The Bay Park’s Free 5-Day First Anniversary Celebration Begins

SARASOTA, FL — The Bay Park Conservancy kicks off “The Bay Turns One!” first-anniversary celebration Wednesday.

The five-day festival at The Bay, a new bayfront public park that welcomed more than 250,000 visitors in its first year, will offer more than 30 free events for the community, according to a news release.

Highlights of celebration include:

• A Latino-inspired, family-friendly “¡Bailando for All!” dance party (Wednesday)
• A one-year milestone Community Celebration Party recognizing one-year old babies and couples who have been together for one year (Thursday)
• A family-friendly Boo! at The Bay Halloween event filled with trick-or-treating, free pumpkin pickings, a double-feature movie night and a sensory-friendly hour (Friday)
• The second annual Multicultural Festival at The Bay celebrating a tapestry of cultures with vibrant performances and delicious cuisine (Saturday)
• A bayside concert featuring Journey’s former lead vocalist Steve Augeri (Saturday)
• The second annual Taste of the Bay food festival in partnership with the Sarasota-Manatee Originals (Sunday)
• A “Soul & Sass” concert by Sarasota’s own Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (Sunday)

The full schedule of events can be found online at www.TheBayTurnsOne.org.

The entire celebration is intertwined with everyday free programming such as guided kayak tours in partnership with Ride & Paddle, fitness classes provided by CoreSRQ, yoga taught by local yogis, guided nature walks and music featuring some of the area’s favorite artists.

“We are looking forward to celebrating this important one-year milestone with those in the community,” Stephanie Crockatt, president and CEO of The Bay Park Conservancy, said. “As always at The Bay, every one of the 30-plus first anniversary events are open and accessible, free and welcoming to all. Please come and enjoy all that this magnificent signature public park has to offer during The Bay Turns One! five-day celebration.”

The Bay project preserves, restores and transforms 53 acres of precious city-owned land along Sarasota Bay into a sustainable bayfront gathering place for the community to experience and enjoy a wide range of park uses, free programs and events.

The first 10-acre phase of the park opened in October 2022. Design and development of Phase 2, the next 14-acre $65 million development, began this summer.

The completed park in total will cost an estimated $175 to 200 million and will take approximately eight to 10 years to complete over four or more phases.