Sarasota's top moments of the year, in pictures

There were plenty of ups and downs in the past 12 months, and the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer was there to capture it all. Here are some of our favorite moments of 2025.

Gabriella Brinceanu, 14, and her sister, Alaina Brinceanu, 3, work together to pop the bubbles at the Fourth of July All-American Cookout at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Attendees enjoyed the bubble show by Blaise Ryndes, who has appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”
Jessie O Brien is visiting from Ireland and chose to celebrate the new year alongside Lakewood Ranch's Ciara Daly at Waterside Place.
  • January 1, 2026
Crowd rings in the new year at Waterside Place
Left: Austin Gordon Jr., known as “AJ,” was born at 1:25 a.m. to first-time parents Isabel Castillo and Austin Gordon. Right: Corey Gifford and William Zimmerman welcomed their son, Zaiden Amaris Zimmerman, affectionately known as “Zaz,” at 12:50 a.m.
  • January 1, 2026
SMH's first babies arrive early in 2026
Gabriella Brinceanu, 14, and her sister, Alaina Brinceanu, 3, work together to pop the bubbles at the Fourth of July All-American Cookout at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Attendees enjoyed the bubble show by Blaise Ryndes, who has appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”
  • January 1, 2026
Sarasota's top moments of the year, in pictures
With a hearty collective effort, community members help “push in” the newest fleet addition at Fire Station 92 during a March 25 open house. The public was invited to see the facility, which opened in 2021, as well as check out the station’s new $600,000 ambulance.
  • December 31, 2025
With equal doses of grit and fun, we review 2025 on Longboat Key in photos

Arts + Culture

The rendering of the exterior of the Sarasota Orchestra Music Hall demonstrates the concept of integrating water features, landscaping and building design.
  • December 31, 2025
For Sarasota arts groups, 2025 was a year of shifting sands
Itzhak Perlman conducts the 2025 Perlman Music Program Suncoast Celebration Concert.
  • December 24, 2025
Perlman Music Program Suncoast moves to central Sarasota
Justin Gomlak helps bring big city glamour to the Sarasota stage in "A Very Broadway Christmas," which plays Monday, Dec. 22, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
  • December 17, 2025
The Van Wezel wants you to have 'A Very Broadway Christmas'
Trevor Stalcup and Jessica Assef star in George Balanchine's "Mozartiana," in Sarasota Ballet's Program Three, "Masters of Movement," which runs Dec. 19-20 at the Sarasota Opera.
  • December 16, 2025
Sarasota Ballet taps a Balanchine disciple to stage his final major work
Tree Fort Productions takes a recovery road trip, one classic car at a time
  • December 15, 2025
Tree Fort Productions takes a recovery road trip, one classic car at a time
The moon rises as German and English troops gather together in "No Man's Land" to celebrate the birth of Christ in Asolo Rep's "All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914."
  • December 10, 2025
'All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914' returns to Historic Asolo Theater
Jessie O Brien is visiting from Ireland and chose to celebrate the new year alongside Lakewood Ranch's Ciara Daly at Waterside Place.
  • January 1, 2026
Crowd rings in the new year at Waterside Place
Santa greets visitors from the window of 9605 Governor's Club Place in The River Club.
  • December 20, 2025
Christmas decorating isn't just for kids
Keera Herbst, Donn Githens, Kim Verreault and Alexa Olivas help celebrate the opening of the new Longboat Key Goodwill bookstore and donation site on Dec. 18.
  • December 20, 2025
Longboat Goodwill officially celebrates grand opening
The home at 2834 Browning Street featured countless decorations and animated figures.
  • December 18, 2025
Sarasota homes light up for the holidays
Capri Finan, 7, Madelyn Finan, 9 and Maverick Finan, 3, pose with Santa after telling him what they want for Christmas, which includes a doll house and a trampoline.
  • December 18, 2025
Braden River High transforms into Winter Wonderland
Maddox and Lou Towery have packed up shoeboxes during the Community Holiday Shoebox Collection Drive for the last seven years.
  • December 15, 2025
Lakewood Ranch community rallies to support seniors with shoebox event
Golden Ticket arrives, and Olaf the snowman has been invited to the rooftop party.
  • December 14, 2025
Sarasota Bay lights up with annual Holiday Boat Parade
This house on the corner of Wedge Lane and Bogey Lane takes the cake for one of the most colorfully decorated homes on Longboat Key this season.
  • December 14, 2025
Which Longboat homes dazzle the most with holiday lights?
Joni Hill, Cate Douglas and Gaby Hayashi make their way across the beach.
  • December 14, 2025
Holiday spirit gets moving at Sandy Claws Beach Run
Lylah MacDonald, 6, hops along in the sack race.
  • December 14, 2025
Holidays at The Bay brings Hawaiian twist to holidays
David Forester sings a solo of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" with The Venice Symphony for a big band-style Christmas concert on Dec. 12 at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church.
  • December 13, 2025
Big band means big tunes at St. Mary Christmas concert
Katherine Pike (on the left) salsa dances with the cast of "Casa Havana:" Dairon Batista, Isabella Serrano and Jack Gaudreau.
  • December 13, 2025
Palm Aire Women's Club members learn to salsa
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
Gary and Linda Condon of Bird Key decorated their boat to contribute to the beauty of this year's Blessing and Lighting of the Fleet on Dec. 11.
  • December 12, 2025
Boats sparkle at Bird Key fleet blessing
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
Beth Stewart and Christine Parseghian joined in the festive fun of the Frosty Frolic golf tournament on Dec. 9 at Harbourside Golf Course.
  • December 11, 2025
Ladies dress to impress at Frosty Frolic
The team including Rick and Josie Bertie and Paul Christenson won second place overall and the award for best "docktail" at the Lighting of the Docks on Dec. 6 at Longboat Harbour.
  • December 11, 2025
Longboat Harbour light competition delights viewers
Santa Claus welcomes Ketia Alennsia Joachim, Henry Lerricia Jeanbaptiste and John Kerry Jeanbaptiste for a morning of family holiday fun at Stillpoint Mission. Longboat Island Chapel and other local groups helped make the Dec. 6 toy distribution happen.
  • December 9, 2025
Stillpoint Mission brings holiday spirit to community
Emily Burns and Jack Coleman of Poppo's Taqueria dish up their popular pork tacos at the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key's Lawn Party on Dec. 6 at Ken Thompson Park.
  • December 8, 2025
Longboat's Lawn Party returns following hurricane hiatus
Susan Borden, Kelli Veit and Nancy Harris shared a bit about the goods and games available at Temple Beth Israel's Hanukkah open house on Dec. 7.
  • December 8, 2025
Temple Beth Israel hosts Hanukkah open house for third year
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 Fest 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
Myakka City 12-year-old Aliyah Burnett helps her neighbor, Corinn Smith of Blissful Goat Yoga, with the goats. She dressed them in Christmas outfits for Ranch Nite Wednesday Dec. 3.
  • December 5, 2025
Goats are another reason to attend Ranch Nite Wednesdays in Lakewood Ranch
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