With Juneteenth on Friday and Father’s Day on Sunday, there will be plenty of celebrations taking place in the Sarasota area this weekend.
For Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating emancipation from slavery in the U.S., there will be a free two-day arts festival hosted by Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, as well as a celebration in Sarasota’s historic Black neighborhood Newtown.
A Sarasota summer circus show that kicked off last week continues, as does a Bradenton series of laser light shows set to music, including one of today’s biggest pop stars whose new song appears in this week’s big summer blockbuster. The Summer Movie Nights series at CoolToday Park in North Port will feature another, dad-appropriate (and partially Florida-filmed) blockbuster on Father’s Day.
Looking for even more options? Downtown Sarasota park the Bay’s free outdoor movie series Cinema at the Bay will show another Father’s Day-fitting film at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” Steven Spielberg’s 1989 movie where Harrison Ford’s titular adventurer teams up with his dad, played by Sean Connery.
Also in downtown Sarasota, comedian Steve White — who’s appeared in several of director Spike Lee’s films, including his classic “Do the Right Thing” that came out in 1989 as well — will appear Thursday through Sunday at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre. Tickets are $26.
In Manatee County, the Bradenton Area Convention Center will host Adopt-A-Palooza with adoptable pets and pet vendors 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, and in south Sarasota county, the Downtown Venice Craft Festival will take place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 200 Miami Ave. W. Both events are free admission.
1. Juneteenth Arts Festival at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
Sarasota’s Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will celebrate Juneteenth with this free annual arts festival, expanding to two days this year.
Day one will feature a Juneteenth Arts Gallery, light bites from G’s Southern Kitchen, and a presentation spotlighting local talent. Day two will feature live music, spoken word, African dance, films from local filmmakers and Ringling College students, workshops, and performances from WBTT artists and Stage of Discovery students, including a special performance of Brian L. Boyd’s “ENIGMA.”
5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday and 1-7:30 p.m. Saturday; Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota; free; 941-366-1505; westcoastblacktheatre.org
2. Newtown Juneteenth Festival in Sarasota
Sarasota’s historic Black neighborhood Newtown will also celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday.
The celebration, organized by Gwendalyn Fleetwood and co-sponsored by the City of Sarasota, will feature live music, food trucks, vendors and activities. The City will also give away 75 trees to residents (valid identification or a utility bill showing City of Sarasota residency must be provided), with species being offered including avocado, loquat, mango, red maple and red mulberry.
1-6 p.m. Saturday; Dr. Martin Luther King Way between Links and Pershing avenues, Sarasota; free; sarasotafl.gov
3. Summer Circus Spectacular at Historic Asolo Theater
After kicking off last week, this collaboration between Sarasota’s Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling, held at the Historic Asolo Theater on the latter’s campus, will continue this week and through early August.
The show will feature circus artists including Duo Transcend, who have appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” as well as ringmaster Ashley Vargas, clowning/slack wire act Davis Vassallo, juggler Noel Aguilar, aerialist Emma Grace Clarke and hand-balancing act Yelitza Vivas. Attendees can pay an additional $5 for admission to The Ringling’s Circus Museum.
Through Aug. 8; Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota; $20, $15 ages 12 and under; 941-360-7399; ringling.org
4. Laser Light Nights at The Bishop Museum in Bradenton
The summer series of laser light shows set to rock and pop music and held in the planetarium of The Bishop Museum in downtown Bradenton will continue this weekend, featuring one of today’s biggest pop stars.
The music of Taylor Swift — which will also play in movie theaters this weekend, with her new track “I Knew It, I Knew You” featured in “Toy Story 5” — will soundtrack one of Saturday’s shows, with songs featured on the Netflix show “Stranger Things” making up the other. Rockers U2 and Van Halen on Friday will round out this weekend’s lineup.
6 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton; $15 per show; 941-746-4131; bishopscience.org
5. ‘F1’ at CoolToday Park
On Father’s Day, the Atlanta Braves’ spring training home CoolToday Park in North Port and its Summer Movie Nights series will feature a dad-appropriate film with last year’s “F1.”
Partially filmed in Florida at the Daytona International Speedway and a New Smyrna Beach restaurant, the movie starring Brad Pitt as a Formula One race car driver was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, ultimately winning Best Sound. The screening is stadium seating, with films shown on the scoreboard, which does unfortunately mean dads can’t take their favorite movie-watching stance of standing a few inches away from the screen.
5 p.m. Sunday; CoolToday Park, 18800 S. West Villages Parkway, North Port; $7, $3 ages 4-9, free ages 3 and under; 941-413-5000; cooltodaypark.com
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top Sarasota events this weekend include Juneteenth, Father’s Day
Reporting by Jimmy Geurts, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jimmy Geurts, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
