Bayside Pet Resort Coming To Wellen Park

https://citylifestyle.com/sarasota-fl/articles/professional-services/bayside-pet-resort-coming-to-wellen-park

Article by Jennifer Hamilton

Pet parents will soon have a convenient location for day care and overnight boarding in Wellen Park. Bayside Pet Resort has announced its fourth location – a freestanding 16,000-square-foot building on US 41 offering overnight accommodations for 100 dogs and 18 cats, two doggie day cares for large and small dogs, grooming, and obedience and agility training. Complete with a pool, shaded courtyards and a half-acre agility course, construction on the luxury pet resort is expected to start by September and be open in February 2023.

“Wellen Park is home to many pet lovers who will be counting the days until Bayside Pet Resort opens,” says Rick Severance, Wellen Park President. “We look forward to bringing this quality and level of luxury in pet care to our residents and the neighboring communities.”

Founded in Sarasota a decade ago by Bob and Lynne Huff, Bayside is the 2022 'Best Pet Boarder' and 'Best Pet Trainer' as voted by readers of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 

“Wellen Park is a phenomenal location,” says Tyler Smith, Vice President of Development and Operations for Bayside Pet Resort. “With the expanded growth happening right now and continued growth in the future, we feel this is a great service for a lot of people who will be living in the community.”

The building, situated on 2.5 acres, is a new prototype with larger dog runs and outdoor spaces. It will have various-sized kennels, including overnight boarding in 100 air-conditioned dog suites – most with popular indoor-outdoor runs – and 18 kitty condos and penthouses. The kennels are humidity-controlled with fresh air circulated every ten minutes and are equipped with webcams for owners to check in on their pets. Bayside Pet Resort also provides fresh linens and soothing music.

“We’re a five-star pet resort that offers wonderful amenities for our guests,” says Angeline Pantazis, director of operations for Bayside Pet Resort. “We take care of our clients’ pets as if they’re our own.”

Bayside Pet Resort also accepts turtles, fish, bearded dragons, guinea pigs, rabbits and snakes. A pot-bellied pig is also a frequent guest. Horses, birds and poisonous animals are not accepted.

Consistently ranked among the US’s 50 top fastest-selling master planned communities annually by prominent real estate consulting firm RCLCO, Wellen Park offers a mix of residential, commercial and recreational options. The community currently has approximately 9,500 residents, and at full build-out will have more than 50,000 residents and 22,500 homes within its three distinct districts: West Villages, Downtown Wellen and Playmore.

Downtown Wellen, the vibrant gathering hub for Wellen Park and the region, is under construction with the first phase anticipated to open in the fourth quarter of 2022. The pedestrian-friendly downtown offers retail shops, waterfront dining, professional and beauty services, public community spaces, lakefront parks and outdoor recreational opportunities along the 80-acre Grand Lake and 2.8-mile lakefront trail. Kayak, paddleboard and bicycle rentals will be available from an on-site outfitter.

Downtown Wellen also features a large events lawn, a hammock grove and alfresco lounge area under a nearly 100-year-old oak tree, a unique nature-inspired playground, and Solis Hall for concerts and community and private events.

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Resilience will be on display at Chalk Festival on return to Venice Airport Fairgrounds

https://rove.me/to/florida/chalk-festival?photo=2

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2022/03/31/chalk-festival-returns-venice-florida-first-time-since-2019/7210647001/ 

by Earle Kimel Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 31, 2022

VENICE – It’s been a challenging year so far for the Chalk Festival which opens a three-day show Friday at the Venice Municipal Airport Fairgrounds.

The show marks the return of the festival to Venice for the first time since November 2019, after back-to-back cancellations because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic-related travel issues have had artists scrambling to catch rescheduled flights and three international artists were not permitted to fly to the United States because they tested positive for COVID-19.

On top of that, two Ukrainian artists  – Alex Maskiov and Tetiana Talanova – could not attend because of the war in Ukraine.

Talanova had evacuated to Poland, while Maskiov chose to remain to fight for his country, noted Denise Kowal, founder of the Chalk Festival and its parent nonprofit, Avenida de Colores.

Kowal noted that chalk and pavement artists from Russia, where dissident voices are being suppressed, participate in the festival as well.

