This will be my 14th holiday season on Captiva and Sanibel and I can't imagine being anywhere else.  No need for a down coat that makes one look like a Sumo wrestler balancing on a pair of Ugghs.  No need to jump-start the car, though some days it's nice to have the top down with the heated seat on low!

Susan Stuart

It's amazing to watch Sanibel and Captiva, two barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico, transform themselves into joyous villages with festivities for the entire family!

Luminary nights are aglow on Sanibel and Captiva from 5 - 8 PM with local businesses offering food, beverages and entertainment to holiday strollers. Sidewalks and streets are illuminated by candles and the holiday spirit becomes infectious. Sanibel's Luminary is the first Friday in December and the following night on Captiva.

The Big Arts campus will host the annual Community Chorus Concert on the 10th and the Concert Bank Performance on the 17th. Holiday Spectacular at the Herb Strauss Theater runs from December 19 through the 31st.

For those interested in history, there will be weekly presentations, presented by the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, on topics ranging from the life of the Calusa and Cuban fisheries to the dolphins of Pine Island Sound along with history films and photos of old time Christmas celebrations on the island.  

The vitality and excitement of the season is everywhere.  The Captiva Holiday Village celebrations begin with the Tree Lighting and Fireworks at Tween Waters on November 29 and conclude December 15 with the community Carol Sing at Chapel By The Sea followed by refreshments at the Captiva Civic Association. During these four weekends of festivities residents and guests can participate in four parades: The Golf Cart parade where businesses and families vie to win the annual Loving Cup awarded to the best decorated; the Bahamian Junkanoo band leading revelers to the beach for a spectacular sunset; the magical lighted Boat Parade; and, a continuing and growing tradition, the Mullet March, which with its ragtag marching band and dressed up divas, honors those who have once or are still serving our country.

Arias on the beach at sunset in front of Tween Waters, hayrides through the village to South Seas, cast net demonstrations at Jensen's, children's holiday activities and decorations everywhere make it a magical place.

In keeping with the spirit of the season, a portion of each entry fee for the Captiva Holiday Village Golf Cart parade will benefit the Sanibel Captive Conservation Foundation. In that same spirit, the South Seas Island Resort marina, aglow with lights, entertainment, arts and crafts, and visits with Santa, will be open to the public with proceeds benefitting the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida.

The traditional Christmas Eve carols and candlelight service at Captiva's Chapel By The Sea attracts hundreds of visitors each year.

There's no place quite like it.  No place I would rather be!