Question: Where in Florida was the annual “Sara de Soto” Pageant, which started in 1916?
Answer: Sarasota
Residents of Sarasota have long speculated about the origin of the city’s name. A plausible-sounding daughter, Sara, was invented for explorer Hernando de Soto, who landed in the Manatee River in 1538, complete with a tragic love story to dramatize a 1916 “Sara de Soto” pageant. The pageant became an annual, week-long celebration climaxed by a circus parade and declined when the Barnum & Bailey winter camp was moved to Venice in 1960.
