Join The Month-Long Third Anniversary Celebration of The Bay Park With More Than 80 FREE Events

Get ready for a month of unforgettable experiences as the community comes together to celebrate the third anniversary of The Bay Park, including headliner performances by DIAMOND-selling superstar Brian Kelley (first known as the Florida half of Florida Georgia Line) and internationally-renowned Ghost Hounds (who have opened for The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, and Garth Brooks); a “Best of The Bay” music festival showcasing top local bands; annual fan favorites like the Taste of The Bay food festival Presented by Sarasota-Manatee Originals and the Boo! at The Bay Family Halloween event; and more!

The Bay Park Conservancy announces the “Three Years and Thriving at The Bay” Third Anniversary Community Celebration – a month-long celebration offering more than 80 FREE events that bring the best of The Bay to life and recognize the three-year milestone of the park. Events will take place October 1 – November 2, 2025.

Since the park opened in October 2022, The Bay has become a beloved and sustainable gathering place for the community. More than 880,000 people have visited this “One Park for All” to enjoy all it has to offer including more than 10 acres of revitalized greenspace, a tree-shaded Mangrove Bayou Walkway, a larger-than-life Ibis Playground, sprawling Common Ground lawns, restored and preserved mangroves and shorelines, rehabilitated historic buildings, the architecturally stunning Nest Café, The Oval mini-amphitheater with stadium-quality LED screens, an ADA-accessible paddle launch, and spectacular sunset views.

In recognition of the park’s Third Anniversary, this month-long community celebration will feature “the best of The Bay” and provide free, exciting, and diverse programming for the entire community to come together and enjoy. The full schedule of events can be found online at TheBaySarasota.org/Calendar.

The celebration includes free bayfront festivals and headliner concerts:

• Taste of The Bay Food Festival Presented by Sarasota-Manatee Originals (Sun., Oct. 26)
• An Evening with Brian Kelley and Ghost Hounds featuring DIAMOND-selling superstar Brian Kelley (first known as the Florida half of Florida Georgia Line) and the internationally-renowned country rock band, Ghost Hounds (who have opened for The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, and Garth Brooks). (Sat., Nov. 1)
• A first-ever “Best of The Bay” Music Festival showcasing top local artists and other special surprises. (Sun., Nov. 2)

Other fan-favorite events include:

• A Salsa & Sunsets Community CelebrationDance Partyincluding live music by the Grammy-award winning Millie Puente Band (Wed., Oct. 1)
• A screening of“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”(Fri., Oct. 10)
• Park-toberfest featuring live music by the DeLeon Family Band (Sun., Oct. 12)
• Boo! at The Bay Family Halloween event (Sat., Oct. 18)

This month-long celebration is infused with some of the best everyday free programming at The Bay including: a variety of music, movie and dance events; guided kayak and architectural tours; yoga, mat pilates and other fitness classes led by favorite area instructors; and more!

“Over the past three years, nearly a million park guests have discovered The Bay and been delighted by their experiences,” says AG Lafley, Bay Park Conservancy CEO. “This Third Anniversary Community Celebration enables something for everyone and, as always at The Bay, is completely open and accessible, free and welcoming to all. I encourage everyone in the greater Sarasota community to bring family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to enjoy this month-long celebration, which offers a range of experiences sure to surprise and delight, and showcases what this signature public park offers every day.”

“Three Years and Thriving at The Bay” Third Anniversary Community Celebration is sponsored by generous Friends of The Bay including: AtLarge, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Haskell, Ian Black Real Estate, Jon F. Swift Construction, Kimley-Horn, Michael & Terri Klauber, Lateral Capital, LLC, Cathy Layton & Pete Russell, Leading To Win, Michael Saunders & Company, Observer Media Group, Palm Printing, Sarasota Magazine, Shumaker, Sweet Sparkman, and Jim and Susan Travers.

For more information and to register for the various “Three Years and Thriving at The Bay” events, visit TheBaySarasota.org/Calendar.