🍦Air Gym Opening & Kensington Park Breaks Ground

Happy Tuesday, Sarasota!

First some housekeeping. From now on, all of the emails from the Sarasota Scoop will start with a 🍦 emoji to help you see our emails in those crowded inboxes.

Each week, I spend hours trying to pick out which events to include below. There’s a lot going on in our area! But, I cant include everything or else these emails would be a mess. Respond to the below poll to let me know what you want to see more of.

In today’s edition of the Sarasota Scoop:

• Kensington Breaks Ground

• New fun gym for kids

• Theatre: Dancing at Lughnasa

• More amazing local events!

Thanks for reading,

Carson

📰 Local News

🚧 🌳 Kensington Park Breaks Ground on New Community Space

The update: A long-anticipated park is coming to Kensington Park in Sarasota, replacing an old wastewater treatment facility with a community-focused green space. The project officially broke ground and is set to be completed by summer.

Why it matters: The park will provide much-needed recreational space in the neighborhood, turning an underutilized site into an area for residents to gather, play, and enjoy the outdoors.

What’s planned:

• Location: Southeast corner of 27th Parkway and Monica Parkway

• Size: 1.1 acres of the 3.48-acre site will be developed

• Amenities:

  • Open green spaces and walking paths

  • Picnic tables, benches, and grills

  • Playgrounds for different age groups

  • Parking, including ADA-accessible spots

What to expect: Once completed, the park will serve as a hub for outdoor activities and community engagement, giving Kensington Park residents a dedicated space for recreation.

Go deeper 

🏃‍♂️ Air Gym Brings Indoor Active Play to LWR

What’s new: Lakewood Ranch has a new indoor fitness and play space for kids.

The facility combines obstacle courses, trampolines, and parkour elements to encourage movement in a structured, engaging environment.

Why it matters:

With limited options for active indoor play, Air Gym offers a space for kids to build strength, coordination, and confidence while staying engaged. The setup caters to both casual play and skill-building, which is perfect for kids (and grandkids!) of all ages.

🔍 The details:

• Obstacle courses inspired by ninja training

• Trampolines and free-movement areas for dynamic play

• Parkour zones designed for agility and creativity

• Training programs & competitions for skill development

What’s next: Air Gym could become a go-to for structured training, birthday parties, and youth fitness programs. It opens this July.

More details

🔦 Spotlight: Dancing at Lughnasa

Dancing at Lughnasa

📍Asolo Repertory Theatre | 🔗 details 

Experience Dancing at Lughnasa at Asolo Rep, directed by the acclaimed Joe Dowling. Brian Friel’s Tony Award-winning play offers a vivid portrait of five sisters in 1930s rural Ireland, told through the memories of their nephew, Michael.

Balancing humor and heartbreak, the story explores family, faith, and a changing world with Friel’s signature warmth and sharp insight.

With its rich characters and beautifully crafted dialogue, this production is a rare chance to see one of Ireland’s greatest plays in the hands of a director who knows it inside and out.

Thursday

Beach University

📍Siesta Key Beach | 🕦 9:30am - 10:30am | 🔗 details 

National Agricultural Week

📍Manatee County Ag Museum | 🕦 10am - 4pm | 🔗 details 

Stiffelio Opera

📍Sarasota Opera | 🕦 Multiple showings | 🔗 details 

Sunset Polo Happy Hour

📍 Sarasota Polo Club | 🕦 4:30pm - 9pm | 🔗 details 

Sarasota Jazz Festival

📍Sarasota Municipal Auditorium | 🕦 See details | 🔗 details 

Friday

A Day Out with Thomas the Train

📍Florida Railroad Museum, Parrish | 🕦 9am - 4pm | 🔗 details 

Tampa Hot Air Balloon Festival

📍Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa | 🕦 12am | 🔗 details 

Venice Blues & BBQ

📍Venice Airport Festival Grounds | 🕦 See details | 🔗 details 

Sarasota County Fair

📍 Sarasota County Fairgrounds | 🕦 See details | 🔗 details 

Comedy Show: Orny Adams

📍McCurdy's Comedy Theatre | 🕦 Multiple showings | 🔗 details 

Live Music at the Plaza

📍Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch | 🕦 6pm - 9pm | 🔗 details 

Air Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett Tribute

📍Venice Community Center | 🕦 7pm | 🔗 details 

Saturday

Fitness on the Green

📍Big Top Brewing, Fruitville | 🕦 9:30am | 🔗 details 

Main Street Market LWR

📍Lakewood Ranch Main Street | 🕦 10am - 1pm | 🔗 details 

Florida Humanities Festival

📍Selby Library, Sarasota | 🕦 10am - 3pm | 🔗 details 

History In The Park: Dr. C.B. Wilson House

📍Urfer Family Park, Sarasota | 🕦 10am - 12pm | 🔗 details 

Historical Cemetery Tours

📍1850 Manatee Burying Grounds | 🕦 10am | 🔗 details 

Music on the Porch

📍Florida Maritime Museum, Cortez | 🕦 2pm | 🔗 details 

Sarasota Wine Festival

📍Selby Five Points Park | 🕦 5pm - 10pm | 🔗 details 

Sunday

Tour de Parks Bicycle Ride

📍Venice Train Depot, Venice | 🕦 See details | 🔗 details 

Farm to Fillet

📍Mote Aquaculture Research Park | 🕦 12:30pm | 🔗 details 

Winter Concerts

📍Sarasota Opera | 🕦 Multiple showings | 🔗 details 

Moulin Rouge! The Musical

📍Van Wezel Performing Arts Center | 🕦 Multiple showings | 🔗 details 

PLAN AHEAD

Romeo & Juliet

📍 Sarasota Ballet | 📆 March 28th | 🔗 details

My Hometown Fest

📍Nathan Benderson Park | 📆 March 29th | 🔗 details

Thanks for reading! If you like what you see be sure to support us by sharing with a friend