🌴 What's Happening in Naples: May 11 - May 17

Mother's Day is in the rearview and Naples settles right back into its rhythm. The week builds toward Saturday, when the 46th Annual Great Canoe Races take over the City Dock with hand-built boats and a costumed crowd that treats the bayfront like a parade route. The Naples Players open Much Ado About Nothing, NPAC stages its first-ever adult production with Next to Normal at the Norris Center, and Opera Naples puts up Adventures in Oz for the kids. Sea turtle season is officially on, hurricane season starts in three weeks, and the patios along Tamiami are running music almost every night. Here's what's worth getting off the couch for.

We recommend confirming with event hosts for complete details and current schedules.

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🍽️ Food & Drink Events

🎉 Customer Appreciation Party
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
📍 Location: 2487 Linwood Ave, Naples, FL
🍻 Details: 77 already interested. Strong free food and drinks afternoon at the Linwood spot. Walk in, eat, leave.

🍷 "French Vignettes" Wine Tasting
📅 Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Naples Wine Bar
🍇 Details: A guided pour through French regional varietals, with the host telling the stories nobody else does. Smaller, smarter crowd than the average tasting.

🔥 Grill & Chill at Naples Boat Mart
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM
📍 Location: 829 Airport Pulling Rd N, Naples, FL
🍔 Details: Free midday cookout at the boat mart. Burgers, demos, and the kind of weekday hang that turns into a long lunch.

🫓 Sourdough 101
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Twist Gallery and Studios, Bayshore Arts District
🥖 Details: Hands-on intro to sourdough with a baker who actually knows the bayshore water and the local flour situation. Leave with a starter.

🫖 Be Our Guest Tea Party
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:30 PM
📍 Location: Bramble's English Tea Room, Naples
🌹 Details: Proper afternoon tea, sandwiches and scones with clotted cream. The room is small, so call ahead.

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🎵 Music & Entertainment

🛶 46th Annual Great Canoe Races of Naples
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: 50 Riverside Cir, Naples, FL 34102
🚣 Details: The biggest event on the calendar this week by a wide margin. 443 already interested, 33 going. Hand-built canoes, costume judging, and the whole town wandering down to the City Dock to watch.

🤠 Boots 'N Bangers Naples presents MC4D | Country meets EDM
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Dimension Event Center, Naples
🎶 Details: Country and EDM in the same room sounds wrong on paper and works in person. 102 interested, 15 going. Boots, glow sticks, no judgment.

🕯️ Candlelight: 90s Unplugged
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:15 PM
📍 Location: Dimension Event Center, Naples
🎻 Details: String quartet plays acoustic 90s in a candlelit room. Surprisingly emotional once they hit the Oasis section.

🎸 Live Music with Joe Marino
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: 4805 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL
🎤 Details: Friday night patio set on Tamiami. The room runs music almost every night this week, and Marino pulls a steady local crowd.

🎶 Live Music: Michael Nichols
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: 4805 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL
🎵 Details: Saturday afternoon-into-evening set. Easy walk-in after the canoe races wrap.

🪕 Live Music Sundays: Ralph Curtis
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
📍 Location: 4805 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL
🎼 Details: Sunday afternoon Curtis, low-key and friendly. He's back Thursday too if you miss this one.

🎵 Celebration of Life Jam for Craig Hardin
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:00 PM
📍 Location: 1100 Commercial Blvd Suite 113, Naples, FL
🎤 Details: Open jam in memory of a longtime local musician. 7 going, 5 interested. Bring an instrument, bring a story.

🎤 Open Mic Night at Food & Thought
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM
📍 Location: 2132 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, FL
📖 Details: Friday open mic at the organic cafe. Singer-songwriter heavy, family-friendly, espresso into the second half.

🎲 Twisted Bingo - Music Bingo Naples
📅 Date: Monday, May 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Dylan's Drafthouse, Naples
🍻 Details: Music bingo to kick the week off. Free to play, drinks specials run all night.

🎼 Bach's Lunch
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM
📍 Location: 4150 Goodlette Rd N, Naples, FL
🎹 Details: Midday classical recital with a light lunch after. The kind of Wednesday move that makes the rest of the week feel slower. Concerts & Music

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🎭 Arts & Theater

🎭 Much Ado About Nothing at the Naples Players
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: 701 5th Ave S, Naples, FL
✨ Details: Shakespeare's sharpest rom-com on the Sugden stage. Crisp pace, big laughs, second week of the run.