“It’s hard,” Kowal said. “We have people that we care about and they’re being torn apart because of this.”

The combination of the uncertainties of the war, COVID-19 precautions, as well as the death of logistics director Adam Holbrook, make the 11th festival one of the most challenging yet, Kowal said.

“And now we have wind, and we have scattered showers,” she added with a laugh, referring to the weekend forecast for the area. “Our theme is resilience for a reason.

“This event, because it’s looking like scattered rain, we are actually mixing a binder in with the tempera, which is a chalk,” Kowal said of the medium artists will use. “That will help it not deteriorate so quickly in the rain.”

Race against the elements

Wind and rain, at least, are things the artists can prepare for, both by fast-tracking start times and using modified liquid chalk that should hold up better under the elements.

“We’re racing,” said Anton Puvirenti, a Sydney, Australia-based artist who arrived in Sarasota last Sunday to help prepare for the show.

Artists have pulled double duty every year, helping to prepare for the event in addition to creating their own artwork, but this year that has been more critical.

“We're super lucky because most of the volunteers doing the technical stuff – building these platforms, mixing the paints, gridding out the squares (where artists work) – doing all that hard work, are the artists who come in early to do that,” Kowal said. “They’re volunteers before the event starts, and then when the event happens, they switch roles from volunteer to artist.”

The festival opens at 10 a.m. Friday.

Hours for Friday and Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a longer day set for Sunday, when it will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ticket prices reflect the change in logistics too.

Friday admission will be $10, Saturday will be $15, and Sunday will be $20 – with a three-day ticket available for $30. Children 12 and under are $5.

The airport festival grounds are at 610 Airport Ave. East, Venice. Tickets are available there or online at https://www.chalkfesetival.org.

Because artists are working in advance, patrons will see some finished artwork as early as Friday. The goal is to have every piece finished Saturday night, with patrons able to view a complete show and talk with the artists on Sunday.

Puvirenti, who was working on a helix-themed immersion room – a 3-D art piece that will allow visitors to stand inside a helix – Wednesday afternoon, said the pace has been “pretty frantic because of the storms coming.

“I was planning to have three more days at the festival to finish it.”

Puvirenti, who is attending his fourth festival in Venice, said he chose the helix because of the show’s resilience theme.

“A helix is a very strong form in nature, so it’s very resilient,” he said.

This is the first time he has left Australia since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Australia opened its borders a couple of weeks ago,” he noted.

International travelers need to get a PCR test before boarding a plane and many have a scannable international pass noting that they’ve been vaccinated.

“I’ve got an international vaccine (card) now and it’s attached to your passport,” Puvirenti said.

A few feet away from the helix, Santiago Hernandez, an artist from Mexico, worked on his immersion room, involving a figure releasing winged hearts.

Patrons at the festival might notice an uncanny similarity between Hernandez and the figure in his immersion room.

“I didn't find another model,” he said. “I had to do it with myself.”

Other artists, like Pablo Garcia, from Madrid, Spain, spent Wednesday on prep work for his design, while others built his vertical display.

“It was an interesting theme for me,” said Garcia, who is modeling the piece after his own growth through a sometimes troubled childhood.

“I think I'm a very resilient person,” he said.

The main protagonist in the piece, he said, will be a Black woman with blue eyes, surrounded by silhouettes.

“I  will do the woman in black and white and the rest of the background with colors, purples, and blues.”

While she will be monochrome, her eyes will be blue,” Garcia, noted.

“It’s a spiritual landscape with a moon,” he added. “Black and white with strong colors like purples and blues – it’s going to be involved with the women but fully involved with the landscape.”

The immersion rooms constructed earlier in the week near the Chalk Festivals Base Avenue warehouse were scheduled to be broken down and taken by truck to the festival grounds, where artists will apply their finishing touches.

In anticipation of periodic showers, artworks will be grouped on the festival grounds, so the art can be protected both overnight and during any daytime rain.

Kowal added that artist Kurt Wenner designed little tents that can go over the immersion rooms, to protect those as well.

While there will not be an established concert schedule, some performers will set up and play throughout the days, Kowal said.

There will be food trucks, tables and chairs under tent cover, and portable toilets.

“We still have all the amenities, there’s still things you can sit under, we have tables, we have chairs,” Kowal said.

