Sodi Pop, billed as a healthier product, comes to Lakewood Ranch High

Jason Huh, who graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School in 2003, never thought his own product would be sold at his alma mater.

Lakewood Ranch High School graduate Jason Huh has founded a few different companies, including Sodi Pop. Sodi Pop is now available in a healthy vending machine at the school for staff and students to enjoy.
With a sparkle in his eye and a wave of the hand, jolly old St. Nick illuminated the lights on St. Armands Circle's 60-foot Christmas tree at a lighting festival on Dec. 5.
  • December 7, 2025
St. Armands celebrates magical Christmas tree lighting
St. Petersburg's Ella Brown and Sarasota's Mike Chambers take full advantage of the live music to show off their best dance moves at the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival on Dec. 6.
  • December 7, 2025
Lakewood Ranch music fans aren't crying the blues after festival
Students from Sarasota High School's marching band walk in the parade.
  • December 7, 2025
Sarasota's spirit goes on display in the holiday parade
Debi and Mike O'Leary take a look at the tree.
  • December 6, 2025
Sarasota annual tree lighting takes place at Selby Five Points

Arts + Culture

Lijana Wallenda perches on a chair balanced on a shoulder bar carried by her brother Nik Wallenda and Paul Matthew Lopez in the "Wonderland: Believe" circus, which runs through Jan. 4 in a big top near the UTC Mall.
  • December 3, 2025
At the Wonderland circus, it's a Wallenda-ful life
Sarasota Opera Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell.
  • December 2, 2025
Sarasota Opera artistic director will step down after 44 years
Sarasota Concert Association names new board president
  • December 2, 2025
Sarasota Concert Association names new board president
Stephanie Zandra plays the Archangel who looks down over Joseph (Eustace Williams) and Mary (Maicy Powell) in Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe's "Black Nativity," which runs through Dec. 21.
  • December 1, 2025
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe presents holiday pageant in living color
With a sparkle in his eye and a wave of the hand, jolly old St. Nick illuminated the lights on St. Armands Circle's 60-foot Christmas tree at a lighting festival on Dec. 5.
  • December 7, 2025
St. Armands celebrates magical Christmas tree lighting
Students from Sarasota High School's marching band walk in the parade.
  • December 7, 2025
Sarasota's spirit goes on display in the holiday parade
Debi and Mike O'Leary take a look at the tree.
  • December 6, 2025
Sarasota annual tree lighting takes place at Selby Five Points
The moon shines between a pair of "Florida Reindeer."
  • December 4, 2025
Holiday display at Selby Gardens boasts over 2 million lights
Kymistrii Young (left), Elijah Golden (center) and Macaiden Brown (right) listen to coach Jared Clark's speech during Cardinal Mooney's early signing period ceremony.
  • December 3, 2025
Cardinal Mooney and Booker football celebrate 11 early signees
Sarasota Opera Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell.
  • December 2, 2025
Sarasota Opera artistic director will step down after 44 years
The home at 1310 South Lake Shore Drive is built in the style of a Renaissance mansion.
  • December 1, 2025
$26.4 million Sarasota home evokes Renaissance styling
Piper Dawson checks out was she dubbed her favorite tree decorated by Lo' Key Island Grille at the opening evening of Christmas in the Garden on Nov. 30 at Longboat Island Chapel.
  • December 1, 2025
Christmas comes early to Longboat's north end
Sarasota's David Farr picks up 21-month-old Henry Farr, who is dazzled by the giant ornaments on the tree on The Green during the Mall at UTC's ongoing holiday celebration.
  • December 1, 2025
Families flock to UTC for the holidays
Siesta Key Oyster Bar co-founder Geno Pedigo, and Zach Steffen, prepare to ride out.
  • November 30, 2025
Kids and families find cheer at Siesta Key Holiday Parade
Siesta Key's Owen Slater, 5, loves animals and couldn't leave the market without getting a homemade octopus from Stitch Fabels, which took 10 hours to make.
  • November 28, 2025
Market at Nathan Benderson Park provides midweek shopping
Runners pack the starting area for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot Nov. 27 at foggy Nathan Benderson Park. The race had a record 4,558 participants.
  • November 27, 2025
Record 4,558 runners participate in 2025 Florida Turkey Trot
Despite their 30 year age difference, Marge DeSimone and Courtney Barr have become great friends and share a deep love for Nikki, Barr's 7-year-old Bordoodle. They compete in dock diving to keep all of the "Three Musketeers," as Barr said, active and engaged.
  • November 26, 2025
Dock-diving dog helps two single women form a bond of friendship in Myakka
Lakewood Ranch sisters Mariapaz Ritter, 7 and Analia Ritter, 12, got their faces painted by Akiko Graphics at the at Greenbrook Adventure Park. Mariapaz chose a peace sign because "paz" the last part of her name means peace in Spanish and Analia chose daisies because they are her favorite flowers.
