Sarasota Visitors Guide 2008 - (Page 21) Once anchored by a sleepy seaside town, Sarasota County sports vibrant, sophisticated niches. St. Armands Circle, the Rosemary District, Towles Court, Downtown Sarasota, Burns Square Historic District, Southside Village, Main Street Lakewood Ranch, Downtown Venice and Englewood’s Dearborn Street (6) are each as unique as they are urbane. Shop, dine and discover neighborhoods with panache. 6 Extraordinary Enclaves Canvas of Creativity Indoors and out, visual arts in all media are everywhere here. For example, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall’s terrace features “The Facts of Life” (9) by sculptor Glenna Goodacre. Visit Sarasota’s Towles Court, Main Street and Palm Avenue – and downtown Venice and Englewood – for galleries galore. The Season of Sculpture, held from Nov. 11, 2007, to May 26, 2008, transforms the Sarasota bayfront into a grand, al fresco museum. 9 7 Encore! After nearly a year of renovation, the historic 1926 Sarasota Opera House reopens in March 2008 with its Winter Opera Festival, which presents the classics Rigoletto and Così fan tutte. Other curtain-raising experiences not to be missed include the Florida Theater, the Sarasota Ballet of Florida (7), Venice Little Theatre, The Asolo Repertory Theatre, The West Coast Black Theatre Troupe and the summer troupe, the Banyan Theater Company. Make your own Top Ten using the listings beginning on page 26 or at www.SarasotaFL.org. Under the Sun Sarasota’s beaches (10) are among the best in the world. Whether you prefer the quiet of North Lido, the action at Siesta or the pet-friendliness of Brohard Park, you’ll find diverse coastal strands. Picnic at South Lido, hunt shark teeth at Venice, steal away to Longboat Key and stay for a spectacular sunset. Thirty-five miles of powder-white shoreline hugs the Gulf in sunlit splendor. Circus City The Tibbals Learning Center joins the Circus Museum at the Ringling Museum, one of many tributes to this city’s colorful circus heritage. Others in8 clude Circus Sarasota, Sailor Circus and the Circus Ring of Fame. The Tito Gaona Flying Trapeze Academy (8) in Venice will even have you flying through the air with ease. 10 www.sarasotafl.org 21 http://www.SarasotaFL.org http://www.sarasotafl.org
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