On January 2nd, locals and visitors can kick off the new year in style with the return of the Sarasota Seafood and Music Festival. Happening at the Sarasota Fairgrounds, this three-day festival brings together local chefs, artisans, and musical performers for an unforgettable weekend.

“Bring family, friends, and good vibes--everyone is welcome,” said a representative from Paragon Festivals, who is organizing the event.

The festival launches on Friday, January 2 from 4:30-10pm, continues on Saturday, January 3 from 11am to 10pm, and concludes on Sunday, January 4 from 11am to 6pm. Culinary enthusiasts can sample a wide variety of dishes from local chefs, including fresh seafood, meats and vegetarian options, all prepared on-site. There are also ample side dishes, beverages and delectable desserts to choose from. Enjoy live music from an array of top regional musical acts in genres ranging from R&B and soul to jazz and rock. Featured artists include Jack’D Up, Dr. Dave Band, The Billy Rice Band, Damon Fowler and Prodigal Sons among others.

Once you’ve eaten, be sure to browse through the marketplace filled with unique treasures, including paintings, glasswork, gourmet food items and other specialty products.

The Sarasota Seafood & Music Festival won the 2025 Best of SRQ Local Gold award for Best Local Festival, and organizers aim to top last year’s experience. Mark your calendars and visit the Paragon Events website now to reserve your tickets for Sarasota’s inaugural foodie event of 2026.

Sarasota Seafood & Music Festival at Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, 941-365-0818. 

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota has rolled out major menu refreshes at both Rufa and Jack Dusty, each rooted in Florida ingredients but layered with global technique, spice, and storytelling. Rufa has introduced new and updated menu items built around bright citrus, bold marinades, and modern coastal flavors, with dishes that push the line between Baja, Spanish coastline, and Gulf freshness. The refreshed beverage program mirrors the same direction: agave-forward, citrus-driven cocktails built with clarified citrus, chamomile, chili tinctures, coastal herbs, and house infusions. Signatures include The Osprey (clarified tequila–mezcal milk punch with smoked presentation) and The Canary (tequila, genepy, yellow pepper–chamomile syrup). Jack Dusty’s refreshed cocktail menu is built around the “sips and trips around the world” idea, blending global flavor travel with Sarasota’s coastal sensibility through house infusions, fat-washing, clarified citrus, and spice-route aromatics. Together, the two refreshed programs offer a clear point of view: coastal dining and drinking that blends local Florida ingredients with modern global inspiration. 

To learn more, visit

The Watershed Hospitality Concepts family of restaurants has proudly linked arms with Sarasota High School, The Farm at McIntosh Middle School, the Sarasota Cattlemen’s Association and an innovative class with WHC’s establishment of a business partnership commitment in support of the business of Agriculture and the future Ag leaders in the state of Florida.  Thousands of SCS students will now have access to real-world learning experiences each year and The Farm is being held up as a bold national example of how to sustain support for the 4-H and FFA students who want to learn the business of Agriculture. 

To learn more, visit

In the true spirit of the holiday season, Nik Wallenda’s Wonderland Circus: Believe, presented by LECOM, is welcoming more families under the big top, thanks to the generosity of Benderson Development, which believes in the power of shared experiences and community connection. For tickets, performance schedules, and additional information, visit wonderlandcircus.com. 

As part of its 40th anniversary season, La Musica Chamber Music presents “Beethoven Journey,” a sweeping tribute to one of classical music’s most transformative figures, on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the Riverview Performing Arts Center, 3 Ram Way, Sarasota. This all-Beethoven program brings together four internationally acclaimed artists—Kristin Lee, violin; Arnaud Sussmann, violin/viola; David Finckel, cello; and Juho Pohjonen, piano—in a concert that explores the breadth of Beethoven’s chamber music genius, from intimate lyricism to expansive, heroic expression. Tickets are $65–$80. To purchase tickets, call the box office at 941-347-9656 or visit LaMusica.org.  

Join archaeologist and art historian Dr. Joanna S. Smith as she discusses Ancient Art from Cyprus and the Mediterranean newly reinstalled in Gallery 12 of the Museum of Art. In this illustrated talk, Smith unveils many of the faces of the sculptures on view in the context of both the ancient world and modern collecting practices.

Jan 21, 2026, 11am, Museum of Art/Chao Lecture Hall, $10/$5 Members. 

For ticket information click here

Enchanting luminary displays return to Downtown Wellen for the third annual Wellen Park Luminescence Festival Friday, Jan. 9, from 6 to 10 p.m. The celebration features live musical entertainment, fireworks and hundreds of luminary bags lighting up green spaces, gathering areas and the 80-acre Grand Lake, along with dining and shopping throughout downtown’s restaurants and retail stores. The bags are available from 5 to 7 p.m. near the Heritage Oak Tree on a first-come, first served basis with tables and supplies provided for decorating. The Eighth Note Collective, a beloved Orlando-based jazz band that performed at the 2025 festival, marks an encore return. Known for its fresh take on classic jazz music, the band plays throughout the event on the Solis Hall stage. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs for seating under the stars on the Great Lawn. Festival parking is expected to fill fast. Carpooling, ridesharing, golf carts or walking are suggested. Visit wellenpark.com/events/save-the-date-2026-luminescence-festival for more information. 

This December, the Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller is filling living rooms with holiday gifts for kids in foster care—because every child deserves to wake up to something with their name on it. The Clerk & Comptroller partnered with the Manatee County Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (FAPA), an organization dedicated to strengthening bonds between foster children and the families caring for them, to provide new, unwrapped toys and gifts for children ages 0-18. Clerk & Comptroller employees donated nearly 400 toys and gifts during the month-long drive, digging into their own holiday budgets to support foster families. The Clerk & Comptroller’s four historical museums also collected donations from community members, who stopped by to drop off toys and gifts. Manatee County FAPA will distribute the gifts to families throughout the holiday season and into the new year—a reminder that foster families need support long after the festivities end and decorations come down.  

The Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's Office will be closed Wednesday, December 24; Thursday, December 25; Friday, December 26; and Thursday, January 1, 2026 in observance of the holiday season. The office will remain open with regular business hours Monday, December 29 through Wednesday, December 31, and will reopen Friday, January 2, 2026. Customers can continue to access online services during the closure, including searching court records, official records, and making payments on the Clerk & Comptroller’s website at https://www.ManateeClerk.com/ or download the Clerk & Comptroller's mobile app from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.