This holiday season, head down to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus to check out their annual holiday lights show, Lights in Bloom. The show, which is on during select nights through January 5th, features more than two million lights illuminating the gardens and walkways and is a repeat winner in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice contest for Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights. “Lights in Bloom is just a beautiful way to see our bayfront sanctuary in a completely new way during these winter evenings,” says Greg Luberecki, Selby Gardens’ Vice President of Strategic Communications. “For the past 19 years, it’s become a wonderful holiday tradition in the Sarasota region. We have multiple generations of families that come back year after year and every year the lighting designers (Affairs in the Air) not only outdo themselves by coming up with new displays but also repeat the old favorites that repeat visitors love to see. It’s also a way that new guests get to learn about Selby Gardens.

Some of the new attractions include the transformation of the historic Selby mansion into a gingerbread house as well as a unique photo opportunity in the butterfly garden. “The lighting designers added lights and decorations to make the house look like a gingerbread house but with a little bit of a tropical twist. Additionally, the butterfly garden has a new photo opportunity with giant butterfly wings – they almost look like stained glass lit up within the frame of a giant butterfly,” says Luberecki. “Another new touch is a string light tree by the bay front where visitors are encouraged to step inside and get a picture under the sparkling lights.”

One of the returning old favorites is the Bromeliad Tree, which stands at over 20 feet tall and is constructed of nearly 800 individual colorful plants. “You can see the Bromeliad Tree in natural light and then when it's lit up at night it’s absolutely stunning – it’s constructed of three separate pieces – the horticulture team uses heavy equipment to stack each piece on top of one another once they are all decorated,” says Luberecki. “Bromeliads are one of the signature plants that are displayed and studied here at Selby and the Bromeliad Tree is really where the horticulture team gets to flex their creativity and challenge themselves to come up with a new design.”

Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota Campus, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, 941-366-5731. 

Pictured: The Bromeliad Tree is a favorite in the Lights in Bloom Show. Photo by Cliff Roles.

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Confession: I had never read Cormac McCarthy before. Sure, I saw the film Old Country for Old Men (with my eyes squinted shut for the scary scenes) and I heard about how depressing The Road (his Pulitzer Prize winning novel was), but Stella Maris, his most recent novel, is the one for which I finally screwed up my courage.

And guess what? No violence. I won’t spoil any other specifics for you, but this book is obviously by ‘the Grandpa who’s finally mellowed out’ and that’s said with zero ageism and 100% respect and revelry.

Here’s the plot’s skeleton: a young female mathematician checks herself into a Wisconsin psychiatric hospital. Stella Maris details weeks of her conversation with an older male psychiatrist. Counseling plots are my jam (Listen to The Marriage being another of my staff picks and most of the reason I bought into the Sopranos with the great Lorraine Branco as Tony’s shrink). So, it’s not for readers hell bent on action, but rather those who enjoy the slow burn of questions: is she or isn’t she mentally scrambled in combination with why did the therapist say that?

This novel is heavily laden with math theories and a unique way of looking at whose judgment mental illness belongs to, as well as where the origin of mental illness began.

Stella Maris is available for pre-sale now at www.sarasotabooks.com and in store on December 6th at BookStore1 117 S. Pineapple Ave. Sarasota. Publication Date: 12/6/22. , ISBN#: 9780307269003. 

Returning to a live format for the first time since 2020, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe invites the community to celebrate the rich legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during an inspirational performance. The production, titled “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Celebrating His Legacy in Spoken Word and Song,” will feature re-enactments of Dr. King’s speeches, song and dance. The show, which is arranged and directed by WBTT Founder/Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, takes place on Monday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House (61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota). Program highlights will include excerpts from Dr. King’s speeches and writings, re-enacted by Reverend Charles McKenzie, interspersed with singing and dancing by some of WBTT’s most popular professional performers as well as students from WBTT’s Stage of Discovery youth training program. Additionally, the 2023 winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay writing contest will be announced. Presenting sponsor is Community Foundation of Sarasota County; collaborating sponsor is the Sarasota County Bar Association Council for Diversity & Inclusion. Tickets are: $35/orchestra and mezzanine, $25/balcony, and $15/students (ages 25 and under with valid ID); prices include all applicable fees. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at 941-366-1505 or visit westcoastblacktheatre.org. 

Pictured: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe – led by Founder/Artistic Director Nate Jacobs (front, center) – will present its celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 16 Photo by Sorcha Augustine.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) kicks off its 2023 Stage III Series with Babel by Jacqueline Goldfinger, a dark comedy probing the world of modern eugenics. In the play’s version of the not-so-distant future, expectant parents learn within the first few weeks of pregnancy which traits their child will have and what behaviors it is likely to exhibit. If the parents learn that their future child doesn’t have the purest genetic traits, they are encouraged to terminate the pregnancy and start over. Babel follows the extreme lengths two couples go to in order to have a baby. Called “Intriguing from start to finish” by Talkin’ Broadway, Babel begins playing January 18 in FST’s Bowne’s Lab. Babel is part of a three-show subscription package. Also included in the Stage III subscription package is the Regional Premiere of The Last Match, a fast-paced drama diving into the world of professional tennis, and the World Premiere of Paralyzed, a striking story of fate, guilt, and the power of forgiveness. Subscriptions for all three Stage III shows can be purchased for as little as $49, and single tickets for Babel range from $18-39. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000. 