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

‘Baby boom’: Record number of dolphins born in Sarasota Bay in 2021 after red tide issues

https://www.wfla.com/news/sarasota-county/baby-boom-record-number-of-dolphins-born-in-sarasota-bay-in-2021-after-red-tide-issues/

by: Daisy Ruth  Posted: Dec 16, 2021

 SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A record 22 babies were born to mother dolphins in Sarasota Bay this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2017, and researchers believe it may be due to red tide.

The Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program documented the births throughout the year. The program studies 170 dolphins that researchers see on a regular basis in Sarasota Bay. The dolphins have been studied since the 1970s. Through their studies, researchers know the dolphins in Sarasota Bay are long-term residents who have lived there across decades and generations.

According to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the dolphins are “the focus of the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population.”

“We can recognize them from patterns of nicks and notches on their dorsal fin, on the fin on their back, and we’ve been able to track them through as many as five concurrent generations, and up to six generations for some of the lineages in the area,” said Dr. Randy Wells, vice president of Marine Mammal Conservation and Director of the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.

This year’s baby boom comes after a difficult time for the dolphins of the bay due to strong and long-lasting red tide that came into the Sarasota area in the summer of 2018. Dr. Wells said dolphins died due to both the brevotoxins of red tide directly, as well to ecological effects of red tide, like loss of fish.

Dr. Wells said that more than 75% of the dolphins’ prey fish were gone as result of red tide.

The red tide existed in the bay through the winter of 2018 and in to 2019. Returning predators became an issue when it waned. One hypothesis that researchers have leads to sharks and their prey of stingrays.

“The dolphins stayed in the area and the sharks came back to the area. The rays did not come back in the same numbers that they had been before. Previously, when we’ve seen declines in stingray abundance through the fishing studies that we do to monitor the available fish in Sarasota Bay, when we see a decline in rays, we see it increasing the number of shark bites,” Dr. Wells said. “This time we saw a record number of shark bites on our dolphins during 2019 and 2020 following this red tide.”

Dr. Wells explained that, in those years, they saw a decline in baby dolphins, possibly related to the decline in the stingray population.

“So it’s hard to prove a negative, but these little babies are bite-sized morsels for some of the larger sharks like bull sharks and we wouldn’t expect them to necessarily show a scar that is healing. They would just be gone,” he said.

While the baby dolphin population declined due to these issues, it led to the “baby boom” of 2021.

Dolphins who lost their calves were able to become pregnant again. According to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Sarasota dolphins typically rear their young for around four years.

Dr. Wells said red tide issues in 2020 did not have any major effects on the dolphins in Sarasota Bay. Pregnant dolphins were able to carry their babies for 12.5 months, giving birth this year.

The fish populations have bounced back quickly from red tide blooms in 2021, according to Dr. Wells.

“We learned long ago that studying the dolphins in a vacuum doesn’t get you very far. You really need to understand the dolphins relative to the drivers that determine what their behavior is going to be,” he said. “So ecology is important. We monitor the fish and we found that the fish populations came back within a few months to near record levels.”

The new year also looks to be shaping up well for Sarasota Bay’s 22 babies and other resident dolphins, as Dr. Wells said the fish population is doing well and researchers are not seeing any indications of health issues among the dolphins.

He does ask that residents and dolphin lovers do their part to keep waterways clean and the animals safe.

“[The dolphins don’t] get to just choose which threat they’re going to face. [They] can’t say, ‘oh this month we’re going to face red tide,'” he said. “They have to face a variety of threats at any given time and we need to give them the freedom to do that by creating as good quality of an ecosystem and a home as we possibly can.” 

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Five things to know about Sarasota's Legacy Trail

 https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2021/09/23/five-things-know-legacy-trail-between-venice-and-sarasota/5821140001/

Herald Tribune, Staff Report, Sept 23, 2021

When did Sarasota's Legacy Trail open?

The original, 12.5-mile-long Legacy Trail was opened in primitive form in January 2006, and connected the southern portion of the onetime Seaboard Air railroad line right of way from Center Road north to what’s now known as Culverhouse Nature Park. It was later paved in 2008. The original trailhead for Legacy Trail is the Venice Historic Train Depot, which reopened in October 2003 both for historical tours and as a transportation hub for Sarasota County Area Transit. The Legacy Trail also links with its older sibling, the Venetian Waterway Trail. That 9.3-mile trail spans both banks of the Intracoastal Waterway. Its construction was spearheaded by Venice Area Beautification Inc, which is currently working to build an Urban Forest along the Legacy Trail, just south of the Venice Avenue Bridge.

