The Wandering Disciple

Boca Grande, Florida: Each year, the State of Florida recognizes the coastal history of lighthouses and their importance to the states maritime culture during Florida Lighthouse Day. This year, the Barrier Island Parks Society offered an inside look at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse to celebrate the event. The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was entered into service in 1890 to help mark the Boca Grande Pass and the entrance to Charlotte Harbor. This helped ensure the safety of the pass and the ships that were coming to the barrier island to transport phosphate. The lighthouse was operated by lighthouse keepers who lived on the island until the US Coast Guard took over control of the lighthouse. We headed out to Gasparilla Island State Park to tour the lighthouse during Florida Lighthouse Day. While the lighthouse operations is under control of the Coast Guard, the remainder of the lighthouse is a museum operated by the Barrier Islands Park Society. But in celebration of the Fl...

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will be bringing their Round-Engine Aircraft Ride Event (RARE) to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on February 5 through 8. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fly aboard not one but two historic aircraft, A Ford-Tri-Motor and a B-17 Flying Fortress. They will be offering rides on both aircraft during their visit as well as ground tours of the B-17. The tour is sponsored by the EAA Chapter 188. Tickets and more info about the event can be found on their website . Check back later for photos from the event.

Head out to Fire Station 5 at Fruitville Road and Beneva Road in Sarasota on Saturday for the Annual Fire Prevention Open House. Hosted by the Sarasota County Fire Department, the event features live fire demonstrations, vehicle displays, games for the kids, food and much more.  This year's theme is Kitchen Fire Prevention.  The event runs from 10-2 and admission is free.  Click on the event poster to see photos from past SCFD Open Houses .

On Saturday September 28, Smithsonian Magazine is hosing Museum Day Live!   For one day only, several hundred museums nationwide will feature free admission for guests.  To participate, guests must visit the event website and print an admission ticket.  The ticket will allow up to two guest per household to get into a participating museum of their choice.  To see participating museums and to get your complimentary ticket visit the Museum Day Live website by clicking the event logo.

To help celebrate the summer solstice, the sailing community gets together for an annual event called the Summer Sailstice. The international event will take place this year on June 22 to correspond with the summer solstice that occurs the day prior. The event was founded in 2001 to help connect the global sailing community. The annual event is enjoyed by over 19,000 sailors from around the world. To learn more about the event or to participate visit www.SummerSailstice.com for more information.

Sarasota, Florida: The men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department invited the public to join them in honoring National Fire Prevention Week by hosting their annual Open House at Fire Station 5 in Sarasota. The annual event highlights the diverse services provided by the Sarasota County Fire Department. Over the course of the afternoon, the fire department put on a great show of skills as firefighter performed technical rescues, fire suppression activities, vehicle extrication, fire extinguisher demos and more in front of the crowd that gathered for the event. The apparatus were on display included fire engines, rescues, hazmat truck, Bayflite medical helicopter, Airport fire truck, law enforcement patrol cars and more. There was even a fire department and SWAT team obstacle course for the kids. In addition to the host department, the event included displays from various public safety agencies including Englewood Fire Department, Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Sarasot...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: October has arrived and the ghosts and goblins, pirates and princesses have converged on the Magic Kingdom for the annual Halloween event. On select nights in October, the little ones and the little ones at heart can enjoy themselves at the park for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. On these special nights, the Magic Kingdom closes early and then reopens for guests holding tickets for this event. Then the park comes alive with special Halloween treats for the whole family, everything family friendly of course. Disney does it right with special decorations, a special parade, shows and a Halloween fireworks show to top the night off. The highlights of the night include plenty of candy, Mickey's Boo to You Parade, Happy HalloWishes fireworks, Character Dance Parties, Villain's Dance Mix and Mingle stage show and your favorite Disney rides. This is a special ticket event and is not included in regular admission or annual passes. If you are ...

Punta Gorda, Florida: At the end of August, the quiet town on Charlotte Harbor transforms into a quaint village with a pirate problem as the pirates invade Punta Gorda for the annual Fishermen’s Village Pirate Fest. The third annual event features a full weekend of pirate themed adventures. In addition to great food, entertainment and shopping the festival also features several unique events. The headline events include the Pirate’s Ball, Pirate Parade, Pirate Flotilla, Pub Crawl, Fire Show and much more fun for the whole family. The event is held at Fisherman’s Village on the south bank of Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda. The village is home to many unique shops as well as waterfront dining, all of which is open to enjoy during the Pirate Fest. We visited the fest today, one of the biggest days of the event. We browsed the many vendor exhibits before taking part in the Flotilla and Invasion. From the west docks of Fisherman’s Village, the parade of ships pass by the ...

Sarasota, Florida: Sunny skies ushered in the annual Sarasota County Fair on Friday as thousands of people flocked to the fairgrounds for the opening night of the fair. This years fair features the family favorites and a few new treats. There is food, fun and thrills for the entire family. The fair features rides for adults and a separate area for kids rides, a midway with games and a large selections of food featuring plenty of variety from fair favorites to international selections. The entertainment schedule is packed for the week featuring magic shows, an all-new monkey show, sea lion show, music acts and plenty of agricultural displays. The fun and excitement are to benefit the Sarasota County Agricultural Association and showcase the hard work of the 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. The 75th Annual Sarasota County Fair will run until March 27. Admission is $8 and they feature daily ride specials.

