- March 24, 2025
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Layla Farrell-Cook looks at the sun with a special pair of glasses from Sidewalk Science Center.
Photo by Ian SwabyFuture of Dance students gather for a performance.
Photo by Ian SwabyJesse Ochsendorf, 13, Gracie Zaborney, 11, Claire Kulchar, 14 and Benjamin Chawkins, 9, put on a performance as bumblebees, with Future of Dance.
Photo by Ian SwabyAudrey Locken, 1, dances to trumpet music.
Photo by Ian SwabyJohn Castleman of the Venice Symphony Orchestra plays trumpet for Audrey Locken, 1.
Photo by Ian SwabyLuca Seward checks out the drum activity.
Photo by Ian SwabyMelissa Padilla, Hecto Padilla, and Hector IV Padilla, 3
Photo by Ian SwabyCarlann Evans of the Sarasota Orchestra, and Dan Raker, greet guests as they enter the event. Evans said her favorite part of the experience is "seeing the kids' faces light up." "That's it," she said. "I come and do this because if I can get them thinking about music and reading, mission accomplished."
Photo by Ian SwabyGrace Amaya, 2, Calvin Marxen, 3, and Calvin's mother Megan Murphy-Marxen meet an alligator puppet with "Gator" John Kenyon of Big Cat Habitat.
Photo by Ian SwabyLiam Amaya, 7, meets the alligator puppet at the Big Cat Habitat table, staffed by Sasha and "Gator" John Kenyon of Big Cat Habitat.
Photo by Ian SwabyNasir Loftis, 3, meets The Oriole Bird.
Photo by Ian SwabyTroy Clark, 1, enjoys a puppet show by The Players Studio.
Photo by Ian SwabyEllianna Lyday, 8, takes a turn in the role of a Sarasota Orchestra member.
Photo by Ian SwabyMark Sumegi, 4, sorts fish into different colored bowls, as Violet Moore, 3, watches.
Photo by Ian SwabyIt wasn't just stories that were alive on Feb. 8; the environment of Ed Smith Stadium was filled with activity, with a large turnout for the fifth annual Storybook Street.
Ana McClendon, director of outreach for the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, which hosts the free event, said she was "elated" to see the event finally reaching full capacity.
The event began in 2021 as a drive-through experience during the pandemic, and McClendon said it had never been close to capacity before, this year serving about 940 people, with 20 free books per family.
Throughout the year, the organization works to gather the books, while dozens of volunteers help sticker each one with a bilingual Spanish and English reading tip and a QR code for the organization's website.
The event's varied experiences tying in with the books are provided on an entirely volunteer basis by area organizations, and McClendon said they allow children to make connections that foster a love of reading.
"It could be listening to professional violinists from the Sarasota Orchestra. It could be putting together boxes with the Sarasota Children's Museum," she said. "Whatever it is, it is watching or experiencing something hands-on, tangible, visible and really magical for them."
Correction: This article has been updated to correct Audrey Locken's name.
