Payne Parl Opening Day - Oct 6

Sarasota, FL: The public is invited to attend the grand opening of Payne Park Sat., October 6, 2007 noon – 10pm.

The event, hosted by the City of Sarasota along with area neighborhood associations and Sarasota County, is family friendly and will include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1pm, live bands ranging from rock to symphonic, food vendors, a skateboard exhibition, a dance competition, a children’s play area, a multitude of exhibitors and free tennis. The day will be capped with a showing of a popular motion picture on a two-story movie screen. The park is free.

Payne Park is Sarasota’s long awaited signature park with 29 acres of beautiful landscaping, located on the edge of downtown. During the past year of construction, 420 new trees were added to the park, 13, 151 shrubs and plants, four flowing fountains, a skateboard clubhouse, a half-mile running/walking path and three additional tennis courts.

The grand opening of Payne Park fulfills the dream of the Payne Family, who donated the property to the City of Sarasota for use as a public park. In 1923, a public “work day” was held and the community built Payne Park. Through the years, the park was the site of spring training baseball and even a mobile home park. About seven years ago, the City began honoring the Payne Family’s request for a true public park by designing Phase I of Payne Park.

The county-wide penny surtax funded the $8.8 million park. Since 2000, a one-percent sales tax was collected throughout Sarasota County and earmarked specifically for Phase I of Payne Park, which voters approved as part of the penny surtax referendum. Phase II of Payne Park, which would include an amphitheatre, a new auditorium and a children’s play area, is slated to be funded by the upcoming renewal of the county-wide penny surtax. The penny surtax renewal is on the ballot Tues., November 6th.

The fee for a daily skateboard pass will be waived for the grand opening. Skateboarders must have a signed waiver in order to participate.

The Mayors Feed the Hungry Program will be on site collecting canned goods, preparing for the upcoming holiday season. All canned goods including soups, meats, and vegetables will be accepted.
Payne Park is located at 2000 Adams Lane. It is bordered by East Avenue to the north, Laurel Street to the south, School Avenue to the east and U.S. 301 to the west.

Parking is available in the Sarasota County parking garage located at Ringling Boulevard and School Avenue.

Schedule of Events

Noon: Suncoast Concert Band

1pm: Ribbon cutting ceremony - Official Payne Park opening at East Ave. and Adams Lane. Sarasota High School Marching Band - leads the crowd around the half-mile trail and stops at the tennis courts

2pm: Ribbon cutting ceremony - Official opening of three additional tennis courts

2:30pm: Papa Schmitz Band (Main Stage)

3:30pm: Concordia Praise Band (Side Stage)

3:45 pm: Big Night Out (Main Stage)

4pm: Jazz Juvenocracy (Payne Auditorium)

5pm: Dance Competition (Auditorium)

5:45pm: Concordia Praise Band (Side Stage)

6pm: Radio Free Carmela and the Transmitters (Main Stage)

7:15pm: Los Independientes del Vallenato

2pm – All Day: Free tennis Skateboard exhibitions Payne Park history slide show (Auditorium) Payne Family history (Auditorium) Food vendors

8pm: “Night at the Museum”, presented outdoors by the Sarasota Film Festival.