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Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of
Sarasota County, Florida Sarasota County is a county located in Southwest Florida. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 US census, the population was 434,006. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida, Sarasota and its largest city is North Port, Florida, North Port. Sara ...
, United States. It is located in
Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy. Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are genera ...
, the southern end of the
Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida, Clea ...
, and north of
Fort Myers A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include
Sarasota Bay Sarasota Bay is a lagoon located off the central west coast of Florida in the United States. Though no significant single stream of freshwater enters the bay, with a drainage basin limited to 150 square miles in Manatee and Sarasota counties, it ...
and several barrier islands between the bay and the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
. Sarasota is a principal city of the North Port- Bradenton- Sarasota, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 U.S. census, Sarasota had a population of 54,842, up from 51,917 at the 2010 census. The Sarasota city limits contain several islands, called keys, including Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Otter Key, Coon Key, Bird Key, and the northern portion of
Siesta Key A siesta (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The "si ...
as well as Bay Island. Longboat Key is the largest key separating Sarasota Bay from the Gulf of Mexico but is a separate municipality. The city limits expanded significantly with the real estate rush of the early twentieth century, reaching almost . The speculation boom began to crash in 1926 and the city limits began to contract, shrinking to less than a quarter of that area.


Etymology

The origin of the name is disputed and has fostered a number of 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. Another holds that it was named "Zara Soto", Arabic for the "Radiance of Soto". Other theories take into account the substantial beaches and indigenous mounds, with early Spanish explorers being reminded of the
Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
, combined with "zota", the indigenous word for "blue waters". Others claim that it comes from "sara-de-cota," meaning "an area of land easily observed" in the language of the
Calusa The Calusa ( , Calusa: *ka(ra)luś(i)) were a Native American people of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region. Previous Indigenous cultures had lived in the area for thousands o ...
indigenous tribe. The area known today as Sarasota appeared on a sheepskin Spanish map from 1763 with the word over present-day Sarasota and
Bradenton Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the Sarasota metropolitan area. Dow ...
. In 1776, a British map by Bernard Romans lists a "Boca Sarasota" in the local area. Maps in the 1700s showed the area as "Sarazota" or "Porte Sarasote". 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. People from Sarasota are generally known as "Sarasotans".


History

Around 1883 to 1885, The Florida Mortgage and Investment Company of Edinburgh bought 60,000 acres for development in what is now Sarasota. Many Scottish people began to arrive in Sarasota in December 1885. The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. John Hamilton Gillespie was the first Mayor of the town government. When reincorporated with a city form of government on May 13, 1913, A. B. Edwards became the first mayor of the city government.


Geography and climate

Sarasota has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Koppen ''Cfa'') with hot, humid summers and cooler, milder winters. The high temperatures and high humidity in the summer regularly push the
heat index The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shade (shadow), shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the Shade (s ...
over . 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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and 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.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 54,842 people, 25,209 households, and 12,474 families residing in the city. Of that population in 2020, 3.9% were under 5 years old, 14.6% were under 18 years old, and 28.0% were 65 years and older. 52.5% of the population were female persons. As of 2020, 4,056 veterans lived in the city and 16.7% of the population were foreign born persons. In 2020, the median gross rent was $1,177. 92.5% of the households had a computer and 84.2% of the households had a broadband internet subscription. In 2020, 90.0% of the population over 25 years had completed a high school education, and 37.2% of the population over 25 years had a bachelor's degree or higher. In 2020, the median household income was $56,093 with a per capita income of $43,387. 15.6% of the population lived below the
poverty threshold The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
. As of the 2010 United States census, there were 51,917 people, 22,775 households, and 11,603 families residing in the city.


