Master gardeners plant seeds of wisdom at Lakewood Ranch Library

Lakewood Ranch's Karen and Tom Eckert are among the experts who teach important gardening techniques.

Lakewood Ranch's Karen and Tom Eckert work as master gardener volunteers with the University of Florida to educate the public about gardening, plants, landscaping and more.
Santa greets visitors from the window of 9605 Governor's Club Place in The River Club.
  • December 20, 2025
Christmas decorating isn't just for kids
The Family Church caroling crew from left to right is Melody Johnson, Laurie Houston, Nancy Pilato, Pastor Phil Derstine and Terrial Robinson.
  • December 20, 2025
East Manatee church members will go through bars to spread Christmas joy
Charlie Shachat, a co-founder of the Foolishly Festive Christmas Parade, decided to be part of the show for the "Jaws" 50th anniversary.
  • December 19, 2025
Esplanade continues tradition of being 'foolishly festive' for parade
Lynnette Beecher and Gunilla Imshaug, members of the Lakewood Ranch Digital Photography Club, check out a photo of a baby alligator that was taken moments before.
  • December 17, 2025
Lakewood Ranch photography club preserves moments in time

Business

The idea for Moo-Jitsu was a collaboration between 9-year-old Olivia Whitman and her father Brandon Whitman in October of last year. They launched the business in August.
  • December 8, 2025
Love of cows adds spice to Lakewood Ranch business
CEO Mike Bisaha says the new equipment will at least triple Big Top Brewing Co.'s beer production.
  • December 3, 2025
Big Top to open expanded brew house at Sarasota's Fruitville Commons
Lakewood Ranch High School graduate Jason Huh has founded a few different companies, including Sodi Pop. Sodi Pop is now available in a healthy vending machine at the school for staff and students to enjoy.
  • December 3, 2025
Sodi Pop, billed as a healthier product, comes to Lakewood Ranch High
Instead of a ribbon, a 180-pound blue fin tuna will be cut to celebrate the grand opening of Kuro Sushi.
  • November 22, 2025
Kuro Sushi rolls into Lakewood Ranch
Shawna Hicks-Cranston of PostNet raises her Sandies award for the Community Champion category. The annual Sandies was held by the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Nov. 14 at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch.
  • November 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch community leaders are saluted with Sandies awards
A rendering of Optimal Outcomes' HealthPark II that will be built in Lakewood Ranch with the groundbreaking early in 2026.
  • November 5, 2025
Optimal Outcomes builds a second health park in Lakewood Ranch
Santa greets visitors from the window of 9605 Governor's Club Place in The River Club.
  • December 20, 2025
Christmas decorating isn't just for kids
Capri Finan, 7, Madelyn Finan, 9 and Maverick Finan, 3, pose with Santa after telling him what they want for Christmas, which includes a doll house and a trampoline.
  • December 18, 2025
Braden River High transforms into Winter Wonderland
Maddox and Lou Towery have packed up shoeboxes during the Community Holiday Shoebox Collection Drive for the last seven years.
  • December 15, 2025
Lakewood Ranch community rallies to support seniors with shoebox event
Katherine Pike (on the left) salsa dances with the cast of "Casa Havana:" Dairon Batista, Isabella Serrano and Jack Gaudreau.
  • December 13, 2025
Palm Aire Women's Club members learn to salsa
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
St. Petersburg's Ella Brown and Sarasota's Mike Chambers take full advantage of the live music to show off their best dance moves at the Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest Dec. 6.
  • December 7, 2025
Lakewood Ranch music fans aren't crying the blues after festival
Myakka City 12-year-old Aliyah Burnett helps her neighbor, Corinn Smith of Blissful Goat Yoga, with the goats. She dressed them in Christmas outfits for Ranch Nite Wednesday Dec. 3.
  • December 5, 2025
Goats are another reason to attend Ranch Nite Wednesdays in Lakewood Ranch
Sarasota's David Farr picks up 21-month-old Henry Farr, who is dazzled by the giant ornaments on the tree on The Green during the Mall at UTC's ongoing holiday celebration.
  • December 1, 2025
Families flock to UTC for the holidays
Siesta Key's Owen Slater, 5, loves animals and couldn't leave the market without getting a homemade octopus from Stitch Fabels, which took 10 hours to make.
  • November 28, 2025
Market at Nathan Benderson Park provides midweek shopping
Runners pack the starting area for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot Nov. 27 at foggy Nathan Benderson Park. The race had a record 4,558 participants.
  • November 27, 2025
Record 4,558 runners participate in 2025 Florida Turkey Trot
Despite their 30 year age difference, Marge DeSimone and Courtney Barr have become great friends and share a deep love for Nikki, Barr's 7-year-old Bordoodle. They compete in dock diving to keep all of the "Three Musketeers," as Barr said, active and engaged.
  • November 26, 2025
Dock-diving dog helps two single women form a bond of friendship in Myakka
Lakewood Ranch sisters Mariapaz Ritter, 7 and Analia Ritter, 12, got their faces painted by Akiko Graphics at the at Greenbrook Adventure Park. Mariapaz chose a peace sign because "paz" the last part of her name means peace in Spanish and Analia chose daisies because they are her favorite flowers.
  • November 24, 2025
Greenbrook Adventure Park reopens with a fun day
Instead of a ribbon, a 180-pound blue fin tuna will be cut to celebrate the grand opening of Kuro Sushi.
  • November 22, 2025
Kuro Sushi rolls into Lakewood Ranch