NOVEMBER
Gary Owen at Off the Hook
The comedian performs standup at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24; 6 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25; and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, at Off The Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, No. 1100. $35 general admission, plus a fee. offthehookcomedy.com or 239-389-6901.
Florida Talks
Marco Island Historical Society continues their Florida Talks series on the history and people of Florida with both in-person and virtual programs. Presented by MIHS in partnership with Florida Humanities, Florida Talks is one of Florida Humanities’ longest-running public programs. It offers non-profit organizations across the state an accessible way to host engaging speakers who present Florida’s history, heritage and culture through historical and contemporary lenses. Virtual Talk presentations are free. The Jan. 11, in-person talk is free to MIHS members, complimentary to active military and veterans, and $10 for non-members. Visit themihs.org or call 239-389-6447 for reservations for virtual and in-person talks. The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and the site is handicapped accessible. For general information visit themihs.org.
- 2 p.m., Nov. 28 — Virtual Talk: “Florida and the Untold Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis” by Michael Tougias. In this presentation based on the book “Above and Beyond, “New York Times bestselling author Michael Tougias chronicles the 13 harrowing days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and outlines the steps President John F. Kennedy took to reach a decision on a course of action.
LaPlaya Holiday Marketplace
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort will host its first Holiday Marketplace from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the resort, 9891 Gulf Shore Drive N., in its Vanderbilt Ballroom. Attendees may enjoy an “elegant bay front shopping experience” with various vendors on hand. A welcome reception includes a glass of Champagne and hors d’oeuvres and a three-course lunch ends it. Cost to attend starts at $55 ($56.45 after fees). More at laplayaresort.com.
Adrienne Iapalucci at Off the Hook
The comedian performs standup at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, and Thursday, Nov. 30, at Off The Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, No. 1100. $25 general admission, plus a fee. offthehookcomedy.com or 239-389-6901.
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ONGOING
Marco Island Farmers Market
The Marco Island Marco Island Farmers Market returns to Veteran’s Community Park on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The market is from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., every Wednesday through April at the park, located at 901 Park Ave., Marco Island. Information: 239-642-0575 or cityofmarcoisland.com.
‘Clown Bar’ returns to the Alliance for the Arts
This “zany clown-noir dramedy” was such a hit last year, Theatre Conspiracy brought it back for a new three-week run. The Foulds Theatre transforms into the titular clown bar for this set in the dark, secret world of gangster clowns. The working bar opens 45 minutes before each show to sell drinks to theater patrons. Nov. 9-25. $32. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers. 939-2787 or artinlee.org.
DEVO 5-0: The Beginning Was The End exhibit
A 50th-anniversary exhibit celebrating the work of art-pop-rock band Devo, best known for the 1980 hit “Whip It” and its iconic MTV music video. It’s billed as the first career-spanning survey of the group, put together by gallery director Jade Dellinger, who co-wrote two books about the band. Exhibits include stage costumes, instruments, props, handwritten lyrics, concert flyers, concept art and more. Continues through Dec. 9. No opening reception, but lectures, concerts and special events will be announced later. Free. Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College, 8099 College Parkway S.W., Building L, south Fort Myers. Information: 489-9313 or rauschenberggallery.com
Botanical Revolution
Artist Tamara Kostianovsky utilizes repurposed clothing and other textiles to create dynamic works of sculpture that reference humankind’s connections to nature by echoing the forms of birds, tree stumps, plants and cow carcasses. This exhibition, the artist’s first in the southeastern United States, will include new work inspired by the bird and plant life of Southwest Florida. Exhibition runs through April 7 on first floor of the Baker Museum, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Information: artisnaples.org or 239‑597‑1111.
South Collier Market
From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Sundays, South Collier Market will re-open at its new location, Florida Southwestern State College/Collier Campus, 7505 Grand Lely Drive in Naples. This market will feature food trucks and 70 tents of beautiful SWFL produce, bakeries, artisan foods, jewelry, clothing, local artists and photography, specialty items and gifts. The market will be held weekly through April 15, but closed for holidays on Nov. 25, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. Vendor information and applications may be found at 41markets.com. Shop Local Productions has operated farmers markets in SWFL since 2015, helping hundreds of small businesses.