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. Thereafter, it was called the "City of Sarasota". Sarasota later was designated as the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
when Sarasota County was carved out of Manatee County in 1921 during the creation of several new
counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
. In 1945 the commission-manager government form 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. Liz Alpert was voted Mayor for 2024-2025 period. 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. Many aspects of the city are overseen by the
county government A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) ''Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denotin ...
ranging from the schools, the libraries, the bay, major waterways, county-designated roads, the airport, fire departments, property and ''
ad valorem An ''ad valorem'' tax (Latin for "according to value") is a tax whose amount is based on the value of a transaction or of a property. It is typically imposed at the time of a transaction, as in the case of a sales tax or value-added tax (VAT). A ...
'' taxes, voting, the health department, extension services, stormwater control, mosquito control, the courts, and the jail.


Mayors of Sarasota

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. Since its incorporation, Sarasota has been governed by a commission–manager form of government. 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: * 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) 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 *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 1984-1985 *William G. Kline 1985-1986 *Kerry G. Kirschner 1986-1987 *Fredd G. Atkins 1987-1988 *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 *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 * Erik Arroyo 2021-2022 *Kyle Battie 2022, former television show host *Liz Alpert 2023-2024


Arts and culture


Performing arts

Sarasota has many musical, dance, theatre, circus and other performing arts venues, including the
Sarasota Ballet The Sarasota Ballet is an American ballet company based in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded in 1987 by former ballet dancer Jean Weidner Goldstein and is now acclaimed for its performances of Sir Frederick Ashton's ballets under its director Iai ...
, Sarasota Opera, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, the Players Centre for Performing Arts, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Sarasota Orchestra, La Musica, Jazz Club of Sarasota, Sarasota Youth Opera, Circus Arts Conservatory and many others. Theatrical venues include Florida Studio Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre,
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a performing arts venue located at 777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida neighboring the Sarasota Bay. The main theater of the facility contains 1,741 seats. History The initial construction of the 1, ...
, The Players Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, and the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. In 1925, A. B. Edwards built a theater that could be adapted for either
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
performances or movie screenings. Renowned stripper Sally Rand did her bubble bath and fan dance here.
Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...
,
Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
each performed at the Edward Theatre. It is now the Sarasota Opera House. It remains at the intersection of Pineapple Avenue and Second Street, having been restored and used for performances by the Sarasota Opera and others. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. In the early 1950s, the
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida. It was established in 1927 as the legacy of Mable Burton Ringling and John Ringling for the people of Florida. Florida State Uni ...
purchased a historic Italian theater, the "Asolo" (now called the Historic Asolo Theater). This theatre was originally built for Queen Caterina of Cyprus' palace in Asolo, Italy in 1798 but was dismantled in 1931. A. Everett "Chick" Austin, the museum's first director, arranged the purchase and reassembly of the theater for performances of plays and opera. In the 1960s philanthropists Lewis and Eugenia Van Wezel enabled the city to build a performing arts hall on the bayfront. The auditorium, the
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a performing arts venue located at 777 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida neighboring the Sarasota Bay. The main theater of the facility contains 1,741 seats. History The initial construction of the 1, ...
, was designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
's successor firm, Taliesin Associated Architects team under the direction of
William Wesley Peters William Wesley Peters (June 12, 1912 – July 17, 1991) was an American architect and engineer, apprentice to and protégé of his father-in-law Frank Lloyd Wright. Early life Wes, as he was known to friends and associates, was born in Terre Hau ...
. Wright's widow, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, who participated in the project, selected its purple color. In 1989, Stuart Barger, a local architect, designed and oversaw the construction of another Asolo Theater, housed in the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts. It is a multi-theater complex, located farther east on the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art property, being placed between Bay Shore Road and Tamiami Trail, and facing south toward Ringling Plaza. It was built around a
rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
, historic Scottish theater previously called the Dunfermline Opera House, which had been shipped to Florida. The complex provides venues and facilities for students of
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
's MFA Acting program, the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. This was the administrative home of the Sarasota French Film Festival for several years. Florida Studio Theatre's Keating Theatre, formerly the Sarasota Woman's Club, is amongst the oldest surviving buildings in Sarasota.  Founded in 1903, the Sarasota Woman's Club eventually set out to create a meeting place to house social events, activities, and forums. On January 1, 1915, the cornerstone was laid at the corner of Palm Avenue and Park Street (now Cocoanut). It served as the town's first library and hosted numerous clubs and public committee gatherings. The Woman's Club also maintained a census and birth registration, an area PTA, and a Red Cross Auxiliary. The Sarasota Woman's Club relocated in 1976 and the building became slated for demolition. Marian McKenna, a patron, and supporter of the arts, did not want to see the building and her memories destroyed. She purchased the building and later sold it to Florida Studio Theatre. In 1985, the Sarasota Woman's Club building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. After completing more renovations to the historic building in 2003, the theatre was renamed the Keating Theatre in honor of Ed and Elaine Keating, and in 2004, additional lobby space was built in the theatre - the Bea Friedman Room. FST's Keating Theatre now seats 173 and remains a cultural center of Sarasota. In 2003, FST purchased the Gompertz Theatre. The building was originally the Park-Seventh Movie House in the 1920s. Due to the Depression, the movie house shut its doors and became an empty venue. During its predominantly vacant period in the 1940s, the theatre hosted a variety of roadshows and performers, including Tom Mix and his Wonder Horse and the All Girls' Orchestra. During this time it was known as the Garden Theater, and later the Art Theater, before becoming known as the Palm Tree Playhouse in 1951. The Playhouse closed again in the 1960s. In the mid-1970s, Asolo Theatre purchased the space for production purposes and their Stage Two Theatre program. It was subsequently sold to Anita Katzman and reoccupied by Siesta Key Actors Theatre and Theatre Works in the 1980s. The building was acquired by Florida Studio Theatre and renamed the Gompertz Theatre in honor of Mrs. Leila Gompertz, who made the lead gift enabling the purchase.


