Historic Spanish Point sits on Little Sarasota Bay, and through the end of October its gates stay open until 9 p.m. Lights at Spooky Point lets guests in at 6:30 and 7:45, with last entry at 8:30. The South Creek launch at Oscar Scherer State Park runs on a different clock. Its self-serve kayak kiosk opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset.
These two places set the rhythm of Osprey's fall. From Halloween until the weekend before Thanksgiving, neither one has much on its programmed calendar. Spanish Point's evening event ends and its new exhibition hasn't opened yet. The state park's guided winter programs have run December through March in past seasons. That leaves about three weeks in early November when the neighborhood runs on the options you can use any time, and they're better than you might expect.
The Last Week of Spooky Point
Lights at Spooky Point runs October 1 through 31, 2026, at Selby Gardens' Historic Spanish Point campus. Parking is on site and limited. The campus closes at 9 p.m. Tickets are $34 for adults, $24 for member adults, $19 for ages 5 to 17, and free for children 4 and under. Anyone under 18 has to come with an adult ticket holder.
The daytime price shows what the evening event adds. Regular admission to the campus is $20 for adults and $12 for ages 5 to 17. It's free for members and children 4 and under, and member guests pay $12. Two adults pay $68 for an evening slot at Spooky Point and $40 to walk the same grounds by day. For members, the gap is bigger still: daytime is free, and the October evening costs $24 per adult.
The calendar can change on short notice. On October 13, Selby closed the campus at 3 p.m. and canceled that night's Spooky Point for a private event, then went back to the regular schedule the next day. If you're planning one of the last October evenings around out-of-town guests, check the campus page that afternoon.
Three Weeks Without a Ticket Time
After October 31, Historic Spanish Point keeps its regular hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but has no evening event. The next new thing on its calendar is in the second half of November.
Oscar Scherer is in a similar gap. On October 1, 2026, the Friends of Oscar Scherer posted that tram tours and night paddles are closed for the season. The same post said canoe and kayak rentals are open and glamping sites can be reserved. The update gives no date for tours and paddles to return.
For these weeks, Osprey's calendar comes down to regular open hours, the trails and the rental kiosk.
| Dates | Historic Spanish Point | Oscar Scherer State Park |
|---|---|---|
| Through Oct. 31 | Daytime hours plus Lights at Spooky Point evenings | Open 8 a.m. to sunset; rentals open; tram tours and night paddles closed |
| Nov. 1 to Nov. 18 | Daytime hours only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Same as October |
| Nov. 19 | Cocktails at the Cottage, with an early look at the Dickinson exhibition | Same as October |
| Nov. 21 onward | New Feet Within My Garden Go opens | Winter programs have started in December in past seasons |
South Creek Runs on Your Schedule
Oscar Scherer State Park is open 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year. Entry is $5 per vehicle, and the park has 15 miles of trails.
On the water, Whenever Watersports runs a self-serve rental kiosk at the kayak launch in the South Creek Picnic Area, 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, from 8 a.m. to sunset daily. The listed fleet is small:
- 7 single kayaks
- 3 tandem kayaks
- 2 paddleboards
Paddles, PFDs and whistles are included. No canoes are listed.
| Rental | 1 hour | 2 hours | Full day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single kayak | $19.99 | $29.99 | $49.99 |
| Tandem kayak | $39.99 | $59.99 | $79.99 |
| Paddleboard | $19.99 | $29.99 | $49.99 |
A full day means 8 hours or until sunset. Extra time costs $14.99 an hour for singles and $29.99 an hour for tandems.
Compare that with the October evening at Spanish Point. One tandem kayak for an hour plus the $5 vehicle fee comes to $44.99 for two people, about the price of two daytime adult tickets at Historic Spanish Point and well under the $68 for two adults at Spooky Point. The bigger difference is timing. The kiosk keeps the park's 8 a.m. to sunset hours, so a weekday paddle after work fits as long as you're back by sunset.
