As I was reading the paper this morning, I was thinking about how much our community offers its residents and visitors. Even though we are a tropical paradise location, we still enjoy many cultural aspects that most people only associate with large urban cities. This weekend, for example, we covered different ends of the spectrum with the Southwest Florida community being home to a National Art Festival in Naples and the opening day for spring training for the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers. How many other places in the country consistently offer such diverse cultural experiences in such a sought after location?
The 31st Naples National Art Festival took place at Cambier Park Saturday and Sunday bringing in large crowds of art enthusiasts. Artists from around the country were featured covering 300 booths in total. The event got people of all ages and backgrounds out for the weekend to peruse the displays and possibly purchase pieces that touched them personally. The artists featured in the Festival were hosted by the von Liebig Art Center.
On Saturday, the opening day of the Red Sox spring training took place in Fort Myers at the Player Development Complex. It was open to the public bringing together all sorts of sports fans. Whether you are a fan of the Red Sox or not, this type of sporting event gets the adrenaline flowing again and reminds kids who love baseball to hold on to their dreams of one day standing in the players footsteps.
Of course, there were many other activities going on this past weekend, but I thought the contrast of the two large ones above was a perfect display of what our community offers its residents and visitors. I have personally worked with so many groups and organizations focused on making sure that our beautiful area truly allows for the best “lifestyle” experience for our residents and visitors. Clearly, we have done just that!
