Visitors bureau promotes centennial legacy of Sarasota County

For nearly everyone, a once-in-a-century event only comes once in a lifetime. As several cultural institutions and cities in Sarasota County mark 100 years in 2026, Visit Sarasota County is promoting centennial celebrations to tourists abnd residents alike.

The official tourism bureau of Sarasota County, VSC has placed detailed guides on its website, VisitSarasota.com, for both countywide and city of Venice celebrations. The guides will take visitors through special events, history and ways they may engage via two mobile experiences.

“For tourism, centennials provide an invitation for visitors to be a meaningful, momentary part of our destination’s history, but for residents they hold a more profound meaning in reminding us why we continue to love where we live,” said VSC President and CEO Erin Duggan in a news release. “As we welcome 2026, we encourage you to embrace rediscovery as a hometown tourist yourself and connect with our shared history while supporting institutions that have drafted our reputation with visitors near and far and defined our quality of life for decades.”

To complement Venice’s 18-month program of centennial events, VSC has partnered with the city on a digital Venice Centennial Pass, a mobile guide to the area’s most iconic historic buildings, parks and landmark sites. 

Another pass — Circus Legacy Trail — will feature a list of tours, shows and sites highlighting Sarasota’s circus history. The pass will complement circus-themed global media pitches leading into 2027. That will mark 100 years since John Ringling moved the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey to Sarasota. 

Both passes are free to access and encourage discovery without the need for downloading an app.

Several of Sarasota County’s arts and cultural institutions will also mark 100-year anniversaries in 2026. They include Sarasota Opera House, built in 1926, which will host a centennial open house in April followed by a special centennial concert and gala. Art Center Sarasota, also founded in 1926, will mark its centennial season with expanded exhibitions, educational programming and the return of the Beaux Arts Ball in March. 

Other iconic destinations — including St. Armands Circle and the original Sarasota High School building, now home to the Sarasota Art Museum — further highlight 2026 as a year to celebrate the county’s architectural, cultural and commercial legacy.

Residents may follow VSC’s social channels for updates about centennial celebrations across the county. A list of events, passes and planning resources is available at VisitSarasota.com.