Who can use the Legacy Trail?

While the Legacy Trail is limited to cyclists, runners and walkers, it is also possible to ride a pedal-powered Surrey Ride between late January and mid-April from Sandra Sims Terry Community Center at 509 Collins Road for a 45-minute tour of that original trail section, while learning about the history of the trail, as well as the local wildlife. The free tour is organized by Sarasota County Parks and Recreation, though tax-deductible donations are accepted. COVID-19 safety protocols are in effect for the surrey rides. A four-passenger maximum, along with a 600-pound weight limit are also enforced. Visit https://www.scgov.net/parks to learn more.

What were other names proposed for the Legacy Trail?

The Friends of the Legacy Trail formed in December 2006, under the cumbersome moniker of “The Friends of the Venice to Sarasota Rails-to-Trails," with a goal of raising funds to help improve the trail. It was later changed to the Friends of the Legacy Trail, shortly after the Sarasota County Commission voted to change the trail’s name in May 2007. That name beat out other contenders such as “Palmer Parkway,” in honor of Bertha Honore Palmer; “Elephant Walk;” and “Circus Trail” which were meant to honor the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its use of the rail line to travel to is winter home in Venice. 

When will the Legacy Trail be completed?

The push to extend the Legacy Trail north to Payne Park in Sarasota and then south/east toward North Port from Nokomis received support of 70.6% of voters in November 2018, as they approved a $65 million bond issue to pay for the work. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic fostered a dramatic rise in use of the trail from roughly 225,000 riders annually to more than 400,000. The northern extension of the trail is being built in three sections. A 2.75-mile portion of that extension, spanning from Bahia Vista Street to just south of Proctor Road, opened in July. The entire northern extension is anticipated to open in late 2021. Technically, an unimproved section of the trail already connects through to North Port via a bridge connecting the Carlton Reserve to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park is already open. A paved trail connecting with a trailhead at Calera Street near Price Boulevard is anticipated to open in in early 2022 as well.

When is the Legacy Trail open and where is it?

The Legacy Trail is open every day from 6 a.m. to sunset. You can access the Legacy Trail at any point along its track, but there are also trailheads that offer free parking and a convenient place to rest. Some also offer restrooms and other amenities.

Culverhouse Nature Park, 7301 Mcintosh Road, Sarasota

Legacy Trail Access-McIntosh Road, 7905 Mcintosh Road, Sarasota

Osprey Junction Trailhead, 939 E. Bay St., Osprey

Oscar Scherer State Park, 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey

Laurel Park and Sandra Sims Terry Community Center, 509 Collins Road, Laurel.

Nokomis Community Park, 234 Nippino Trail E., Nokomis

Nokomis Riverview Park, 251 Riverview Dr. S, Nokomis

Patriots Park, 800 Venetia Bay Blvd., Venice

Historic Venice Train Depot, 303 E. Venice Ave., Venice

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Venice Challenger Baseball returns to action on new ‘Field of Dreams’

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2021/09/20/venice-challenger-baseball-returns-action-honors-rich-carroll/8315613002/

Earl Kimel, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Sept 20, 2021

 VENICE – Almost three dozen Venice Challenger Baseball athletes got their introduction to the fall baseball season via Les McCurdy Saturday afternoon at the new Challenger Field of Dreams baseball complex. 

“Challenger baseball at its best,” McCurdy said, shortly after thanking the Venice High School Chorus for singing the National Anthem. “Who cares about NCAA football, we’ve got Challenger baseball. That’s right, we’ve got the players right here ready to go and you’re going to get to meet each and every one of them!” 

McCurdy, owner of McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre – where he hosts the Special O’Laughics – and a huge proponent of both Challenger baseball and the Special Olympics, went on to introduce every player, complete with a little background that covered their favorite food and hobbies and offered them a chance to say something to the audience. 

One of McCurdy’s Special O’Laughics vets, Jonathan “J.C.” Chace, was ready for his turn at the mic and made the most of it. 

