The Longboat Key Garden Club learned about the benefits of rain barrels at their Tuesday. Oct. 26 meeting.

Excited youngsters paraded around Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in their favorite Halloween getups today.

Hundreds of youth soccer players converged on the soccer fields behind Lakewood Ranch High, as the Braden River Soccer Club hosted its 8th annual Halloween Havoc Oct. 22-24. Boys and girls, ranging in age from U9 to U14, competed in the weekend tournament.

The Sarasota County Arts Council held its 12th Annual Awards Celebration, Monday, Oct. 25 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts Mertz Theatre. The evening honored some of Sarasota's most prominent leaders of the arts and cultural community.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre welcomed the artists and cast for "Bonnie and Clyde," a new musical from Ivan Menchell, Don Black, John McDaniel and Jeff Calhoun.

The Business Ethics Alliance held its monthly luncheon today, when panelists Matt Walsh, editor and CEO of The Observer Group; Susan Burns, editor of biz941; and Diane McFarlin, publisher of the Herald-Tribune Media Group, debated the topic "Does journalistic truth now mean something different than it previously meant?"

The 2nd Annual Sarasota Zombie Pub Crawl took place along Gulf Gate Blvd. this past Saturday. Over 150 people dressed up and came out to participate in the zombie fun at the seven pubs and bars in the Gulf Gate area.

The Humane Society of Sarasota County hosted its 13th Howl-O-Ween at the Sarasota Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 23. The main event was the costume contest which had over 90 entries.

Willis Elementary completed its annual Walkathon Oct. 22. More than 600 children walked and ran laps on the outdoor course in hopes of raising $40,000 for the school through the Parent-Teacher Organization-sponsored event. Students will continue to bring in donations through mid-November.

St. Thomas More Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of sister Judith Baldino, affectionately known throughout the parish as "Sister Judy," on Sunday, Oct. 24.