Monday Night Bingo
Monday Night Bingo at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island is back! It’s 23rd season. Bingo is played every Monday Night at the Synagogue, located at 991 Winterberry Drive through May and then twice a month in the summer. Doors open at 5:30 pm. A complimentary supper is served at 6 p.m. The supper is a kosher hot dog, on a special roll, with relish, sauerkraut, and onions. Dessert is cake, ice cream and a beverage of coffee or tea. Bonanza is posted at 6 pm and an additional prize, Hot Ball, is also offered. For further information call the Synagogue office at 239-642 0800.
Call to artists
The Goodland Civic Associating is seeking applicants for its 12th Annual Harbor Arts & Music Festival, a 2-day, juried fine art event, March 9 & 10, 2024. Application deadline is Dec. 18.Held in picturesque waterfront MarGood Harbor Park, juried by a selection committee of five professional artists, with musical line-ups coordinated by JRobert (of Mangrove Music Studio). This event has garnered great praise from past artists and attendees alike. For more information, or to receive an application, contact event chairperson Tara O’Neill at taraogallery@gmail.com.
‘America’s Everglades: Through the Lens of Clyde Butcher’
Celebrated nature photographer Clyde Butcher showcases his famous photos of Florida’s Everglades at both Arts Bonita locations. The exhibit continues through Dec. 29. Free. Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts, 26100 Old 41 Road, and Arts Bonita Center for Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. Information: 495-8989 or artsbonita.org.
‘Magic of Lights’
From 6 until 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Runs through Dec. 31. Collier County Fairgrounds, 751 39th Ave. NE, Naples. A new, drive-through, holiday-themed display with dozens of displays, illuminated canopies and digital animation. Ticket prices per vehicle are $30 Monday-Thursday and $35 Friday-Sunday through Dec. 7. Then the cost is $35 Monday-Thursday and $40 Friday-Sunday from Dec. 8-Dec. 31. Complete schedule, tickets at magicoflights.com.
Italian American Society of Marco Island
The Italian American Society of Marco Island will hold their monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month, November through April, at Mackle Park’s Community room. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. with meetings beginning at 5:30. This energetic group of men and women with Italian heritage, over the age of 21, are dedicated to remembering their roots while socializing through dinners, dances, bocce, trips, golf and so much more. Visit iasmi.org, or our Facebook page: Italian American Society of MI or call the president, Fred Adani 239-228-7607 or membership chair, Ann D’Onofrio 401 450-9260 for more information.
Rookery Bay Eco Kayak & Boat Tours
Join Rookery Bay Research Reserve for a guided boat tour or kayak adventure into the beautiful waters of Rookery Bay Reserve. With our kayak tours, guests paddle through beautiful mangrove tunnels, teeming mudflats and intricate oyster reefs while searching for amazing wildlife like sea stars, large snails, birds, dolphins and manatees! Our boat tours are small 6-passenger boats and offer a comfortable and informative ride. Guests can choose from different tours including a shelling trip to a deserted a barrier island or a sunset tour. Find out more at RookeryBay.org or call 239-530-5972.
Koreshan Sunday Market
Friends of Koreshan Sunday Market has returned. It’s open 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays at a new location, Three Oaks Town Center, 18731 Three Oaks Parkway, south Lee County. More on Facebook.
Arts Center Theatre presents ‘The Music Man’ and ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas’
The Fort Myers Theatre’s productions of The Music Man and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas will be presented at the Arts Center Theatre in 2023. Tickets for the additional shows, though not part of the season ticket series, are available now. “The Music Man” follows the fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize-despite not knowing a treble clef from a trombone. It will be presented from Oct. 18 through Oct. 21. In December, the Fort Myers Theatre production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” will travel to the Arts Center Theatre on Marco Island from December 13-17. It is based on the beloved, timeless film; this heartwarming musical adaptation features 17 Irving Berlin songs and is adapted from the book by David Ives and Paul Blake. For tickets, visit at marcoislandart.org or call 239-394-4221.
