Maria and Thomas Webb are passionate about hosting and their annual community Halloween party is no exception. What started two years ago as a creative outlet for Maria has now grown into a project that is planned months in advance and formed through countless hours of work handcrafting games and decorations.

The Webbs started their annual tradition while searching for ways to celebrate Halloween with their children even though they live in a more rural community where the numerous acres situated between neighbors makes trick-or-treating on foot a difficult task. Wanting to give the neighborhood kids a way to enjoy the holiday, Maria decided to plan a gathering for them, complete with a candy potluck and an array of games lining the Webb’s driveway.

From there, Maria’s creativity blossomed, turning what started as a casual get-together into the ultimate Halloween destination for families of all ages. For the second Halloween bash, the Webbs invited their children’s school mates and neighbors to the event with handmade invitations, complete with wax seals, made by Maria, a feat that took over a month to finish. This year, the Webbs will continue making hand-made invites, even more intricately now that they have invested in a laser-cutter, but will also use a website to spread the word of their event.

The creativity and long hours of preparation certainly doesn’t end with the invites. The Webbs also handcrafted creative, Halloween-themed games for their guests, including a ring toss game on a witch’s hat and corn-hole sets disguised as jack-o-lanterns and ghosts.

Along with the games and competitions for candy, the Webbs also set up craft tents for the children. The crafts range from watercolor painting to clay sculpting and even a slime “potion” station.

“Some of our kids’ birthday parties get similar treatment or serve as testing moments for the Halloween party, because we usually have a smaller crowd. For example, the slime station idea was actually from my older daughter’s birthday party, originally, because she is a huge Harry Potter fan,” Maria says. “So, she wanted “potions class” and all that kind of stuff. The kids completely swarmed that slime table, so we knew we had to include it because it’s so halloween-y. We put out jars and labels so it can be like their little jar of potion.”

This year, the Webbs have planted a pumpkin patch in their yard and have an inflatable corn maze for guests. The party will be on October 28th this year and will start at 2pm. The Webbs require no RSVP and the party is open to anyone who is looking for a fun way to spend their holiday.

“It's really just nice to come together as a community and just be silly,” Maria adds. “Halloween is one of the best holidays because everything is supposed to be kind of weird. It's just such a great moment for creativity and fun. Anyone is welcome.”

For more information about the Webb’s Halloween bash, visit their website webb-halloween.com. 

Pictured: The Webbs annual Halloween party is full of fun for all ages. Photo courtesy of Maria Webb.

Five Sarasota County educators were recently named 2023 Ripple Effect Teacher Award winners by Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and Sarasota County Schools. Each award, which recognizes educators for their impact on their students, schools, and community, came with a $5,000 check for the teacher from Barancik Foundation. The Ripple Effect Teacher Awards program honors the chosen profession of Margery Barancik, co-founder of the foundation that bears her name, who was a teacher and lifelong supporter of education. Barancik Foundation presents the Ripple Effect Teacher Award to five educators twice a year, in September and May, to mark the respective birthdays of Margie and Chuck Barancik. The recipients of the fall 2023 Ripple Effect Teacher Award were: Elizabeth Donofrio, Venice High School, Kim Hunt, Venice Elementary School, BJ Ivey, Sarasota High School, Marjie Smith, Sarasota Middle School, Robert Whipple, Triad Alternative School. Each winner was surprised at their school with the award presentation by school district executive leadership, Barancik Foundation staff, school colleagues, and appreciative students. Superintendent Terry Connor read the nomination letter submitted by each winner’s principal, while award certificates and checks were presented by Barancik Foundation President/CEO Teri A Hansen and Senior Vice President John Annis. The Ripple Effect Teacher Award program was launched in 2021 and invites Sarasota County School District principals to nominate one educator from their school who sets the bar for innovation and creates lasting impacts on their students and peers. To date, Barancik Foundation has presented 30 Ripple Effect Teacher Awards. 

Pictured: BJ Ivey at Sarasota High School, one of the Ripple Effect award winners.

New College of Florida applauds the State University System Board of Governors for approving the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an admissions test alternative to the ACT and SAT. New College has partnered with CLT to offer the test for free on Thursday, November 2, 2023. Students can register for the CLT through New College at apply.ncf.edu/portal/clt-reg to receive a code waiving the $59 test administration fee. The CLT is offered with in-school and remotely-proctored formats. The November 2 test offered for sponsored by New College is a remotely proctored test. The registration deadline for the November 2 test is October 26. Founded in 2015, CLT is designed for high school juniors and seniors preparing to apply for college. It offers assessments that evaluate English, grammar, and mathematical skills, providing a comprehensive measure of achievement and aptitude. CLT exams emphasize foundational critical thinking skills and are accessible to students from a variety of educational backgrounds. For more information about the CLT, visit cltexam.com. 

