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๐Ÿจ๐ŸŽญ Hospital Ranking & SPAC Finances

Best Things To Do in SRQ: 3/13 - 3/16

Happy Tuesday, Sarasota!

Iโ€™ve got a lot in store this week. But first, a quick reminder that I love to hear all of your great feedback.

If there are ever any events youโ€™d like to see included, questions, comments, or you just want to say Hi โ€” you can respond to any of these emails or if youโ€™re on the web you can drop a comment.

In todayโ€™s edition of the Sarasota Scoop:

Thanks for reading,

Carson

๐Ÿ“ฐ Local News

SMH Named One of the Worldโ€™s Best Hospitals 

๐Ÿฅ Big win for local healthcare: Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) has been named one of the worldโ€™s best hospitals in Newsweekโ€™s 2025 rankings, placing it among top medical institutions globally.

๐Ÿ“Š Why it matters: SMH is one of only seven hospitals in Florida to make the list, standing out for its quality care, patient satisfaction, and medical innovation.

By the numbers: 

  • The rankings cover over 2,400 hospitals across 30 countries.

  • Evaluations are based on peer recommendations, patient outcomes, and hospital performance metrics.

โš ๏ธ Zoom out: This isnโ€™t a firstโ€”SMH has consistently ranked among Americaโ€™s top hospitals, reinforcing Sarasotaโ€™s reputation as a hub for high-quality healthcare.

Whatโ€™s next: Expect continued investments in cutting-edge medical technology and expanded healthcare services as SMH builds on its success.

New Performing Arts Center Faces Financial Hurdles

๐ŸŽญ The latest: Sarasotaโ€™s proposed Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is expected to run a $4 million annual deficit, according to a new business plan presented by the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.

๐Ÿ“Š Why it matters: The city must decide whether to proceed with the $407 million project, which aims to transform Sarasotaโ€™s arts scene but comes with significant financial risks.

Breaking down the funding:

  • The project relies on a mix of public and private contributions.

  • The plan calls for 25% from the city, 25% from the county, and 50% from private philanthropy.

  • Sarasota County officials, however, have been hesitant to commit funds, which could leave the city covering half the total cost.

Whatโ€™s at stake: If the funding plan falls through, Sarasota could miss out on a state-of-the-art cultural venue, but moving forward could put financial strain on the cityโ€™s budget.

๐Ÿ“… Whatโ€™s next: The Sarasota City Commission will vote on March 17 on whether to advance the project or reconsider its feasibility.

๐Ÿ”ฆ Spotlight: Celebrate St. Pattyโ€™s Day

This weekend, Sarasota will be alive with all-kinds of fun celebrations for St. Patrickโ€™s Day.

In the spirit of how Americanโ€™s typically celebrate the day, there are a number of lively events & bar crawls around town.

Bradenton St. Patrick's Day Block Party

๐Ÿ“Old Main St, Bradenton

๐Ÿ”— details

Gator Clubโ€™s Block Party

๐Ÿ“Gator Club, Sarasota

๐Ÿ”— details

Almost St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl

๐Ÿ“Joe's On Main

๐Ÿ”— details

Thursday, March 13th

Mind of Abraham Lincoln

๐Ÿ“The Orca, Sarasota

๐Ÿ•ฆ 10am - 12pm

๐Ÿ”— details

J.McLaughlin Sip & Shop

๐Ÿ“J.McLaughlin, Longboat Key

๐Ÿ•ฆ 11am - 3pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Botanical Illustration Workshop

๐Ÿ“Selby Botanical Gardens

๐Ÿ•ฆ 3pm - 6pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Jazz Thursdays

๐Ÿ“Sarasota Art Museum

๐Ÿ•ฆ 5:30pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Friday, March 14th

Venice Book Fair and Writers Festival

๐Ÿ“ Blalock Park, Venice

๐Ÿ•ฆ 9am - 3pm

๐Ÿ”— details

How to Catch a Leprechaun

๐Ÿ“ Sarasota Children's Garden

๐Ÿ•ฆ 11am

๐Ÿ”— details

Fighting in the Tunnels of Vietnam

๐Ÿ“ Military Heritage Museum, Punta Gorda

๐Ÿ•ฆ 11:30am

๐Ÿ”— details

Crazy for Gershwin

๐Ÿ“ Venice Performing Arts Center

๐Ÿ•ฆ See Details

๐Ÿ”— details

Sarasota County Fair

๐Ÿ“ Fairgrounds, Sarasota

๐Ÿ•ฆ 5pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Moon Over Myakka Fundraising Concert

๐Ÿ“ Myakka River State Park

๐Ÿ•ฆ 7pm - 9:30pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Movie Night at Waterside

๐Ÿ“ Waterside Park

๐Ÿ•ฆ 7pm

๐Ÿ”— details

The Barber of Seville

๐Ÿ“ Sarasota Opera House

๐Ÿ•ฆ 7:30pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Saturday, March 15th

BMX Open House

๐Ÿ“Sarasota BMX

๐Ÿ•ฆ 9:30am

๐Ÿ”— details

St. Patrick's Day at Main Street

๐Ÿ“ LWR Main Street

๐Ÿ•ฆ 11am - 9pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Irish Celtic Festival

๐Ÿ“13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch

๐Ÿ•ฆ 11:30am - 3pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Family Art Making

๐Ÿ“ Ringling Museum

๐Ÿ•ฆ Multiple Times

๐Ÿ”— details

Maverickโ€™s Rhythm & Rave

๐Ÿ“ Performance Pavilion, Bradenton

๐Ÿ•ฆ 3:30pm - 7pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Live Music: Savor the Sounds

๐Ÿ“ Towns Center Green, Longboat Key

๐Ÿ•ฆ 5:30pm - 8pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Sunday, March 16th

Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market

๐Ÿ“ 5161 Lakefront Dr, Lakewood Ranch

๐Ÿ•ฆ 9am - 2pm

๐Ÿ”— details

A Vette Together 2025

๐Ÿ“ Meadows Farmers Market, Sarasota

๐Ÿ•ฆ 8am - 3pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Downtown Sarasota Fine Art and Craft Fair

๐Ÿ“ 1718 Main St, Sarasota

๐Ÿ•ฆ 10am - 5pm

๐Ÿ”— details

Art in the Park

๐Ÿ“ University Park Country Club, University Park

๐Ÿ•ฆ 10am - 5pm

๐Ÿ”— details

PLAN AHEAD

Sarasota Film Festival 2025

๐Ÿ“ 1993 Main St, Sarasota

๐Ÿ“† April 4th - 13th

๐Ÿ”— details

5th Annual Downtown Sarasota Spring Craft Fair

๐Ÿ“ 1 Central Avenue, Sarasota

๐Ÿ“† May 3rd

๐Ÿ”— details

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