Hope on the Horizon

Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Stories of loss, recovery and renewal. Plus, 96 fun activities to do with kids and our annual guide to the best of the arts season.

In this issue:

Arts & Entertainment

Museum Pieces

Artist Joe Fig Paints Viewers Looking at Paintings by Johannes Vermeer

“It’s pretty meta," Fig says.

01/15/2025 By Kay Kipling

Talk to Us

The Ultimate Generation Alpha Glossary

How to be GOATed when it comes to communicating with your kid.

12/02/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Get Creative

12 Local Arts Activities Kids Will Love

Your little ones can channel their inner artists at these spots, with offerings from glass-blowing to theater to robot building.

12/02/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Young at Heart

An Action-Packed Sarasota Family Fun Guide

Get ready to feel like a kid again.

12/01/2024

Bound for Stardom

Meet Three Young Performers Making a Name for Themselves on Local Stages

Nikolina Šupe, Finley MacBeth and Kayla Hayes' stars are shining bright.

12/01/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Funding Fallout

State and Local Leaders Cut Funding for Arts Organizations This Year. Will Things Be Any Better Next Time Around?

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million in funding for the arts in June due to concerns over content, and the Sarasota County nixed grants to three arts organizations a month later.

11/21/2024 By Kay Kipling

Start Spreading the News

The Best Shows, Exhibits, Talks and Performances Coming to Sarasota This Season

We’re in for another stellar arts season. Here are some of the shows and events we’re most jazzed about.

11/21/2024 By Kay Kipling

Heart of a Lion

Saroo Brierley Brings His Extraordinary Life Story to Sarasota for This Year's PINC

Brierley is the author of the memoir "A Long Way Home," which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Dev Patel as Brierley.

11/19/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Eat & Drink

Top Chef

Alex Thompson Proves That Kids Can Be Every Bit as Obsessed With Food as Adults

Thompson credits her interest in food to her mother’s boundless kitchen creativity, alongside a love of Food Network’s cooking competition shows.

12/01/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Put a Smile on Their Face

Where to Take Your Kids to Eat in Sarasota

Twelve local restaurants that the whole family can enjoy.

12/01/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Comeback Story

After Back-to-Back Hurricanes, the Local Tourism Industry Focuses on Recovery

The hospitality industry was devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but business owners and employees say they’re on the mend.

11/20/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Inland Empire

Lakewood Ranch's Restaurant Scene Just Gets Better and Better

Here are some of our current favorites.

11/20/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Fashion & Shopping

Skin Is In

Skin Care Products Are Hot Commodities for Kids These Days—Just Ask a Sephora Tween

“I went on YouTube and started seeing all the good products, and that’s how I started getting more and more," says 9-year-old Ellie Capel-Davies.

12/01/2024 By Megan McDonald

Home & Real Estate

Inside Job

Home Tour: A University Place Remodel Showcases Local Craftsmanship, Bold Colors and Patterns

Caroline and Tim Ryan's three-bedroom, two-story home has undergone a complete remodel.

11/22/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Gone But Not Forgotten

Hurricane Helene Destroyed the Iconic, Architecturally Significant Sanderling Cabanas on Siesta Key

For the families who gathered at the Paul Rudolph-designed cabanas, all that remains are the memories.

11/20/2024 By Ruth Lando

News & City Life

Ask Me Anything

Transgender Activist India Miller Can’t Wait to Take Your Questions

“I’m hoping to enlighten some people not already sensitive to our plight,” she says.

12/09/2024 By Andrea González

Flashback

The Pinecraft Eat'n House Served Coffee, Fried Chicken and Pies to the Community

The restaurant was one of several businesses that sprang up on Bahia Vista Street in the 1950s.

12/06/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Only in Sarasota

After the Hurricanes, Heavy-Duty Earth Movers Cleared the Roads

On Anna Maria Island, tractors pushed sand that had washed over the island’s main arteries into giant piles.

12/01/2024 Illustrations by John Pirman

Information Overload

Why Was There So Much Disinformation After Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

Rumors and untruths proliferated as Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed communities. Why do we keep falling for them?

11/20/2024 By Megan McDonald

The Climate Connection

Climate Change Is Making Extreme Weather More Common and More Dangerous

This year's storms were the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have struck our area in recent years.

11/20/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

The Aftermath

Local Residents and Business Owners Pick Up the Pieces After a Catastrophic Hurricane Season

“You jump the first hurdle, then get a giant kick to the gut. That’s what’s been so traumatizing.”

11/20/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Travel & Outdoors

Just for Teens

Our Favorite Go-To Activities for Teenagers

It can be difficult to find fun things to do with older kids—but we've got you covered.

12/01/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Sick Ripper

Hotshot Teen Skater Shiloh Catori Credits Growing Up in Sarasota’s Skate Scene for Much of Her Success

Catori was inspired to pick up a board by watching her older brother, who liked to compete for fun around Sarasota.

12/01/2024 By Lauren Jackson