🎶 Next to Normal
📅 Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Location: 755 8th Ave S, Naples, FL
🎤 Details: NPAC's first-ever adult production. Pulitzer- and Tony-winning rock musical about a family living with mental illness. Heavy, beautiful, and not what NPAC has staged before.

🌈 Adventures in Oz at Opera Naples
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:30 PM
📍 Location: Opera Naples
🎭 Details: A family-friendly Oz adaptation from Opera Naples' education wing. 10 interested already, easy yes if you've got kids.

🎨 New Ways of Seeing: American Modernism from a Private Collection
📅 Date: Monday, May 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM
📍 Location: 585 Park St, Naples, FL
🖼️ Details: Quiet morning move through American Modernist paintings from a private Naples collection. The room is calm on Mondays.

🖼️ May Art Exhibit Reception
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Location: 1756 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL
🍷 Details: Mid-week opening reception with wine, artists in the room, and zero pressure to buy anything.

🐾 Paint Your Pet
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM
📍 Location: Naples, FL
🎨 Details: Bring a photo of your dog or cat, walk out with a small painting and zero artistic obligation to do this ever again.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family-Friendly Activities

💦 Naples Splash Bash and Water Safety Day
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM
📍 Location: River Park Aquatic Facility, Naples
🏊 Details: Free pool day with lifeguard demos, swim safety stations, and games. The biggest family event of the week aside from the canoe races.

🚜 Florida Farming Family Day
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM
📍 Location: 3331 Tamiami Trl E, Naples, FL
🌽 Details: Working-farm open house with tractors, animals, and produce tastings. Easy hands-on Saturday for the small kids.

🐒 Gone Bananas Naples
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 10:30 AM
📍 Location: Third Street South Farmer's Market, Naples
🍌 Details: Pop-up at the Saturday market with games, music, and a banana mascot the kids will not stop hugging.

🚗 Member Car Sale at Naples Members FCU
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: 2728 Horseshoe Dr N, Naples, FL
🔑 Details: 42 interested, 10 going. Pre-owned inventory from the credit union with on-site financing if it's that kind of weekend.

🌿 Outdoor & Community

🥬 Third Street South Farmers Market
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:30 AM
📍 Location: Third Street South Farmer's Market, Naples
🍓 Details: Best place in town for the bakery box, the bouquet, and the cold-pressed juice you'll forget about until Tuesday.

🛶 Sat 5.16 Paddle with Tom Long: East River, Fakahatchee Strand
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:30 AM
📍 Location: East River Trail, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
🌳 Details: Guided paddle through the strand with one of the most knowledgeable local naturalists. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat.

🚤 Week of Rides at Naples Boat Mart
📅 Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: Naples City Dock
⛵ Details: All-week demo rides on new and used boats from the City Dock. Free, no obligation, brokers in the parking lot for questions.

🏍️ 2026 Gentleman's Ride - Naples FL
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:00 AM
📍 Location: Naples, FL
👔 Details: The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride. Tweed, cafe racers, and a prostate cancer fundraiser that rides every May around the world.

🎖️ Veterans Support Group at Fleischmann Park
📅 Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:30 PM
📍 Location: Fleischmann Park, Naples
🇺🇸 Details: Open peer support group for local vets. Coffee, conversation, no pressure.

🧘 Flow Fundamentals
📅 Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM
📍 Location: 4649 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, FL
✨ Details: Beginner-friendly Saturday flow with full pose breakdowns. Good first-class energy if you've been thinking about it.

🪑 Chair Yoga
📅 Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM
📍 Location: 4949 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 204, Naples
🧘 Details: Gentle chair-based class. Perfect for first-timers, recovery weeks, and anyone done with floor yoga.

🔔 Sound Bath by Harmonic Alignment Healing Arts
📅 Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:30 PM
📍 Location: 4949 Tamiami Trail N, Suite 204, Naples
✨ Details: Sunday sound bath to land the week. Bring a blanket and an open hour.

🥗 Detox Health & Wellness Talk
📅 Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
⏰ Time: 5:30 PM
📍 Location: Naples, FL
🌿 Details: Free Thursday evening talk on practical detox protocols. Less Instagram, more naturopath.

👗 Fashion Friday
📅 Date: Friday, May 15 through Friday, May 22, 2026
📍 Location: 4351 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, FL
👜 Details: Pop-up styling event with new arrivals and a glass of something cold while you browse. Walk-in friendly.

⚠️ Please verify event details and availability with the respective venues or organizers, as schedules may change.

