Looking for things to do in Sarasota this weekend?
Labor Day weekend has arrived, and after a quieter stretch of August, the Sarasota-area calendar is beginning to pick up again.
This weekend brings Music on Main back to Lakewood Ranch, live country music at UTC, concerts and fireworks, exotic cars on St. Armands Circle, professional soccer, a downtown Venice craft festival and the final weekend of Laser Light Nights at The Bishop.
There’s also still time to see Shared Light: Lynn Goldsmith at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, where the celebrated photographer’s images of flowers are displayed alongside intimate portraits of legendary singer, songwriter and poet Patti Smith.
As always, I’m not trying to list everything happening around Sarasota. I’ve highlighted the events and experiences I think are most worth knowing about—and this weekend gives us quite a few good choices.
If you’re wondering where I’d start, here’s my pick.
⭐ Mike's Pick This Weekend
🎸 Music on Main
Friday, September 4 | 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Main Street – Lakewood Ranch
Free
September’s Music on Main brings Jump Start Band to Main Street for an evening of danceable classic rock from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Food vendors, beer trucks and sponsor booths line the street, while rides and activities give younger visitors something to do when they’re not interested in the music.
But part of what I’ve always liked about Music on Main is its community component. Each month benefits a local nonprofit, and this Friday’s event supports Save Our Seabirds.
Bring chairs if you’d like to settle in for the music, but leave the cooler at home. Dogs are welcome on a short leash, and overflow parking is available at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
If you’re looking for an easy way to kick off Labor Day weekend, this would be my pick.
⭐ Also Worth Your Weekend
🤠 UTC Live on The Green: Crossfire Creek
Thursday, September 3 | 6:30–9:30 p.m.
The Green at UTC
Free
Start the weekend a little early as Tampa’s Crossfire Creek Band brings New Country to The Green at UTC.
The five-piece band performs contemporary country favorites from artists including Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Kane Brown, while Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar will be outside serving drinks.
The concert is free, but seating is limited. Bring chairs or a blanket if you’d like to settle in for the evening.
🌈 Final Weekend of Laser Light Nights
Thursday–Saturday, September 3–5 | 7:00 & 9:00 p.m.
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature – Bradenton
Tickets: $15
If you’ve been meaning to experience Laser Light Nights this summer, this is your last weekend.
The Bishop wraps up its summer series with immersive laser shows inside the Planetarium, synchronized to music ranging from Queen, The Beatles and Elton John to Taylor Swift, Metallica, Foo Fighters and No Doubt.
Different musical themes make each performance a little different, and food and drinks are available for purchase.
The shows feature bright, flashing lasers and concert-level sound, so they may not be appropriate for guests with photo sensitivities. Earplugs are also recommended for anyone sensitive to loud music.
🎆 No Filter Concert & Fireworks
Friday, August 28 | Pre-show fun at 7:00 p.m. | Movie around 8:00 p.m.
The Green at UTC
Bring the
Friday, September 4 | 6:00–9:30 p.m.
Wellen Park
Wellen Park celebrates Labor Day weekend with No Filter, bringing an energetic live performance to the stage followed by a fireworks finale.
Bring your friends and make an evening of the concert before sticking around for the fireworks after dark.
Because this is still Florida’s rainy season, keep an eye on the forecast. The fireworks display is weather dependent and may be modified or canceled if conditions aren’t safe.
kids, blankets and lawn chairs for UTC’s free monthly outdoor movie night.
Pre-show activities begin at 7:00 p.m. with face painting, concessions and appearances from Mario and friends before the movie begins after sunset, around 8:00 p.m.
With plenty of restaurants surrounding The Green, this is an easy one to turn into dinner and a movie without having to move the car.
And because it’s August in Florida, check the weather before heading out.
🎬 Classic Movie Night: The Princess Bride
Friday, September 4 | 7:00 p.m.
Sarasota Opera House – Downtown Sarasota
The Princess Bride comes to the big screen as Sarasota Opera’s summer Classic Movies series continues.
The 1987 favorite starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant and Billy Crystal mixes adventure, romance and comedy into one of those movies that seems to find another generation of fans every few years.
The 98-minute movie is also a pretty good Friday-night backup if September weather makes one of the outdoor events less appealing.
🌴 Fins Up Forever: Jimmy Buffett Tribute
Friday & Saturday, September 4–5
Tickets from $32
Labor Day weekend and Jimmy Buffett seem to go together pretty naturally.
Gypsies in Paradise, led by the Lefty Lucy Band and joined by Trop Rock performers including Sunny Jim and steel-pan musician John Patti, celebrates Buffett’s musical legacy with an evening built around island music and familiar favorites.
Expect songs such as Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise, plenty of Parrothead spirit and traditional concert tailgating before the show.
This event has sold out in previous years, so this is one I’d plan ahead for.
🏎️ Exotic Cars on the Circle
Saturday, September 5 | 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
St. Armands Circle Park
Free
Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens and other exotic automobiles take over St. Armands Circle Park Saturday for Exotic Cars on the Circle.
Even if you’re not a dedicated car enthusiast, the location makes this an easy Labor Day weekend outing. Wander through the cars in the morning, grab lunch somewhere around the Circle and, if the weather cooperates, Lido Beach is just down the road.
Admission is free.
⚽ Sarasota Paradise vs. Spokane Velocity FC
Saturday, September 5 | 7:30 p.m.
Premier Sports Campus – Lakewood Ranch
Sarasota’s first professional soccer team continues its historic inaugural season Saturday night as Sarasota Paradise takes on Spokane Velocity FC at Premier Sports Campus.
