Englewood, FL

The sprawling Ann and Chuck Dever Memorial Park covers 320 acres of recreational land for Englewood residents and visitors to enjoy. The park includes a host of outdoor exercise facilities including hiking trails, a multi-purpose sports field, a children’s playground and splash pad, disc golf, basket-ball courts, football fields, tennis courts and a skate park. In addition you can enjoy swimming in the 8-lane, 25 yard pool and diving area. There is also a large indoor recreational area with various sports facilities, a fitness center and event rooms. The park connects to the Cedar Point Environmental Park via the Oyster Creek Waterfront trail, offering nature enthusiasts access to a wide variety of flora and fauna.

Address: 6961 San Casa Dr, Englewood, FL 34224, 941-681-3760

Stump Pass Beach State Park is a charming Florida state park in Englewood, stretching along three barrier islands within the city's Gulf of Mexico coastline. The park is known as one of Charlotte County's best fishing spots, providing opportunities for anglers to catch a variety of prize species throughout the year. A mile of gorgeous secluded beachfront is open year-round for swimming and sunbathing, providing stunning views of the pristine Gulf waters. Shelling opportunities are excellent throughout the winter months. A hiking trail at the park passes through five natural habitats, letting parkgoers spot gopher tortoises, least terns, snowy egrets, and frigatebirds. A kayak and paddleboat launch is offered on the park's east end. Ranger-led nature walks are offered throughout the winter months, along with walks for spotting turtles.

Address: 900 Gulf Blvd, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-964-0375

Manasota Key Beach is one of Englewood's most beautiful public beaches, originally developed and expanded for public use in the early 1960s. Today, the spacious sandy beach provides an excellent alternative to more trafficked beach areas at nearby Lido Beach and Siesta Key, flanked by gorgeous beach houses and quaint rental homes. Island visitors can stroll along the beach's beautiful Gulf of Mexico coastline and enjoy excellent opportunities for swimming, fishing, and sunbathing throughout the year. A boat launch provides opportunities for canoeing and kayaking, while sand volleyball courts are open for community-use pickup games. A lovely boardwalk makes for a picturesque site for beachfront strolling.

Address: 8570 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223

Englewood Beach is one of Florida's most beautiful Gulf of Mexico beaches, one of four public-access beaches located along scenic Manasota Key. The lively beach offers ample parking and beachfront space year-round despite its prime location and heavy visitorship during peak tourist seasons. Family-friendly amenities abound, including a children's playground, day-use picnic pavilions, and sand volleyball and basketball courts available for community pickup games. Spacious boardwalks make great spots for strolling and watching dolphins, manatees, and pelicans along the beach's shoreline. Water sports enthusiasts can rent WaveRunners or embark on parasailing tours offered by a number of area companies.

Address: Manasota Key, FL 34223

Blind Pass Beach, also commonly referred to as Middle Beach, is a romantic Sarasota County beach stretching more than 3,000 feet along the region's beautiful Gulf of Mexico coastline. The spacious 66-acre beachfront park offers both Gulf and bay water access, perfect for stretching out with family and soaking up the sun during the warmer months. A lovely nature hiking trail meanders through the park's mangrove forest, while a fishing dock provides comfortable seating for anglers. Day-use picnic sites provide spaces for enjoying lunch, while a beach house offers public restroom and shower facilities. Visitors should note that no lifeguards are staffed on duty at the beach and should plan accordingly when swimming with young or novice swimmers.

Address: 7770 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-861-5000

Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center is a gorgeous 210-acre nature park in Englewood, preserving beautiful black mangrove forest, scrubby and pine flatwood, and mangrove fringe habitats along the city's Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Park visitors can enjoy 1.7 miles of stunning Gulf shoreline, open to the public for sunbathing and day-use picnic access. A canoe and kayak launch lets visitors take directly to the waters, while an eight-mile network of nature trails showcase interpretive signage on the region's flora and fauna. Wetland boardwalks also meander throughout the park's southern end, providing hiking access for visitors with mobility concerns. Other attractions include a butterfly garden and a public-access nature center hosting educational environmental programming throughout the year.

Address: 570 Bay Park Blvd, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-861-5000

Englewood Farmers Market has been held each Thursday morning between October and May since 2011, located along Englewood's downtown Dearborn Street in the heart of the city's historic district. The market serves as the primary showcase for the region's farmers and producers, who sell seasonal produce and fresh baked goods and pantry items each week. Fresh wild-caught fish from Florida fishers is also sold, along with a wide variety of international and artisan food items. Green space vendors sell native and exotic flowers, plants, and trees, while local artisans and crafters showcase their wares at the market's artisan mart. Live music performances are showcased each week, along with food trucks and vendors offering a sample of the region's culinary scene.

Address: 349 W Dearborn St, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-445-9209

Cedar Point Environmental Park is the premiere environmental park of Charlotte County, located along Englewood's beautiful Lemon Bay. The 115-acre peninsular park, which is operated by the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, was originally opened to the public in 1998 after six years of development. Today, visitors can enjoy guided nature walks and special event programming at the facility throughout the year. Park lands protect a wide variety of natural habitats, including nesting sites for American bald eagles. The historic Cookie House, constructed in 1931, preserves Florida's first full-time marine station and laboratory, which was moved to the peninsula in 2006. Other attractions include a visitor center selling local honey and offering exhibits on the region's flora and fauna.

Address: 2300 Placida Rd, Englewood, FL 34224, Phone: 941-475-0769

Indian Mound Park, also known as Paulsen Point, preserves the traditional home of the ancient Manasota indigenous culture, who occupied the region between 1000 B.C. and 1350 A.D. Throughout their tenure at the site, the Manasota were known for their ceremonial burial practices and ceramics making, which was crafted in the Englewood Plain style. During the 1960s, archaeological excavations throughout the Englewood region uncovered a plethora of Manasota artifacts, including quartz arrowheads and copper beads indicating trading with indigenous groups as far away as Georgia. Today, park visitors can view preserved ceremonial mounds and indigenous artifacts at the park, which is part of the Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage. The park also provides direct access to the shores of beautiful Lemon Bay.

Address: 210 Winson Ave, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-861-5000 <

Lemon Bay Playhouse is the premiere community theater of Englewood, originally established in April of 1987 as a nonprofit organization. The playhouse, which is housed within a renovated storefront facility in Englewood's downtown district, produces seven theatrical productions each season, including several comedies, a mystery, and a drama production. Visitors can attend performances throughout the year of renowned plays such as Play On, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Love Letters. An annual Lemon Drops Summer Camp is hosted by theater professionals, open to participants of all ages and offering a chance to appear in a final camp participant theatrical production. Reader's Theater performances also showcase staged readings of plays, serving as a platform for new works by regional and national playwrights.

Address: 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood, FL 34223, Phone: 941-475-6756