The School District of Manatee County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a school addition and renovation project this Friday, October 6, 2023. The event is taking place at 9 a.m. at Tara Elementary School, which is located at 6950 Linger Lodge Road East in Manatee County. The school addition and renovation was approved by the School Board of Manatee County in July 2022, and the scheduled opening of the building is Fall 2025. The project includes the addition of four classrooms; roof replacement; improved traffic queuing; cabinetry and millwork, as needed; doors and windows; painting; tiles and flooring; building signage; plumbing; new mechanical system; LED lighting upgrade and other enhancements; and removal of portables. The project budget is $35.2 million. Architect: Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors. Construction Manager: Creative Contractors. 

New College of Florida’s (NCF) Board of Trustees today selected Richard Corcoran as the college’s next president, voting to enter into contract negotiations that will be considered at the next Board of Trustees meeting later this month. Corcoran’s selection comes after a six-month presidential search and selection process. “We want to extend our gratitude to the presidential search committee, who conducted a robust nationwide search to bring us candidates that would capably guide New College into the future,” said Board of Trustees Chair Debra A. Jenks. “With the selection of President Corcoran, New College is poised to continue on its path of becoming the best liberal arts institution in the nation. Thank you to all those who participated in this process.” Jenks designated Vice Chair Ron Christaldi to negotiate an employment contract with Corcoran. Once an employment contract is agreed upon, the full Board of Trustees will meet to review and vote on the contract. Once approved, the contract will go before the State University System of Florida Board of Governors at its November 9 meeting for consideration and a vote on approval. During four terms in the Florida Legislature, Corcoran was a staunch advocate for improving all levels of education. His eight years in elected office culminated with the speakership in the Florida House of Representatives in his final term. Subsequently, appointed as Florida’s Education Commissioner in 2018, he deftly navigated the reopening of Florida’s schools in the fall of 2020. Corcoran has been a member of the Florida Bar for 24 years and served six years in the U.S. Naval Reserve while in college. Corcoran was one of three finalists submitted by the presidential search committee to the NCF Board of Trustees for consideration. The 15-member search committee, comprising a distinguished group representing the SUS BOG, NCF Board of Trustees, student body, faculty, NCF Foundation, alumni and other stakeholders and supporters of NCF, started its work on April 7. The committee received and reviewed 63 applications and conducted eight interviews. The committee was tasked with identifying candidates who could guide New College beyond its recent history of enrollment and economic challenges while restoring its reputation for providing a nationally recognized liberal arts undergraduate education. 

It’s officially spooky season, and that means pumpkin carving, costume planning and indulging in your favorite scary movie or book. At Bookstore1Sarasota, one of popular culture’s most iconic villains will come to life through The Gothic Library, a live radio theater event led by Bookseller Ren Pearson. For three nights, a talented cast will perform Dracula, by Bram Stoker, which Pearson adapted to fit the radio format.

Originally published in 1897, Dracula has had a tremendous influence on modern vampire stories. “Everyone knows the imagery of Dracula, and it’s so easy to copy and adapt. But when you’re doing it for an audio format, it presents some fun challenges,” says Pearson. In past iterations of The Gothic Library, audiences have been encouraged to close their eyes during the performances and let the sounds carry them through the narrative. However, for Dracula, an extra sensory component makes for even more compelling viewing. “We’re adding a visual element to the production. The audience will sit and watch the talented actors perform, and we will have imagery of moments and locations from the novel on a big TV, creating a multimedia experience that will fuel their imaginations,” he adds, noting that nudity and blood will appear on screen.

Whether you own a dog-eared copy of the novel or came to know the character as a child wearing plastic vampire fangs for Halloween, you’ll delight in Pearson’s ability to breathe new life into the undead vampire. “We had to get creative with casting. The beautiful thing about radio theater is that it doesn’t matter what an actor looks like,” he says. “Dracula is one of literature’s greatest villains, but we didn’t want to do it in a way that everyone was expecting, so we cast a female, Aden Russell, for the role. Anyone can do the accent, but she had that presence where the moment you speak you sound powerful.” Along with Russell, Tom Aposporos, Tom Horton and Amanda Heisey will lend their voices to the performance.

“As we go through the script, we keep the book by our sides. The case of Dracula is so interesting because Stoker wrote one thing and culture took it and and made it into something else. He’s old and parasitic and wicked, which we kept in the script, but we also made our Dracula sexy,” Pearson adds. “Casting a woman opened all these interesting doors and conversations around power. I’m not sure what people will discuss, but I hope the show will start some fun discussions.”

