SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Observer
SEASON WINTER 2026
T H E O B S E R V E R ’S G
U I D E TO T H E A R TS
AND SOCIETY
INSIDE MUSIC DANCE ART THEATER BLACK TIE
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2026
VOLUME 21, NO. 47
YOUR TOWN
MAY
Tyler Curcio shows Mason Foscolos, 9, how to use a fire hose during a Sarasota County Fire Department open house in May. The department holds the open houses monthly as a chance for the public to gain firsthand experiences at local fire stations.
PHOTOS OF THE YEAR
T
Courtesy image
A second swim
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is working to make a difference in the number of manatee deaths caused by environmental issues and vessel strikes. Mote released its first two manatee rehabilitation patients, Sleet and Cabbage, on Dec. 9 and 10. Rehabilitation and Medical Care Manager Lynne Byrd said it was exciting to now care for manatees, expanding its work previously limited to dolphin and sea turtle rehab. “With manatees, you learn a lot from the patients you get,” she said. She said Mote is working on expanding and enhancing the habitat at the facility, which operates under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
2025 he year that closed wasn’t
nearly as calamitous as 2024, so it’s back to Sarasota business
as usual. Festivals, parades, newsy happenings and more. Through it all, we snapped thousands of photos, the best of which you’ll see here. File photos
— OBSERVER STAFF
JULY
Gabriella Brinceanu, 14, and her sister, Alaina Brinceanu, 3, work together to pop the bubbles at the Fourth of July AllAmerican Cookout at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Attendees enjoyed the bubble show by Blaise Ryndes, who has appeared on “America’s Got Talent.”
JUNE
Rick Piccolo spent 30 of his 53-year airport career at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Upon his retirement this past fall, he was succeeded by Pittsburgh International Airport Executive Vice President Paul Hoback Jr.
Courtesy image
Something to shellebrate For years, the Sarasota Shell Club’s annual show has offered a chance for the public to learn about shells and view art. For 2026, though, the show expands into the Sarasota Shell and Marine Life Festival. New participants this year will include Longboat Key Turtle Watch, The Tampa Bay Fossil Club, New College of Florida’s marine biology department and the Carefree Learner’s floating classroom. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 and 7, with a cost of $5 for adults, $3 for students ages 12-18 and free admission for children 12 and younger.
$0.10
MARCH
Noah Panica, 4, participates in the potato sack race during Bay Fest, held at The Bay park on March 1. The community, including kids and families, had a chance to learn about caring for estuaries while enjoying the sights of a real estuary through a partnership between Sarasota County and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.
MARCH
Matheus Siqueira tends to a seal at the Sarasota County Fair on March 15.
SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR, PAGE 3