En Garde

Para Fencing Brings International Competition to Bradenton

The rare U.S. event at IMG Academy will bring 170 athletes from more than 20 countries to Bradenton for four days of fast, tactical competition.

05/26/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Things to Do

What to Do in Sarasota and Manatee Counties This Week

Food trucks, beach bashes, tribute shows, a spiritual market, art exhibitions, Memorial Day ceremonies and the occasional axe-throwing lane give the long weekend plenty of ways to get out before summer settles in.

05/21/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Tourism Update

Sarasota Tourism Rose in March. Visitor Spending Didn’t.

More travelers came to Sarasota County during peak season, but shorter stays and softer restaurant and entertainment spending kept March’s economic impact nearly flat.

05/20/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Real Estate Report

Sarasota-Manatee Home Sales Rise as Inventory Tightens and Median Prices Hold Steady

April data shows stronger buyer activity across single-family homes and condos in both counties, with Sarasota’s condo market posting the sharpest jump in sales.

05/19/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Walker Run

Sarasota School Icon Paul Rudolph’s Walker Guest House Is for Sale for $2 Million in L.A.

The original Sanibel retreat, designed by Rudolph in 1952, has resurfaced in Los Angeles, reopening memories of Rudolph's timeless design as well as a beloved replica that once stood on The Ringling Museum grounds.

05/19/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Dolce Vita

A Montreal Teacher Is Bringing Pistachio Cannoli, Affogato and Amalfi Sunshine to Sarasota

Tracy Calabrice is leaving the classroom to open Amalfi Bakehouse on Siesta Drive, with a rotating selection of Italian-inspired cookies, filled-to-order cannoli, house-made gelato and an espresso bar built around a slower, sweeter idea of café life.

05/18/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Parking Pain

Update: Sarasota Will Implement Longer Paid Parking Hours Downtown

City commissioners approved a plan on Monday, May 18, that will extend meter enforcement to 8 a.m. through midnight, seven days a week—minus Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.—and raise many fines.

05/18/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Complete Streets

What Should the Future of Downtown Sarasota’s Main Street Look Like?

The downtown corridor’s long-range makeover is moving into its next phase, and the city wants the public’s input May 21.

05/14/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Buy, Sell, Sarasota

Sarasota County Is Getting Its Own Monopoly Board

Sarasota is about to find out what it looks like in Monopoly form. The public is invited to send in landmark suggestions.

05/12/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Palm Reading

Sarasota Commissioners Reject Controversial Palm Avenue Tower Again

City commissioners voted 4-1 to reject a mediated settlement for the 1260 N. Palm Residences, keeping alive a fight over height, compatibility and the future of Palm Avenue.

05/05/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Stats

Statewide and Local Migration Has Slowed From Its Pandemic High

Looking at population patterns.

05/04/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Taking the Keys

Mark Vengroff Builds on His Father’s Ambitious Affordable Housing Mission

From One Stop Housing’s headquarters inside its University Row apartments near Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, the company now operates more than 4,000 affordable rental units across multiple states with additional developments in the pipeline.

05/04/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Big Dip

Saucy! By KFC Is Bringing Its Sauce-Obsessed Chicken Concept to Lakewood Ranch

The new Manatee County restaurant opens today, Monday, May 4, in a former PDQ space on Lena Road.

05/04/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Did That Really Happen?

Recent You-Can’t-Make-Them-Up Headlines From Sarasota and Beyond

A dolphin named Gerald leading an underwater development project, our local billionaires and a very strange find on Longboat Key.

05/01/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Siesta Sway

The Only Florida Beach on the 'World’s 50 Best' List Is in Sarasota

Siesta Beach ranked No. 28 on The World’s 50 Best Beaches list for 2026, climbing from No. 42 last year.

04/29/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Smooth Operator

New City Manager Karie Friling Prepares to Step Into City Hall

Friling, the first woman selected for the job, talks about growth, local control, stormwater, housing and why her first year will begin with listening.

04/29/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Still Laughing

Remembering Samuel Ray, the Neighbor Behind Central Cocoanut’s Laughing Buddha

After Ray’s unexpected death, Sarasota’s Laughing Buddha stands as a reminder of the Central Cocoanut neighbor who gave the landmark its watchful place in the community.

04/27/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Market Report

March's Real Estate Data Shows Sarasota Prices Are up for the First Time This Year

March median sale prices reached $485,000 for Sarasota single-family homes and $494,205 for Manatee County single-family homes.

04/21/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Philanthropy

Giving Challenge Brings in $16.7 Million as 751 Nonprofits Draw Broad Support Across the Region

The biennial event ended Thursday at noon after drawing 50,904 donors, 87,814 gifts and a record 751 participating nonprofits, with this year’s total coming in just below the $17.2 million raised in 2024.

04/16/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Gillespie Park Neighborhood

A Proposed 324-Unit Apartment Development Raises Questions in Gillespie Park

At a Gillespie Neighborhood Association meeting last night, residents and business owners pressed developers for answers about timing, traffic and the future of a longtime cluster of small businesses near downtown Sarasota.

04/15/2026 By Kim Doleatto