“I want to give a big shout-out to my buddies David Jones and Meredith Michaels at 107.9 WSRZ and a big shout-out to everybody at iHeart Media in Sarasota and Tampa,” said Chace, who is visually impaired but often opts to use the traditional Challenger ball instead of a special beep ball mode. “And I’m going to hit a home run tonight that will knock the radio towers out of the county.” 

 Gianna Falbo and Jonathan Chace run to first base after hitting during a Venice Challenger baseball game Saturday afternoon in Venice.  DAN WAGNER,SARASOTA-HERALD TRIBUNE

Chace went on give a shout-out to his buddy, Coach Rich – Rich Carroll, the founder and driving force behind Venice Challenger Baseball and its mission to serve all athletes, as well as its quest for the two-field complex, which is at 920 Gulf Coast Boulevard, tucked in behind the Robert and Joan Lee Boys & Girls Club.

Carroll died in July at age 72 but did get to see a livestreamed practice game of athletes playing at the complex, which features a specialized rubber field that’s better for wheelchair athletes. 

Chace went on to talk about his favorite foods, which are carrot cake, barbecue ribs and chicken wings, as well has his favorite part about Challenger baseball. 

“My favorite part about Challenger Baseball is getting a pretty girl to help me around the bases,” Chace quipped. 

At that McCurdy shot back, “The only thing is, there’s no pretty girls to help you run the bases – I have to do it. 

“Sorry J.C.” McCurdy continued, then added, “OK, we’ll find a pretty girl.”

Chace actually had at least one and sometimes two young ladies buddy up with him for his time on the base paths. 

Nancy Carroll threw out the ceremonial first pitch. 

“And I think Rich would want you to throw a curve-sinker,” McCurdy coached. 

Nancy Carroll threw an easy strike to catcher/coach Tony Spahn. 

“My pitch, it was right on, that’s what they said,” she said afterwards. 

Saturday marked the first time that athletes for Venice Challenger Baseball were able to take the field since the March 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shutdown cut short their season, when the league was still playing on Chuck Reiter Field in Venice. 

“We couldn’t have played at Chuck Reiter, we’d have been rained out, it would have been muddy,” Price noted. Typically, the players would have been split into more teams, with the older players using the traditional field with a clay infield. 

Instead, partly because of the recent rains, all of the athletes used the clay field.

Izabella Lupia challenges the pitcher during a Venice Challenger baseball game Saturday afternoon in Venice. DAN WAGNER, Sarasota -Herald Tribune

Friday night, at a special thank-you ceremony for Venice Challenger sponsors who helped either through financial or in-kind contributions to build the new complex, incoming Venice Challenger President Mike Beaumier said the league had to be especially cautious because many of the athletes were in high-risk categories for contracting COVID-19. 

In historical terms, Mia Affeldt, representing the west dugout team, got the first hit on the new field – a sharp single past pitcher/coach Steve Price – and later came around to score on the next hit.

That happens a lot in Challenger baseball, along with aggressive baserunning and inside-the-park home runs – accompanied by buddies for added safety – laughs and cheers. 

The Sunset Chevrolet scoreboard had the west dugout team doubling the run production of the north dugout team, with an edge of 32-16. But the north team never got another turn at-bat because the hamburger and hot dog feast prepared by volunteers from One Christ Won City was ready. 

Nancy Carroll was heartened by the turnout. 

“Incredible how many kids have showed up, so many kids – new kids,” she said. “Unbelievable; Richard would be proud.” 

Jonathan Clark, 22, one of those new athletes, signed up Saturday after seeing the league in the newspaper, his mother Ruth Morgan said. 

“He loves it,” she said. “We actually live up near Bradenton and our in-laws live here in Venice. 

They were taking part in the Venice Presbyterian Church “Buddy Break” when they learned about the local Challenger Division, but he had also played in leagues in North Carolina and Michigan. 

The Venice Challenger Division operates under the auspices and insurance of Venice Little League, as other Challenger Division programs do under their parent Little Leagues.

After the game Price, who will succeed Carroll as coach and also serves as the program’s chaplain, gathered the athletes together for a post-game prayer, team-led pep talks and a final cheer that after a one-two-three countdown is usually “Challenger.” 

