My Hometown Fest returns to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota

The first stop at My Hometown Fest for Lakewood Ranch's Jason DeFoor and his family was the junior obstacle course.

DeFoor watched March 26 as his 10-year-old daughter Brynn DeFoor raced through the course swinging on a rope, did push ups and finished by high stepping through tires. The obstacle course was offered by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

"I'm a little out of breath," Brynn DeFoor said. 

Jason DeFoor and his family haven't been to My Hometown Fest since 2019. The music event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic and condensed to My Hometown Jam in 2021. 

"The kids all loved it," DeFoor said of their time at Nathan Benderson Park. "The food is great, the music is great. We're looking forward to having a good time."

Lakewood Ranch's Kathleen Osterberg went to My Hometown Fest to support the Sertoma Kids Speech and Language Center in Sarasota, which benefits from the festival's proceeds. 

"I'll go to any event that gives back to the community," Osterberg said. "I love the music, seeing the kids running around and getting to know the different restaurants in the area."