2016 Sarasota Holiday Events: What to Know Before You Go

SARASOTA, FL – The holiday season is in full swing, and so are the festive events that herald the season in Sarasota County.

From parades to shopping, from snow to latkes, there’s a bit of something for everyone who’s looking to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.

Here’s what area residents need to know before you go to any of the 2016 Sarasota holiday events:

Holidays Around the Ranch

Nearby Lakewood Ranch will host its annual Holidays Around the Ranch celebration on Friday, Dec. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. With Santa Claus entering in a white horse-drawn carriage and the Dickens Carolers providing live entertainment, there’s a bit of holidays for everyone at Lakewood Ranch. The event will include outdoor ice skating on an acrylic rink, sugar cookie decorating, street vendors, live music rides for children around the big tree.

Gingerbread Festival

The Girl Scouts of Suncoast Florida will host its eighth annual Gingerbread Festival from Friday, Dec. 9 to Sunday, Dec. 11 at Westfield Sarasota Square, 8201 Tamiami Trail S. in Sarasota. The event features a grand display of gingerbread houses hand-crafted by more than 150 local schools, youth groups, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The schedule of events is:

Friday, Dec. 9

• Gingerbread Festival open during regular mall hours, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Complementary kick-off breakfast and announcement of judges’ picks

Saturday, Dec. 10

• Gingerbread Festival open during regular mall hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 11

• Gingerbread Festival open during regular mall hours, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Pickup of purchased houses, 4 to 7 p.m.

Admission is $1 per person and includes one vote in the People’s Choice Award. Online voting will be available at http://srqgingerbreadfestival.com/HousesViewAll.php with a deadline of Dec. 11 at noon.

For more information, call (941) 921-5358 Ext. 336 or visit http://srqgingerbreadfestival.com/.

Sarasota Jingle Paws Jubilee

Pets are the order of the day during the fifth annual Sarasota Jingle Paws Jubilee, set for Saturday, Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Five Points Park on North Pineapple Avenue in Sarasota. The jubilee is a benefit for local rescue organizations, and will feature local rescue organizations for cats, dogs, puppies and kittens available for adoption. There will also be holiday gift shopping with local vendors, agility demonstrations, live music, a caricaturist, face painting, pet photos with Santa and more.

Organizers are also accepting entries for the event’s holiday pet costume contest and parade on their website. Entry to the contest is free and will be held at 2 p.m.

North Port Poinsettia Parade

The City of North Port will host the Poinsettia Parade on Saturday, Dec. 10 starting at 5 p.m. The theme of this year’s parade is Storybook Holidays, highlighted by Santa Claus arriving on his sleigh.

Floats adorned with poinsettias, decorated vehicles and walking groups will follow the mile-long route beginning at the corner of Appomattox Drive and North Port Boulevard and traveling south to Greenwood Avenue.

For more information, visit http://www.cityofnorthport.com/government/city-services/parks-recreation/special-events/poinsettia-parade.

Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade

The 31st annual Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade will take place Saturday, Dec. 10 beginning at 6 p.m. The parade will begin at the southern tip of Longboat Key and travel across Sarasota Bay to Centennial Park and Bayfront Park.

Click here for more information on the 2016 Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade.

Atomic Holiday Bazaar

The 11th annual Atomic Holiday Bazaar will take place Saturday, Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail. Admission is $5 for adults, children 12 and younger are free. Patrons can visit the Bay Front Room and the Street Fair for free. The annual bazaar features affordable, handmade indie crafts and arts available for purchase.

For more information, visit http://www.atomicholidaybazaar.com/.

Sarasota Snow Fest

Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch will host the annual Sarasota Snow Fest from Friday, Dec. 16 to Sunday, Dec. 18. The event will feature snow slides, snowman building, pony rides, pictures with Santa Claus, and live shows like the Jelly Bean Jugglers and Candy Cane Hula Hoopers.

General admission to the Sarasota Snow Fest is $7, while children ages 4-12 are $4.

For more information, visit http://www.snowfestsarasota.com/Pages/default.aspx.

Wreaths Across America

The Sarasota Military Academy, along with other area organizations, is working to collect and sponsor wreaths for the Sarasota National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America campaign. The national event features volunteers who lay wreaths upon the graves of veterans at Arlington National Cemetery as well as more than 1,000 other locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.

Representatives from Sarasota Military Academy will host its wreath-laying ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 17 beginning at 9 a.m. They will also host a wreath clean-up day on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7:15 a.m.

For more information, visit http://www.wreathsacrossamericasarasota.com/.

Pinecraft Christmas Parade

Pinecraft, an Amish and Mennonite community within the city limits of Sarasota, will host its Christmas parade on Sunday, Dec. 25 at 2 p.m. starting near the intersection of Bahia Vista Street and Beneva Road.

For more information on Pinecraft, visit http://www.visitsarasota.org/article/pinecraft-amish-snowbird-community-sarasota.

A Taste of Chanukah: New York Style

Chabad of Sarasota will host A Taste of Chanukah: New York Style on Monday, Dec. 26 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Jewish Federation campus, 580 McIntosh Road in Sarasota. The sixth annual event will transport participants to New York with the sights and sounds of the Festival of Lights.

Holiday and New York-themed food will include pretzels and hot dog carts, latkes, suffganyot and more. Other activities will include a lit Statue of Liberty menorah, Bubble Magic show, juggling, balloon twisting by Blaise and the Freilach Music Band. Other amusements include bungee jumping, a Zorb race track, Orbitron and an inflatable obstacle course.

For more information, visit http://www.atasteofchanukah.com/.

Sailor Circus Holiday Spectacular

Circus Arts Conservatory students will star in the annual Sailor Circus Holiday Spectacular in eight shows running from Monday, Dec. 26 to Thursday, Dec. 29 at the Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St. Tickets for the show range from $15 to $20 and can be purchased online.

For more information, visit http://circusarts.org/buy-tickets/.

Image via Isaiah v, Flickr, used under Creative Commons