Shellfish take center stage at festival

In conjunction with Sarasota’s Fourth of July celebrations, the Sarasota Farmers Market is hosting its inaugural Shrimp and Lobster Festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 2, beneath a 100-foot tent on State Street.

A fixture at the market for 20 years, Maggie’s Seafood will be fixing a low-country shrimp boil — a New Orleans-style dish made with shrimp, potatoes, sausage, corn and seasonings. Boothbay Harbor Lobster Direct is bringing in Maine lobsters and creating New England-style lobster dinners in steamer pots.

Sarasota resident and jazz musician Jake Pinto will be performing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And Economy Tackle will raffle off a kayak during the event, of which a portion of the proceeds benefits the GAP School.

“If you look at our signs, this year we’ve come upon the spirit of downtown,” said Phil Pagano, farmers market operations manager. “That was sort of the theme this year, especially with the Fourth of July, to do something special — especially helping the GAP School.”

Call 225-9256.