- December 26, 2024
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What we will remember most in 2024 is what we don't want to remember. But what should be remembered are the exceptional moments we as a community enjoyed.
Sarasota's dominant news story of the year is a one-word summary: hurricane. Pick one, Debby, Helene, Milton, all etched in city history.
Before the trio of misery, we had moments of kids' joy at the simplest things, chefs giving us tasty treats, moments shared at concerts and holidays and furry friends bringing smiles to our faces.
After our despair and cleanup, we witnessed moments of a thrilling comeback and a return to normalcy where once again we smiled, laughed and welcomed the holiday season.
Sarasota proved its strength in its resurgence.
The amount of good times we enjoyed in 2024 far outweighed the brief period where we struggled. Although we certainly can't forget nature's wrath, we can look back and value the splendor that Sarasota gave us throughout the year.
I see you
Two-year-old Harry Strunk peeks through a cardboard box at the Museum of Me event at the Ibis Playground. The playground is a feature in a new nonprofit venture for Sarasota and the beginnings of a children's museum at The Bay Park.
A good cheer
Booker High cheerleaders were all smiles during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Walk. The walk is one of Sarasota’s major celebrations held on Martin Luther King. Jr. Day, which also included the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards and the MLK Music Fest.
Snow way
The Downtown Baptist Church brought in 20,000 pounds of “real" snow, courtesy of the Sarasota location of Lee’s Ice of Central Florida, for a Snow Day. Children were tossing snowballs, building small snowmen and sliding down a snow-covered slide using inflatable floats like Galleria West and Raelynn West.
Embracing life
The Embracing Our Differences public art exhibit's format ensures a diverse mix of artwork and inspirational quotations is put on display throughout Bayfront Park. Pam Mancino and musician Donna Richardson expressed their dance moves to the crowd.
Splish splash
With the grand opening of Bayfront Park's new pirate-themed playground, children such as 17-month-old Jayvyn DeVore, have the chance to enjoy playing with the streams of water on the splash pad any time of the year.
Furry love
The My Furry Valentine event at The Bazaar at Apricot & Lime was a more early celebration of Valentine's Day and it was a chance to help dogs at rescues in the local area. The public had the chance to meet and greet adoptable dogs and take home a new pal. Meanwhile, other pet parents could show off their dressed up pooches.
Coastal cleanup
The Suncoast Reef Rovers is an organization helping to clean beneath the waters of Sarasota County Char DeMoss and Scott Matthews team up here to dispose of junk. The Rovers partner with organizations that also perform cleanups in the bay, like Sarasota Bay Watch, Suncoast Aquaventures, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.
Social pups
The owners at Boo's Ice House & Dog Bar are creating events like Doggy Valentine's Day. The whole concept allows people like Janet Guzman with Kalua and Kiwi get out and socialize with other dog owners.
Fab frosh
Riverview High's Ashley Eisenacher outmaneuvers a Lakewood Ranch defender during a lacrosse match. Eisenacher is part of a talented Rams girls team that finished 11-7 last season.
Feel the roar
The annual Thunder By the Bay motorcycle event in Sarasota brings in motorcycle related performances and even more music as Ray and Mickie Young take in the sounds of Molly Hatchet. The weekend event helps raise money for seven local nonprofits that support children.
Masters of the 'Q
Some of Sarasota’s most popular barbecue locations include those without complex recipes or even walls. But the simplicity of the cook is what puts patrons on culinary journey. Coco De Los Santos uses a grill that he welded and built himself.
Mooving show
Eighth grader Addy Porter said it meant a lot to her to showcase a St. Patrick's Day costume created by former 4-H member Alexis Brotherton, with Porter's cow Libby Dynamite Pinson. The 4-H show allows kids to showcase the work involved in caring for and bonding with the animals over a period of months.
A fair century
The Sarasota County Fair celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year, and certainly more thrills and spills than when it started, well at least Haylee Palasz and McKaya Wolf feel that way.
Going for the green
The Block Party at Gator Club for St. Patrick's Day was an all green affair complete with a host of music by the band 22N, Johnny Diamond and DJ Kelly Crawford, as well as food by Smokin Momma Lora's BBQ, Fo'Cheezy Food Truck and Wings-N-Things.
Walking a thin line
Famous artist and Sarasota resident Nik Wallenda wowed the crowd with his tightrope walk during Good Friday at Payne Park. The event which included an Easter egg drop from a helicopter, was held at Payne Park.
Cross walk
The Rev. David M. Svihel leads the Stations of the Cross walk, held each year on Good Friday in conjunction with the Sarasota Ministerial Association. When the walk started in 1996, about 15 people attended and now it draws as many as 1,000.
