Rothenbach Park

The whole family will enjoy the playgrounds at Rothenbach Park, with one designated toddler area and another section for older kids. With a shaded picnic spot, a workout area and about five miles of paved recreational trails that are perfect for walking, jogging, or cycling, this is the ultimate place for a fun family outing. 

8650 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota.

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Salt Your Soul Co. is the go-to destination for lovers of all things plants, crystals and unique finds. First opened by Jen Zak last year as a passion project, Salt your Soul Co. now not only offers a massive array of quirky gifts, but also supports fellow small businesses by carrying their products.

From the very beginning, Zak dreamed of running her own business. Her first retail endeavor was selling handmade dog collars at craft fairs. However, after going to college at Penn State Zak entered the corporate world and moved to the Sarasota area, working a 9-5 job until the end of 2019 when she entered a deep depression. “I didn't know where I belonged or if I had a purpose and it was all post divorce. I had two small children, and someone said ‘Jen, you just have to get out of your environment, go somewhere else’,” Zak says.

This inspired Zak to travel to Santa Fe for a month, where she lived in a casita on a mountain and discovered the power of crystals, nature and the West. During the trip, Zak visited a salt cave, which is a room completely full of Himalayan salt. The salt is thought to create a high level of negative ions which can help with relaxation, lowering blood pressure and releasing muscle tension.

Zak set out on a mission to bring the Himalayan salt phenomenon to Sarasota. “There is something about that salt. It’s so clearing, grounding and it just feels really good. Since I couldn’t build a salt cave, because you need to have an enclosed area or the salt will destroy everything, I thought I'll just bring in salt lamps and salt, inhalers, and salt, pillows, and little salt stones.”

Zak returned to Sarasota and opened Salt Your Soul Co. in November 2022. The store now carries salt lamps in a variety of sizes and an unbelievable stock of plants, along with other gifts. Among Zak’s best-selling plants are Elephant ears, Monsteras and Hoyas, but she also carries an array of rare hanging Philodendrons. While plants can intimidate some guests who were not blessed with a green thumb, Zak assures her guests that Salt Your Soul Co.’s plants are foolproof. Along with the plants and salt products, the shop carries nearly 150 different types of crystals.

Zak has also created a community by hosting events like a monthly plant swap at the store, where anyone can come trade plant propagations and cuttings. She also organizes events at the store, such as macrame group lessons or a Groovy Kids Club, where children can come paint pots, all tied to other small businesses from the area,

Salt Your Soul Co. carries unique items made from high-quality small businesses, perfect for anyone who strives to build connections, whether that be through attending events and swaps or just by stopping by to learn about something you might have never heard of before.

7212 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941- 923-9951, Saltyoursoul.com 

Pictured: Salt Your Soul Co. offers a wide variety of plants for plant lovers and first-time plant owner alike. Photo courtesy of Jen Zak.

The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch was recently named No. 1 in Florida as part of the 15th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration (AFMC), sponsored by the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. The event ran from June 19 to Sept. 18, during which the public voted on their favorite markets. The Market was also ranked 22nd in the nation. The AFMC is the only annual ranking of the top farmers markets in the U.S. as voted on by the public. The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, which is about to enter its sixth season, is home to more than 100 curated vendors of the region’s best food and flavors, and is located at Waterside Place – Lakewood Ranch’s newest town center. Open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round, The Market has become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. Other activities on Market Sundays include yoga at 9 a.m. at the adjacent Waterside Park, weekly live music, Kids’ Corner crafts, games, and storytelling; and a Community Supported Agriculture program each fall and winter in partnership with Honeyside Farms. The Market also works with Transition Sarasota as part of the Suncoast Gleaning Project. Among other efforts, volunteers pick up leftover vegetables from the farmers weekly and take them to food banks to make meals for those in need, thereby helping diminish food waste while providing nutritious produce to diverse populations. For more information about The Market, contact Nicole Hackel at 941-757-1520 or visit lakewoodranch.com/life-on-the-ranch/themarket/.  

With the start of season just around the corner, there’s no shortage of fun and exciting events for Sarasotans to enjoy. Among those is Fresh Fridays, a monthly event series in downtown Sarasota made possible by Next-Mark, LLC, the Downtown Improvement District and the City of Sarasota. This year marks the third season of Fresh Fridays, which creates a block-party atmosphere, complete with live music, tasty eats and more. “We started Fresh Fridays in November of 2021. At the time, the driver was Commissioner Hagen Brody. What he wanted to do was create events that really elevated the whole downtown experience where people could come, have super high-quality entertainment and be part of that rich downtown experience,” says Next-Mark President Joseph Grano, the event’s producer.