Dracula will be performed by The Gothic Library at Bookstore1Sarasota on October 12, 13 and 14 from 8-9:30pm. 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-365-7900, sarasotabooks.com. 

Pictured: Tom Horton and Aden Russell in Dracula at Bookstore1Sarasota. Photo Courtesy of Bookstore1Sarasota.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will present Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe as the eighth iteration of its annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition, which examines the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature. The exhibition, which will be on view from February 11 through June 30, 2024, at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, will explore the unexpected yet profoundly impactful mentoring relationship that developed between iconic artists Yayoi Kusama and Georgia O’Keeffe. The theme of the upcoming Goldstein Exhibition is the latest announcement of programming planned for Selby Gardens’ 50th anniversary season. In the mid-1950s, Yayoi Kusama was a young artist living in Japan, where her future was very uncertain. Seeking advice from a more established female artist, Kusama wrote to Georgia O’Keeffe, whose work she greatly admired but whom she had never met. To Kusama’s surprise, O’Keeffe responded, thus establishing a correspondence that gave the young Japanese artist the courage to move to America and pursue her career in New York City, which was then the center of the art world. Kusama’s decision, with O’Keeffe’s encouragement, forever changed the course of modern art history.  Selby Gardens’ Trustee Keith D. Monda is serving as the key lender to the exhibition. Additional loans have been secured from Richard and Ellen Sandor and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  

Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), one of the fastest-growing international sports, will be showcased October 13-15 in Sarasota County when the International Canoe Federation and Visit Sarasota County host the SUP World Cup at Nathan Benderson Park. Spectators are welcome to watch the events for free and enjoy the festive atmosphere with food trucks, vendors and a beer tent. Athletes from around the world will compete in three professional hard board and inflatable events including 10K distance, 200-meter sprint and 800-meter technical races for prize money of $3,400 in each race. A recreational 5K paddle and costume contest will also be held and is open to all groups, ages, and experience levels. Athletes who register for the professional events will be invited to practice at the event venue on October 12 and attend a welcome party in the evening. Registration will close soon, so SUP athletes and recreational paddle participants are encouraged to sign up now on the paddleguru.com website. The 5K race is a rare opportunity for recreational paddlers to be part of an international competition while having fun and building team unity. It is a great activity for companies looking for team-building ideas, families, and social clubs. With Halloween around the corner, the optional costume contest adds to the playful atmosphere. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume and best group theme. Scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, the 5K is BYOB (bring your own board). Professional races will begin at 8 a.m. on October 13 and will be held each day throughout the event. The full schedule is available online here. The global SUP market size is expected to reach $2.39 billion by 2030, according to a recent research report by Skyquest. The growing popularity of water sports, rise in adventure tourism and interest in environmentally friendly activities are among the fueling the sport’s growth. 

This Friday, Oct 6th is paw-ty at Hamlet’s Eatery! The award-winning permanently located food truck is open until from 5pm - 8pm for Hound Happy Hour. Joining with adoptable dogs is Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue. Live music by Capt John. Great food and drinks from Hamlet’s Eatery including vegan options. Located outdoors with plenty of room under a covered patio. This is a great way to kick off your weekend. Always dog and kid friendly.

821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota. For more information visit www.hamletseatery.com or call 941-445-1938. 

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce the schedule for the DaCapo Society, a dynamic group of opera patrons between 21-40. Members of the DaCapo Society will have access to fun and exciting social events, discounted performances, and a fantastic community of like-minded individuals, while enhancing their enjoyment of Sarasota Opera performances. On Friday, October 20th from 5:30 p.m.– 7:00 p.m., Sarasota Opera will host a DaCapo Society Kick-Off Party at the Kanaya Condominium rooftop (505 S. Orange Avenue, Sarasota) for all DaCapo Society members and future members. The first of many events, this Kick-Off Party will feature delicious bites, signature drinks, delightful performances, a raffle drawing for tickets to the Fall Season concert and will be entirely free to all who wish to join our community. The DaCapo Society activities are sponsored, in part, by 99 Bottles, and Morton’s Gourmet Market and Catering. This event is free.  

To RSVP click here

Celery Fields Regional Stormwater Facility

Whether walking, jogging, training for a trekking expedition or bird watching from
the 75-foot man-made observational hill, Celery Fields is an ideal location for your recreational needs. The 400+ acre site is also the county’s primary stormwater collection zone, allowing it to serve a dual purpose.

 

6893 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota.

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IT'S ABOAT TIME | After decades of use Sarasota Youth Sailing and Sarasota Sailing Squadron will be getting a new sailing education center, October 2023. 

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