Car crush
JD Loeffel and Layla Loeffel prepare to race their car for The Carnival Crushers at the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab. More than 175 students from 30 Sarasota and Manatee County schools in building cars of their own design using equipment like 3D printers and laser cutters.
Passover class
Sinead Goldman and Callum Goldman, 1, clap their hands in tune to the music when they went to the Tot Shabbat at Temple Emmanu-El. The event featured songs and prayers, crafts, snacks and a Passover-themed photo booth, all for the little students.
Painting pavement
Kirsten Pruitt retouches a painting on the Avenue of Art, an ongoing project created by the Sarasota Chalk Festival. Last spring, artists came together and added 100 paintings to the 210 existing artworks where people can see at Burns Square.
Science credit
Elena Bubnova and her daughter, second-grader Milana Bubnova, watch a science experiment at the table of Sarasota High School's MaST Research Institute. Held at Southside Elementary School, the event brought together a range of offerings that fall under the umbrella of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics).
Sax-o-pride
Zeta the Babe was one of the musicians who performed during the Be Fabulous Pride Fest. The three-day festival highlights the local LGBTQ+ arts community at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, but returns its previous location of Five Points Park in 2025.
Adult swim
Karen Dudley navigates the pool as a student of the Miracle Swimming School in Sarasota. Many adults come to Sarasota from around the country to learn how to swim. The school's founder, Melon Dash, said it is important to remember, especially during May, National Water Safety Month, that 80% of drownings are by adults, not children.
Comic adventures
Seneca Puleo came to SiestaCon at Siesta Key dressed as a Val'kyr from World of Warcraft. The new event featured special guests such as “Garfield” illustrator Gary Barker and Lenore Zann of the X-Men animated series, and custom vehicles including the Batmobile and Batcycle from the original Batman TV series.
Grad nights
Guadalupe Maldonado enters the stadium with eyes set on 2024 at Sarasota High's graduation ceremonies.
Nazareth Soza Icabalzeta, the student speaker, receives her diploma at Sarasota's graduation ceremonies.
Senior class secretary Lea Hernandez-Bower delivers a speech during Riverview's graduation at the Robarts Arena.
Head out on the highway
Liliana William and Miguel Gomez participate by motorcycle in the annual Memorial Day Parade on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. The ceremony included an invocation by Jan Solomon, the reading of Memorial Day proclamations by city of Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert and County Commissioner Mark Smith and a speech by Michael Tollerton, a Sarasota native and female Army veteran who served for six years, earning the rank of captain in the field artillery.
Your move
Nicholas Lewis, David Pratt, Mark Hamel and Evan Santiago, 9, play chess. They are all part of the Manasota Chess Club that meets at the Crossings of Siesta Key. Said to be one of the only brick-and-mortar chess clubs in the state of Florida, the center offers a contrast with most such clubs, which are nomadic, meeting at locations like libraries, cafes and bookstores.
Bronze metal
Dylan and Wayne Dyer pour bronze from the crucible. The Dyers own Bronzart Foundry, where they have made bronze castings like Dumbo for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary and a Ted Williams sculpture outside Fenway Park in Boston.
Blessed pals
Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi Brenner Glickman and his wife, Rabbi Elaine Glickman, just adopted their dog Ellie from Nate's Honor Animal Rescue three days ago. In June, the rabbi offered blessings to furry family members.
Frittering away
Tori Collins of Conch Collins fries up some conch during the Newton Juneteenth Celebration, which focuses on supporting local community businesses.
A different beat
Siesta Key is the spot for sunset drum circles where people gather on the beach to perform, conga and dance away their troubles.
Flag support
Luna Cassandra and August Ray were just two of the participants who carried a 700-foot Pride flag across The John Ringling Causeway during the annual event. More than 700 took part in the march.
Happy fourth
Alexandra Osipyan, 11, celebrates the 4th of July with a sparkler at the fireworks show at Bayfront Park. The celebration at the park wrapped up its 10th year.
The art of flying
Camper Annabelle Coone, 12, and counselor-in-training Calvin Owen, 14, practice the Spanish Web during the Circus Arts Conservatory's summer camp. The camp teaches basic aerials, tightrope and trampoline arts.
Bit of bubbly
During Bubbles Under The Banyans at Selby Gardens, a bubble collides with Alanna Phan, 2, and her father Will Phan. The event at Selby Gardens featured Blaise Ryndes of Tampa, the owner of Spheres Bubble Show and a contestant on Season 13 of “America’s Got Talent."
The deluge
Looking toward Bee Ridge Road from the Tuttle Circle roundabout after the deluge of rain caused by Hurricane Debby hit in early August.