  • November 24, 2025
Greenbrook Adventure Park reopens with a fun day
Miriam Cornell and James Garlanger of Bear Gully Creek Farms talk with Cornell's mother, Sharon Cornell, and Jim Sroka.
  • November 23, 2025
Perfect weather yields steady turnout for Sarasota Farmers Market
Mark Lorah created a Lego version of the Imperial Theatre in Augusta, Georgia.
  • November 23, 2025
Lego artists show their imagination in Sarasota's first BrickUniverse
Geoff Levin, Marcy Klein, Steven Goodman and Patricia Courtois volunteer at the Van Wezel.
  • November 23, 2025
All Faiths Food Bank works to distribute record number of turkeys
Alison and Eloise Fichner snap a photo with Santa Claus at Light Up Longboat on Nov. 22 at the Town Center Green.
  • November 23, 2025
Families partake in early-season cheer at Light Up Longboat
Instead of a ribbon, a 180-pound blue fin tuna will be cut to celebrate the grand opening of Kuro Sushi.
  • November 22, 2025
Kuro Sushi rolls into Lakewood Ranch
Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Mates delivers the central sermon at the 45th interfaith Thanksgiving service hosted by St. Armands Key Lutheran Church on Nov. 18. She was joined by SAKLC's Rev. Kenneth Blyth, Longboat Island Chapel's Rev. Brock Patterson, Christ Church of Longboat Key's Rev. Julia Piermont, All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church's Rev. David Marshall and St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church's Fr. Robert Dziedziak.
  • November 19, 2025
Religious leaders across faiths celebrate unity for Thanksgiving
Sheena Works, Sebastian Works, 7, Alissa Silvers, and Isabella Coulton, 7, pose together in front of the mural.
  • November 19, 2025
Community unites to paint mural at Arlington Park
Bird Key Yacht Club General Manager Tammy Hackney and Commodore Tony Britt donned the hard hats for the official groundbreaking of the new clubhouse on Nov. 13 at the site of the former facility.
  • November 19, 2025
Bird Key leaders break ground on new yacht club facilities
Gladys Delgado with Chuck Sidlow (Chucko the All American Clown).
  • November 18, 2025
Fundraiser event in Sarasota spotlights babies in need
Bert Wood, Karl Kaminski, Hudson Nesmith and Jane Conrad were among the 120 volunteers helping pack meals for Kids Against Hunger on Nov. 8 at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church. Part of the meals went to help local families, and part went to support hurricane survivors in Jamaica.
  • November 18, 2025
St. Armands church lends hand to families and hurricane survivors
Artists including Isabelle Gasse (front) compete during the festival.
  • November 17, 2025
Siesta Key's 'sand manager' has made a career out of sand
Phyllis Black and Andrew Vac flag down hungry diners to join the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key's pancake breakfast fundraiser on Nov. 15 at the Lazy Lobster.
  • November 17, 2025
Longboat Kiwanis Club hosts breakfast fundraiser
Elaine Cichon, Lorri Harrison and Claudia Stieber bring their festive spirit to the St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church annual Christmas bazaar, held last weekend at the church.
  • November 17, 2025
St. Mary market fundraiser on Longboat features holiday finds
Sydney Elliott turns toward an obstacle aboard QC Diamantaire in her final winning run in The Event at TerraNova's CCI4 class.
  • November 16, 2025
Competition season leaps into action at TerraNova Equestrian Center
Sarasota's Julia Wilhelm and Renee Myers check out the pieces of art for sale at LKM Fanciful Creations by Linda McMillan.
  • November 16, 2025
A 'gift from the heart' offered at Lakewood Ranch art show
Maribeth Phillips is the president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, and Andy Guz, CEO of Manatee Memorial Hospital, is the board chair.
  • November 15, 2025
Main Street at Lakewood Ranch hosts Empty Bowls
Shawna Hicks-Cranston of PostNet raises her Sandies award for the Community Champion category. The annual Sandies was held by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Nov. 14 at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch.
  • November 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch community leaders are saluted with Sandies awards
Rex Jensen, the CEO and president of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, is the 2025 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award winner.
  • November 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch's 'visionary' honored by the Community Foundation
Longboat Key Police officer Mike Mathis gives his order to Brandon Clark while Sgt. Adam Montfort waits in line at Rotary Club of Longboat Key’s Food for Gratitude event where all town employees received free lunch to recognize their hard work after dual hurricanes in 2024.
  • November 13, 2025
Rotary provides thank-you lunch to town employees