It’s no secret that Sarasota and its surrounding areas are a haven for foodies. Downtown Wellen Park is home to an abundance of great restaurants, and they’re giving curious diners the chance to come sample some of their culinary offerings at a more accessible price point with Savor the Summer, a program that runs through Labor Day.

“The promotions are great and give visitors so many opportunities to sample a variety of menus at discounted prices,” says Christine Masney, vice president of marketing for Wellen Park.

Looking for a lunchtime pick-me-up? Head down to The Yard, a laid-back waterfront spot with walk-up eateries built out of repurposed shipping containers. Pop Dawgs is serving up a $15 grand slam lunch combo daily from 11am to 2pm that includes a pretzel dog, tater tots, and bottled water. Still thirsty? Lakeside Bites has a buy-one get-one deal on freshly made 32-ounce lemonades.

Outside of The Yard, Oak & Stone is offering a $15 Yin and Yang lunch special. Served Monday through Friday until 3pm, the deal consists of a classic cheese pizza or pizza of the day, a house or Caesar side salad, and a soft drink. Stick around for happy hour, which runs from 2pm to 6pm Monday through Friday.

Villani & Co. is also offering up a great lunch deal where diners can mix and match a sandwich and salad or soup for just $15. The restaurant is also coming through with discounts for date night. Sunday through Thursday, Villani & Co. is running a summer dinner special for two. For $50, a duo of diners can get an appetizer, two glasses of house wine or beer, two summer dinner specials made with fresh seasonal ingredients, and a dessert to share.

The Banyan House is also running a 2 for $50 summer dinner special which features two entrees and complimentary bread service. Available Sunday through Thursday after 4pm, The Banyan House summer deal allows diners to choose from options including a wood-fired strip steak, chicken cordon bleu, rigatoni Bolognese and bourbon-glazed salmonNot to be outdone, Acqua Pazza is also running a deal Sundays through Thursdays after 4pm. For just $40, diners can get two entrees, fresh baked focaccia, and two mini cannolis.

These deals are sizzling, but like summer, they will soon end. Be sure to visit Downtown Wellen Park before September 2nd to get in on these delectable dining discounts. 

Pictured: The Rigatoni Bolognese is one of the summer dinner special options at The Banyan House in Downtown Wellen Park. Photo courtesy of The Banyan House.

Deep Lagoon Seafood and Oyster House is the most recent addition to Waterside Place, a lakeside destination that showcases a range of international dining experiences. The “upscale casual” restaurant features inside and outside dining and bars, with boundless lake views. Waterside Place invites visitors to immerse themselves in a dynamic experience that offers more waterfront dining and shopping than any other locale in Manatee and Sarasota counties, including more than 30 carefully curated retailers and restaurants. Begin with a morning cup of coffee, join colleagues for a leisurely business lunch, gather friends and family for a carefree dinner, and stay to watch a brilliant sunset or for one of the numerous programmed activities while grabbing a drink and strolling the street. Combined with the abundance of shops, self-care and beauty options, you can spend a few hours or an entire day at Waterside Place. This regional destination is also home to the weekly Farmers’ Market, recently ranked No. 1 in Florida for the second year in a row; the world’s largest recreational cornhole league, the monthly Sights and Sounds arts series and Movies in the Park, and Music on the Plaza on Friday and Saturday nights. Waterside Place takes the best of dining, shopping and arts districts and combines them into one inviting gathering place for the community that’s never the same place twice. Bring your dogs and your kids and let them enjoy the abundance of green space, playground and splash pad, and park, all connected by trails and nestled around beautiful Kingfisher Lake. Opening soon will be Allswell brew pub, Italian market Eatalia, and Carved, a gourmet sandwich shop offering crafted sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls, and more, which will give diners even more choices for a bite on the go or a leisurely meal. For more information about Waterside Place, visit watersideplace.com and keep up with Waterside Place’s social life on Facebook and Instagram. 

RIAA-certified Gold a cappella group Straight No Chaser, known for their holiday favorites and re-imagination of iconic songs throughout the decades, today revealed the “Top Shelf” tour, their 2024 fall run. Straight No Chaser will play the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on December 28, 2024 at 8pm. Tickets for the “Top Shelf” tour go on-sale this Friday at 10am ET. Kicking off in Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania on October 18, “Top Shelf” runs through the holiday season, wrapping up on December 30 in Fort Myers, FL.  A list of dates is included below, and more will be announced. Tickets start at $32.50 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Future updates on shows and productions can be found on the Van Wezel’s website and social media accounts. 

To learn more, visit.

The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch was recently named No. 1 in Florida for the second year running, as part of the 15th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration (AFMC), sponsored by the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. The event ran from June 1 to July 31, during which the public voted on their favorite markets. The Market was also ranked No. 3 in the Southeast. The AFMC is the only annual ranking of the top farmers markets in the U.S. as voted on by the public. The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, which is about to enter its seventh season, is home to more than 100 curated vendors of the region’s best food and flavors, and is located at Waterside Place – Lakewood Ranch’s dynamic lakefront town center. Open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round, The Market has become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. The Market also works with Community Harvest SRQ as part of the Suncoast Gleaning Project. Among other efforts, volunteers pick up leftover vegetables from the farmers weekly and take them to food banks to make meals for those in need, thereby helping diminish food waste while providing nutritious produce to diverse populations. Other activities on Market Sundays include yoga at the adjacent Waterside Park, weekly live music, Kids’ Corner crafts, facepainting and balloon twisting, among others. Before or after enjoying the Farmers’ Market, Waterside Place visitors can immerse themselves in an engaging experience that offers more waterfront dining and shopping than any other locale in Manatee and Sarasota counties, including more than 30 carefully curated retailers and restaurants. For more information about The Market, contact Nicole Hackel at 941-757-1520 or visit lakewoodranch.com/life-on-the-ranch/themarket/.  

Art Center Sarasota’s 2023-2024 exhibition season continues with four exhibits, August 15-September 28. Precious Darling’s “How He Sees Me” explores, through black and white photography and sculpture, the nuanced and often troubling ways in which society, and particularly men, view and treat women. (Artist Talk on Thursday, September 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) In “The Unaligned Stars: Our Starlight,” features artwork created by teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County.  The show delves into the intricacies of self-identity amidst societal expectations; weaving together a diverse array of expressions through paintings, books, interactive pieces, and sculptures. Tanner Simon’s “Big Soup, Big Responsibility” features an installation of large-scale paintings that explores the intersection of humor, seriousness, and the absurd. (Artist Talk on Saturday, September 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m.) “Flora and Fauna,” juried by Dr. David Berry, is an open exhibit that invites artists to celebrate the characters of the natural world, both real and imagined, living and extinct, peaceful and poisonous. (Juror critique with Dr. Berry is Wednesday, August 21, 3:30 p.m.)  

Pictured: Teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County working on artwork for The Unaligned Stars Our Starlight exhibit.

To register click here