Sarasota celebrates new year with a street party downtown

Thousands packed Main Street on New Year's Eve for the Downtown Sarasota Block Party and Pineapple Drop Celebration. 

Food, games, live music, carnival rides and more made the evening fun for people of all ages hours before the pineapple descended, ringing in 2020. 

From Five Points Park back toward Orange Avenue, fun lovers challenged a mechanical bull, a rock-climbing wall, a bungee jump, tame (and otherwise) rides and games of skill. Some, though, just pulled up a chair and watched it all take place, listening to live music throughout the event.

Meanwhile, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens . . .