Key Events: May 1-June 23

May 1
Classic Corvettes on the Circle 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park. In it’s 12th year, this Corvette show is the Third Largest Classic Corvette Car Show in the state of Florida. More than 200 pristine & original Class Corvettes will be on display in the Circle Park dating from 1953 to the present. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and show begins at 10 a.m.

1st Annual Fiesta on Main 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Main Street, Sarasota. This family festival will feature music, real Mexican Mariachi performers, games, rides and Mexican cuisine.

38th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest Siesta Key Public Beach, 948 Beach Rd. Sarasota, 8:30 a.m. 941-861-5000

May 1-2
Antique & Art Fair, Classic Car & bike show Whitney Beach Plaza. 941-383-3200.

May 2
The Swing Merchants – Show Tunes, Standards and Swing at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. 811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL. Garden Music Concerts are from 1 to 3 p.m. and are included in regular admission. Admission Prices: $17 for adults; $6 for age 6-11, and children under age 5 are free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. More info at www.selby.org.

1st Annual Fiesta on Main St., Downtown Sarasota. Celebrating a new year of tradition; coincides with the festivities of Cinco de Mayo. 12 p.m. 941-706-7605

Giving Hunger The Blues on Hillview Street, Sarasota, is a giant all day block party with entertainment and fun for all ages. $5 entrance donation for the Food Bank to serve more than 8 meals to the hungry in Sarasota. 941-366-5555.

May 3
May meeting of the Artists Guild at the Church of the Annunciation, Fellowship Hall, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. SCORE counselor Jon Stuart will speak about art as business as opposed to art as a hobby. The social hour 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the talk begins at 7 p.m. followed by a short business meeting. Free and open to all.

Café Galante Open House complete with 10-25% discounts and complimentary Mimosas with meal purchase. 419A St. Armands Circle, Sarasota. 941-388-2222.

Inherit the Wind — Monday Night Movies at the Ringling — at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7. This fictionalization of the Scopes trial is a masterpiece of casting: Spencer Tracy as Clarence Darrow and Fredrich March as William Jennings Bryan. Call the Historic Asolo Theater Box office 941-360-7399.

May 5
Art After 5 at the Ringling Museum. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Adults $10 Children (6-17) $5 Children 5 & under free. Art Museum and Circus Museum, 5401 Bayshore Drive, Sarasota. Cash bar on the Museum of Art loggia. Call 941-359-5700 or visit www.ringling.org.

May 6
Piero Rivolta will be at Media On Main to introduce his new novel, “The Castaway,” from 6 to 7 p.m. Rivolta will read excerpts in Italian, answer questions and autograph copies of the book, while Richard Storm will read from the English version. The reading will be accompanied by a live classical musical performance. 1343 Main Street, Sarasota. Call 941-914-9412.

Dive-In, Dining, Dancing and Movies, The Colony Beach & Tennis Club, 1620 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key. Pool and beachside event to welcome the summer. Tickets are $40 for VIP admission, which includes complimentary cocktails throughout the evening, $5 in dining tickets to be used toward the various food stations, and preferred seating either on the pool deck or designated areas on the beach. VIP guests may also reserve a fire pit and a basket with all the fixin’s for “S’mores” for 4 guests for $25 additional. General admission is $15 per person and includes $5 in dining and cocktail coupons. General admission guests are encouraged to bring their beach blankets and chairs to claim a spot in the sand. 941.383.5558.

May 8
Sarasota Youth Opera Presents “The Black Spider” 7:30 p.m. and May 8 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students or $50 for a family pack for two adults and up to four children. 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Call 941-366-8450, ext. 1.

Sarasota Open at Longboat Key Club. The Sarasota Open will be hosted at the new $4.5 million “Tennis Gardens” stadium at Longboat Key Club and Resort. It is the premiere Men’s USTA/ATP Professional Tournament on the West Coast of Florida. 12 p.m. For information: 941-914-9412.

Sarasota Bay Watch in cooperation with the Town of Longboat Key, the Chiles Group and Cannons Marina is seeking up to 60 volunteers for the 2nd Annual Sister Keys Clean-Up to be held on Saturday, May 8, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants will gather next to the Town of Longboat Key boat ramp at the corner of Linley Street and Lois Avenue at the Mar Vista. Participants will be transported by boat to Sister Keys beginning at 8:30 a.m. After the Clean Up, participants (only) will be treated to lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., courtesy of the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant. Please dress casually (long sleeve shirts, pants, eye protection and gloves) and wear appropriate shoes to protect your feet. Don’t forget your sun block. For information, directions and to sign up, call Sarasota Bay Watch at 941-953-5333. www.sarasotabaywatch.org.

May 9
The Ventura’s — Swing, Blues, Jazz, Jive and More — Mother’s Day at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. 811 South Palm Ave., Sarasota. Garden Music Concerts are from 1 to 3 p.m. and are included in regular admission. Admission Prices: $17 for adults; $6 for age 6-11 and children under age 5 are free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets, but no coolers. Info at www.selby.org.

Artist Series of Sarasota present: “Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes” at Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. 7:30 p.m. Call 941-360-7399.

5th Annual Mother’s Day Brunch at the Gardens Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 South Palm Ave., Sarasota. 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. Prices for the brunch are $45 for non-member adults and $35 for members of Selby Gardens. Youth tickets ages 6-12 are $18 and children under the age of five enter free. Brunch ticket includes brunch, gardens admission and Selby’s Garden Music Series featuring live music by the Venturas from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Purchase tickets at Selby Gardens Welcome Center or at selby.org.

