Good morning, Charlotte County! In today’s edition: Seafood and music festival, best towns for retirees ranking, a vintage toy shop with free appraisals, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

🏆 Most popular this week

Curated by popular demand — here are this week’s most-clicked events, local spots, and stories.

Your next outdoor celebration: The Punta Gorda Seafood & Music Festival will return to Laishley Park Jan. 16 to 18 with waterfront flavors, live music, and an all-ages arts marketplace, plus free general admission — get all the festival details.

Fresh luxury home choices: Toll Brothers announced the Sawgrass home design at Regency at Babcock Ranch, a 55-plus community in Punta Gorda, featuring a 2.5 car garage for golf carts and resort style living — see the collections and features.

New opportunities for volunteers: The City of Punta Gorda has issued building permits for Peace River Wildlife Center’s Hendry Street site, expected to expand animal care and experiences with planned tours and exhibits — see what’s planned next.

Step inside refined elegance: A newly remodeled pool home in Punta Gorda’s Burnt Store Isles offers open living, soaring ceilings, and direct harbor and Gulf access for boaters, with over 3,100 square feet — get all the details.

A haven for collectors: Vintage Toy Traders in Port Charlotte brings nostalgic fun with free appraisals. Owner Phil Bloom features favorites like Transformers and Pokémon cards, and is open Wednesday through Sunday — read the full story.

Local cities earn national spotlight: WorldAtlas named Daytona Beach and Palm Coast among the best Florida towns for retirees, citing motorsports, beaches, and outdoor fun, with several other cities statewide also earning recognition — see the full list.

Are you overpaying? The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. I was paying over $300 for ONE car until I checked out various quotes, switched providers, and ultimately cut my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably losing money too — this free comparison tool makes it easy.

Gold & silver are hot: Gold just had it’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150% in 2025… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. If you’re curious about adding precious metals to your portfolio as a market hedge, American Hartford has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.

A new haircare solution: My hair’s been thinning and I’ve been quietly ignoring it, hoping it’ll fix itself. Plot twist… it hasn’t. When I finally started looking into what I should do, there were so many options I didn’t know where to start. I stumbled on Keranique, and its simplicity really sold me. One kit, no pills, no choosing products, and no confusion whatsoever. It’s also on sale with a money-back guarantee (although I doubt you’ll need it).

📆 Sneak peek at next week

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✏ Sketching Adventures: Part 1 – Contour & Continuous Line Garden Studies @ Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens | Tuesday (1/13) at 10:00 AM – Let’s swap errands for a sketchbook on the Great Lawn. Chicago artist Karen Sako teaches contour and continuous line, so your flower doodles look intentional. Beginners welcome, brush pens for color, and your ticket includes the Gardens, Origami in the Garden, $20 members, $40 non.

🍸 Fused Glass Workshop @ Glass Duchess Studio | Wednesday (1/14) at 1:00 PM – Skip the humid patio happy hour and swap sipping for shaping at this fused glass workshop in Port Charlotte, where you turn martinis, margs, and bubbly into kiln-fired art. Beginner friendly, all tools included, colored glass extra. Only six seats, so claim yours.

🔨 Quarter Auction to Benefit Valerie’s House @ Beef ‘O’ Brady’s | Wednesday (1/14) at 7:00 PM – If you’ve been waiting for a sign to turn couch change into help, here it is. Quarter Auction at Beef’s in Punta Gorda benefiting Valerie’s House Charlotte County, with 100% staying local for vision, hearing, disaster relief, and more. Bring quarters, shop vendors, brag responsibly.

🥕 Creating Your Edible Garden @ North Port Library | Thursday (1/15) at 4:00 PM – Thinking about swapping pricey produce for backyard or community garden bounty? UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County will walk you through creating an edible garden, from basic supplies to smart planting, so your tomatoes outlast the summer sun, the sandy soil, and the neighborhood squirrels.

🍷 Sip, Savor, and Salud: Intro to Spanish and Portuguese Wines @ Total Wine & More | Thursday (1/15) at 6:30 PM – Think you can tell Rioja from Ribera in one sip? Take a laid-back tour of Spain and Portugal by the glass, learning the quirks of their regions and varietals. It is educational, delicious, and pleasantly grown-up, no passport, pretension, or bachelorette glitter required.

🎶 January Concert – Nature’s Bounty @ Charlotte Performing Arts Center | Friday (1/16) at 7:30 PM – Consider this your scenic tour of America without TSA, hiking boots, or motion sickness. The Symphonic Winds roll out emotional selections that sweep from land to sea to sky, delivering big beauty, honest goosebumps, and the rare chance to sit still, breathe, and listen.

🎶 Damon Fowler @ Laishley Park | Friday (1/16) at 8:30 PM – Whether you come for the grouper or the guitar licks, Tampa’s Damon Fowler brings serious heat to Laishley Park. Slide that tips its hat to Duane, tone that sings, and free general admission, so you can save cash for oysters, hushpuppies, and a cold one.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

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📻 Charlotte County report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 82°F – Low: 63°F – Precip: 0%

Patchy fog between 7am and 10am. Sunny, with a high near 82. South southeast wind 3 to 7 mph. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. North northwest wind 1 to 5 mph.

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Tomorrow – High: 81°F – Low: 54°F – Precip: 4%

Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. North northwest wind 2 to 12 mph. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Most popular house this week

Completed in 2023 by DM Dean, this residence emphasizes easy indoor outdoor flow. A light filled great room shows coffered ceilings, vinyl flooring, and 90 degree sliders to the lanai. The kitchen centers activity with a waterfall granite island. The primary suite adds a spa bath with dual vanities and a walk through tiled shower. A separate den has its own A/C zone.

Outside, a cypress clad lanai frames a heated pool with sun shelf and spa, plus an outdoor kitchen with grill and sink. Mature landscaping and a seawall add privacy. Close to Manasota Key, Englewood Beach, and Boca Grande. Select furnishings and adjacent lot available separately.

Take a peek inside →