The Bay turned four this month with more than 1.2 million visits behind it. Yet the park map that Bay Park Conservancy dated September 30 still lists three pieces of the park under "Coming Soon": the Resilient Shoreline, The Plaza and Restaurant #1.
That gap shapes the last ten days of the "One Park FOUR All" celebration. The anniversary runs through November 1, and every remaining event uses ground that's already finished: The Oval, Common Ground, The Nest and the kayak launch. Both Sundays ahead, Taste of The Bay on October 25 and Best of The Bay Music Fest on November 1, give you a good look at the park as it stands before the 2027 projects start changing it.
A celebration staged around the parts still being built
The park's indoor centerpiece is closed this season. The Bay's venue rentals page lists the 1937 Municipal Auditorium as closed for renovation from April 2026 through February 2027. The Plaza is also unfinished. That's the new gathering space along Van Wezel Way between the auditorium and the Chidsey Library, earlier called Town Square. An Observer report republished by The Bay in May gave October 2026 as an approximate completion date. The plan calls for a large shade structure with event and gathering space around it. The September map still shows it as coming soon.
That leaves the anniversary programming outdoors, on the lawns and along the water. AG Lafley, founding CEO of Bay Park Conservancy, put the park's yardstick plainly in The Bay's anniversary announcement: "The best measure of The Bay is how people use it." For the rest of October, that means how people use the open-air spaces.
Taste of The Bay, Sunday, October 25
Taste of The Bay runs from noon to 3 p.m. in The Oval Parking Lot at 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. It's presented with Sarasota-Manatee Originals, the group of locally owned restaurants, and local favorite Kettle of Fish plays live. The rules on paying matter more than usual, so here they are:
- Admission: free. The event page links to a free Eventbrite registration.
- Food tickets: sold only at a ticket table on the day, in $5 increments. Five dollars buys five tickets, and most dishes cost 3 to 5 tickets.
- Payment: credit card only for both food tickets and drinks. Bring a card, not cash.
- Drinks: bought separately. Food tickets can't be used for beverages, and ticket sales are non-refundable.
At those prices, a dish costs $3 to $5. Twenty dollars in tickets covers four to six plates, depending on what you pick.
The restaurant list covers much of the local dining scene. Downtown and the Rosemary District are represented by Michael's on East, Marcel DW, Mimi Brasserie & Speakeasy, Figaro Bistro, Tzeva, Lucky 8, Masō Steakhouse, Food & Beer Rosemary District and Jack Dusty/Rufa from The Ritz-Carlton. Longtime neighborhood spots include Harry's Continental Kitchens, Miguels Restaurant, Cafe Gabbiano, Mi Pueblo, Tamiami Tap, Duvals and Tsunami & Hanami. Barbecue and Southern cooking come from Bricks Smoked Meats, Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen and Mean Deans Local Kitchen. The Breakfast Company, 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails, Crow's Nest and Fins at Sharky's round out the named list, which ends with "and more." As of this writing, the menu still reads "check back," so specific dishes haven't been posted.
Fins at Sharky's ties the festival to the park's future. According to the Observer report, the family-owned Venice Pier Group runs Fins at Sharky's and Sharky's on the Pier in Venice. It has also been chosen to operate Restaurant #1, the first of the park's three planned restaurants, at the old U.S. Coast Guard station site on the southwestern tip of the boat launch basin. On October 25, the operator of a restaurant planned for fall 2027 will be serving food a short walk from where it will be built.
