Age-Friendly Festival

Everyone in the community is invited. We encourage you to bring your friends and family! No tickets are needed, and admission is free for all ages. The Age-Friendly Festival will take place — rain or shine — on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sarasota Fairgrounds (3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34237 ... off of Fruitville Road near Tuttle Avenue).
—Free on-site parking. (See festival location on map and driving directions.) 
—There are also SCAT bus stops conveniently located near the Fairgrounds. (Use SCAT bus routes 1 or 1A.)

Exhibits and presentations will be held in Robarts Arena, the Ken Clark Auditorium, and the Potter Building ... with additional activities and entertainment taking place in outdoor areas of the Sarasota Fairgrounds.

Please join us at 8:45 a.m. — just prior to the festival opening at 9:00 — at the festival’s Main Entrance (look for the balloon archway!) for a welcome by Debra Jacobs, The Patterson Foundation’s President and CEO, followed by a presentation of the "Age-Friendly Festival Day" proclamation by Mike Moran, Sarasota County Commissioner. The ceremony, which will include attendance by state and local government representatives, will end with a rousing parade by members of Sarasota Military Academy's drumline.

Don't miss the opportunity to visit interactive and informative exhibits presented by participating organizations that are many of the "advancers of the age-friendly movement" in our community.

Learn about the practices, services, and products that these businesses, nonprofits, and local government departments are providing to advance age-friendly principles.

Participate in hands-on activities provided within exhibits — and through other specially-designed activities — that demonstrate ways to enhance quality of life. Don't be shy, give them all a try!

Here are just some examples of the activities and demonstrations you can experience throughout the day!
Musical jam sessions • Brain games • Dance trance • Aerial yoga • Therapeutic drumming • Exercise classes, including Zumba • Education about special animals (see them up close!), including Greyhounds, Guide dogs in training, Llamas, Parrots, and Horses • The round-about merge • Pickleball • Musical instrument explorations • Art opportunities • Health screenings

Watch performances throughout the day by musicians and artists of all ages, presented through a partnership with 2017 InspireSarasota! (the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County's two-week celebration of arts and culture).

Get energized through music and movement at the festival's outdoor stage, featuring nine local performance groups.

Attend a variety of engaging presentations by authors, longevity experts, and thought leaders who will share insights and innovations on living optimally at any age. 

Presentations are planned throughout the day and range from 20 to 45 minutes, including question and answer opportunities.

Stop by any or all of the reflection lounges to relax and talk about your festival experiences and share what the age-friendly movement means to you. Based on each lounge’s name, there will also be specialists in that subject matter to speak with or volunteers that can guide you to a specific exhibit to get questions answered.

Celebrating the age-friendly concept of Domains of Livability — important community features that impact well-being as we age — the reflection lounges named “Health & Well-Being,” “Housing,” “Transportation,” and “Work & Play” will be located in Robarts Arena, while the “Community Engagement” reflection lounge will be located in the Potter Building.

Bring your appetite! Refreshments will be available for purchase during festival hours from specially selected food trucks offering a variety of breakfast and/or lunch items, snacks, desserts, and cold drinks (including bottled water). For more information about the participating food trucks and their offerings, please see answers to the festival's FAQs.

Let us know because we'd love to have you be a part of the festival team! Volunteers — vital to the success of the Age-Friendly Festival — are needed to support the festival in a variety of roles. Assistance is also needed the day before the festival for setting up. Community service hours will be available for youth, and there will be a need for bilingual volunteers. Please see the Festival Volunteer Opportunities for descriptions of volunteer roles and for signup information.