Christmas Island Style Holiday Event Schedule

As the community looks forward to Thanksgiving and the wonderful holiday season that surrounds the celebration of Christmas, the 30 or so elves who run Christmas Island Style and its multiple events continue to plan and prepare for a month of wonderment and joy for the Marco Island Community.

Wanda Burson, Chairperson for the group, is looking forward to a very festive and busy Christmas Season, and is excited about bringing a sense of normalcy back after having to take necessary precautions last year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic which swept the nation.

The organization already has held two major fundraisers, allowing the group to put on all the events at no charge to those wishing to come out to enjoy the festivities. “Both the ‘Wayne Purvis Christmas Golf Outing’ and the ‘Ho-Ho-Ho Lets Raise Some Dough’ fundraisers were great successes,” said Burson. 

“We can’t help but thank all of those who contributed to the successes surrounding those two events. Our business community and the residents were certainly a driving force in that regard,” said both Sandi Sims-Ramage, chairperson of the golf tournament, and Allyson Richards, who coordinated the Ho-Ho-Ho event held at the Lutheran Church.

The group has sold close to 60 of the seven-foot-tall angels that adorn the streets and lawns around the island. “Our volunteers have been very busy delivering those angels that were ordered over this last year. We are still busy delivering them and should be ready to finalize the remaining deliveries as soon as they arrive over the next couple of weeks,” commented Barb Dasti, who coordinates that effort and serves as treasurer of the group.

All of the Christmas Island Style events and the application forms for the street and boat parades can be found on the group’s website at www.christmasislandstyle.com. There are no application fees for participation in any of those events, nor admission to them. 

As well as the CIS website, the Coastal Breeze News will be listing all of the events in the newspaper’s weekly calendar of events. An overview of upcoming events is listed here:

• Nov. 13th - Marco Island Florist Home and Gift Open House and Marco Christmas Island Style Ornament Display and Sale – 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Nov. 18th - Singing Christmas – Island Theater Company – Marco Presbyterian Church in Fellowship Hall – 7:00 PM. Also, matinee on Nov. 20th – 2:00 PM
• Nov. 26th - Santa’s Arrival and Pictures – Marco Island Academy School Lobby – 6:00 PM (This is a NEW location due to liability requirements and is held on the Friday after Thanksgiving.)    
• Dec. 4th - Annual Tree Lighting and Community Celebration – Mackle Park – 6:00 PM. Due to city regulations, there will be no tailgating on the field and alcohol is prohibited throughout the park.
• Dec. 7th - Canine Pet Parade – CJ’s on the Bay – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Dec. 7th - CELEBRATE IV – A collaborative grouping of music performances of solo and ensemble work to welcome in the holiday season on a night filled with musical and dramatic selections in sacred and secular yuletide flavors culminating in a community carol sing-a-long - 7:30 PM – Marco Lutheran Church – Free tickets may be picked up at the Marco Lutheran Church Office.
• Dec. 9-10 - Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever – Island Theater Company – Marco Presbyterian Church at 7:00 PM  (Thursday /Friday Evening)
• Dec. 11th - Two (2) Shows/Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever at the Marco Presbyterian Church.  First show at 1:00 PM and second and final show at 3 PM (Saturday afternoon).
• Dec. 11th - Annual Street Parade – 6:30 PM
• Dec. 15th - Chamber Holiday After Five – Marco Beach Hilton Resort – 5:30 PM
• Dec. 17th - Movie in the Park – Mackle Park - 5:35 PM – sponsored by Christmas Island Style and Marco Island Parks and Recreation
• Dec. 17th - 7:00 PM – American Abbey – an original play performed by Sisbarro Acting Studio at Marco Island Charter Middle School.
• Dec. 18th - 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM  – American Abbey – an original play performed by Sisbarro Acting Studio at Marco Island Charter Middle School.
• Dec. 18th - Cookies and Milk with Santa – Mackle Park - 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – sponsored by Christmas Island Style and Marco Island Parks and Recreation.  Santa arrives by Helicopter.
• Dec. 18th - Marco Island Annual Christmas Boat Parade – 6:00 PM
• Dec. 19th - 1:00 PM – American Abbey – an original play performed by Sisbarro Acting Studio at Marco Island Charter Middle School.
• Jan. 7th - Annual Awards Presentation – Marco Lutheran Church – 5:30 PM

Christmas Island Style urges the community to continue to check its website or Facebook page to look for any additions or changes to the schedule, and wishes the community a joyous and safe holiday season.