The Christmas on Third festival kicks off the season in late November. Photo courtesy of Third Street South
By Visit Florida Staff
Fall in Naples is just as color-splashed as it is up North. But instead of the yellows and reds of fall leaves, autumn along the Paradise Coast is painted in blue, green, and white –– as in the sky, surf, sand, and palm trees.
Autumn weather also means blissful 70- and 80-degree temperatures ideal for fall festivals — think arts, culture, and a little history — alfresco holiday shopping or a day at world-famous beaches. Plus, paradise is priced perfectly this time of year, with hotel and restaurant discounts and savings galore at area attractions.
Old Florida, New Flicks
Artis-Naples is home to the Naples International Film Festival each fall. Photo courtesy of Artis-Naples
November in Naples is devoted to the arts. Check out the Naples International Film Festival, which kicks off the United Arts Council of Collier County’s Celebrate the Arts Month with a gala and screenings of indie movies and documentaries. All of Collier County’s arts and cultural venues — from Marco Island to the historic Palm Cottage in Old Naples — will open their doors, offering more than 125 events ranging from homespun community theater, Broadway performances at the Philharmonic Center, opera, art galleries and even an alfresco movie in the park.
The Naples Botanical Garden promises to outcolor even those fall leaves, while the Old Florida Festival, with its cracker cowboys, Calusa and Seminole Indians, folk music, Civil War encampment, and British Red Coats, relives 10,000 years of history.
Savor the Season, Shopping and Savings
Take in Southwest Florida’s foremost collection of modern and contemporary art at The Baker Museum. Photos courtesy of Artis-Naples
Naples’ Third Street South shopping district, known for its art galleries, trendy boutiques, and gourmet restaurants, sets the stage for holiday gift-buying with its annual Christmas on the Third Festival. The season-welcoming event in late November includes a tree-lighting ceremony, street entertainers, musical performers, and promises of snow showers.
In Naples, there’s no need to dig out the car or trudge through the slush in search of that perfect present. Locally owned shops along Fifth Avenue South, plus gift stores in nature centers, museums, and hotels, offer unique gift ideas and a welcome diversion from crowded department stores.
Of course, the soft-as-silk beaches and aquamarine Gulf waters are always close by, providing a worthy excuse to delay that shopping another day — or motivation to get finished faster.
