This Week in Sarasota: Thursday, March 3

THURSDAY, MARCH 3

YPG After Hours at Mandeville Beer Garden

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mandeville Beer Garden, 428 N. Lemon Ave. 

$10, or free for members

Call 954-8688.

Sarasota Young Professionals Group, a division of the Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce, meets monthly for an after-hours networking event. This month, the organization will meet at Mandeville Beer Garden, where guests can enjoy light bites and drinks while meeting fellow young professionals.

Ringling Underground

8 p.m. at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road

$10 for adults; $5 for children younger than 17 and free for children younger than 5 and museum members

Call 359-5700.

Where else can you get a night of live music and high-quality art in a serene outdoor setting? Ringling Underground's monthly showcase returns with music by Mothers, an alt-indie outfit from Athens, Ga. that's toured with Of Montreal and was listed as a band to watch by "Stereogum;" The Pauses, and indie-pop band from Orlando and Babyl, a soulful rock band from Sarasota, as well as art by Gaelin Craighead and Paige Ramsay.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

First Friday Gulf Gate

6 to 9 p.m. in Gulf Gate 

Free

Call 312-5630.

Shop local and discover new businesses at this monthly event, highlighting offerings from Wild Ginger Apothecary, Wild Ginger Lifestyle, Dig That Gem, Able+Willing Supply Co., Boho Cottage Market, Mr. Beery's, The Clever Cup, Rico's Pizzeria and more.

Bobby Collins

7 and 9:30 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre

Tickets $29

Call 925-3869.

Bobby Collins has hosted VH1's “Stand Up Spotlight”; toured with Cher, Julio Iglesias, Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett and released six comedy CDs. Catch him at McCurdy's Friday and Saturday nights.

John Cowan with Darin and Brooke Aldridge

8 p.m. at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court

$23

Call 545-5635.

John Cowan has been blending country, bluegrass, gospel, soul, jazz and rock-and-roll for 37 years. Darin and Brooke Aldridge will join the bill with their rich, harmonized acoustic sound. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

Sun Circle Arts Festival

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sapphire Shores Park, Sun Circle

Free

Call 351-1920.

The fourth annual Indian Beach Sapphire Shores Neighborhood Association Sun Circle Art Festival will partner with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County to help support the North Trail ArtSpace project. The festival will feature more than 60 artists, live music and food and beverages from Carr’s Corner Café, Muse at The Ringling, World Bites Kafe, Buddy Brew Sarasota and Orange Leaf Sarasota. The park's trees will also be "yarn bombed" for an extra touch of whimsy. 

Art Slam

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Main Street, downtown Bradenton

Free

Call 621-6471.

Teams of students and creatives take art to the streets for Realize Bradenton's annual event, which features live art and music.

Chillounge Night

6 to 11 p.m. on S. Palm Ave.

$25 online or $35 at the gate

Visit chilloungenight.com

BMW of Sarasota presents this annual downtown block party benefiting UCP of Sarasota. The party features daybeds and outdoor furnishings, food, drink, fashion shows and other performances. 

Longboat Key Center for the Arts Fundraiser

6:30 p.m. at the Longboat Key Center for the Arts

$75

Call 383-2345.

Help raise money for the Longboat Key Center for the Arts with this party, featuring cocktails and food by Mar Vista and live music by Rev. Barry and Funktastic Soul featuring the Hellacious Horns.

Movie in the Park

6:30 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle

Free

Call 358-7275.

Nathan Benderson Park presents its first Moonlight Movie, "The Croods." Bring a lawn chairs or blankets; drinks and snacks will be available for cash purchase.

Asolo Rep Annual Gala After Party

10:30 p.m. at Louie’s Modern

$40

Call 351-9010, Ext. 4702.

Keep the party going at this late-night party, immediately following Asolo Rep’s 2016 Annual Gala. Party includes complimentary specialty drink, discounted cash bar, light bites and DJ Joey D. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

‘The Battle of Legnano’

1:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House

$19 to $125

Call 328-1300.

See the final opera in Sarasota Opera's "Verdi Cycle." This 1849 opera tells the story of two friends and warriors in love with the same woman.

MONDAY, MARCH 7

Film Series 4: Sir Frederick Ashton

6 p.m. at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts

$15

Call 359-0099.

The Sarasota Ballet will be the first company outside of The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet to perform Sir Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations this April. In preparation, the Sarasota Ballet Film Series features a film highlighting most of the original cast in Enigma Variations.

Capsaicin: A Spice Pop-Up Restaurant

7 p.m. at Baker & Wife, 2157 Siesta Drive

$80

Call 960-1765.

Join Chef Louis Robinson of Spice on his birthday for a five-course menu designed using a different chili pepper on every dish. This event, named after the chemical that gives peppers their spice, includes ceviche, gazpacho, ravioli, pork belly and panna cotta.
 

TUESDAY, MARCH 8

EnsembleNewSRQ​ Inaugural Festival: ‘The Americans’

7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd

$21.97

Visit Ensemblenewsrq.org.

EnsembleNewSRQ, Sarasota’s new contemporary music collective, created to revitalize the modern concert experience, presents a two-concert festival of American composers, March 8 and 10, which includes violinist Samantha Bennett, percussion soloist Michael Truesdell and Boston Symphony Orchestra members Kyle Brightwell and Matthew McKay. The two programs highlight the interplay between percussion quartets of Steve Reich and John Cage with violin concertos of Nico Muhly and Lou Harrison. 

Great Performers Series: Russian National Orchestra

7:30 p.m. at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

$45 to $90

Call 225-6500.

The Sarasota Concert Association's 71st "Great Performers Series" season continues with the Russian National Orchestra, featuring guest conductor Kirill Karabits and violinist Stefan Jackiw. The program includes Alexander Borodin’s “In the Steppes of Central Asia,” Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and the 1945 version of Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.” 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

Original Music Showcase

10 p.m. at Gator Club, 1490 Main St.

Free

Call 366-5969.

Moxie Productions presents this monthly original music showcase. This month's lineup includes PLEASURES, a Sarasota-based psychedelic doom band, The Soapbox Soliloquy Live Band Experience, from St. Petersburg and Kristopher James, from Bradenton.