CAPTIVA ISLAND, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2014) –Tickets for the three-weekend long South Seas Holiday Stroll are now available at Bailey’s General Store located at 2477 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel and at The Island Store located at 11500 Andy Rossee Lane on Captiva.

During the South Seas Holiday Stroll, attendees can access the resort grounds and marina that will be aglow with lights, entertainment, arts and crafts, and visits with Santa. Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings from Dec. 12 to Dec. 27, South Seas will admit adults for $10 each and children younger than of 12 free of charge with a nonperishable food donation. It will also include a ride on the Jolly Trolley that will run from 6 to 9 p.m. to transport visitors from South Seas’ South Village to North Pointe, where they will exit at Harbourside Bar & Grill and walk along the marina, where all the events, activities and entertainment will take place.

“This is such a fabulous opportunity for all ages to enjoy the perfect island holiday setting while raising much-needed funds to help our local hungry families,” said Bob Walter, regional managing director of South Seas Island Resort and The Inns of Sanibel. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from live entertainment to arts and crafts, games, S’mores and of course jolly old St. Nick. This holiday stroll is sure to become a new holiday tradition for families in the area.”

All proceeds will benefit Community Cooperative, an innovative nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. The agency provides more than 14,000 meals each month through its Community Cafés and Marketplace and Meals on Wheels programs. Community Cooperative offers homeless and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers and oversees emergency mobile food pantries as well as Healthy School Pantries and Food Literacy in Preschool (FLIP) through its Growing Healthy Kids programs.

Last year’s event raised $50,000 for the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

Captiva Holiday Village launched its 2014 spectacular the Friday after Thanksgiving with fireworks, tree lightings, holiday readings, musical performances and more.

Each special-themed weekend will be a fun-filled extravaganza of sight and sound, set against the backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico and evening sunsets. During the event weekends, visitors will enjoy everything from decorated golf cart and lighted boat parades to Junkanoo dancers, live music and even a Marching Mullet Parade.

“Captiva is a remarkable island village and known as a magnet for creative people,” said Paul McCarthy of Captiva Cruises. “It’s famous for its beautiful beaches, wildlife-filled waters, family-friendly atmosphere and a quirky, relaxed way of life. This island is a perfect place to unwind from holiday stress.”

Coastal Living Magazine recently named Captiva the Happiest Seaside Town in Florida.

According to the magazine, “The slender barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico west of Fort Myers has pale, powdery sands graced with more than 250 types of seashells.”

Each year, Captiva visitors and locals try to outdo each other by extravagantly decorating their personal or rented golf carts in lights, garland, hats and even plastic flamingos during the event’s Golf Cart Parade. Fun, festive and sometimes gaudy outfits go along with the tradition.

The Golf Cart Parade begins at South Seas Island Resort at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 and is limited to the first 100 entries. All entries must incorporate a holiday theme. The parade route travels from South Seas to Andy Rosse Lane then loops around Chapin and Wiles Drive and back past the Green Flash restaurant before returning to South Seas. A portion of the $20 entrance fee will benefit the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. Prizes will be awarded for the best entries.

Tickets for the South Seas Stroll along with a boat cruise to South Seas can also be purchased at McCarthy’s Marina located at 11401 Andy Rossee Lane. Tickets are also available for the Lighted Boat Parade cruise and dock party on Dec. 13. The Lighted Boat Parade will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13 just outside Roosevelt Channel, Marker #2. The route will follow Roosevelt Channel to ‘Tween Waters Inn and back. There is no entry fee for the boat parade, and prizes will be given for the best-decorated vessels. A minimum of 100 lights is required for entry but more are encouraged. Best Boat Club & Rentals at South Seas Island Resort will rent boats to resort guests if they want to participate in the parade and decorate a boat.

Captiva Island resorts, inns, cottages and vacation homes are also offering lodging specials in conjunction with this year’s event.

To learn more about Captiva Holiday Village, visit www.CaptivaHolidayVillage.com.

The 2014 event schedule:

Friday, Nov. 28

·   Tree Lighting and Fireworks at ‘Tween Waters Inn

Saturday, Nov. 29

·   South Seas Tree Lighting and Children’s Classic Holiday Reading

·   Sunset Arias at ‘Tween Waters Inn

Friday, Dec. 5

·   Sunset Arias at ‘Tween Waters Inn

·   Sanibel Luminary

·   Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Nature of Captiva

Saturday, Dec. 6

·   Royal Shell’s Decorated Golf Cart Parade

·   Golf Cart Awards & Party

·   Captiva Luminary

Friday, Dec. 12

·   Mullet March at Jensen’s Twin Palms 30 minutes before sunset.

·   Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Captiva Island Historical Society’s Holiday film at Jensen’s Twin Palms

·   South Seas Holiday Stroll

Saturday, Dec. 13

·   Fishing & Mullet Festival at Jensen’s Twin Palms all day

·   Junkanoo Parade

·   Lighted Boat Parade

·   Post Boat Parade Party

·   South Seas Holiday Stroll

Sunday, Dec. 14

·   Carol Sing at Chapel By the Sea

Friday & Saturday December 19 & 20

·   South Seas Holiday Stroll

Friday & Saturday, Dec. 26 & 27

·   South Seas Holiday Stroll

About Captiva Island

Captiva Island is a barrier island in the tranquil Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s southwest coast. North of Sanibel Island and west of Fort Myers, world-renowned Captiva is also just three hours from Tampa and Fort Lauderdale by car. A narrow seashell-laden island famous for its dramatic sunrises and sunsets, celebrity visitors and creative residents, Captiva is home to private waterfront estates, two large resorts and several charming small inns. The heart of the island is its vibrant ‘downtown,’ coined “the village,” in which visitors and locals stroll among colorful galleries, shops and restaurants with live music and water views. As the gateway to the out-islands within Pine Island Sound, Captiva is also a watersports destination and offers boaters multiple marinas with overnight dockage. It has been featured in countless magazines and newspapers around the world.