3rd Annual Festa Italia in Sarasota…read more Live Entertainment Carnival Rides Specialty Foods Games Fun ....fun... It was certainly a beautiful warm sunny day to celebrate my heritage! I had my typical sausage and onions sandwich. Italian Ices, Peroni beer, linguine with clam sauce, and for desert zeppole and cappuccino.. and much more other food items I had to try, but then walked away bloating by eve.. (joke) Food was good and the entertainment was fun. The famous Flying Wellendas were doing their awesome acrobats on the high wire throughout the day! My son enjoyed the carni rides and fun houses... I enjoyed all the Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney and more of that genre type of parody singers! Nice to have a taste of Italy near your home!

What a nice festival. What a great park for a festival…read more The food was excellent. The arancini (rice balls) were yum and baked ziti was delicious as well as Italian Ice. They had a lot of good looking food not just carnival junk. The Italian music was excellent. The Wallendas were amazing. The fireworks were awesome. I sure hope they have this festival next year!

If you're on the beach on Sunday afternoon- it's worth a stop. Depending on when sunset is, it…read morestarts about an hour before. Here in May, sunset is at 8:15 and this started around 6:30. It's a bunch of locals that dance and play drums and other instruments. It's a great for people watching. Local beach goers will join in on the dancing and the kids are all out there playing as well. They form a bit of a circle, leaving a large dance floor area and people set up chairs to enjoy the spectacle. There is no leader. People just play. The music is repetitive and catchy. I just had random conversations with people around me. Everyone was in a good mood and happy to be there. It's totally free. You'll hear the music as you approach. It's close to public beach access.

It was a dark and dismal day on Siesta Beach, but the lure of the sea still drew us in. I asked the…read morelifeguard where the Drum Circle met, and it was just a short ways over. I have never been to a Drum Circle, but in my mind I pictured guys pounding away on bongo and other types of drums. Boy was I off base! As more and more drummers arrived, it was apparent that I didn't have a clue. This event turned out to be a percussion extravaganza of the likes I have never seen. These were talented and gifted musicians that performed in such a manner that they were totally in snyc. No microphones or any type of electrical enhancements were necessary. After it started to rain, the party moved to a covered Pavillion, and the acoustics were incredible! They played and played and played as many other guys & gals joined in and took turns taking breaks. Not only were they gifted percussionists they were also athletes to maintain the strength and energy needed to perform like that. Freaking unbelievable. The final set I heard was so moving that it filled my soul and my heart. It turned into a rhythmic frenzy that conjured up visions of half naked women dancing around a fire . An unbelievable amount of energy & stamina was required to complete that presentation. IMPRESSIVE!! I left the beach with a peaceful, yet exhilarated spirit. If you do not experience the same emotions, you didn't open your mind and soul. Bring a tambourine, beverages, glow in the dark bracelets, or any hand percussion instrument you have and join the fun! Be prepared to DANCE!

We took the kids (3- and 6-year old) to the renaissance Faire yesterday. They opened at 10am, but…read morewe ended up leaving SWFL around then, and arrived around 11:30am. The traffic wasn't too bad at all for a Saturday, and the fair itself wasn't as packed as I expected it. The fair was behind the big Robarts building , in the back fields. Fortunately, a nice gentleman spotted the kids' costumes and pointed us in the right direction. Parking was free, in the roped off fields. You walk towards the entrance, and they have bag checks. Then, there are the ticket booths, or you can go straight to the entrance with your emailed tickets, where they scan them with an iPad. Upon entering, there was a character there who sung a song our kids, pertaining to their knight and princess costumes. This was a pleasant start to get our kids in the "mood." Looking around, the site was very open and grassy (tennis shoes or comfy walking shoes recommended). There were many vendors selling clothing, handmade soaps, jewelry, etc. There were at least three food vendors (one with breakfast foods/coffee, one with steak tips/mashed potatoes/onions/peppers for $12, and one with chicken tenders, fries, etc. The turkey legs were $17. Lemonade were $6.) There were at least two "pubs" that had festive characters playing music for entertainment under big white tents. A pony ride was available for kids under 80lbs, for $7 a kid. An elephant ride was also available for $10/kid and $20/adult. They had many shows at different sections and different times throughout the property. For example, jousting, archery, storybook telling for kids, a cat/rat "circus," singers, plays, etc. There was also a Knight Training Class for kids, where the kids were paired up with trainers, then performed their skills for the prince. The prince then knighted them each, and even gave our daughter a little ring. They had a royal court that mingled with us "commoners" and ate in the regular picnic table section amongst others, while still acting their characters out. The jousting consisted of 2 rivals showing their skills catching rings and knocking over cans with their swords. They then tagged each other on their shields in a 3 round joust. There was a really cool presentation of a man performing on his 35 bronze bells. He played many tunes along with the music from the GOT and Harry Potter Theme songs. He was amazing! The last thing we did before leaving was watch the Colombian pirate show. It was going to be really cool with the acrobatics, but storm clouds rolled in and it started pouring rain, so it was postponed, while all fair goers ran under the cover of the tents. We spent about 2.5 hours there, and didn't interact with every vendor and show, but I felt like we got a good taste of the fair overall. I feel like one day was good enough with the kids, and not too long to make them distracted and tired. We enjoyed ourselves very much. I docked a star just because I felt like there could've been more food vendors, more interactive activities, and map/signs to point you in the direction of the specific shows you wanted to watch. It was a fun outing either way, and the kids liked seeing other people in costumes (not just the employees/actors).

