Sarasota Bay Water Festival—THIS SATURDAY on City Island
Celebrate Sarasota Bay and its importance to Southwest Florida’s environment, economy and quality of life during the Sarasota Bay Water Festival.
The festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 1, at Ken Thompson Park on City Island, Sarasota. Admission is free, parking is available on site and a water taxi is available from Marina Jack in downtown Sarasota.
The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is the event’s Founding Sponsor, HDR, Inc. is the Community Sponsor and Sea to Shore Alliance is the Host Sponsor for 2014. A total of 39 sponsors from government, business and nonprofit organizations are supporting this year’s event, including Mote Marine Laboratory — a world-class marine research and education organization with a public Aquarium near the festival site on City Island.
The festival will feature live music from top area bands starting at 10:30 a.m., food and beverages, art and photography vendors, Dragon Boat Races, a display of the winning photos from the I Love Sarasota Bay Photo Contest, a Community Art Mural and more. Visitors can meet acclaimed Florida photographer Clyde Butcher at 2 p.m. and interact with local speakers focused on the protection of bay wildlife at noon, on the bay’s economic value at 1 p.m., on local water quality and restoration at 3 p.m. and on the problem of discarded plastic harming wildlife at 3:30 p.m.
The festival will also feature more than 70 exhibitors focused on water recreation and sports, boating and fishing, other outdoor activities, conservation, bay-friendly living and more.
Guests can learn about our oceans by visiting Mote’s traveling exhibit, Mote Mobile. Guests can also meet Mote scientists working to restore scallops in Sarasota Bay as part of a community collaboration.
Mote staff and Students from Ringling College of Art and Design will share the educational outreach materials the students developed through the environmental science course taught by Mote staff members serving as a Ringling adjunct professors. Displays will include the results from a Mote-Ringling project called "Art of Marine Science: Ocean Acidification."
Full information: https://www.facebook.com/SarasotaBayWaterFestival