- August 19 – Summer Circus Spectacular at the Historic Asolo Theater
- August 22, 6:00-10:00 pm- Marina Jack featuring the Kettle of Fish band
- August 24, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Kilts on Coquina Beach, Bradenton Beach for the Annual Celtic Beach Cookout
- August 31-September 1 – The 11th Annual Downtown Venice Craft Show
Don’t forget to book one of our food tours before or after one of Sarasota’s cool events. You will have wonderful meals and learn Sarasota history too! www.keyculinarytours.com
A tasty way to cool off is to enjoy ice cream, gelato, or an ice-cold drink at one of our many fountain shops. In Sarasota and Bradenton Counties there are over 90 fountain shops.
Here are a few cool ones for all of you foodies.
- Gelato-Go on South Orange Avenue in downtown Sarasota
- Edy’s Main Street downtown Sarasota
- The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops at St. Armands
- Big Olaf Creamery of St. Armands
- Kilwins Chocolates at St. Armands
- Carousel’s Soft Serve Icery at St. Armands
- Ben & Jerry’s at St. Armands
Source: www.visitsarasota.com