Rent The Keys Blog

If you’ve never stood on Siesta Beach on a Sunday evening with several hundred strangers, a couple dozen drummers, and a slow-fading orange sky in front of you — clear a weekend this summer and fix that. The Siesta Key Drum Circle runs every Sunday, year-round, and it remains one of the most quietly perfect rituals on the Gulf Coast. What It Is A free, informal gathering on Siesta Beach...

Sarasota earned the “Circus City” nickname for a reason — and every summer, the Circus Arts Conservatory and The Ringling team up to put it on full display inside the air-conditioned, perfectly intimate Historic Asolo Theater. The Summer Circus Spectacular is back for its 2026 run, on stage from June 13 through August 8, 2026, and if you’ve never made the drive over for a show, this is the year....

If you’ve spent a Fourth of July anywhere on the Gulf Coast, you know there’s no shortage of fireworks shows. But there’s only one place along our stretch of beaches that turns the entire island into a rolling, water-gun-soaked, bead-throwing celebration of the holiday — and that’s Anna Maria Island, when the Anna Maria Privateers roll out their annual 4th of July Parade. This year it lands on Saturday, July...

If you have never spent a July Saturday on Pine Island chasing down a tray of mango ice cream, this is the year to fix that. The MangoMania Tropical Fruit Festival returns to 9940 Stringfellow Road in St. James City on Saturday, July 11, 2026, hosted by the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce. It runs 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is the kind of small-island summer festival that,...

The Cape’s biggest night of the summer is back. Red, White & BOOM! returns to Bernice Braden Park on Saturday, July 4, 2026 for an all-evening, all-free Independence Day celebration — culminating in what’s regularly billed as the largest fireworks show on Florida’s southwest coast. If you’ve ever wondered why locals start asking about beach-house bookings the moment April rolls around, this is one of the reasons. Plant yourself in...

The 2025 Sarasota Music Festival: An Experience to Remember Get ready to immerse yourself in a symphony of sound and culture at the highly-anticipated Sarasota Music Festival! This globally-renowned music affair will be spreading its vibrant rhythm and serenity from June 1st to the 21st, 2025. An Unforgettable Musical Journey   Held across various venues in the enchanting city of Sarasota, Florida, the festival invites music enthusiasts to three weeks...

You don’t have to go in the water during your beach vacation in Sarasota, but if you don’t you will miss out on a great number of adventures that would enhance your vacation experience. Offering a carefree vibe and all the serenity of the sea, we at Rent the Keys have created this guide to some of our favorite on the water activities in Sarasota FL, ensuring that your daylight...

When you live in where summer reigns eternal, you might think it would get old after a while, but on Siesta Key, the opposite true. We love everything about the summer months, spending our days hanging out the beaches, eating all the fresh seafood we can handle, and participating in the seasonal events that take place every year, including all the fun stuff that accompanies our celebration of our nation’s...

Planning the perfect vacation doesn’t just involve visiting major landmarks and hanging out pristine beaches and although both will be a beautiful part of your Sarasota vacation, we want you to take a few moments and think about the simpler activities you can participate in during your visit. Our Rent the Keys vacation sanctuaries come with kitchens that are equipped with everything but food and drinks, making a trip to...