WOW To Do List: Serve Marco, Matt Papa, more

Marco Eagle

OCTOBER

Serve Marco

Members of Marco Church and the community are encouraged to participate in Serve Marco where there will be three scheduled events. Participants will meet at Marco Church at 10:30 a.m., Oct. 18, for prayer and then split into groups to head out and serve the community. CDC guidelines will be followed for all the Serve Marco events. For information call Marco Church, 875 W. Elkcam Circle, Marco Island, at 239-394-8186; visit marcochurch.com.

Food drive: Partnering with Marco Island’s Our Daily Bread Food Pantry and Winn Dixie, the first event will be a food drive at Winn Dixie, 625 N. Collier, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food and monetary donations will be collected by volunteers in the front of Winn Dixie. The volunteers will then load the Our Daily Bread truck. Drive up donations also accepted. A critical needs list will be available on the day of the event and at ourdailybreadfoodpantry.com. Jean Rowles, worship leader and creative arts director at MPC, will oversee this event. “Marco Church won’t be having our regular worship service, rather we will worship the Lord as we serve others,” said Rowles. “Anyone can participate in all 3 events. All ages are welcome, as there is something for everyone.”
Beach clean-up: Will happen that morning from 10:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. starting at South Beach. There will be a van shuttle running from the church to the beach for those interested in helping or South Beach parking; meet on the beach in front of South Beach entrance. Jose Ramirez, director of student ministries, will oversee this event.
Final event: Participants will be writing thank you notes to our first responders, police, fire and city employees at the church. The encouraging notes will be delivered to the city on Monday, along with a small gift. Marissa Polanco, MPC receptionist, will oversee this event.

Matt Papa will be singing at Marco Church

On Oct. 25, contemporary singer, songwriter Matt Papa will be singing at Marco Church, 875 W. Elkcam Circle, Marco Island. Papa, who is the DOVE Awards 2020 nominee for inspirational recorded song and album of the year, is a veteran of record deals with nine albums under his belt. “I’m convinced we start ourselves on a magnetic path toward whatever that thing is that mystifies us, scares us, annoys us, and ultimately awaits us.” Papa will lead the singing during the 9 a.m. service in the fellowship hall and 10:30 a.m. service in the Worship Center, which will be held in the sanctuary, (following social distancing guidelines) as well as livestreaming. (MarcoChurch.com, scroll down to 10.25.2020 service, click arrow either for 10:30 live or if after 11:30, anytime.) Information: 239-394-8186.

Film Festival stream

Marco Island Center for the Arts will be partnering with former Executive Director Lynn M. Holley, who now lives in Hollywood, California, and is an executive consultant to the arts. As such, she is a visual arts curator, and the founding director of two International Film Festivals, the 3-Minute Film Festival and the International Fine Arts Film Festival that are in their 8th and 5th seasons respectively. Holley will be first interviewed by Hyla Crane, and then Holley will introduce a selection of short award winning films from her festivals to be streamed live to Facebook and YouTube pages of Marco Island Center for the Arts at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 28. This special event is free, however donations are greatly appreciated, which enable the Art Center to continue to provide innovative virtual programming. Information: marcoislandart.com.

Marco Players presents ‘Born Yesterday’

“Born Yesterday,” is a Tony-award winning play takes place in D.C. in 1946. This comedy-drama is about a vulgar, crooked dealmaker who hires a reporter to teach his ditzy girlfriend some social graces and ends up learning some hard lessons about betrayal, love and politics. Born Yesterday is on stage Oct. 28 through Nov. 8, at The Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd., Marco Island. Shows are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $36 plus $2.50 facility fee. Tickets are on sale beginning Oct. 14 at TheMarcoPlayers.com or by calling the box office at 239-642-7270.

