Special Events Resume In Sarasota With Art Festival

SARASOTA, FL — Special events resumed in the city of Sarasota with the 33rd annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts held Saturday and Sunday.

The art festival was the first city-approved special event since they were suspended 11 months ago during the COVID-19 pandemic to slow the spread of the virus.

The city is once again accepting special events permits for review, said Jason Bartolone, communications specialist for the city.

“In addition to the typical permitting review process, applicants must submit a COVID-19 safety plan that is approved by the city’s Risk Management team. Each event organizer is responsible for designing a plan that protects public safety and is specific to their event,” he said.

According to special events page on the city’s Parks & Recreation District website, event organizers were invited to start submitting applications for events after Feb. 10.

“Those applications would be subject to cancellation due to COVID-19 and applicants are doing so at their own risk and expense,” the page said.

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In the Mayor’s Update newsletter, Mayor Hagen Brody called the move to allow special events again “a significant step in the right direction as we work toward resuming pre-COVID-19 business operations.”

He also encouraged anyone attending large events to follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including wearing a face mask, maintaining social distancing and washing their hands frequently.