The Gulfcoast Chinese American Association in part with the Sarasota Chinese Academy held an elaborate and festive Chinese New Year Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 29 at the T.J. Johnson Youth Center at Faith Baptist Church.

The 8th Annual St. Armands Circle Art Festival happened this past Saturday and Sunday. The event drew thousands of people along with hundreds of talented artists.

The Longboat Key Public Tennis Center held a chili cook-off competition on Friday, Jan. 28 at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center facilities.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Corp. hosted its first Family Football Experience Jan. 29 at the Out-of-Door Academy's new football field. Twelve teams competed in a flag football contest, and guests also enjoyed food and drink, face painting and other festivities.

Art and education enthusiasts alike gathered at the Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club Jan. 29 for the fourth annual HEART & SOUL Gala and Live Art Auction. The show featured the top 25 works submitted by Manatee School district art students during a recent competition.

Although wintry white stuff wasn't a part of Friday's forecast, students at Tabernacle Christian School enjoyed a rare snow day during the school's winter wonderland Jan. 28. The students took their inflatable rafts up a hill on the school grounds and zoomed down on a bed of real snow - which quickly melted under the Florida sunshine.

Out-of-Door Academy preschoolers snuggled up for an afternoon of stories, songs and skits performed by their favorite teachers.

Bird Key yacht Club members modeled tennis and golf fashions from Laurel Oak Country Club on Thursday, Jan. 27, at BKYC.

A sell-out crowd attended The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County's 2011 Economic Outlook Luncheon on Friday, Jan. 28, at Michael's On East. A record 380 guests turned out to hear the economic forecast for the upcoming year from keynote speaker Sean Snaith, Ph. D., an economist and Director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida.

It was fun evening for members of Christ Church of Longboat Key, Presbyterian who gathered for Game Night Jan. 27, at The Shore condominium.