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.
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...
and
Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...
each played concerts in Sarasota. Joe Perry of
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
, Brian Johnson of
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
,
Dickey Betts Forrest Richard Betts (December 12, 1943 – April 18, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as a longtime member of the Allman Brothers Band. A co-founder of the band when it formed in 1969, he was central ...
of the Allman Brothers Band, Donald Dunn of the Blues Brothers and
Graeme Edge Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as th ...
of the Moody Blues have all settled in Sarasota.


Visual arts

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 Ringling Museum are both in Sarasota.


Circus

One of Sarasota's nicknames is "Circus City", or alternatively "The Circus Capital of the World", owing in part to John Ringling's decision to move the winter quarters of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Sarasota in 1927. 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 and the "oldest youth circus", Sailor Circus. In 2017, The Circus Arts Conservatory took part in the Smithsonian Folk Festival. 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. The Circus Ring of Fame is a series of
commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...
s in St. Armand's Circle, honoring prominent figures in circus history, similar to the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. Honorees include Paul Binder,
Nik Wallenda Nikolas Wallenda (born January 24, 1979) is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds 11 Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feat ...
, 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 ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
holder Bello Nock, himself an honoree of the Circus Ring of Fame, as well as aerialist and circus proprietor Dolly Jacobs, who cofounded The Circus Arts Conservatory.


Film

In 1952,
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...
filmed and premiered ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' (with
James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...
,
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
,
Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 12, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She rose to fame in the 1940s as a contract player for Paramount Pictures, appea ...
) in Sarasota. In 1998, two studio films were filmed in Sarasota: Alfonso Cuaron's ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by English author Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. The novel is a bildungsroman and depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip. It is Dickens' second novel, after ''Dav ...
'', with
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...
,
Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...
,
Hank Azaria Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor and producer. He is known for voicing many characters in the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' since 1989, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmer ...
,
Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...
and
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
; and Volker Schlondorff's ''Palmetto'', starring
Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...
,
Elisabeth Shue Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress. She has starred in films such as '' The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' Adventures in Babysitting'' (1987), ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), '' Back to the Future P ...
, and
Gina Gershon Gina L. Gershon (; born June 10, 1962) is an American actress and singer. She has starred in such films as ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat'' (1988), '' Showgirls'' (1995), '' Bound'' (1996), '' Face/Off'' (1997), '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Dem ...
. ''Out of Time'' (2003), a crime drama starring
Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
and Eva Mendes used the Blackburn Point Bridge, Boca Grande and Cortez. In 2013,
Taylor Hackford Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for '' Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to dire ...
's action movie ''Parker'', with Jason Statham,
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
, 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.