If you haven’t made it to a match yet, Labor Day weekend gives you another opportunity to experience professional soccer here at home and see the atmosphere that’s developing around Sarasota’s newest team.
Tickets and premium experiences are available.
🎨 Downtown Venice Craft Festival
Saturday–Sunday, September 5–6 | 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
200 Miami Avenue West – Downtown Venice
Free
The 17th annual Labor Day Weekend Downtown Venice Craft Festival fills downtown with artists and craft vendors Saturday and Sunday.
Expect everything from ceramics, jewelry and stained glass to metalwork, functional art and one-of-a-kind gifts.
Admission and parking are free, and its downtown location makes it easy to combine the festival with lunch and a walk along Venice Avenue.
📷 One More Worth Seeing
Shared Light: Lynn Goldsmith
Through September 13 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Downtown Sarasota
This one isn’t technically a Labor Day weekend event—which is exactly why I wouldn’t overlook it.
Celebrated American photographer Lynn Goldsmith combines striking floral photography with intimate portraits of legendary singer, songwriter and poet Patti Smith, Selby Gardens’ artist in residence, in Shared Light: Lynn Goldsmith.
The exhibition includes photography inside the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts along with outdoor installations throughout Selby’s Downtown Sarasota campus.
It closes September 13, so there aren’t many weekends left to see it.
Admission: Members free | Adults $28 | Ages 5–17 $12 | Ages 4 and under free
🆓 Local Weekend Favorites
Not every great Sarasota experience is tied to a special event. These local favorites happen most weekends and are always worth considering while you’re here.
Sarasota Farmers Market
📅 Every Saturday | 7:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
📍 Downtown Sarasota (Lemon Ave. & Main St.)
💲 Free Admission
One of Sarasota’s favorite Saturday traditions, the market features dozens of local vendors selling fresh produce, flowers, seafood, baked goods, coffee, artisan foods and handmade crafts. Live music often adds to the atmosphere, making it an easy way to start a weekend before exploring downtown or the bayfront.
Waterside Farmers Market
📅 Every Sunday | 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
📍 Waterside Place – Lakewood Ranch
If you’re around Lakewood Ranch or UTC on Sunday morning, the Waterside Farmers Market is one of the area’s nicest weekly traditions. More than 100 vendors offer fresh produce, baked goods, specialty foods, flowers, local art, and handcrafted products along the waterfront. Live music and plenty of outdoor seating make it an easy way to spend a relaxed Sunday morning.
Siesta Key Drum Circle
📅 Every Sunday | About one hour before sunset
📍 Siesta Key Public Beach (green lifeguard stand)
This gives your readers one Saturday tradition, one Sunday morning tradition, and one Sunday evening tradition. It also introduces visitors to three distinctly different Sarasota experiences without competing with your featured weekend events.
O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill
📅 Every Friday | Live music 6:00–10:00 p.m.
📍 Bayfront Park – Downtown Sarasota
Looking for a laid-back way to kick off the weekend? On Friday evenings, O’Leary’s comes alive with live reggae from Impulse Reggae while locals and visitors gather beneath the tiki hut, around picnic tables, and on the lawn overlooking Sarasota Bay. Bring a chair or blanket, order a tropical drink, and enjoy one of Sarasota’s most relaxed waterfront settings.
Planning More Time in Sarasota?
Finished planning this weekend? Here are some of Sarasota Lifestyle’s best local guides.
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Boca Grande Florida Guide
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Buying a Home in Sarasota From Out of State
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Explore Sarasota
Start here for beaches, neighborhoods, restaurants, events, and local places worth knowing.
☀️ Sarasota Anytime
Not everything worth doing in Sarasota needs a special date on the calendar.
Summer is actually one of the best times to remember how many local activities happen week after week.
If nothing on this weekend’s event calendar grabs you, try one of these instead:
🥁 Drum Circles
There are opportunities around the area to catch one of Sarasota’s casual sunset drum circles—an easy way to combine a beach evening with something uniquely local.
🧘 Yoga on the Beach
Trade the studio for the Gulf. Recurring beach-yoga sessions offer an entirely different way to start—or sometimes finish—the day.
🏃 Summer Beach Runs
Summer running programs turn an ordinary trip to the beach into an evening activity, with the Gulf providing a pretty good reward at the finish.
🎭 Local Performing Arts
Florida Studio Theatre and Sarasota’s other performing-arts organizations don’t simply disappear when season ends. Summer can be a great time to catch a performance without the winter-season rush.
🌴 UTC Fun
Night markets, movies, live music and other recurring programming make UTC one of the easiest places to check when you’re looking for something casual to do.
🌴 Before You Go...
Labor Day Isn’t Really the End of Summer Here
It’s always felt like the unofficial end of summer.
In Sarasota, of course, the thermometer doesn’t get the memo.
We’ll still have hot afternoons, thunderstorms and plenty of beach weather ahead. But this is about the time when you begin noticing little changes.
Music on Main is back. Laser Light Nights is wrapping up its summer run. Fall festivals will gradually start appearing. The seasonal calendar will begin filling up again, and before too long we’ll be talking about restaurant reservations, traffic and finding a parking space at the beach.
There’s plenty to look forward to.
But I’m not in a hurry.
September still gives us some of the spontaneity of summer—the ability to look outside late in the afternoon, check the radar and decide where the evening takes us.
I’m going to enjoy that while it lasts.
📅 Hosting an Event in Sarasota?
Have a festival, concert, community event, performance or other local experience you’d like considered for an upcoming edition of Sarasota Weekly?
Send me the event name, date and time, location, short description, admission information, website or ticket link, and a high-quality photo.
Thank you,
-Mike Payne
