GULF HARBOUR
VOL. 24 NO. 12
Soundings
Another Seabreeze Publication
www.GulfHarbour33908.com
DECEMBER 2023
Holiday Nights At Edison And Ford Winter Estates On Friday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m., the Edison and Ford Winter Estates kicked off the 48th annual Holiday Nights celebration with a tree lighting ceremony. Guests had the opportunity to participate in the countdown with Dave Elias from NBC-2 when the Christmas tree on the Ford property was lit with thousands of animated lights choreographed to holiday music. Female vocalists, the American Sirens, performed shortly after the tree lighting. The event was sponsored by Florida Power & Light, Bob Dean Supply, Sunbelt Rentals, and TriCircle Pavers. This year’s theme is “Holidays on Wheels” and will incorporate many different types of wheels, especially car wheels because of the connection to Henry Ford, and also wagon wheels, bicycle tires, ships’ steering wheels, and train wheelsets. Holiday Nights will run nightly through Dec. 31 (will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas night). Guided Holiday Tradition Tours will be offered at 6 and 7 p.m. or visitors can choose to meander at their own pace on a self-guided tour. Inside-theHomes tours will be offered on Dec. 6, 13, and 20 at 6:30 p.m., for a special up close look at the homes’ decorated interiors. Additional lights with new technology are being installed this year. Throughout the property, many of the displays will have more lights than ever before. The palms will have animated “magic lights” that will change colors, and for the first time, the historic pond near the river pavilion will be lighted and there will be lights on the waterfall that are animated and choreographed to music. The family-oriented event includes the Children’s Tree Trail, which features 50 trees decorated with handmade ornaments from Lee County school children. On Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting, and on Dec. 3 and 10, children can get their face painted (additional charge for face painting). Then, on Dec. 16 and 23, there will be a teddy bear booth, where children can make a bear (additional charge).
The homes and gardens at Edison and Ford Winter Estates are decorated with thousands of lights for the Holiday Nights celebration. There will be music on several nights, including strolling carolers, a pianist, and tenor saxophone and trumpet players. In addition, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers will perform on Dec. 13. An antique circus car (a calliope) with a built-in pipe organ will be played at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12. Curators will be on hand to answer questions about the car, which is a modified 1914 Model T Ford. Guests can shop for gift items during Market Mondays, when multiple craft and holiday vendors will have booths around the banyan tree from 4 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11, and 18. In addition, the Museum Store and Garden Shoppe will be open until 9 p.m. every night of Holiday Nights and will be stocked with unique gift items for that hard-to-buy-for loved one. Refreshments will be available for purchase on select nights. Holiday Nights tickets for adults are $20; teens (ages 13 to 19) are $10; children (6 to 12) are $2; and $10 for Edison Ford members. Guided Holiday Tradition Tours are $30 for adults, teens are $25, children are $18, and $15 for Edison Ford members. Inside-the-Homes Holiday Tours are $50 per
person. Lee County residents with identification will receive $5 off regular-priced Holiday Nights admission on Monday nights. To purchase tickets or view the nightly schedule, visit the website at EdisonFord.org. About Edison And Ford Winter Estates Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the internationally known winter homesite of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. More than 220,000 visitors walk through the location each year from all around the globe. The organization has received many awards, including the National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Garden Clubs’ Historic Preservation Award. The property is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures,” a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. The Edison Botanic Laboratory is a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The site is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and until 9 p.m. during the month of December for Holiday Nights.
ArtFest Fort Myers – Volunteers Welcome. Be Part Of The Arts ArtFest Fort Myers, the premier fine art festival in Southwest Florida, actively seeks volunteers to join our dynamic team to support this acclaimed event. The 2024 edition of ArtFest Fort Myers unfolds in the heart of the downtown Fort Myers River District, commencing at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, and concluding at 5 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 4, the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the grand opening scheduled for Friday, Feb. 2. This extraordinary event offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the arts, featuring over 200 artists from across the county, the largest high school art exhibit and competition in South Florida, and a range of interactive art experiences designed for children of all ages. Gulf Harbour Soundings
“Our volunteer team represents a diverse cross-section of the community,” remarks Kathryn Robinson Kinsey, ArtFest Fort Myers executive director. “They come together with enthusiasm to work harmoniously during the festival weekend, ensuring attendees, professional artists, our generous sponsors, and VIP guests all have a memorable experience.” ArtFest Fort Myers welcomes volunteers from all walks of life, whether for the festival weekend or those seeking more sustained, yearPRSRT STD round involvement. Weekend US POSTAGE PAID FT MYERS FL PERMIT 751
ArtFest Fort Myers on page 7
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