Happy Tuesday!
After months of quiet tinkering, this issue comes with an announcement: the Sarasota Scoop Directory is live, and the Spotlight below has the full tour.
You may also noticed we got a bit of a facelift.
The rest of the week holds its own too, with Derek Hough dancing into the Van Wezel, wiener dogs racing at CoolToday Park, and the Summer Circus Spectacular taking its final bow of the summer on Saturday. Here's the rundown.
Thanks for reading,
Carson
In today's Scoop:
The Sarasota Scoop Directory is live
Bungalow Row is Moving
Tons of local events to fill your weekend
How did we do this week?
📰 Local Headline Roundup
Bungalow Row Is Planning a Village of Its Own
Five longtime Fruitville Road favorites — The Breakfast House, Siegfried's, The Cookie Cottage, The Artful Giraffe, and Discover Sarasota Tours — are teaming up to move their historic bungalows to a shared one-acre site and re-create their little village together. They're raising $250,000 to make "Sarasota Bungalow Village" happen.
A Sarasota Voice Is Singing Backup for Mick Jagger
Sarasota-born Naarai Jacobs sings backup for Mick Jagger on two tracks of the Rolling Stones' new album "Foreign Tongues" — a gig that started with a single DM after her earlier work with Elton John and Stevie Wonder caught the right ears.
Youth Sailing's New Home on City Island Is a Go
The City Commission gave unanimous final approval to Sarasota Youth Sailing's new 4,230-square-foot operations center in Ken Thompson Park, replacing the program's temporary structures. The sustainably designed facility will serve more than 400 students a year, about 30 percent of them on scholarship.
Bringing Oysters Back to the Manatee River
Oyster River Ecology has landed more than $750,000 to rebuild oyster reefs in the Manatee River using clever concrete "rag pot" structures that give baby oysters a place to grow. The goal: more than 100 acres of restored reef and cleaner water for everyone downstream.
🧠 Think You Know Sarasota? Trivia!
If you've ever wandered the trails at Myakka River State Park, you've probably crossed its famous Canopy Walkway. What distinction does it hold?
A Message from our Sponsor
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🔦 Spotlight: The Sarasota Scoop Directory Is Live
Some news from behind the curtain this week: the Scoop now has a companion. The Sarasota Scoop Directory is live — a free, curated guide to the best of the area, all in one place. Restaurants and coffee shops, bars and breweries, parks and beaches, shopping, health and wellness, and the home services people are always asking their neighbors about.
You can think of it like the yellow pages from back in the day.
Every listing is picked and organized the same way the Scoop is written: local first and quality over quantity.
Take it for a spin at this link here and let me know what you think! If a favorite spot of yours is missing, use the Submit a Listing button and I'll get it added. And if you own or run a local business, you can add your listing or claim an existing one to keep your info up to date — it only takes a couple of minutes.
Contribute to the Scoop!
Sarasota Scoop is 100% free to read, independently owned, and locally operated (heck, it’s just me).
Your contributions go toward keeping the Scoop going so we can have more fun and build more community. I appreciate any and all support! — Carson
🗓️ Happenings
Thursday, August 6
Derek Hough — Symphony of Dance: Encore
📍 Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall · 🕖 7pm (doors 6pm) · Details
Summer Circus Spectacular (Final Week)
📍 Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling · 🕚 11am & 2pm (through Sat Aug 8; Sat shows 2 & 5pm) · Details
Head Over Heels (Closing Weekend)
📍 Venice Theatre · 🕢 7:30pm (nightly through Sat Aug 8) · Details
The Last Romance
📍 Florida Studio Theatre, Gompertz Theatre · 🕖 7pm (through Aug 16) · Details
UTC Live on The Green with 22N
📍 The Green at UTC · 🕡 6:30–9:30pm (free; bring chairs and blankets) · Details
Laser Light Nights: Laser Grateful Dead
📍 Bishop Museum, Bradenton · 🕕 6pm (doors 5:30pm) · Details
Florida's Unsung Heroines
📍 Osprey Library · 🕑 2–3:30pm (free; register by Aug 5) · Details
Friday, August 7
Kevin Nealon
📍 McCurdy's Comedy Theatre · 🕡 6:30pm (also Sat 8:50pm) · Details
Music on Main: Ya Ya & The Diamond Chasers
📍 Lakewood Ranch Main Street · 🕕 6–9pm (free; benefits HOPE Family Services) · Details
Village of the Arts Artwalk: Hot Summer, Cool Art
📍 Village of the Arts, Bradenton · 🕚 11am–4pm (also Sat) · Details
Gathering of Billy Goats
📍 Fogartyville, Sarasota · 🕗 8pm (doors 7:30pm; free) · Details
Vince Berardi & The Chill
📍 Sharky's on the Pier, Venice · 🕖 7–11pm · Details
Alan Grant Band
📍 Mattison's City Grille · 🕗 8–11:30pm · Details
Saturday, August 8
Bradenton Marauders vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
📍 LECOM Park, Bradenton · 🕡 6:30pm · Details
Dawg Days of Summer
📍 CoolToday Park, North Port · 🕓 4pm (free; hot dog eating contest 5:30pm, wiener dog races 7pm) · Details
Artlab 4 Year Anniversary
📍 ALEUR-Event Collective, Sarasota · 🕖 7–10pm · Details
Laser Light Nights: Laser Rock Monsters + Laser Ozzfest Assault
📍 Bishop Museum, Bradenton · 🕕 6 & 8pm (doors 5:30pm) · Details
Propaganjah
📍 Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton · 🕖 7–10:30pm · Details
Cabana Dogs
📍 Freckled Fin Irish Pub, Holmes Beach · 🕢 7:30–11:30pm · Details
Sunday, August 9
Bradenton Marauders vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Series Finale)
📍 LECOM Park, Bradenton · 🕛 12pm · Details
Free Second Sundays at SAM
📍 Sarasota Art Museum · 🕚 11am–5pm (free admission) · Details
Music in the Gardens with THE JAM
📍 Sarasota Garden Club · 🕕 6–8:30pm · Details
LC Williams & The Driver: Blues Brunch
📍 Mattison's Riverwalk, Bradenton · 🕛 12–3pm · Details
Trinidudes
📍 Sharky's on the Pier, Venice · 🕠 5:30–9:30pm · Details
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