We had a great time on the train rid. An affordable, fun, and unique experience. Very family…read morefriendl.

The train museum is just a minute from my home and yet it just never seems to get old. The museum…read moreholds many great events throughout the year, including a trip to the North Pole at Christmas time and in the spring and summer they offer a train robbery experience.. we attend these events often as a family and it's very enjoyed by everyone. They do have AC and some of the train cars so if it's hot outside, it's a nice relaxing thing to do.

Loved it! Beautiful experience all around. Spectacular sunset. Beautiful people expressive dancing…read moreand rhythm. Look forward to experiencing this again.

The Nokomis Drum Circle was something we found on Facebook! They perform every Wednesday and…read moreSaturday evening, approximately 2 hours before sunset, rain or shine. What is the drum circle exactly? They are drummers, musicians, and dancers who invite you to join them in celebrating life on Nokomis Beach. We were visiting from Texas, looking for a unique experience, this was awesome! For outsiders like us, we didn't know "how" to find them. TIP: Use Google Maps and search Nokomis Beach public parking. When you reach Pelican Alley (intercoastal waterway) the Nokomis Beach public parking is at the end of this road. We went on a Wednesday, got there around 6pm -- the lot was full including the handicap spots. This parking area is tiny, I'd say it holds approximately 50 cars. However, there is more free public parking across the street, look for the marina storage in the distance. There was a lot of parking available when we arrive but an hour later around 7pm there were no parking spaces left. I have no idea where you can park after everything is full. After you park, of course, you listen for the drums and start walking in that direction. We watched an elderly couple struggle to walk the distance plus navigate several stairs. Once they got to the beach they realized it was too far to walk to the drum circle in the sand, they turned around and left. That literally broke our hearts. We didn't know how to help them. But once we accessed the beach and walked towards the drum circle we learned a very important trick for others who may have the same type of problems. TIP: If you walk towards the white shelter / pavilion on the North West corner of the Nokomis Beach parking lot, it's all ground level, you will be 3/4th of the way to the drum circle location. From the parking lot to this pavilion plus the sandy path to the drum circle is all flat ground to walk on (no stairs). The drum circle is set up right at the end of this sandy walkway, can't miss it! We stayed approximately two hours. Visitors range from age 2- 100. Some people come prepared with beach chairs and coolers others sit on towels. Bring whatever you need to be comfortable sitting out in the open, in the sun and sand, it does get hot. The drummers are passionate, focused, and love their audience. It was a lovely spiritual and positive experience. Our favorite part was the flowers and decorations set up in the center, in memory of members of their community, place there by the Tribe. We were lucky to witness the sage blessing and be a part of that ritual.

Since they move into the renovated high school building, they really have great art displays. We…read morewere here for museum free day. The entrance registration is easy. The museum has two floors and some of the studios and cafe. I am impressed with their chandeliers display with individual pieces link together. Each piece is art as its own. This is the most photographic area. The second thing is their translucent window with different colors and reflections of the color. I also like their make your own art studio. Kid enjoys the clay art. It is definitely great for the kid.

This is an interesting art museum. The building was from an old renovated high school building. The…read moreparking lot is plentful and free. We took advantage of the second Sunday every month free ticket. It got interesting and beautiful exhibits, mostly contemporary art and sculpture. They were eye- catching pieces. The staff were friendly and helpful. The café offers delicious food and drinks plus free cookie for kids. There are different art studio for children to make an art project. Lobby area offered live music at weekend noon time. Their elevators are as big as a New York City studio apartment- a funny fact. This is a pleasant museum to visit. I enjoyed my time there.

This free maritime museum is eye-opening regarding Cortez Fishing Village and Florida maritime…read morehistory The rooms are carefully & creatively curated with easy to read and understand information. It is child and adult-friendly, has a maritime library and pleasant grounds, including a secret garden. It appears well-used by student groups. They have many forward-thinking ideas and are currently renovating a section. It provides a good sense of this hot hard life and great respect for the fishing industry that grew here. Boat-lovers will especially enjoy. Loved the hurricane history wall and the opportunity to provide ones own experiences on one wall. Hours are reasonable and it's near ice cream! I was there twice in a short weekend in Cortez! and tipped well to hopefully help with their future endeavors.

Very quaint and interesting place. Lots of really cool pictures and the volunteers are very…read morehelpful. Fun little 2 hour excursion.

I don't know if it's nostalgia but I have never had a bad memory here. The rides were fun and…read moredidn't break down often. There's a lot of things to do. The food was good to me. there downsides but it was a nice place to go with friends and family.

super fun! im 17, and the rides and atmosphere were clean :) food was a 10/10 and so was the…read moreoverall experience.