📰 What's Happening in Naples

🔗 Naples Mayor Heitmann Heads Back to Court May 11 on Probation Violation Plea
Mayor Teresa Heitmann's next court appearance lands Monday, the same day this newsletter goes out. Her attorney has entered a not-guilty plea and submitted two independent drug tests from the same day she allegedly failed a probation screening. Removal pressure has been building at council, but she remains in office.

🔗 Second 2026 Sea Turtle Nest of the Year Recorded on Keewaydin Island
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida found a loggerhead nest on Keewaydin on April 28, a day before the Collier Sea Turtle Protection Team staked the season's other nest on Barefoot Beach. Daily patrols cover 22.5 miles of coastline through October. Standing rule: lights off the sand by 9 PM, beach furniture off by 9:30.

🔗 $40 Million Port Royal Estate Closes as Second-Largest Sale of 2026
Realtor Taylor Canada represented the seller on a five-bedroom, 11,500-square-foot Port Royal estate at 860 Admiralty Parade East. The 2024 build sits on 177 feet of bayfront. It now ranks as the second-largest residential sale in Florida this year.

🔗 Naples Zoo Welcomes First-Ever Toco Toucan Chick, Named Mango
Mango is the first toucan chick ever hatched at Naples Zoo, born to Macy and Manu, the latter shipped over from the San Diego Zoo. The family is on public view daily. Worth a midweek detour if you've been meaning to renew your membership anyway.

🔗 Gulf Shore Blvd N Beach Access Closures Run Through Summer for $86M Stormwater Project
The Naples Beach Restoration & Water Quality Improvements Project is in the underground-utility phase along Gulf Shore Blvd North. Beach access at 3rd Ave N and 8th Ave N is closed until summer. The full project removes eight outfall pipes from the beach and upgrades stormwater handling from a 5-year to a 25-year storm event.

🔗 Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension on Track for Summer 2026 Open
The 7-mile extension from Collier Boulevard to 16th Street NE is in its final months. The Cypress Canal relocation is the last big puzzle piece, with crews moving the canal to make room for the new road and a bridge at 16th. Most expensive road project in Collier history at over $200 million.

🔗 Fifth Avenue South Adds Three Casual Spots: Prime Social Reserve, Barrio, Tiny Kitchen
Naples' restaurant row is leaning into faster, looser concepts. Prime Social Reserve runs an indoor-outdoor build at 837 Fifth with a rooftop elevator. Barrio is a new taqueria at 539. Tiny Kitchen is a 680-square-foot Argentinian street-food counter with about 21 seats and a turntable for guests to spin records.

🔗 Naples April Home Sales Close Eleventh Straight Month of Year-Over-Year Growth
NABOR's April data shows 966 closed sales, up 11.8% from last April, with $1.22 billion in dollar volume. Showings per listing climbed from 2.7 to 3.5. Inventory still sits in buyer's-market territory at 5.4 months for single-family and 7.5 for condos.

🔗 DeSantis Signed HB 4005 in April, Shifting Naples Airport Authority to County-Wide Election
The new law turns all five Naples Airport Authority seats into elected positions starting with the November general election. Three seats are reserved for city of Naples residents, two for unincorporated Collier. The change is now driving the city's Chapter 164 dispute and the Friends of Naples Airport lawsuit currently in the courts.

🔗 Colorado State Forecasts 13 Named Storms for 2026 Hurricane Season
The CSU outlook calls for a slightly below-average Atlantic season: 13 named storms, 8 hurricanes, 2 majors. Season opens June 1. If you haven't signed up for Alert Collier or downloaded the Collier Cares app, the county is pushing both ahead of the official start.

🔗 Inside Naples' Ultra-Luxury Shift: Branded Condos and a $20M-Plus Surge
The Real Deal's May feature looks at how Rosewood, Four Seasons, and other branded residences are pulling new buyers into the top of the market. The $20M-plus segment ran up 75% year over year by closing count, and brokers expect 2026 to rival 2021 and 2022.

🔗 Greater Naples Chamber Hosts National Travel & Tourism Week Luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton Tiburon
The Chamber's annual National Travel & Tourism Week luncheon ran Tuesday at the Ritz-Carlton Tiburon. The room covered the latest visitor data from the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB and the post-Ian recovery picture for tourism revenue.

🔗 Friends of Naples Airport Lawsuit and City Chapter 164 Process Both Move Forward
The pro-airport advocacy group's suit over the council's development restrictions and the city's formal dispute over HB 4005 are now both active. The combined fight is shaping the next round of decisions over the 731-acre, $1-a-year airport lease that runs through 2068.

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