North Port, Florida: Christmas is fast approaching and that was never more evident in North Port than Saturday night along North Port Boulevard for the annual holiday parade and festival. Spectators lined the parade route that began at the north end of North Port Boulevard and traveled down to Dallas White Park for the festival. The theme of this year’s Poinsettia Parade was “Magical Night of Lights”. The parade had over 60 participants all showing their holiday spirit in an attempt to entertain the crowd and take home one of four awards. At the conclusion of the parade route was the Poinsettia Festival. The festival had live entertainment, great food and even snow to play in. The parade and festival occurs each year to celebrate the holiday season. Click on the photo above to view photos from the 2010 Poinsettia Parade .

Venice, Florida: Thousands of on-lookers lined the banks of the Intercoastal Waterway in Venice for the annual Venice Christmas Boat Parade which occurs the first Saturday of December for the past twenty two years. The parade of boats began on Casey Key, traveled through the jetties then back into the Intercoastal waterway towards the airport where the boats were judged. In all over 30 boats ranging in size and decorations participated in the event. The award winners for the 2010 parade include: 29’ & under: Wayne’s World (#13) 30’-39’: Mis Bessie (#8) 40’ & over: Trust No One (#10) Commercial, Service, Club: Kat’s Meow (#25) Best in Show: Emerald Isle (#17) The Venice Christman Boat Parade began in 1989 when Jim Hussmann organized a committee to assemble the first ever holiday boat parade. The event has taken place the first Saturday of each December since then and has attracted thousands of participates and fans over the years. Proceeds from the event go towards youth boatin...

Sarasota, Florida: The sun wasn’t the only thing shining on Saturday afternoon, the skills of the men and women of the Sarasota County Fire Department shined during the department’s annual open house. Thousands of visitors flocked to Station 5 to witness the firefighters showcase their skills during the event. The theme of this year’s event was “ Smoke Alarms, a sound you can live with” and stressed the importance of working smoke detectors in your home. Ensuring that there is a working smoke detector in your home is one of the most important thing you can do to help keep your family safe in the event of a fire. During events throughout the day, the firefighters showed how they use their training to handle a hazardous materials fire, perform a technical rescue, extricate a victim from a vehicle and demonstrate how to safely use a fire extinguisher. The apparatus and equipment was also on display so the visitors could get an up close look at the tools that help keep them safe. The...

Sarasota, Florida: About fifty area kids attended the annual Kids Clinic held by the Cincinnati Reds at Ed Smith Stadium. The annual clinic occurs each year during spring training and allows the kids the opportunity to learn some points from their big league idols. The kids broke into groups and then took the field with the Reds players. Alvin Colina and Craig Tatum worked the catchers clinic, Alexander Smit worked with the pitchers, Andy Green and Paul Janish worked the infield clinic and Jeff Keppinger and Ryan Freel worked the outfield clinic. While the kids rotated to each clinic, the parents sat in the stands and got tip from minor league manager Rick Sweet. After the clinics were over, the kids hit the dugout to share stories and then met with the Reds mascot who helped raffle off autographed baseballs from the Reds players. The free kids event has taken place yearly since the Reds have been training here in Sarasota.

St. Petersburg, Florida: Thousands of Rays fans flocked to Tropicana Field for the annual Fan Fest presented by the Tampa Bay Rays. The event occurs each season and services as the kick-off event for the upcoming season. The event features vendors and events that showcase the Rays and their commitment to the community. After spring training camp wrapped up for the day, the players and coached headed to the Trop to entertain their fans. The players spent time signing autographs and answering questions for those who waited in line to see them. There were plenty of booths set up with gifts and games for those who attended. Children got the opportunity to run the bases and swing for the fences just like the pros do. In addition to the activities, fans got the opportunity to tour the Trop and the Rays clubhouse. The event occurs annually and admission is free.

Sarasota, Florida: As the brisk breeze drops the temperatures and it begins to feel like autumn, its time to hit the annual Pumpkin Festival at Fruitville Groves. From hay rides to pony rides and many other attractions in between, the festival has been a hit for over 18 years. The grove is open all year round as a fresh produce stand but it is the fall festival that attracts the most visitors. There are rides for the children, live entertainment, great food and yes plenty of pumpkins to choose from. The event runs each weekend through October and admission is free.

Port Charlotte, Florida: The smell of funnel cakes and elephant ears combined with the screams of fear and excitement mean just one thing, its time for the fair. Its time once again for the Charlotte County Fair. Back and better then every, the fair boasts the largest midway on the east coast. With over 40 rides and attractions, there is something for everyone in the family. There are also shows, a petting zoo and music concerts. The 2007 Charlotte County Fair runs from February 16 though February 25 at the fairgrounds on SR-776 across the street from the Charlotte County Sports Complex.