Magic & Mystery Night Faire offers Sarasota a new experience

The public had a chance to delve into a smaller Sarasota venue growing the variety of its events during the Magic & Mystery Night Faire on July 29.

Hosted by Creative Liberties, the event featured performances including stilt walking and illusions, foods including kebabs and candy apples, and an array of work by local artists that often celebrated the magical and mysterious.

“This is a real special spot in Sarasota; this is a little hidden gem for a lot of people,” said artist Joseph Caprara. It’s a great community of artists. Everyone here is very kind, very loving, very supportive of the arts.”

Barbara Gerdeman, who co-founded the studio with Elizabeth Goodwill in 2022, said the event was part of a plan to explore new directions at Creative Liberties. The studio had previously held monthly market events with entertainment and food trucks.

“We just wanted to mix it up and do something new,” she said.

She and Goodwill sat down with artist Stephanie Grae of Grae Productions, who planned and organized the event.

Grae also has three other ideas planned: a progressive dinner in October, an event themed around the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in December, and then a “rubbish fest” celebrating unconventional art materials in March 2024.