Five Points Park Bloom in the Park Event

April 18, 2022 – Sarasota

With Spring in full swing, the Fresh Fridays team returns to Selby Five Points Park with their first-Friday event series, this time celebrating flowers, indie folk rock music and a new slew of hospitality partners.

Headlining the event is Cassie Jean and the Fireflies, a local indie folk rock band fronted by Cassie Barbaresi and Rich Odato. The band will be performing songs from their latest album, “Heart Over Head,” which was produced and engineered by Grammy-winning Bud Snyder, who’s worked with notable blues bands like Allman Brothers, Gov’t. Mule and Gregg Allman.

“We really wanted a kind of folksy, flowery vibe for this edition,” says event organizer Joseph Grano, President of Next-Mark, “and Cassie Jean struck just the right note with a really Spring-time, upbeat sound.” Opening the event’s entertainment will be a name familiar to the region’s music lovers, as Dean Johanesen takes the stage with his seasoned mix of folk covers and acoustic classics.

The event’s Spring theme also took on more meaning with today’s City Commission meeting that saw the event series officially extended through September with a unanimous vote. “Seeing people come from all corners of our community to have a good time has been a joy to see,” said Commissioner Hagen Brody, “and you can see the economic impact when you attend.”

Commissioner Kyle Battie echoed Brody’s assessment of the event series.  “[Fresh Fridays] represents what downtown is about and has served the community well,” says Battie, “it brings vitality to the heartbeat and pulse of the city.” Notably, both Commissioners celebrated the event’s inclusivity as a factor that contributed to its renewal through September.

The rest of the May 6th programming includes the staples that the event series has become known for, including free signature party favors, free polaroid portraits, beverages and bites al fresco, and a festive atmosphere that promises to start off May’s first weekend with fun.

Convenient parking for the event is available at the Palm Avenue parking garage, the second and third floor of the Whole Foods parking garage, or on-street on Main Street, First Street, Palm Avenue, Pineapple Avenue, Central Avenue, or Gulf Stream Avenue.