A Birthday Party for a Fire Truck: 5 Things to Do This Weekend in Venice & North Port (Nov. 6–8)

Venice's very first fire truck is getting a birthday party this Saturday, cake and all. And on the same morning, the Saturday farmers market beside City Hall starts its busy season, when the vendor rows stretch out for the winter months. That is the kind of weekend this is: small-town, a little nost

Plant Swap Saturday: The Gran Paradiso Garden Club and What to Plant in November

The first week of November is when the Gran Paradiso clubhouse calendar fills back up, and this year the Garden Club is closing out the week with a seminar and plant swap on Saturday morning. If you've noticed the afternoons getting a little drier and the lanai pots looking ready for a fresh start,

Tea on the Lake and $2-Off Happy Hour: Where Locals Eat at The Banyan House, Downtown Wellen

Downtown Wellen has a tea time now, and it lands on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Banyan House, the lakefront restaurant on Wellen Park Boulevard, is serving Afternoon Tea on Nov. 28, which makes it one of the more unusual ways to spend a holiday weekend around here. It also has one of the si

Election Day in Venice: Amendment 3, Your Homestead and City Hall in Plain English

Update, Nov. 3, 10 p.m.: Amendment 3 passed with about 62% of the vote in unofficial results (it needed 60%). The changes described below take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Results become official once the state certifies them. If you own a home in Venice, Wellen Park or Gran Paradiso and filed for homestead