King Neptune's Frolic Collection

Formerly called the Sara de Soto Pageant, which began in 1916, the annual spring festival & pageant would eventually be rebranded to King Neptune’s Frolic in 1964 and presented by the Sarasota County Pageant Association. It celebrates the local legend of Neptune, god of the sea, and his “Mystic Crewe” who found paradise in Sarasota Bay after fleeing turmoil in Greece. According to the legend, Athena, goddess of wisdom, was also seeking refuge in Sarasota, and the two arch-rivals would forge an everlasting romance where Neptune would return annually from Greece to meet with Athena here in Sarasota. The legend would later be modified to include the marriage of Neptune and Athena, where both would return annually as joint rulers of the sea.

King Neptune’s Frolic would evolve by borrowing the ideas of previous pageants, such as including arts, crafts, music, fireworks and parades to provide the community with a weeklong celebration. In addition to the Royale Krewe yacht flotilla procession, another major event was the Coronation Ball, where the new king, queen and court were crowned. Young, unmarried women would petition to become sea nymphs/princesses, married couples would assume the title of dukes & duchesses, and others would be selected to be part of the “Ye Mystic Krewe.” These titles held true for the entire year, and the selected individuals would represent Sarasota in major events across the state.

In 1981, King Neptune’s Frolic would officially become a nonprofit corporation in Florida, coming during a time when the spring festival was becoming increasingly more popular and included many more complex events such as a saltwater fishing rodeo, motorcross races, and a children’s parade. The festival became too large and difficult to manage so that, in 1984, the tradition came to an abrupt end in Sarasota. Records would suggest that the organization’s members continued to meet for a few years afterwards, but the iconic pageant would not be held again.