The free mornings and evenings from October 23 to 31
Away from the two Sundays, the schedule is quieter, but nearly every day through Halloween has something on The Bay's event calendar. These are the listings for the rest of the month.
| Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 9–11 a.m. | Ride and Paddle guided kayak tour |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 8–8:45 a.m. | Les Mills BODYCOMBAT pop-up at The Oval, in place of Bootcamp |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 9–11 a.m. | Ride and Paddle guided kayak tour |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 9–10 a.m. | Namaste at The Bay Yoga |
| Mon., Oct. 26 | 6–6:45 p.m. | Mat Pilates |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | 7:30–8:15 a.m. | The Y: Primetime+ |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | 6–6:45 p.m. | Bootcamp |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | 8–8:45 a.m. | Tai Chi | Qigong |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. | Silent Disco |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | 7:30–8:15 a.m. | The Y: Primetime+ |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | 6–7 p.m. | Namaste at The Bay Yoga |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | 7–9 p.m. | Cinema at The Bay: The Silence of the Lambs |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | 9–11 a.m. | Guided kayak tour |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 8–8:45 a.m. | Bootcamp |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 9–11 a.m. | Guided kayak tour |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 9–10 a.m. | Namaste at The Bay Yoga |
The kayak tours are the ones to book now. The October 23 Ride and Paddle listing offers advance registration and says space is limited. The tours launch from the park's ADA-accessible kayak launch. The September map shows the Mangrove Bayou and the Bayou Bridge right next to it, so all four tours spend the morning on the parts of the shoreline that are already planted.
Best of The Bay Music Fest closes the month on November 1
The anniversary ends with an afternoon of regional acts. Best of The Bay Music Fest is free and runs from 1 to 7 p.m. Eventbrite offers an optional free reservation. The posted lineup:
- The White Crowe Band, 2 p.m.
- Rosine, 3 p.m.
- The Rockefellers, 4 p.m.
- Speak Easy, 5 p.m.
- Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 6 p.m.
According to the Eventbrite listing, food trucks and other activities start at 12:30 p.m., and guests are asked to bring lawn chairs. If you arrive at 12:30, you'll get a meal and a spot on the grass before the first band at 2. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe closes the night at 6, and The Bay's announcement promises "other special surprises" too.
Parking around the parts under construction
Ongoing work affects where you can park. An October event page from The Bay directs visitors to free parking on the north side of Boulevard of the Arts and in front of the Van Wezel, the Municipal Auditorium, Art Center Sarasota and the Blue Pagoda. It asks drivers to stay out of Sarasota Orchestra–designated spaces and off the south side of Boulevard of the Arts. The same page notes that the western edges of the lot just north of the Van Wezel are closed, along with the Centennial Park parking lot.
Taste of The Bay takes over The Oval Parking Lot, so on October 25 those spaces will hold the festival, not cars. Arriving early or coming by bike is the easiest approach for both Sundays. Check The Bay's calendar that morning, because every event listing there points to the calendar for day-of changes.
What "Coming Soon" covers after the confetti
The May Observer report laid out approximate completion dates for the rest of the park. Here's the order:
- October 2026: The Plaza and the Van Wezel Way work
- February 2027: Municipal Auditorium renovation and the resilient shoreline
- July 2027: Centennial Park expansion, adding vehicle and trailer parking, a larger ramp area and more day docks
- September 2027: Restaurant #1
- December 2027: A new parking garage next to the Municipal Auditorium
- 2028–2029: Phase 3B
- 2030–2033: A new Sarasota Performing Arts Center
Restaurant #1 is described as about 5,000 square feet under roof, in Sarasota Modern style designed by Sweet Sparkman Architecture. It will sit on 12-foot pylons, with fewer than 220 indoor seats and 100 outdoor seats. Two more restaurants are planned for Phase 3. Their sites are still being finalized within the 8-acre parking lot, which the plan would largely convert to green space built up over parking. Of the Coast Guard station site, Lafley told the Observer, "It's an incredible location. It's a one of a kind."
These dates are targets, and the first one, The Plaza, was still marked coming soon at the end of September. By next fall's anniversary, the auditorium is scheduled to have reopened and the shoreline to be finished, with Restaurant #1 about to open. A dish from Fins at Sharky's in The Oval on October 25 is a preview of that.
If you're dividing your time between Sarasota and Chicagoland, or thinking about a home closer to the bayfront, we're happy to talk through how this stretch of the city is changing. Kerry and Ingrid at Dillon Turgeon Luxury Collective are glad to help. Contact Us.
