Fogartyville hosts free concert and annual open house

Most Sarasota residents are familiar with the city streets named after fruits such as Lemon, Lime and Orange. But how many know how to find their way to Kumquat Court? 

The folks at WSLR/Fogartyville expect that at least 500 of the city's denizens will make their way to Kumquat Court in the Rosemary District for the community radio station and music venue's annual open house on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 4 to 9 p.m. 

The event will feature a concert by roots band Walter Parks and the Unlawful Assembly, tours of the radio station and a flea market featuring used records and CDs for sale. Community members who want to sell some of their music collection can sign up for a table for $25. 

Fogartyville director Ariel Aparicio-Jerro says he and his team chose the St. Louis-based Walter Parks and the Unlawful Assembly to perform at this year's open house because they appeal to a broad spectrum of music lovers.

"Walter was a guitar player for Richie Havens," he says. "He's a wonderful guitar player. The Unlawful Asembly, his current lineup, plays blues, rock, roots and Americana. His lead singer, Ada Dyer, recently toured with Springsteen." 

The band will play two sets, one at 6 p.m. and another at 7:30 p.m. There will be food trucks on the premises for the open house, including Currywurst serving German food, Killik's Kitchen featuring Asian and Hawaiian cuisine and Gia's Ices with cold desserts.

Fogartyville's bar will offer its normal assortment of beer and wine, soft drinks and candy, with service both inside and outside. 

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Fogartyville was originally founded in 2002 by Arlene Sweeting and Dave Beaton and operated for five years in Bradenton. They opened the current location on Kumquat Court in 2013 after moving to Sarasota and obtaining a license for WSLR, a low-watt radio station at 96.5 on the FM dial.

In 2024, the couple moved to Michigan and passed the reins to Jesse Colman, who is executive director and general manager of WSLR/Fogartyville, and Aparicio-Jerro, who handles booking at the nightclub, which bills itself as "Sarasota's favorite listening room."

A Cuban American who grew up in Miami and attended NYU, Aparicio-Jerro's career has encompassed both the music industry and restaurant business. Since joining Fogartyville last year, he has expanded both the number of concerts and the breadth of programming at the venue, which seats 106 inside.

When the weather is good, Fogartyville opens up its patio, which seats 50 and can accommodate another 50 for standing room only. 

Aparicio-Jerro has increased the number of acts booked annually at Fogartyville from about 50 or 60 to close to 100. He has added more world music programming, building on the base of folk, blues, bluegrass and other American roots music for which Fogartyville is known.

Typical of Fogartyville's programming is the John Prine Birthday party scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11, featuring Grant Peeples, Reckless Saints and Matt Burke & Passerine. Reserved seating inside has been sold out for a while, but Fogartyville has opened up general admission seating on the patio for the event.

Another upcoming show sure to bring out the Fogartyville faithful is "Very Merry Jerry Day" on Nov. 1 celebrating the birthday of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Tie-dyed T-shirts are a must.

In addition to concerts, Fogartyville hosts art openings, movie screenings, open mic nights, "Drink and Draw" events and live music broadcasts of WSLR's radio show "Discovery Road." 

Aparicio-Jerro's taste is reflected in the upcoming show on Nov. 14 by O Som Do Jazz, a band which brings back the sounds of the Brazian bossa nova movement of the 1960s-70s. 

Tickets for Fogartyville shows usually run $20-$25 for members, who pay an annual membership fee of $40, and about $30 for non-members. Students 13 and up typically pay $15-$17.

WSLR/Fogartyville doesn't have a parking lot, but there is plenty of street parking around the venue. With condos going up in the Rosemary District, more of Fogartyville's patrons are arriving on foot, Aparicio-Jerro notes.

After being shunned for government grants in 2024, Fogartyville got some good news when it received a $22,000 grant from the county. "That's down from $40,000 two years ago, but it's better than last year, when we didn't get anything," Aparicio-Jerro says.

Another way that Fogartyville raises money is by leasing its space for private events. 

With its funky logo and the soulful mural painted on its building, folksy Fogartyville appears to be a throwback to the idealistic 1970s. Its radio programming is manned entirely by volunteers and has a progressive bent.

On Oct. 3, the day he spoke to a reporter by phone, Aparicio-Jerro was in high spirits because WSLR had just gone live an hour earlier with its renovated main studio. 

With that upgrade online, Aparicio-Jerro wants to improve WSLR/Fogartyville's signage on both the front and back of its building and change its furniture so it can be moved more easily and expand the venue's capacity.

Public media doesn't exist without an annual membership drive and WSLR/Fogartyville is no exception. Its drive will take place from Oct. 15-21, so WSLR listeners can expect some heartfelt requests for donations and memberships during this period. 

The Oct. 12 free concert and open house is designed to sweeten the appeal for community members to open up their wallets. But "it's also a chance to come out and meet your neighbors," says Aparicio-Jerro.