Each month has a different theme, and October’s is Paint the Town Fresh, a nod to the city’s arts community. “We’ve always gone out of our way to get super high-end live entertainment, not just from this area but from across the state,” he adds. “We’ve always kept it free, and we don’t have VIP areas. Everyone is on an equal playing field.” Attendees will enjoy affordable light bites and drinks from beloved Sarasota restaurants including Beso, Art Ovation Hotel and Azul Steak and Sushi Lounge. All food and drink purchases are required to be under $10. They will have the opportunity to partake in classic games like Jumbo Jenga and the ever-popular cornhole. Another highlight is the free signature giveaway, which people stand in line to receive. “In October, we’re launching a digital guestbook. People can sign in on their phones, drop a video and create a whole string of content with videos and photos that we’ll post on social,” Grano says. The Brett Foreman Band will perform, giving guests a wonderful dancing soundtrack. “It’s music you can dance to. That was one of the biggest discoveries for us,” he adds, “because I didn’t know how much Sarasota loves to dance.”

Grano hopes that the October kick-off will help Sarasotans get back into the swing of things following the slower summertime months, with more innovative themes to come such as Art and Jazz in November and Fresh and Frosty in December for the holidays. “Early interest in the October event is at an all-time high,” Grano says. “The real success of it is that you can have a downtown experience that’s safe, welcoming and free.”

Paint the Town Fresh runs from 7-10pm on Main Street in Downtown Sarasota. To learn more, visit downtownsarasotadid.com/fresh-fridays, Instagram at downtownsarasotadid or Facebook at Downtown Sarasota. 

Pictured: Fresh Fridays enhances the urban environment of Sarasota. Photo Courtesy of Next-Mark, LLC.

Fresh Fridays

Halfacre Construction Company, a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently broke ground on a building addition and renovation work for Carlos E. Haile Middle School. Located at 9501 State Road 64 E in Bradenton, the $36 million project includes a 10-classroom building addition and modernization of the entire campus, including the replacement of roof systems, mechanical systems, plumbing systems, building systems, kitchen reconfiguration and partial equipment replacement. Site improvements will also be made to include canopies, concrete walks and associated drainage deep energy retrofit. Halfacre Construction Company is working with Long & Associates Architects and Engineers on the project. The team celebrated the launch of the project on Friday, Sept. 8 with a groundbreaking ceremony. During the event, attendees heard from Irene Nikitopoulos, principal of Haile Middle School; Dr. Jason Wysong, superintendent for the School District of Manatee County; Chad Choate lll, board chair for the School Board of Manatee County; Jeff Medwetz, construction services project director for the School District of Manatee County; Travis Steed, architect for Long & Associates Architects/Engineers; and Dean Crowley, construction manager for Halfacre Construction Company. The campus will remain active while construction is going on. Portables were added to the back of the campus to accommodate the students during construction. The project has an estimated completion of summer 2024. The Bradenton-based middle school is home to more than 800 students and has a mission of inspiring its students with a passion for learning and empowering them to pursue their dreams confidently and creatively while contributing to the community, nation and world.  

Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties invites local media affiliates to join us for a Dedication Reception and Ribbon Cutting at the new Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club. The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys and Girls Club is the organization’s sixth Club location and first site situated in DeSoto County. The agency began operating this facility in July 2018 providing youth, ages 6 to 18, with year-round programs that help them excel in school, become leaders, and adopt healthy habits. Youth also receive healthy meals and snacks and foster meaningful relationships with peers and trusted mentors. In 2019, the City of Arcadia transferred the lease of the Smith-Brown Recreation Center that sits adjacent to the current Club building to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. In 2021 the agency transformed the structure into a multi-purpose gymnasium for youth with designated space for physical activities, project-based learning, and enrichment programs that further foster personal development. The Dedication Reception will celebrate the completion of the permanent Clubhouse; an addition of another 7,000 square feet to the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club for additional youth development programs. The facility will also be available for local use outside of the Club’s operating hours and will become a valuable community asset. As part of the ceremony, the incoming slate of 2023-24 Board Officers will be installed. The Dedication Reception and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will feature executives from Boys & Girls Clubs, the President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jim Clark, the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust, the Club Director, Club members, key construction partners, and local community leaders including Coach Richard Bowers.

Thursday, September 28, 2023, 5:30 – 7:00 pm., Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club, 18 School Ave., Arcadia, FL 34266. 

MAGIC MOMENTS | For Reni Papalexiou, there's no time like the present to plan a unique event or curate a one of a kind gift, September 2023. 

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