Aquarium, zoos and 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.


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 of America. 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. 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. the Sarasota Chalk festival has relocated to Venice, Florida, 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. 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, with thousands of attendees throughout the free, public, multi-day event that also includes gallery showings, film, and other live performances.


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. Examples of those more typically seen in the same style are the residences of Edith Ringling and of Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford, 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.


Sarasota School of Architecture

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 Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
'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.


Historic buildings and sites

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), 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 Edward Ringling, Charles Ringling built and renovated it for use as a county government office building. The Sarasota County Courthouse, adjacent courthouse that he donated to the new county in 1921 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Sarasota County, Florida, 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 (developer), Owen Burns, the El Vernona Hotel-John Ringling Hotel, 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-Recreation Club, 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 Works Progress Administration, 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 U.S. Post Office-Federal Building (Sarasota, Florida), Federal Building, designed by George Albee Freeman (the designer of Seagate (Manatee County, Florida), Seagate for industrialist Powel Crosley#Seagate in Florida, 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 (architect), Paul Rudolph's largest Sarasota projects, Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida), 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. 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. In December 2019, a former Sarasota High School facility was transformed into the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College. 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 of Art and Design, Ringling College, Larry Thompson.


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. ''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 (Sarasota, Florida), Newtown is predominantly and historically African American.


Education


Public education

Public education is provided and managed by the Sarasota County Public Schools school district. Elementary schools in Sarasota include the following: * Alta Vista Elementary School * Ashton Elementary School * Bay Haven School of Basics Plus * Brentwood Elementary School * Emma E. Booker Elementary * Fruitville Elementary School * Gocio Elementary School * Gulf Gate Elementary School * Lakeview Elementary School * Laurel Nokomis School * Phillippi Shores Elementary School * Southside Elementary School * Tatum Ridge Elementary School * Tuttle Elementary School * Wilkinson Elementary School Middle schools include Booker Middle School, Brookside Middle School, Laurel Nokomis School, McIntosh Middle School, and Sarasota Middle School. High schools include Booker High School (Sarasota, Florida), Booker High School, Pine View School for the Gifted, Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida), 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

* Ascension Lutheran School * The Classical Academy of Sarasota * Sarasota Christian School * Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School * Out-of-Door Academy


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 Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
'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 University of South Florida Sarasota–Manatee, commuter branch of the University of South Florida, with the main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa.


Media


Television

Sarasota is part of the Nielsen Media Research, Nielsen-designated Template:Tampa Bay TV, Tampa-Saint Petersburg-Sarasota television market. The local television stations are American Broadcasting Company, ABC-affiliate WWSB and the SNN: Suncoast News Network, a continuous local cable news operation run by Comcast, Frontier Communications, Frontier Verizon Fios, 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 A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
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, and the sixth largest in the state of Florida. There are eight radio stations in the city: WSMR (FM), WSMR (89.1FM, classical music), WSLR-LP (96.5FM, variety-talk and community issues), WKES, WKZM (104.3FM, religious; repeating WKES Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland), WSRZ (107.9FM, oldies), WLSS (930AM, talk), WSRQ (AM), 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 (FM), 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 Template:Tampa Bay Radio, Tampa Bay radio market, as well as some stations from the nearby Template:Fort Myers Radio, 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.