Moms get free admission to Mote Aquarium on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, with a paying child ticket. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota.

Mother’s Day Brunch at the Lido Beach Grille 8th Floor of Lido Beach Resort, 700 Ben Franklin Drive, Sarasota. Call 941-388-5608 for reservations.

May 10
“Elmer Gantry” Monday Night Movies at the Ringling 7 p.m. Tickets are $7. This film adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ novel exposes a smooth-talking salesman (Burt Lancaster) who tries to make a fortune peddling his own kind of religion. Call the Historic Asolo Theater Box office 941-360-7399.

May 12
Circus Sarasota Laughter Unlimited Luncheon Hyatt Regency, 1000 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota. 11:30 a.m. Join Circus Sarasota for some fun & laughter at this fundraiser luncheon to benefit CS’s year-round outreach programs. 941.355.9335.

May 13
Members Lecture: The Great Circus Photographs of Frederick W. Glasier 2p.m. Tickets: $20. Publisher photographer Peter Kayafas will speak about the importance of Frederick W. Glasier within the canon of the history of 20th-century photography. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Call the Historic Asolo Theater Box office at 941-360-7399 or visit www.ringling.org.

Chamber Soiree 7: From My Life Holley Hall Performing Center, 709 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 5:30 p.m. The Sarasota String Quartet finishes the chamber music season with the emotional Voces Intimae and the semi-autobiographical From My Life.

May 15
Bay Life Search at Bird Key Park, Bird Key Park, 200 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. 9:30 a.m. Explore the sea life near our beaches with American Littoral Society biologists. Search shallow shorelines and sea grass beds, observing, collecting, and discussing the natural history of some of the many interesting fishes and other organisms that inhabit Sarasota Bay. Wading shoes suggested. 941-493-5087.

Explore the most dynamic period of the American circus through rarely seen photographs in HEYDAY: The Photographs of Frederick W. Glasier at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art’s Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, May 15 to Sept. 6. The exhibition features 64 photographs that depict the circus coming to town, performances of spectacular feats and the behind-the-scenes life of circus members. 941-359-5700.

Downtown Sarasota Spring Fest Arts & Crafts Show at 10 a.m., Five Points Park located at Main Street & Pineapple Ave., Sarasota.

Circle of R.V.s explore numerous luxurious Recreational Vehicles, displayed in St. Armands Circle Park 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota under the Artistic Direction of Philip Alexander will present Diversity Sings for the Cure, 7:30 p.m. in the William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre at the Sarasota Opera House 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota.

May 16
Ragtime The Italian Saxophone Quartet brings the house down with their interpretations of classical music to “pops”, and everything in-between. Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. 941-360-7399.

May 17
Academy of Botanical Art Workshop at Marie Selby Botanical Garden, 900 South Palm Ave., Sarasota, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call 941-953-9999.

Jim Gromko, Steve Sternberg, Jak Kelly at the Sarasota Folk Club Invitational Concert at the Sailing Squadron, 1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy. 7:30 p.m. No Open Mic. $6 or more donation requested. Info: Jean 941.377.9256 or jvhewitt2@verizon.net.

May 20
Third Thursdays, Cocktails at the Cà d’Zan, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. These events, held on the terrace of the mansion, allow museum visitors to enjoy sunset on Sarasota Bay, while listening to popular regional bands. $5 admission tickets are available at the door only. Seating is very limited; no chairs are permitted on the terrace. For general information, call 941-359-5700 x5705.

May 22
Sarasota Anglers Club All-Release Tarpon Tournament May 22 thru June 27. Registrants can fish one day, one week or five weeks and the winner’s name could end up on the historic trophy. To register or to learn more, contact Mason Tush 941-356-8470 or Jeffri Durance 941-915-2933.

USCG Auxiliary, Flotilla 83, will conduct a Public Education, Safe Boating course on Saturday, May 22 at McClure Auditorium, Sarasota airport. This building is located next to baggage claim area at the south end of the airport. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the class is from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Lunch is available in the area. The course is taught free, however the approved workbook is $40.

May 28
One Night With Elvis Sarasota Classic Cars, 5500 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tampa’s Billy (Elvis) Lindsey performs two shows beginning at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Seating is limited and all seats must be reserved in advance. 941-355-6228.

May 29
Don Quixote comes to life in two shows at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. 2 p. m. and 6 p.m. Call 941 -371-1915.

May 31
Memorial Day Parade, Downtown Sarasota, 10 a.m. Main Street and Osprey.

June 23
Longboat Key Garden Club’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, at 12:45 p.m. High Tea and fashion show with modeling from Irene’s Resort Wear on Holmes Beach. Seating for this fundraiser is limited. Your $25 donation will be your reservation. Call 941-383-1406.

Ongoing
Join the Longboat Key Garden Club for butterfly garden workday at the Girls Club in Manatee County every other Wednesday. Contact Alice Blueglass at 941-383-4899.

Antique and Art Fair at Whitney Beach Plaza the first Saturday and Sunday of the month. View art and antiques while enjoying the food, fun and festivities.

All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church Art Gallery, May 1 to June 30, 2010, Solo Exhibition features Barbara Schicitano. Splashes of color in mixed media for your home or business. Reception to meet the artist: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., May 21. 563 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key (in Town Plaza). Call 941-383-8161 or visit www.creativeartdecor.com.