Siesta Key Drum Circle: Sarasota’s Sunday Sunset Ritual
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A Sarasota Tradition That Beats With the Heart of the Gulf
One Sunday evening in 2009, just before the sun slipped into the Gulf, I saw him — dressed head to toe in yellow, from his ball cap down to his shorts, white ankle socks, and tan shoes. Tucked under that cap, sandy-colored locks flowed to the middle of his back, swaying gently with the Gulf breeze. A handlebar mustache framed his face.
He stood calmly in the sand at the Siesta Key Drum Circle, strumming an electric guitar connected to a small battery-powered amp. No jumping, no posing for attention, no attempt to overpower the percussion. His notes drifted across the beach, weaving into the rhythm of the drums with a kind of quiet authority.
I moved slowly around the outside of the Siesta Key Drum Circle — back when it was still intimate — snapping photos and shooting point-and-shoot video. No HD back then, just enough to catch the moment. It was one of the first times I’d heard anything but percussion in the Circle, and the way the guitar complemented the beat still plays in my memory.
From Humble Beginnings to Sarasota Icon
In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the drum circle was small, intimate, and fueled by the kind of magic you can’t manufacture. It was just a handful of locals drawing a line in the sand and letting the rhythm take over as the sun sank low. No event listings, no social media invites — just word of mouth and the steady pull of the beat.
Those early gatherings had a raw charm. You could walk right up, close your eyes, and feel the music without jostling for space. The sand was cooler underfoot, the crowd quieter, the air filled only with the sound of percussion and the crash of waves.
The People Who Shape the Sound
Over the years, the Siesta Key Drum Circle has had its anchor personalities.
Shawn Bowen, for example — dreadlocks, tattoos, African Djuns in hand — has been a fixture since 1996. He’s not just a percussionist; he’s a multi-instrumental professional musician, glassblower, photographer, and music video director. His resume includes playing with bands like Neurotica and Stones of Madness, yet here, on the beach, he’s simply part of the rhythm.
Then there’s Dr. Marguerite Barnett — yes, Doctor Barnett. A board-certified plastic surgeon who’s practiced around the world, she also happens to be one of the Circle’s most graceful dancers. I’ve watched her float around the circle in colorful outfits, moving with Tai Chi-like precision, sometimes balancing a sword on her head, other times twirling a baton.
Shawn and Marguerite met at the Circle, became partners, and have both worked to keep its heart beating strong. But ask them who’s in charge, and they’ll tell you no one is. That’s the beauty of a drum circle — it’s an organic thing.
The percussionists you see here are all volunteers, giving their time and talent freely. They come and go as life allows, showing up when their schedules, travels, and personal commitments permit.
While Shawn and Marguerite may be the most recognizable faces, they’re far from the only ones who’ve helped keep the beat alive year after year. Over the decades, other dedicated drummers and dancers have made their mark — some staying for seasons at a time, others appearing only on special visits, yet all contributing to the unique rhythm that has become the Circle’s signature.
This rotating cast of passionate musicians ensures the Siesta Key Drum Circle is never exactly the same twice, yet always unmistakably itself.
The Spirit of the Circle
Typically, people gather to drum in drum ‘circles’ with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together.
That’s it. That’s the Circle. It’s why I’ve kept coming back all these years. Whether you’re drumming, dancing, or just letting the music wash over you, you become part of something bigger than yourself.
The Experience Today
In the early years, fire dancers often joined in before the county shut it down for safety reasons. Today, the crowd is bigger — sometimes much bigger — and the performers have had to rope off the central space.
Signs ask visitors to respect the drummers: only enter the circle to dance, keep drinks outside the ring, and don’t crowd the percussionists.
Too often now, the space fills with people standing in the middle, phones out, without the dancing that gives the Circle its movement and energy. But when the vibe is right — when the rhythm flows and the dancers move in harmony — it’s still magic.
If You Go: Tips for First-Timers
•When & Where: Every Sunday evening, north of the main Siesta Beach Pavilion, starting about an hour before sunset.
•Arrive Early: Parking fills quickly, especially during peak season.
•Please don’t crowd the percussionists. They shouldn’t need “fencing” to keep visitors from suffocating them.
•The inside of the drum circle is for participants only, not for people standing around.
•Feel free to enter the circle, take a picture and dance, but always keep moving.
•Never play someone’s drum without getting clearance from the owner.
•Always ask before borrowing other people’s property, especially hula hoops.
•Avoid flash photography and bright video lights. Please photograph during daylight or use a night vision camera.
•And finally, please do not drink alcohol or smoke inside the circle.
•Bring an Open Mind: The Circle is about rhythm, not performance perfection.
•Stay for Sunset: The music builds toward the moment the sun sinks into the Gulf — a scene you won’t forget.
The Siesta Key Drum Circle has earned its place as a true Sarasota icon — a sunset tradition that’s pulsed through the decades.
🥁 For generations, it’s been kept alive by the steady hands of people playing djembes, congas, bongos, doumbeks, African djuns, tambourines, frame drums, cajóns, maracas, and shakers — week after week, year after year.
This dedication has turned the Circle into more than just a Sunday gathering — it’s the heartbeat of Siesta Beach.
💛 And while the crowds have grown, most visitors still respect the Circle, the beach, the percussionists, and their fellow travelers. That mutual respect keeps the music flowing, the dancers moving, and the Gulf breeze carrying the beat long after the sun dips below the horizon. 🌊
✨ Want more Sarasota magic?
•🥁 See the Siesta Key Drum Circle on Facebook.
•📅 Explore our ever-growing Sarasota Events Calendar — from beach gatherings to art festivals, there’s always something happening.
•🏝️ Planning a getaway? Don’t miss my 7 Days in Sarasota post, where I share exactly how I’d spend one perfect week in our coastal paradise.
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Hi, I’m Mike – real estate agent, photographer, and blogger. Come along as I dive into all things Sarasota, Florida, share insider tips and exciting stories that make this place special. For 20+ years, I’ve helped countless people buy and sell property. Before I transitioned to full-time real estate, I taught high school English & coached basketball.”