Non-stop rain
Hurricane Debby didn't hit Sarasota, but consistently dumped rain. This is flooding off Shadow Ridge Circle near Celery Fields.
Costume ball
SarasotaCon brought out an array of costumes. Here, TJ Glaser, dressed as Felix Renault, a fireball-tossing character he created in Dungeons and Dragons, and Rehana Quadir, dressed as Vi from League of Legends.
Favorable winds
Labor Day Weekend gave the adults at Sarasota Yacht Club the day off and yielded to the kids for the annual regatta. Curt Wheeler and Brynn DeJongh navigate through the waters of the bay.
Never forget
The color guard, including Cpl. Christopher Short and Cpl. Antonio Martinez march in the annual remembrance of Sept. 11 ceremony at USF Sarasota-Manatee. The ceremony brought together participants from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Sarasota Police Department, the Sarasota County Fire Department, and students from Booker Middle School.
Power pack
The annual high speed action of the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix produced thrills and spills as Jackhammer of Springfield, Illinois, with Reese Langheim and Julian Maldonado, prepares to go head-to-head with Hammerheads / Fly SRQ of Bradenton.
The surge
Cara and Todd Carter clean up outside The Beach Club restaurant on Siesta Key following Hurricane Helene. Siesta Key suffered damage from storm surge after the hurricane brushed past the west coast of Florida.
Passing fancy
Wendy Miller navigates Midnight Pass by kayak. After Hurricane Helene Midnight Pass opened slightly after 41 years. Shovelers attempted to keep the pass open, but it started to close again. A week and a half later Milton punched a hole in Midnight Pass that is still open today.
Second coming
Thierry Raynal, owner of Bonjour French Cafe on Siesta Key, fastens a covering to a window at Bonjour French Cafe. Like many businesses on Siesta Key, just days after Hurricane Helene, they had to prepare for Hurricane Milton.
Shipwrecks
The wind of Hurricane Milton took boats from Sarasota Bay and tossed them around like this one that ended up in front of the Bayfront Park entrance in Sarasota after Hurricane Milton.
Cleanup duty
The morning after Hurricane Milton, the cleanup of trees and debris started all over Sarasota, including Main Street in downtown Sarasota.
The great comeback
Drew LaPenta pours a drink he mixed at Siesta Key Oyster Bar on Oct. 22. Siesta took a big punch from Helene and Milton, but businesses recovered quickly.
Boo-tiful fun
Sisters Addie Lesnick, 5, Ellie Lesnick, 5 and Penny Lesnick, 7 came as the Sanderson Sisters at Boo! at the Bay. The event was one of the few Halloween events to go on as St. Armands Fright Night was canceled.
Doggie duo
Pepper and Buster came dressed as ice cream cones during Dog-A-Ween at Sarasota Farmers Market. The two pups placed second in the costume contest.
A little help
Sutter Roofing provided the crane to lift the bleachers for the Ski-A-Rees water ski team out of the water. The bleachers had blown into Sarasota Bay as a result of Hurricane Milton.
Chalk line
The Chalk Festival parade, themed around Florida's flora and fauna, makes its way down Orange Avenue. The parade started a tradition with a Florida-themed twist, incorporating oversize puppets of everything from sandhill cranes, to spoonbills, to dung beetles.
Rising artists
Alice Hafner performs in the lyra to "Alice's Theme" from "Alice in Wonderland." Hafner was performing in the Sarasota Rising: A Celebration of Youth during the inaugural Living Arts Festival.
Grain central station
Isabelle Gasse finishes off "To Be Fold" at the Siesta Key Crystal Classic. The annual sand sculpting festival donates its proceeds to the Ringling College of Art and Design and is a huge draw for fans.
Best advice
Carmen Larson's husband, Kris Larson, receives a hug from her as she enters the room. The American School Counselor Association named Sarasota Middle's Carmen as the top guidance counselor in the nation.
Tree of life
The 50th annual Singing Christmas Tree Spectacular begins with a solo by Walter Godfrey. The performance features a large centerpiece styled as a Christmas tree, which is adorned with over 10,000 lights and holds church choir members.
Let there be lights
Selby Gardens President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki, Cecelia Grove and her daughter Aria Grove, 7, and Linda Carson of ABC7 Sarasota lead the flipping of the switch for the Lights in Bloom. The Selby Botanical Gardens event features two million lights.
Her Goa-to
Scout Reid, 8, accepts Cupcake the goat, as she sits beside Wyatt Schmidt, 9, and Ashley Schmidt, on the Big Cat Habitat float during the annual Sarasota Christmas Parade.
