The SRQ MEDIA team is local. We live and love local, and for the past few days we have sheltered and evacuated and stayed in touch with each other just like the rest of our wonderful community. We watched with worried eyes locked to innumerable social media sites as our already weary region was lashed and battered by this historic storm.

Now, it’s the day after. The winds have calmed and the waters have receded from their storm surge peaks. We hope and pray that the loss of life was as near to zero as possible. Our Gulf Coast community has been struck by two historic storms in just a few weeks. The process of rebuilding and repairing seems Herculean, and it may be, but as a community, we have the strength to conquer this challenge.

Our community is resilient. Our friends and neighbors are amazing. Our community leaders are the sort of people who are at their best in the face of adversity. The true riches of Sarasota and Manatee—our people— are still here. Many are standing ready to begin rebuilding even this morning as the sun rises and shows what the hurricane has taken. Our locals are adventurers living lives of exuberance—in good times we are filled with joy and celebration. And now, in this moment of difficulty, we will answer the call to rebuild, recover and restore the wonders of Sarasota and Manatee.

SRQ: We Love Local, We Live Local, and We Will Rebuild Local. Together.

—From Wes Roberts and Lisl Liang, SRQ MEDIA founders and owners on behalf of ourselves and the incredible team of dedicated locals that make-up our team. 

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour when the eyewall crossed into the coast. The eye soon passed directly over Downtown Sarasota before starting a traverse across the state of Florida.

At the time of landfall, a weather station in Venice recorded maximum sustained winds of 78 mph and gusts as strong as 98 mph. At the Egmont Channel, another station recorded some gusts as strong as 100 mph, with sustained winds of 77 mph. At the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts of 73 mph were recorded, while recordings at the Sunshine Skyway had gusts of 83 mph and sustained winds of 67 mph.

The Florida Public Service Commission as of 9 p.m. reported Sarasota has more customers without electricity than any county in the state. More than 160,000 Florida Power & Light customers had no service. In Manatee County, more than 127,000 FPL customers lost electricity, as did nearly 32,000 on the Peace River Electric Cooperative network. 

Satellite image courtesy NOAA: Milton makes landfall.

Have you ever wondered how your favorite movies come to life? How the roar of a tiger or flames from an explosion or the clomping of horse hooves appear to be just as real as the real thing? How an action scene of hundreds of shots is cut together to make the perfect sequence? How a film’s color palette can reflect the story’s tone and setting?

If you have, then look no further than the Ringling College Studio Labs. A massive 36,000 square foot film and post-production facility spanning the length of a city block, the Ringling College Studio Labs is a commercial and academic space that has everything one needs to create a film, television episode or commercial spot.

The studio’s mission is simple: to create an environment that attracts high-end clientele while at the same time providing education and support to the Ringling College students. “We are a commercial and academic facility, catering to commercial clients and our students. The beauty of that is our students obviously get to work on our best equipment possible for post-production. They get to see major clients come through, hang out in the room and see how it all goes down,” says sound designer Nick Palladino. “I stumbled upon this place three years ago and it’s the most amazing facility.”

Palladino, an award-winning sound designer who has worked in the entertainment industry for over thirty years, oversees the post-production facilities at the Studio Labs. The entire facility is immense, because, well, a lot goes into producing something for the screen. After a film is shot on location and the picture is edited together, the audio must be edited and mixed for the screen. The Studio Labs have all of the tools to do that and more including two Dolby-Tuned Mix rooms, an ADR/Foley stage for sound effects, a color grading suite, offline editing suites as well as live mixing and conference rooms. Additionally, the complex is home to multiple, state-of-the art soundstages, including the 8,400 square foot Soundstage A and Soundstages C and D, each 1,800 square feet.

The Ringling College Studio Labs offer multiple workshops throughout the year to those who are interested in learning the craft of sound mixing or looking to take their film to the next level with the facility’s top of the line equipment.

The Ringling College Studio Labs, 1334 Dr. Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota, studiolabs@ringling.edu.  

Wellen Park is proud to partner with the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota to bring you this showcase of visual & performing arts! This event will feature an art walk in Downtown Wellen, as well as free stage performances by 9 local arts organizations. If you haven't been to Wellen Park, it's an exciting new community that's worth the trip. There are restaurants on site. Bring a lawn chair. PMP Alum, violinist MAX TAN will be performing 12:30pm -12:55pm!

Saturday, October 26, 12 noon - 6pm. 

Pictured:   PMP Alum, violinist Max Tan will be performing 12:30pm -12:55pm. Photo courtesy of Wellen Park.

Dive into an extraordinary experience at the 2nd annual Bay Fest! Join us and Sarasota County at the Bay Park to celebrate the wonders of our underwater worlds! This free event features educational games, activities, kayaking, music, food, and fun for the whole family! Bay Fest takes place, Saturday, Nov. 2, 11:00am - 2:00pm.

Join us, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program for a special supermoon paddle at Robinson Preserve! As the sun sets we will make our way through the mangroves to the mouth of the Manatee River. We have 30 kayak spaces available. Robinson Preserve Supermoon Paddle takes place Friday, Nov. 15, 4:00pm - 6:30pm.

Have you volunteered with us? If so, this celebration is for you! Join us at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for food, drinks, and live music to thank all of the volunteers who help make the work of our program possible. Volunteer Appreciation Party takes place Thursday, Dec. 5, 4:30pm - 6:00pm. 

To learn more, visit.

Join us for a day filled with deliciousness at the 4th Annual Grilled Cheese Festival at CoolToday Park. This family-friendly, free event offers something for everyone: Food Trucks: Savor a variety of gourmet grilled cheese creations from local food trucks. From classic combinations to unique twists, there’s a flavor for every palate; Live Music: Enjoy the lively atmosphere with performances by talented musicians. Dance, sing along, and soak up the festive vibes; Craft Beers: Quench your thirst with a cold craft beer or other refreshing beverages from the beer garden. Enjoy a souvenir beer mug to commemorate your experience; Fun for the Whole Family: Keep the kids entertained with exciting activities and games designed just for them. 

For more information on Atlanta Braves Spring Training or CoolToday Park, visit