Sports and recreation


Sports


Soccer

Sarasota is home to the Sarasota Paradise, an amateur team who play in the USL League Two, founded in 2023, the team plays it games at Charlie Cleland Stadium at Ihrig Field.


Stadiums

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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
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. The Orioles also have minor league facilities at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. Previously, Ed Smith Stadium was the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and the minor league Sarasota Reds.


Golf

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 (golfer), Donald Ross. Bobby Jones (golfer), 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, Florida, Longboat Key.


Fishing

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 (developer), Owen Burns and Powel Crosley.


Marathon

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.


Swimming

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.


Sailing

The Sarasota Sailing Squadron is a highly active facility that has hosted many nationally renowned regattas for both dinghies and larger vessels.


Football

In 2013, Sarasota became the home of the Sarasota Thunder, which was to play in the Ultimate Indoor Football League, but the team folded.


2014 Pentathlon World Cup Final

In 2014, Sarasota hosted the modern pentathlon World Cup Final.


Rowing

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. 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 (NCAA Division I Rowing Championship, Division I, NCAA Division II Rowing Championship, Division II and NCAA Division III Rowing Championship, 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 Rowing at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2016 and Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics, 2020.


2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup

Sarasota and
Bradenton Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the Sarasota metropolitan area. Dow ...
together held the 2021 U-18 Baseball World Cup.


Other recreational activities

Sarasota is home of 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.


Water skiing

Sarasota is home to the Sarasota Ski-A-Rees, an amateur water ski show team. They began in 1957. Present day, they perform weekly free water ski shows (seasonally) for the public on Ken Thompson Park. The team competes in regional tournaments annually and won the National Show Ski Championships in 2017.


Transportation


Airports

The major airport in the area is Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) which is shared by Sarasota County, Sarasota and Manatee County, Manatee counties. 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. 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. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport and Tampa International Airport are located about an hour north from Sarasota, and Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers an hour and 45 min south of Sarasota. All 3 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. There is no Amtrak train which stops in Sarasota, but Amtrak provides Amtrak Thruway at Sarasota Station, located approximately from the city limits of Sarasota, to the nearest Amtrak terminal in Tampa. 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 ''Champion (train), West Coast Champion,'' to the company's Atlantic Coast Line Passenger Depot (Sarasota, Florida), depot on 1971.


Water

As a city located on the Gulf of Mexico, water transportation is a key consideration. The Intracoastal Waterway is a 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. 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 1993–2003. It was seized by United States Marshals Service, U.S Marshals on April 18, 2003, for not being maintained. The waterway enters
Sarasota Bay Sarasota Bay is a lagoon located off the central west coast of Florida in the United States. Though no significant single stream of freshwater enters the bay, with a drainage basin limited to 150 square miles in Manatee and Sarasota counties, it ...
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: * Interstate 75 in Florida, I-75 – the only freeway in the area, I-75 is located east from the center of Sarasota and is a major interstate leading south to Miami and north to Tampa, Florida, Tampa * U.S. Route 41 in Florida, 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 * U.S. Route 301 in Florida, 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 * Florida State Road 780, SR 780 – Fruitville Road (Third Street) – a main east-west thoroughfare linking U.S. 41, U.S. 301, and Interstate 75 * Florida State Road 789, 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

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. Sarasota's sister cities are: * Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France (1994) * Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia (1994) (suspended) * Tel Mond, Central District (Israel), Central District, Israel (1999) * Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, UK (2001) * Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian, China (2007) * Mérida Municipality, Mérida, Yucatán, México (2010)


Friendship cities

* Rapperswil-Jona, Kanton St. Gallen, Switzerland (2017) * Busseto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (2020)


See also

* List of people from Sarasota * Newtown (Sarasota, Florida), Newtown


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Sarasota, Florida, Cities in Florida Cities in Sarasota County, Florida County seats in Florida Sarasota metropolitan area Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico