The fact is, Southwest Florida offers a diverse and highly talented entourage of performing arts companies that have a lengthy and successful history of entertaining our communities. It starts with Southwest Florida Symphony (www.swflso.org) which traces its roots back more than 50 years. This season, the Symphony is presenting more than 20 outstanding concerts and special events. There’s also Gulf Coast Symphony (www.GulfCoastSymphony. org), with its very impressive and diverse lineup of 10 classic to contemporary concerts. Alliance for the Arts (www.ArtInLee.org), established in 1975, today is comprised of 50-plus arts and cultural organizations, more than 1,200 artists and members, and has scheduled 10 diverse and fascinating exhibits through May — including three juried exhibits, as well as three exhibits where you can “walk and talk” with artists. BIG Arts of Sanibel (www.BIGArts.org) is once again presenting an eclectic, entertaining and enlightening calendar of music, dance, theater, exhibits, discussions and more jammed with nearly 100 events. The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center (www.BBMannPAH.com), on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College, is the definitive venue in Southwest Florida for regional and national headliners and tours, and this season lists roughly 80 entertainment options from which to choose. Also, 2017 marks 20 years of standing ovations for Florida Repertory Theatre (www.FloridaRep.org) — consistently hailed as one of America’s premier regional performing arts companies (per the Wall Street Journal ) — with a lineup of nine exciting performances this season including a world premier. SHOUT “BRAVO!” The tourism statistics and surveys are overwhelming, if not equally obvious: the beaches of Lee County and Southwest Florida rank among the top factors in motivating visitors to vacation here. And given that tourism is by far the octane that powers our economic engine, that makes our miles of sugar sand blankets of white important stuff, indeed. But whether this is your first time visiting our paradise or you’re a full timer, the fact is that Lee County as a destination — or a cosmopolitan community (in the making at least) — is evolving and growing up quite dramatically, remarkably and positively, Today, while “beaching” remains the number one activity enjoyed among our guests, a myriad of options exist to entice folks to get up out of their lounge chairs and enjoy the kinds of experiences, adventures, attractions, events and destinations that (dare we say) don’t require sunblock. In no particular order, COASTE presents here our highly unofficial checklist of things awesome to do in Southwest Florida besides facing the Gulf of Mexico under an umbrella or behind shades. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
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