Marco Men’s Club
Marco Men’s Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the social room at Marco Lutheran Church (9:30 for coffee and donuts). Each meeting has a speaker and then a short update of upcoming activities such as golf, luncheons, sporting events, and discussion subgroups (investments, technology, travel, etc.). Many activities, such as dances, theatre, dinners and cruises involve the spouses. Information: marcomensclub.com.
Calusa Garden Club
Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island meets 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., the second Monday of October through April at the Library Rose Hall, with a speaker. Contact Joan Husband, Second V-P Membership, 609-675-0110. Go to calusa.org for more information.
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples, features aquariums, touch tanks with marine critters, natural history, environmental and wildlife exhibits art gallery, picnic area and walking trails. Hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesday through, Saturday. Admission of $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12 benefits the Friends of Rookery Bay, a nonprofit that supports the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Guests may apply their admission fee toward Friends of Rookery Bay membership on the day of their visit. Information: RookeryBay.org.
Estero Farmers Market at Miromar Outlets
Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays near Corkscrew Road entrance; 10801 Corkscrew Road, Estero. Find it on Facebook for more.
Rotary Club of Marco Island Noontime
Rotary Club of Marco Island Noontime meets the first Thursday of the month by Zoom at noon and the 3rd Thursday of the month for luncheon meeting 11:45 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Bistro Soleil. Contact Kathy Pasternak for zoom link or reservations email KathrynPasternak@BHHSFloridaRealty.net.
Golden Gate Community Farmers Market
Open year-round, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at 4701 Golden Gate Parkway, Golden Gate; Sundays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 11725 Collier Blvd., Golden Gate. Visit farmermarket2.com for more.
Immokalee State Farmers Market
Open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily year-round at 424 New Market Road E., Immokalee. For more, call 239-658-3505 or visit fdacs.gov.
DECEMBER
Forget the Elf on the Shelf. It’s the Geezers from the Freezer!
Compton & Bennett’s “The Home … for the Holiday’s” comes to The Hinman Auditorium at Arts Bonita for three performances at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday Dec. 2 at, and 2 p.m., Sunday Dec. 3. The show is written and performed by Betsy Bennett and Rick Compton, the duo who brought “A Cracker at The Ritz.” The actors are the show’s authors, Betsy Bennett and Rick Compton. Music Director Jeremy Franklin Goodman leads “The Geezers,” a small band whose talent belies its name. Audiences see their relatives, their friends and themselves in songs and skits such as “Discombobulated”, “The Gift of The Bag Guy” and “The Peril of The Bells.” There are sketches about a red-hot mama riding for a hiding on her white Harley, about a lawyer selling gift cards for his legal services, and about three not-so-wise men who talk their way through the Pearly Gates. Tickets are available at ArtCenterBonita.org and by calling 239-495-8989.
Coconut Point parade, tree lighting
Estero shopping mall kicks off holiday season with a night activities, including lighting of a 32-foot-tall tree, live steel-drum music, tropical and Polynesian-inspired performances by New Alliance Performing Arts, a Toys for Tots drive, food trucks selling Caribbean-inspired food, vendors, photos with Santa and the main event: The 7 p.m. Tropical Holiday Parade. Santa Claus leads the parade, which also features high-school bands, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Estero Fire Rescue and more. The event takes place 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Free. Coconut Point, 23106 Fashion Drive, Estero. facebook.com/CoconutPointMall.
Holiday in the Park
Tree lighting, school bands, a snow slide and even “snow flurries” make this a popular event every year in Bonita Springs. 4:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5. Free. During the event, Old 41 Road will be closed between Wilson and Ragsdale streets. Riverside Park, 10450 Reynolds St., downtown Bonita Springs. 949-6262 or cityofbonitasprings.org.