Two things to check before you go. The state park's amenities page currently says rentals aren't available, while the Friends' October 1 update and the operator's own page say they are. With only a dozen craft at the kiosk, confirm through the Whenever Watersports booking page before you drive over. The Nature Center's hours also vary. The Friends group keeps its open days on a live calendar and suggests calling the park at 941-483-5956.
A Brunch Stop That Fits the Gap
The newest restaurant on the Osprey stretch of the Trail fits these unscheduled weeks. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Five Nine Grill & Tavern soft-opened August 10 at Blackburn Point Plaza, its first location in Sarasota County. Owner Mike DeGrirolamo told the paper, "We're a classic cocktail, classic food kind of restaurant."
Sarasota Magazine lists the address as 1092 S. Tamiami Trail and the phone number as 941-773-0223. It describes scratch-made comfort food across brunch, lunch and dinner, and a brunch menu served every day. Because brunch runs daily, a weekday morning paddle on South Creek followed by a late brunch works on any Tuesday in November. Hours haven't been published, so call ahead.
The plaza takes its name from Blackburn Point, and the old swing bridge there is still under discussion. In September, WWSB reported on a preservation group's preliminary review. It estimated rehabilitation at about $6 million in 2028 plus $11 million in maintenance through at least 2043, compared with the county's replacement estimate of $65 million to $75 million. That review didn't include an on-site evaluation, and the county had not made a final decision or scheduled a commission vote.
November 19 and 21 Restart the Bayfront Calendar
Historic Spanish Point's next season starts the weekend before Thanksgiving. Selby's 2026–27 season announcement puts New Feet Within My Garden Go: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson on the Historic Spanish Point campus from November 21, 2026, through August 29, 2027. Some of Dickinson's best-known nature poems will be placed around the grounds, alongside illustrations by artist Abby Wright and photographs of pages from Dickinson's own herbarium of pressed plants. Patti Smith, Selby's Artist in Residence, narrates the poems. It follows the campus's last literary exhibition, built around Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses.
Two days earlier, on Thursday, November 19, Selby holds Cocktails at the Cottage at Historic Spanish Point with an exclusive preview of the Dickinson exhibition. Ticket details hadn't been released in the season announcement.
The timing matters if you're hosting. The exhibition opens on Saturday, November 21, five days before Thanksgiving, and it's placed around the campus grounds, which are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Guests in town for the holiday get a new exhibition on the bay during daytime hours.
Don't confuse this with the construction news. The Selby master plan work now underway is Phase Two at the Downtown Sarasota campus, where a new conservatory, learning pavilion and landscape work are slated to open in November 2028. It doesn't affect the Osprey campus.
December Has Brought the Park's Guided Season
At Oscar Scherer, the guided calendar has traditionally returned in December. The Friends group's programs page still links to last season's winter brochure. Here is the December-through-March pattern it lists:
- Tuesday Coffee Social, 8:30 to 9 a.m., free with park entry
- Thursday Audubon Society guided bird walk, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
- Third-Thursday Pancake Breakfast, 8 to 10 a.m., $10 adults and $5 children plus park entry
- Friday Ranger's Choice guided hike, 9 to 10 a.m.
- Saturday Junior Ranger, 10 to 11 a.m., and Critter Crafts for Kids, which runs year-round at the same hour
- Saturday tram tours at 1:30 p.m., $5 per person plus park entry
- Sunday eagle viewing, 9 to 11 a.m.
Last season's brochure, covering December 2025 through April 2026, also listed a monthly guided night paddle from the South Creek Canoe Launch, November through March, at $20 per person plus rental. Dates for the 2026–27 season haven't been posted, so treat that lineup as last season's pattern and check the Friends site before planning a Thursday bird walk or a Sunday eagle morning. Critter Crafts is the exception, since it runs year-round and doesn't depend on the winter schedule.
If you split the year between Osprey and somewhere else, a calendar like this one is worth having before you fly in. If you'd like help timing a visit, or getting a home ready while you're away, Carolyn Yates is glad to help. Let's Connect.
