This is the week the Gulf Coast calendar gets seriously good: a brand-new Venice Witches Walk debuts downtown Friday night, the Gulfcoast Pride Festival & Street Party takes over the Boulevard of the Arts on Saturday, and two art festivals, one on St. Armands Circle and one at the Mall at UTC, fill the weekend with perfect browsing weather. Here is my local's guide to the week of October 19 through 25, with the things I would not miss.
Friday: A First-Ever Witches Walk in Downtown Venice
The Venice Witches Walk is new this year, and it is aimed squarely at the grown-ups. From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, October 23, a $10 wristband gets you drink samples, a spooky scavenger hunt and Halloween activities across the historic district, with a costume contest at Daiquiri Deck on West Venice Avenue at 7 p.m. It is the perfect warm-up for Halloween weekend, and it happens the same night as the Venice Friday Night Concert Series, when Nick Fiasco plays the gazebo at Centennial Park from 7 to 9 p.m. My advice: grab dinner on Venice Avenue first, then wander the walk and end the evening at the bandstand.
Saturday: The Pride Festival, Two Art Shows & a Day of Service
Saturday, October 24 is stacked. The Gulfcoast Pride Festival & Street Party fills the Boulevard of the Arts in downtown Sarasota with live music, vendors and community energy, an easy bayfront walk from Marina Jacks. Across the Ringling Bridge, the St. Armands Circle Fall Art & Craft Show lines the boutiques with juried artists from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and up at University Town Center the Mall at UTC Art Festival with Craft Marketplace sets up its own artist village Saturday and Sunday. If you would rather do something useful, Make a Difference Day in Venice sends neighbors out for park cleanups and community projects starting at 8 a.m., one of the fastest ways to meet people in a new town.
Sunday: Dracula's Final Curtain & the Drum Circle
Sunday is the slow close the weekend needs. Dracula ends its run at The Players Studio Black Box on Boulevard of the Arts, so it is the last chance to catch the gothic thriller in the intimate space. Then let the Siesta Key Drum Circle do its thing on the sand about an hour before sunset, free and open to everyone, with the Marina Jacks patio running live music most of the afternoon if you would rather keep it bayfront.
If this week has you thinking about the season ahead, my Community Events guide has the full fall and winter calendar, and I am always happy to build an itinerary around your list. Reach out and let's make a plan.