The popular Rainforest Masks of Costa Rica art exhibition will return to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus from January 7 to 22, 2023. Featuring the traditional art of the Indigenous Boruca tribe of the Costa Rican rainforest, the show will include more than 400 colorful masks and other hand-crafted pieces on display inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts and available for purchase by visitors. A ticketed preview on January 6 will give a limited number of attendees the first opportunity to view and purchase artworks in the 2023 exhibition. The annual Rainforest Masks show is a collaboration between Selby Gardens and Lucuma Designs, a Sarasota-based wholesale fair-trade partner that represents artists and artist cooperatives in Costa Rica and Peru. Since 2004, Selby Gardens has showcased the masks of the Borucan tribe, bringing their traditional art and its themes of heritage, nature, and sustainability to a wider audience. The show also empowers the artists through income from mask sales that helps support their village and their growing conservation efforts. The exhibition will run from Saturday, January 7, through Sunday, January 22, and access is included with general admission to the Gardens. On Friday, January 6, Selby Gardens will host a special ticketed preview, during which visitors will be the first to see this year’s masks and get first dibs on purchasing their favorites. (Purchased masks and other items will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. Pick-up or shipping after the show’s completion can be arranged at the time of purchase.) Tickets for the limited-capacity preview event are available on the Selby Gardens website at selby.org. 

Photo by Lucuma Designs.

All three Mattison’s Restaurants will be open on New Year’s Eve featuring festive food and drinks, live music, and fun for everyone to welcome 2023! Mattison’s Forty-One will feature their regular menu with a Chateaubriand for Two special. The Randy Stephens experience will provide entertainment. Open 4-midnight. Reservations 941-921-3400 or mattisons.com. Mattison’s City Grille will be a great spot to see the Pineapple Drop at midnight and enjoy the entire day of fun for the whole family with a block party featuring top 10 country artist Chas Collins taking the street stage at 8 pm in front of City Grille at Lemon Avenue and Main Street. Open 11am-2am. Reservations 941-330-0440.Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille in Bradenton will ring in the New Year with local favorite Avalanche guaranteed to get you up and dancing. Enjoy a special menu for dinner. Open 11- midnight. Reservations 941-896 9660. Everyone dining at Mattison’s on New Year’s Eve can enter to win a fabulous gourmet gift basket filled with a $100 Mattison’s Gift Card, Mattison’s Swag and a complimentary hotel stay at a local star-rated hotel. No matter which restaurant you choose for the celebration, Mattison’s has the night covered for your family, group of friends, or for and your special someone! Join us to say farewell to 2022 and ring in 2023 with festivities and delicious food and drinks. On behalf of Paul Mattison and his entire staff we wish everyone a safe and Happy Holiday Season and Wonderful New Year! For more information visit mattisons.com. If you are choosing to stay in or have a private party for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, Mattison’s Catering has several options to help you plan a stress-free party with custom menus and pick-up, delivery, or full-service options. Call 941-921-3400 for catering information. 

Manatee County's Emergency Management Division has coordinated with The Salvation Army to open cold weather shelter space at their Manatee County location: 1204 14th St. W., Bradenton. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and there will be space for an additional 50 people. In addition to their daily sheltering program (with space for 60 individuals overnight) during regular and high temperatures, the Salvation Army provides cold weather shelter for Manatee County’s homeless. They monitor the weather for expected drops in temperature and prepare extra bedding to increase their sheltering capacity. For more information about Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ManateeGov. 

Meet the region's 35 Under 35 Awards Honorees for the 2022 program produced by SRQ Magazine to recognize young professionals who are taking a leadership position at their company and in the community. Learn more about Joseph "JT" S. Grano, III, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Next-Mark!

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JT collaborates with businesses locally and nationally in bridging the gap between marketing communications and CRM software. His ability to customize and manage end-to-end Salesforce implementations has helped Next-Mark increase its revenue and build new levels of engagement with clients. JT graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where he double majored in marketing and finance. Before joining Next-Mark, he gained corporate experience in IT project management, marketing communications and also worked in professional sports with the Indiana Pacers. JT grew up in Sarasota, attending the Out of Door Academy. When he’s not helping clients maximize their reach and profits, you can find JT on the golf course, at home with his wife, Nicole, or leading the Next-Mark team at downtown Sarasota’s Fresh Fridays events. 

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