‘A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play’
Dickens’ holiday classic gets reimagined as a 1940s radio broadcast and features vintage commercials, live sound effects and musical underscoring. Performed by Arts Bonita Theatre. Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 7-10. $35. Arts Bonita Center for Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Road. 239-495-8989 or artsbonita.org.
Fifth Avenue Christmas Walk and Tree Lighting Ceremony
50th annual event is 5-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 9, along Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples. Watch the official Christmas tree lighting Dec. 8 in Sugden Plaza and experience a living nativity by the First Church of the Nazarene, skating rink, live music and Santa Claus.
Bonita Springs Christmas Boat Parade
Annual holiday parade launches at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Bay Water Boat Club, 5124 Bonita Beach Road S.W., and proceeds along the Imperial River and under U.S. 41 to Jolly Roger Lane, before turning around and returning to the boat club. Prime viewing includes the U.S. 41 Bridge, Riverwalk Park and the Imperial River Boat Ramp. Donations requested. 239-992-6997 or bonitaspringshistory.org.
Bonita Springs-Estero Chanukah Festival
Celebrate the Jewish holiday with the lighting of a giant menorah, kids crafts and activities, doughnuts, latkes, kosher deli and live music. 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10. Free. The outdoor event takes place at Chabad of Bonita Springs, 24611 S. Tamiami Trail. 239-949-6900 or jewishbonita.com.
Zach Bartholomew Trio
Musicians perform “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which is the music of pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi, including songs from the beloved holiday cartoon “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Audiences will also learn more about Bartholomew’s life and career. At 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. $35. Arts Bonita Center for Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. 495-8989 or artsbonita.org.
Tuba Christmas
Annual concert in Sugden Plaza has become a Naples tradition. Concert begins at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 15. Information: fifthavenuesouth.com.
‘Home for the Holidays’
Annual musical at TheatreZone, 13275 Livingston Road, Naples, runs Dec. 15-17. Uplifting songs for the holiday season. Tickets from $50. theatre.zone or at the box office, 888-966-3352, ext. 1.
‘Winter Wonderettes’
Holiday musical from Gulfshore Playhouse set in a small-town hardware store where a quartet ― in the spirit of the Andrew Sisters ― treats the audience to timeless Christmas classics in a merry and interactive show. Performances at various times through Dec. 17 at the Norris Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S. Tickets from $40. gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 239-261-7529.
JANUARY
Immokalee Foundation slates Charity Classic Gala
The Immokalee Foundation recently announced that last year’s event co-chairs, Carol and Tom Joseph, will be joined by Eileen and Dr. Brian Voynick as a new quartet of co-chairs for this year’s Charity Classic Gala: “The Power of Education.” The annual fundraising event will take place on Jan. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Tiburón. Funds raised will continue to support Immokalee Foundation programs throughout the year. To learn more about The Immokalee Foundation, purchase Gala tickets, or obtain event sponsorship information, call 239-430-9122 or visit ImmokaleeFoundation.org/Gala.
FEBRUARY
54th Annual Everglades Seafood Festival
The Everglades Seafood Festival, presented by the Florida Stone Crabbers Association (FLSCA), is set to commence at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, just outside Everglades City Hall at 102 Copeland Ave. North. The festival will conclude at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. The festival’s 2024 operating hours are as follows: Friday Feb. 2: 4:30 until 10 p.m.; Saturday Feb. 3: 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.; Sunday Feb. 4: 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Attendees can gain admission to the festival on Friday evening by making a canned food donation. Saturday and Sunday’s adult admission will be a $10 minimum donation. Beverage and carnival ride tickets will be available for purchase with cash (only), and ATMs will be available onsite.
For more event listings, navigate to the Entertainment section and click on the SWFLA To Do List at marconews.com or visit the-banner.com. Calendar items must be emailed to mail@marconews.com or news@naplesnews.com and should be submitted at least a week before desired publication.