| One theory is that it was named after the
daughter of Hernando
De Soto, Sara. De Soto, along with Ponce de
Leon and Panfilo Narvez were the first explorers to land on the Gulf Coast in
search of gold and silver. Another maintains that the
name may have been derived from the Spanish 'sarao sota' translated as 'a place of
dancing'.
I prefer the latter, as the feeling of dancing seems to
abound all around you.
|
This is quite
noticeable when you consider it to be one huge playground for sunbathing, swimming,
shopping and eating out -- with an abundance of sunshine, unbelievable white beaches and a
fantastic cultural scene. |
The first
inhabitants of Sarasota were the Native Americans, who 3000 years ago
lived in the area, when Sarasota Bay was ripe with fish and thick palmetto brush. In fact,
most of the land had been covered with cedar forests.
Following the end of the Seminole
Wars, in the mid 1800s, Sarasota began to modernize.
Initially, it was a cattle-ranching area attracting many
politically disgruntled Scotsmen. Seduced by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company’s
promotional campaign in Scotland -- boasting about the abundance of fertile land, splendid
citrus groves, cheap land and affordable housing -- these newcomers packed up their
belongings and boarded steamers to the promised land.
Unfortunately, what these adventurers found did not exactly
mirror what was promised.
Most returned, however, one very brave individual, who
stayed, was John Hamilton Gillespie.
It was he who built the first hotel in Sarasota, the De
Soto, became the first mayor in 1902 and built Florida’s first nine-hole golf course
in 1885.
To appreciate the difficulties the original pioneers faced,
a visit to the Crowley Museum and Nature Center, located in Eastern Sarasota, is a
must.
Sarasota’s sophisticated
image as a cultural community was due in large part to a Mrs. Berthe
Potter Palmer, a patron of the arts and socialite from Chicago. Palmer was very well
connected with British and Parisian royalty, as well as Chicago’s high society.
Upon first setting foot in Sarasota, in 1910, she fell in
love with the area and purchased several tracts of land; eventually building her home and
a cattle ranch in Osprey, south of Sarasota.
If you want to learn more about Mrs. Potter Palmer, try not
to miss Historic Spanish
Point. It is here you will find archaeological exhibits, nature trails, formal gardens
and a pioneer homestead.
It was probably due to Palmer that the Ringling Brothers
were attracted to Sarasota. Not to be outdone, the brothers began purchasing large tracts
of land and became very active in civic affairs.
They also made Sarasota the winter home for the famous Ringling Circus.
John
Ringling, and his wife Mabel, had a profound influence on Sarasota’s cultural image;
from an unknown entity to a new worldliness and in so doing transformed the town into an
arts capital, in the 1920s. |
|
A testament to this influence can be
appreciated with a visit to the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art. Affiliated with Florida State
University, this is the largest museum/university complex in the USA.
For a town of its relatively small size, it is amazing how
daring and dynamic is the Sarasota’s cultural scene. You can probably attend a
concert, or the theatre, every day of the week.
Van
Wezel Performing Arts Hall offers a world of culture -- with Broadway musicals,
theatre and a wide variety of other happenings.
The Asolo Theatre Company (recently renamed the FSU/Ringling Center for
the Cultural Arts) is the only theatre in North America with a winter repertory season.
Three, four or even five plays may be performed during the same time frame providing a
diverse assortment of programs for the visitor to the area.
Other theatres are the Florida Studio Theatre, Golden Apple Dinner Theatre, and the Venice Little Theatre.
Celebrating its 55th season in 2003, the Florida West Coast Symphony
offers a wide array of symphonic and chamber music. It is also host to the internationally
recognized Sarasota Music Festival; held each June.
If you are into ballet, you would want to enjoy a
performance of the world class Sarasota Ballet of Florida.
Are you an opera enthusiast, perhaps?
The Sarasota
Opera performs in the 1926 Edwards Theatre during the months of February and March.
This should satisfy your appetite, and English translations are projected above the stage.
It is no wonder this elegant town is known as Florida's
Cultural Coast.
Every Thursday and Friday evenings there is a happening
somewhere in Sarasota, or nearby.
Downtown Palm Avenue holds it art walk on the first Friday of the
month. On the second Friday of the month you can enjoy 'Sunset Circle' on St. Armands, and the
fourth Friday there is 'Smooth Jazz' -- all located near Lido Beach.
Every third Friday of the month Towles Court, a downtown artist’s
colony, holds its art walk.
Venice
MainStreet, located a couple of miles south of Sarasota, has activities every third
Thursday of the month.
The dynamism of Sarasota’s dedication to the arts is
not all that beckons the visitor.
The first Florida
eco-heritage tourism trail links more than 150 environmental, educational, cultural
and historical sites.
The primary objective is to educate tourists and residents
alike of the need to protect and conserve the area’s local waterways and historic
sites.
Mote
Aquarium houses touchable stingrays, sea turtles, and Florida’s only interactive
multimedia 'Shark Attack'.
Sarasota Jungle Gardens is the area's only Zoological Park.
The Marie
Selby Botanical Gardens advertises itself as 'a tropical oasis in downtown Sarasota'
-- some 16 acres overlooking Sarasota Bay.
Little wonder romantic memories will linger forever after
you have tasted the beauty, culture and hospitality of Sarasota.
Sarasota
Convention and Visitors Bureau:
655 Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Fl 34236
© Norm Goldman
Illustrated by: Lily Azerad-Goldman |
