Summer Starts on Palm Ave with Fresh Fridays

May 24, 2023 – Sarasota

As May comes to a close and June begins, the Downtown Improvement District’s Fresh Fridays organizers work to jumpstart the summer season with a festive block party full of live music, lawn games, BBQ, and more for its final event of the season.   

Bay Kings Band will provide live entertainment for the event as the night’s musical guest. The outstanding, high-energy ensemble are live music experts, having performed at everything from launch parties to festivals. They will infuse the night with vivacity and dancing, playing hits of the summer throughout the decades that everyone knows and loves. 

Summertime brings with it picnic grub and sipping on cold refreshments, and what better way to honor these traditions than with a good old-fashioned tailgate. Local downtown restaurant, Brick’s Smoked Meats, will be cooking up mouthwatering BBQ out of the ‘back of their truck,’ so to speak, for the event. A tailgate party is not complete without a sports team to root for, though. Attendees will have the chance to meet and hang out with players from the Sarasota Paradise pre-professional soccer team, the first sports team to be headquartered in downtown Sarasota whose inaugural season kick-offs this May. 

Continuing in the spirit of summer, the party will have a gaggle of fun backyard lawn games. Partygoers can participate in friendly competitions of Cornhole, oversized Connect Four, and Jenga.

As always, Fresh Fridays encourages devotees to show up early in the night for signature giveaways and come hungry to taste a variety of light bites and beverages from local downtown hospitality partners, including the Art Ovation Hotel and Azul Steak and Sushi Lounge. Fresh Fridays is also pleased to welcome a new hospitality partner, Beso, to the event. Brought to you by the people behind State Street Eating House + Cocktails and opening shortly in the heart of downtown as a new tapas destination for Sarasota, Beso will have a specialty sangria bar for attendees to enjoy.

The event will take place rain or shine back on Palm Avenue. Parking will be available at Palm Avenue and State Street parking garages.