ONGOING

Call to artists

A newly expanded outdoor art show is coming to Marco Island next month, Saturday, Nov. 21. Held at the Marco Island Historical Museum, the Brushes & Paint & Beyond Art Show will not only bring oil, acrylic and watercolor painters but also artists creating ceramics, sculptures, fiber art, glass, batik, found objects and more. Provided by the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts (MIFA), the show is held under the eaves of the museum so that tents are not required. Artists who want to show their work in the traditional white tent can do so on the mound in front of the museum. The event is from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Food and drinks will be provided by The Pizza Man and visitors are welcomed with special craft activities and information about the museum. Proceeds go to MIFA’s scholarship fund. Brushes & Paint & Beyond Art Shows are also scheduled to be held in February and March 2021. Interested artists are asked to contact Karen Swanker at 239-331-0987 or Carolyn Burger at 239-248-0435. For more information, visit marcoislandfoundation.org.

Key Marco Cat

The Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) celebrates its 25th Anniversary with the culmination of their quest to bring home the enigmatic Key Marco Cat and other rare 500 to 1,500-year-old Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts discovered on Marco Island in 1896. The artifacts return on loan from the Smithsonian Institution and University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. They will be showcased in an exhibit at the Marco Island Historical Museum from now through April 2021. The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free. For information, call 239-389-6447 or visit theMIHS.org.

Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum

Now open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel. Admission is $23.95 for adults (18 and older), $21.95 for seniors, $14.95 youth (12 to 17) and students with their ID, $8.95 for children (5 to 11) and free to children younger than 5 and also active military. Visitors who bike to the museum receive $1 off admission. 239-395-2233. shellmuseum.org.

IMAG History & Science Center

Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2000 Cranford Ave., Fort Myers. Tickets are available online, and advance ticket purchases are necessary at this time to limit the number of guests in accordance with CDC recommendations. 239-243-0043. Information: theimag.org.

Naples Zoo

New hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1590 Goodlette-Frank Road, Naples. Offering timed online tickets to the general public. All guests will be required to reserve a timed ticket online, with reduced ticket prices. Tickets can only be purchased online. Information: 239-262-5409, napleszoo.org.

NOVEMBER

Left Bank Art Fest

The Left Bank Art Fest will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 1. The first show of the season will feature local juried artists. Walk along the beautiful breezeway and shop jewelry, photography, paintings, ceramics, bronze, wood, sculptures, bronze and handmade custom guitars. The fest is at the Esplanade, 760 North Collier Blvd., Marco Island. Admission and parking are free. Information: 239-290-7927.

Rookery Bay Classic Car Show

The Rookery Bay Classic Car Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, completely outdoors at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples. The center will be open for restroom access only and masks will be required inside the building. Parking will be at the Walmart Supercenter, 6650 Collier Blvd., with free shuttles (masks required on shuttles). Admission is $10 for adults and youth 13 and older, and free for children ages 12 and younger. Pre-registration is encouraged at rookerybay.org/carshow to allow for social distancing. Rebates will be provided for cancelations at least 48 hours before the event. The day of the event, contactless payment for admissions will also be available. Proceeds help support education, conservation and research within the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay Research Reserve, which encompasses 40 percent of Collier County’s coastline. Information: 239-530-5972 or visit rookerybay.org.

Meals of Hope packaging event

Marco Island Meals of Hope will hold its annual packaging event as scheduled on Nov. 21. Morris explained the event is moving to an outside venue, under tent to minimize any impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The event will be a smaller scale than the past years, due to social distancing and other circumstances, but the need for meals is greater than ever. Meals of Hope has fast increasing need of more than 300% while donations and packaging events have dwindled. Marco’s packaging event will fill the needs of families in the greater Marco Island area. This year’s event is in memory of Wayne Purvis. Wayne was the driving force bringing Meals of Hope to Marco Island and chaired the event for their first few years. He passed away earlier this year, but his impact on our community continues. Meals of Hope is a combined effort of Marco Island Sunrise Rotary, Marco Island Noontime Rotary and Kiwanis. Donations are needed and may be made by visiting the Marco Island Meals of Hope website or deliver to Bill Morris at 247 N. Collier Blvd., Suite 202, Marco Island. Registration for volunteers will be open soon. For more information concerning Marco Island Meals of Hope, visit mohmi.org or contact Bill “Captain Happy Hope” Morris at 239-642-6020.

For more event listings, navigate to the Entertainment section and click on the WOW To Do List at marconews.com. Calendar items must be emailed to mail@marconews.com and should be submitted at least a week before desired publication.