Interesting Facts

Being home to professional theater companies, opera, ballet and symphony, and also hosting varied arts and music events, have earned Sarasota's slogan: the "Cultural Coast."
On average, Sarasota enjoys 361 annual days of sunshine, making its 35 miles of pristine beaches the playground of choice.
Most beaches are white and comprised of miniscule grains of quartz stone. The beach of Venice is unusually black due to minerals and phosphates from shells.
John Ringling, of circus fame, apparently won two of Sarasota's islands in a raucous poker game.
Sarasota is the headquarters and winter home of the world renowned Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
It was the Spanish explorers who first planted citrus seedlings in Florida.
During the late 1700's, the most ferocious pirates and buccaneers frequented this area. Some believe that millions of dollars worth of buried treasure are still beneath these sands.
There is evidence dating back over 10,000 years of settlers in the area, most likely tribes of ancient Incas and Mayans.
The first Europeans to shed blood in Florida were three of Ponce de Leon's sailors, who were attacked by Indian spears after landing ashore.