Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix postponed

The organizers of the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival announced the event will not be held as scheduled, as concerns related to COVID-19 continue to affect large gatherings in the area.

The event was originally scheduled to take place from June 26-28 in downtown Sarasota and on Lido Key. In addition to the boat races, plans for the weekend festival included a block party on Main Street.

A new date for the Grand Prix has not been set. In a release, event organizers said they would “look to possibly rescheduling the race this year” pending applicable guidelines related to the pandemic.

“Knowing both the economic and charitable benefits this event generates, this was a very difficult decision to make,” Lucy Nicandri, event organizer and executive director of the nonprofit Suncoast Charities for Children, said in a release. “However, it is important for Suncoast Charities for Children to abide by all future national, state [and] local governmental guidelines governing all outdoor special events as the state of Florida slowly reopens.”