They changed it Saturday; on the suggestion of the players, it was changed to “Coach Rich.” 

So, on the count of three, they all cheered “Coach Rich!” 

“That was pretty good,” Price said. “One time was good enough.” 

Before he died, Rich Carroll requested that the field not be named in his honor but, as McCurdy noted in his opening talk, he will forever be intertwined with the ballpark. 

“His legacy lives on every time one of these kids hit this field,” McCurdy said. “And that’s going to be happening for 100 years.”

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Florida zoo receives orphaned baby manatee rescued off Venice coast

https://nbc-2.com/news/state/2021/08/31/florida-zoo-receives-orphaned-baby-manatee-rescued-off-venice-coast/

by Katelyn Massarelli  9:37 PM EDT, Wed September 01, 2021 

 TAMPA, Fla. – Zoo Tampa received a tiny patient this week, and she is the smallest rescued orphaned Manatee calf the zoo has treated!

The David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center received the baby manatee. The center is one of only two places that takes orphan calves in, according to zoo officials.

The female manatee weighed in at 44 pounds and was found in the Gulf of Mexico near Venice.

She was rescued by Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission field staff.

Zoo Tampa officials said she is doing well under the car and watch of the zoo’s Animal Care team and Veterinary team.

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

FST OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE OF ON THE ROAD AGAIN: MUSICAL FAMILY ROAD TRIP WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2021

 https://www.mustdo.com/events/fst-outdoor-performance-of-on-the-road-again-musical-family-road-trip/

Date(s) - Wednesday, July 7, 2021

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location

Nathan Benderson Park

5851 Nathan Benderson Circle

Sarasota, FL

941.366.9000

Pack your bags! Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is taking the whole family on a one-of-a-kind musical road trip in On The Road Again, an all-new outdoor live performance. Featuring songs like “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Surfin’ USA,” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” celebrate all that makes this country special from sea to shining sea. Join FST for an outdoor concert in this summer touring performance as they hit the road with music that has defined the U.S for generations. Admission is free. 

Families and groups can register here:

https://www.floridastudiotheatre.org/road-again. 

For questions about On the Road Again, call FST’s Box Office.

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

Friday Night Concert Series 2021

 https://www.visitvenicefl.org/

Pre-registration is NO LONGER required.

Grab a mask and join the fun in historic downtown Venice for the Friday Night Concert Series at the gazebo in Centennial Park! This event, hosted by Venice MainStreet, is held every second and fourth Friday of each month. Friday Night Concerts are free and open to the public. We ask family and friend groups to limit to a maximum of 6 people sitting together or less. Attendees are REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK during the entire concert. Everyone is asked to remain socially distant and follow CDC guidelines for safety. Check back again for more bands.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs and blankets. No alcohol is permitted in Centennial Park.

2021 UPCOMING SCHEDULE

April 9 at 7pm

This event has been canceled due to another scheduled event at the gazebo

April 23 at 7pm

Wendy Barmore

Genre: Blues/Acoustic

May 14 at 7pm

Dean Johanesen

Genre: Gypsy Swing

May 28 at 7pm

Larry and Jeannie

June 11 at 7pm

North Jetty Allstars

Genre: Yacht Rock

More to be announced soon!

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179

 https://www.visitvenicefl.org/st-patricks-day-downtown-2021

Let’s get into the Irish spirit on Wednesday, March 17th in historic downtown Venice! Wear something green (so you don’t get pinched) and come downtown for music, beer and fun at participating stores and restaurants. Masks are strongly encouraged to keep this a safe event.

DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT

Miami Avenue West:

Abby’s on Miami– Music by Karen

West Venice Avenue:

Café Venice – George DeJong and Rick Aaron 5-8pm

Daiquiri Deck– Nick Sperry and Forrest Shafer 12-3pm; Geoff Ramsey 4-8pm

Made In Italy– DJ Scrappy

TJ Carney’s– featuring Irish dancers, bagpipers, and Ken McBride

Venice Wine & Coffee Company– Nick Sperry’s Yacht Rock Review 6:30-9pm

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964

West Villages Realty LLC

19503 S West Villages Pkwy

Stes A2 (by Appt)

Venice, Florida 34293

Office: 941-460-3179