Pictured: Paint the Town Fresh event, October 2023. Photo courtesy of Next-Mark, LLC.

When Hurricane Helene made landfall last week, it brought with it 130 mph winds, huge storm surges, power outages and immense flooding throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast and the entire Southeast. In Sarasota and Manatee Counties, residential and commercial areas alike have seen damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Businesses have been forced to close doors, homes have been evacuated and thousands in the area have been left adrift, wondering what to do in the aftermath of the natural disaster.

This Friday marks a step toward recovery and potential rehabilitation after the storm. To kick off their fourth season of Fresh Fridays, a first Friday outdoor event series produced by Next-Mark, LLC in collaboration with the City of Sarasota and the Downtown Improvement District, Next-Mark will host October-Fresh, a special edition of the series that will raise money for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The event, which will take place in downtown Sarasota on Main Street from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday night, looks to both entertain Sarasotans by taking their mind off things with a night of fun music, local vendors and family activities while also providing a space for attendees to donate to the ongoing relief efforts. During the event, a representative from All Faiths Food Bank will be present in the Fresh Fridays Welcome Tent, where attendees can scan a unique QR code to make their donations.

“The original plan was to have our season four kickoff to Fresh Fridays be Octoberfresh. When the storm came through, however, we pivoted and wanted to turn this into a fundraiser event for those impacted by the storm. We actually did this in 2022 as well when Hurricane Ian came through,” says Travis Cornwell, Clients Experience and Development Manager at Next-Mark. “Helene affected everyone in our area and it’s just good for the city to come together and help those in need. The event’s still going to have the same feel as Fresh Fridays with the talent that we have, local vendors and all that sort of stuff but just a little twist for people to donate.”

Performing at October-Fresh will be the local favorite Society Hill, a dynamic six-piece band that plays a range of different genres. A 20 x 40 foot corn maze will also be set up at the event and local vendors will be available to purchase food.

October 4, 7 pm- 10pm., Main Street, Sarasota. To make a donation, visit: allfaithsfoodbank.org/?form=FUNNAAXWSRK.

Pictured: Paint the Town Fresh event, October 2023. Photo courtesy of Next-Mark, LLC.

To learn more, visit.