A Long Weekend in Sarasota: 3-Day Plan for MLK and Presidents Day Weekends

Got a three-day weekend and a craving for sunshine? A long weekend in Sarasota is one of the easiest winter escapes from the Northeast and Midwest: a short drive from the airport to the beach, warm afternoons and a sunset over the Gulf every night. This plan is built for a couple flying in over MLK weekend (Jan. 16 to 18, 2027) or Presidents Day weekend (Feb. 13 to 15, 2027). It covers what to book before you go, what's happening each weekend and how to pace three days so you come home rested, not wrung out.

Your Long Weekend in Sarasota at a Glance

• MLK weekend: Saturday, Jan. 16, to Monday, Jan. 18, 2027.
• Presidents Day weekend: Saturday, Feb. 13, to Monday, Feb. 15, 2027. Valentine's Day is that Sunday.
• Fly into: Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). St. Armands Circle is about 6 miles away, roughly 20 to 25 minutes by car.
• Weather: National Weather Service normals put average highs around 72 in January and 75 in February, with lows in the low to mid 50s.
• Sunset: about 6 p.m. on MLK weekend and about 6:20 p.m. on Presidents Day weekend.
• Monday bonus: the Ringling Museum of Art and Bayfront Gardens are free on Mondays, and the museum sits just south of the airport.

Book These Before You Go

Both weekends fall in peak season, when the airport handles far more travelers than it does in early fall. A little planning makes the trip feel effortless.

• Flights. Book early, and look for a Friday evening arrival so Saturday starts on the beach, not in the rental car line. Check flysrq.com for current nonstop routes from your city. Tampa International is a bigger alternative, but it adds roughly an hour of driving each way.
• A rental car. You'll want one for Siesta Key and the airport run. Free trolleys help too: the Bay Runner links downtown, St. Armands and Lido Beach, and the Siesta Islander runs around Siesta Key.
• A room close to the action. Lido Key and St. Armands put you within walking distance of the beach and dinner. Downtown puts you near the arts. Ask about minimum-night rules on holiday weekends before you book.
• Dinner reservations. Reserve Saturday and Sunday nights as soon as your dates are set. For Presidents Day weekend, treat Valentine's Day dinner as the hardest table of the trip.
• Show tickets. If you want a performance (see below), buy early. The best seats on weekend nights go first.

What's Happening MLK Weekend (Jan. 16 to 18)

• Saturday morning: the downtown farmers market runs every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., centered at Main Street and Lemon Avenue.
• Sunday, Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m.: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., with music, dance and readings of Dr. King's speeches. Tickets are sold through the opera's website.
• Monday, Jan. 18: the city usually holds an MLK Day Unity Walk and festival in Newtown. Check the city's events calendar for the 2027 details.
• If you can push it a week: Forks & Corks, the big food and wine festival, holds its Grand Tasting at The Ringling on Sunday, Jan. 24. The St. Armands Circle Art Festival follows on Jan. 30 and 31.

What's Happening Presidents Day Weekend (Feb. 13 to 15)

• Saturday and Sunday: the 39th annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts fills Main Street with artists' booths. It has been free in past years.
• Saturday morning: the farmers market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Main Street and Lemon Avenue. Pair it with the art festival for an easy downtown morning.
• Opera season is on. H.M.S. Pinafore opens Feb. 13 and La traviata is already running at the opera house. Check sarasotaopera.org for performance times.
• Feb. 12 to 14, 7 p.m.: the touring musical Water for Elephants at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on the bayfront. A circus show in the town Ringling built makes a fitting date night.
• Baseball fans: Orioles spring training games start the following Friday, Feb. 19, at Ed Smith Stadium. Stretch the trip by a few days if you can. Our spring training guide has the schedule.

For everything else on the calendar this season, see our winter events calendar.

Saturday: Downtown Morning, Island Evening

Start the weekend on foot and save the beach for golden hour.

• Morning: coffee and a walk through the farmers market downtown, plus the art festival on Main Street if it's Presidents Day weekend. Go early, before the crowds and the midday sun.
• Midday: lunch downtown, then a stroll along the bayfront at The Bay Park, near the Van Wezel.
• Afternoon: check in, then drive or take the Bay Runner over the Ringling Bridge to St. Armands Circle. The city garage at 57 N. Adams Drive gives you the first hour free once you register your plate, then a small hourly rate. Many of its more than 130 shops and restaurants are open into the evening.
• Sunset: walk about 10 minutes from the Circle to Lido Beach, which faces due west.
• Dinner: back on the Circle, at the reservation you made weeks ago.

Sunday: Beach Day

Sunday is your one full beach day, so make it count.

• Siesta Key, early. Siesta Beach, at 948 Beach Road, has free parking in a big county lot, but on a holiday weekend in season it fills by mid-morning. Plan on about a half hour from St. Armands, longer in traffic. That is the best reason to set an alarm on vacation.
• Lunch in Siesta Key Village, a few blocks of casual restaurants and beach shops.
• Stay for the drum circle. On Sundays, drummers and dancers gather on Siesta Beach, starting about an hour before sunset.
• Want quiet instead? Spend the day on Longboat Key's long, uncrowded beaches and come back to St. Armands for dinner. Street parking on the Circle is free on Sundays.
• Evening: the MLK celebration at the opera house, Water for Elephants, or a long Valentine's dinner, depending on your weekend.

Monday: The Ringling, Then Home

A holiday Monday is the secret weapon of this trip. The Ringling, the former winter estate of John and Mable Ringling, is just south of the airport, so you can spend the morning there and still make an afternoon flight.

• Free Monday entry. The Museum of Art and Bayfront Gardens are free on Mondays. You can't reserve the free entry in advance, so register at the Visitors Pavilion when you arrive. The Circus Museum and Ca' d'Zan, the Ringlings' mansion on the bay, need regular paid tickets.
• Get there at 10 a.m. The Ringling opens daily at 10 a.m., and a free day on a holiday weekend can draw a crowd.
• Pack the car first. Check out of the hotel, load the bags and drive straight over. With a few hours, pick the Museum of Art and a loop through the gardens to the bay.
• Book a flight home after 3 p.m. That leaves time for the museum, a slow lunch and the rental car return.

Check ringling.org before you go, since hours and policies can change.

What to Pack (or Pick Up on the Circle)

Winter afternoons are warm, but sunsets by the water get breezy, and it's easy to pack too lightly for the evenings. If you forgot something, stop by The Sarasota Style on Saturday afternoon:

• A layer for sunset. The Lido Key johnnie-O 1/4 Zip and the women's Longboat Key Mock Neck are made for cool evenings on the sand.
• A cap for beach day. The Siesta Key Cap in navy earns its keep on Sunday.
• Sunscreen. The winter sun is stronger than it feels. We carry Sun Bum Mineral Sunscreen Spray.
• A carry-on friendly souvenir. The Keys Tee maps every island you saw in three days.

We're at 410 St. Armands Circle, open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., so stop in on your way to the beach and say hello. Have more than three days, or traveling outside a holiday weekend? Our 3-day itinerary takes a slower, first-timer's route through the islands, downtown and The Ringling.