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East County | Neighbors

Rita Lewis, owner of the Linger Lodge, and Gretchen Nasman serve gumbo.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 9, 2024
Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee fills bowls at Lakewood Main Street

Local restaurants served soup to raise funds for Meals on Wheels' Food Bank of Manatee.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Nik Wallenda puts a charge into the crowd as well as the 50-foot Christmas Tree at University Town Center by crossing Cattlemen Road on the high wire Nov. 11, 2023.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 5, 2024
King of the High Wire to usher in holiday season at Santa's Grand Arrival Parade

Nik Wallenda loves performing in his hometown of Sarasota.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Independent Jones' Antonio Hernandez, Paul Benjamin of Benjamin Productions and Independent Jones' Morgan Bettes Angell stand at the bridge leading into Waterside Park. The bridge will serve as the entrance into the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival Dec. 7.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 5, 2024
Final preparations in order for inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival

Producer Paul Benjamin says the Lakewood Ranch location should be a great place for the event to prosper.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Jaclyn McCarthy makes sure Tito Toniolo Teixeira gets just the right candy during the Kiddie Academy Halloween parade.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 3, 2024
Fun for the kiddies at the Kiddie Academy of Lakewood Ranch on Halloween

The students were treated to a parade through a sweet trunk or treat section.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Country Club West's Michele Campbell and Blythe Hanson are VIPs at this year's Suncoast Food & Wine Fest.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 3, 2024
Foodies flock to Premier Sports Campus for Suncoast Food & Wine Fest

Over 30 local restaurants prepared dishes for the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch's premier event.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
East County's Arthur Matney was showing off his 2020 C8 Corvette at the Knights Car Show. "It's the most awesome car I've ever had," he says.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 2, 2024
Knights' car show in Lakewood Ranch benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Classic cars spark fun stories by all who attend the event at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Jamie Kahns and Bob Kahns with Bank of America and Tim Estep, the manager for the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, get into the western theme for the alliance's Hob Nob.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • October 31, 2024
Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance's Hob Nob BBQ brings community together

Approximately 400 people attend the BBQ at Lakewood Ranch Library.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Gecko's Grill and Pub chef Scott Kleinberg will share his passion for cooking at the Suncoast Food and Wine Fest during a cooking demonstration.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • October 30, 2024
Local chefs to share their passion through Food & Wine Fest demos

Pascone's Ristorante and Gecko's Pub and Grille chefs will take guests on a culinary journey.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Though Myakka’s ecosystems adapted to seasonal flooding, increased threats of pollutant runoff from outside the park is concerning.
    By
  • Miri Hardy
  • October 30, 2024
Hurricane's fury can benefit wetlands, such as Myakka River State Park

It can play an important role in shaping healthy, albeit dramatically changed, ecosystems.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Cindy McCollough, founder of TANKS, Inc., has a one-on-one with Marmalade. It can take months to build trust with some of the rescues. Others will never let a human handle them.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • October 30, 2024
Myakka City sanctuary takes in senior and special needs cats

TANKS Inc. is home to 50 cats, seven beagles and five steer.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
CEO Maribeth Phillips says Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee serves 96 agencies in the county. This year's Empty Bowls will be critical to support increased demand due to hurricanes.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • October 29, 2024
Empty Bowls in Lakewood Ranch will support hurricane relief

Meals on Wheels Plus' CEO Maribeth Phillips says hurricanes have increased the need.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Many bars and restaurants on Anna Maria Island were damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The Drift Inn sits empty on Oct. 27 as repairs are being done. A benefit concert will raise funds for service workers.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • October 28, 2024
Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks Manatee County to help service industry employees

Proceeds from the Nov. 15 concert will support service industry employees who have been displaced by the hurricanes.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Jacob Gallego, 4, is getting ready to "waddle" through the kids race with support from his mom, Lakewood Ranch's Cassie Gallego.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • October 26, 2024
More than 500 runners elect to support Boo Run in Lakewood Ranch

The annual event supports the Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch and Another Day for Gray.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The SeaSucker VW draws a crowd at BooFest on Oct. 25.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • October 26, 2024
BooFest sends shivers through Main Street at Lakewood Ranch

The annual Halloween celebration in Lakewood Ranch is a combination of scary and sweet.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Myakka City's 7-year-old Ryder Tripp and 1-year-old Rowan Tripp take a ride in the cow train.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • October 26, 2024
Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival draws thousands to east Bradenton in final weekend

The pumpkin festival finishes another run of fun in East County.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
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Latest in East County

1
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
2
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
3
Greenbrook's David, Hannah and Jaime Marco all had a part in creating Jaime Marco's new book “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.”
  • December 12, 2025
Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'
4
SMR's new coffee table book, "Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land" is available locally and on Amazon.
  • December 10, 2025
'Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land' is a fun history lesson
5
Carrie Walden, the Project Edge classroom instructor, is teaching 10 students including Mia Pardella and Justin Torres in the Project Edge program at MTC East.
  • December 10, 2025
MTC program teaches students with disabilities skills to enter workforce

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