Sarasota, Florida (NAPSI) - The sandy beaches ofSarasotaCounty, on Florida’sGulfCoast, are just the tip of the iceberg for visitors craving cultural attractions.

Known for its architectural innovation, the region is drawing travelers to the SarasotaMOD Weekend festival this fall (Oct. 9-12, 2014). Celebrating Sarasota’s pioneering architecture movement, visitors will be treated to guided tours as well as gatherings with architects, authors, critics and designers (www.sarasotaMOD.com).

• Then there are the four dynamic days at the Ringling International Arts Festival the following week, Oct. 15-18, which features emerging artists on the grounds of the Ringling estate. Visit www.ringling.org/events/series/ringlinginternational-arts-festival.

• In mid-November, visitors can chalk one up to the Sarasota Chalk Festival, Nov. 10-17 (http://chalkfestival.org), where artists use the street pavements as their canvas. And visitors will watch amazing sand castles be built at the Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sand Sculpting Competition, Nov. 14-18 (www.siestakeycrystalclassic.com).