What's on in Sarasota, United States through the year

Peak crowds — Snowbird season, Christmas and New Year

• Holiday

  Snowbird season

  5 Jan – 31 Mar · usuallySchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  The winter residents are in from January to the end of March, which doubles the traffic on the Tamiami Trail and fills every restaurant at half past five. It is also the only season with no humidity. Source ↗

Still on: Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually)), Christmas and New Year (24 Dec – 1 Jan)

Peak crowds — Snowbird season, Orioles spring training

• Festival

  Orioles spring training

  15 Feb – 28 Mar · usuallySporting eventCrowded

  Grapefruit League baseball at Ed Smith Stadium through late February and March, on a scale where the players walk past the seats. Tickets cost a fraction of the summer version. Source ↗

Still on: Snowbird season (5 Jan – 31 Mar (usually)), Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — travelers describe it as peak season, Snowbird season

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Snowbird season (5 Jan – 31 Mar (usually)), Orioles spring training (15 Feb – 28 Mar (usually)), Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in April.

Busy — one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Gulf warm enough to swim

  1 May – 31 OctSea warm enough

  The Gulf here is shallow and calm and stays comfortable from May to the end of October, which is longer than the crowds who come in February would guess.

• Nature

  Sea turtle nesting

  1 May – 31 Oct

  Loggerheads nest on Siesta and Longboat from the start of May and the last hatchlings leave in October. Beachfront lights have to be shaded or off, and the nests are staked and counted nightly. Source ↗

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Afternoon storm season

  1 Jun – 30 SepRisk

  A thunderstorm most afternoons, usually over by six, and this stretch of coast gets more lightning than anywhere else in the country. Mornings are the reliable half of the day.

• Hazard

  Hurricane season

  1 Jun – 30 Nov

  The Atlantic season runs June to November and peaks from mid-August into October. The barrier islands here evacuate for storm surge rather than wind, and the order comes early. Source ↗

Still on: Gulf warm enough to swim (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea turtle nesting (1 May – 31 Oct)

Peak crowds — Independence Day, Summer break in United States

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  3–5 JulNational holidayCrowdedClosures

  The Fourth of July is a federal holiday: banks and government offices close, fireworks draw large crowds to parks and waterfronts after dark, and roads and flights are busy over the long weekend. Claim a viewing spot early. Source ↗

Still on: Gulf warm enough to swim (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea turtle nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Afternoon storm season (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Gulf warm enough to swim (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea turtle nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Afternoon storm season (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Summer break in United States

• Hazard

  Red tide

  1 Sep – 1 Mar · usually

  Blooms of Karenia brevis drift inshore in some years, killing fish and putting an irritant in the air along the beach. It comes and goes by the week, so check the daily sample map rather than the season. Source ↗

Still on: Gulf warm enough to swim (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea turtle nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Afternoon storm season (1 Jun – 30 Sep), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Gulf warm enough to swim (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea turtle nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov), Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually))

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov), Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year

  24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowded

  Christmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗

Still on: Red tide (1 Sep – 1 Mar (usually))