Naples Style – November 2015

by Claudia Pozin

It is November 1 – and that means only 55 days until Christmas. That also means that the season of busy schedules is officially here – so make sure you have your Christmas shopping done so that you will have time to enjoy all of the wonderful concerts and events that are beginning in Naples.

However, if you are a little bit of a procrastinator and still have a lot of shopping to do – here is a suggestion to make it more enjoyable and take some of the stress out of this yearly ritual. The concert series at Cambier Park is beginning – so think about doing some shopping and then planning to take in a concert on one of the Sundays in November. That’s right the schedule is starting – so you can choose – November 1 – Dixieland Jazz Band; November 8 – Naples Concert Band; November 15 – Gulf Coast Big Band; and November 22 – Music Makers Big Show Band. A great variety of concerts – so it will be perfect to do a little of your shopping and then sit back and enjoy your favorite music.

We are also lucky to have two great shopping streets in downtown Naples – so take the time to enjoy November 12 – Evening on Fifth – some of our wonderful restaurants have entertainment and the weather is starting to cool down so you can enjoy your favorite food and beverage outside – watch the sights and enjoy the sounds of Naples. If you enjoy the Evening on 5th – then don’t forget to take in the evening on Third Street South – Third Thursday – November 19.

Remember 55 days to Christmas – well it will seem a little closer if you make it a point to enjoy Christmas on Third on November 23 – if that doesn’t make you realize you don’t have a lot of time left to be ready for December 25 – the tree-lighting and all of the beautiful parts of the lighting ceremony will make it seem very real.

November 3 in Cambier Park at 7 p.m. you will have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the US Army Field Concert Band. This group is the oldest of the Field Band’s four performance components. This 65 member group was founded in 1941 and has performed in all 50 states and 25 foreign countries. The audiences that have enjoyed this group number in excess of 100 million. This group is known for their professionalism and always brings a high level of entertainment. Many will find the performance very emotional and will instill a pride in our American heritage. November 11 is another great opportunity – at noon at the Naples Depot Museum – there will be a USO show.

Probably the most well-known of all of the USO performers was Bob Hope – who spent over 40 Christmas’s away from home so that he could entertain our troops. This nonprofit organization has provided programs, services and live entertainment to our troops since 1941. The famous camp shows began in 1941 and between 1941 and 1945 presented 293,738 performances. Don’t miss this opportunity to see a USO show right here in Naples.

November is an exciting month – beginning with the Dixieland Jazz Ensemble and the US Army Field Concert Band and ending with Christmas on Third on November 23 and our wonderful American holiday – Thanksgiving. Don’t overlook this holiday – it is more than Black Friday – it is the time to reflect on all that we have in this country. Many times we need to be reminded to take the time to be thankful – and sometimes it is the little things that we need to remember.