The new year brings promises of goodness, and this month delivers. In Naples, master cellist Yo-Yo Ma visits Artis—Naples for a night of conversation. In Bonita Springs, hundreds of artists flock to the city for an art festival. And, in Fort Myers, the Broadway tour of Hadestown hits the stage at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Be sure to catch these events to fill your January calendar.
Now — Jan. 14
The Mountaintop at Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers
This two-person play imagines a conversation between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a hotel maid the night before his assassination. Led by director Ansley Valentine, the show covers important themes of one’s legacy. The production at Florida Rep closes the day before the Civil Rights leader’s namesake holiday. View event details
Jan. 2-27
Hunt Slonem Solo Exhibition at Harmon Meek Gallery, Naples
See new pieces from the locally loved artist, who found fame with his whimsical paintings of bunnies, butterflies and tropical birds in the 1980s. View event details
Jan. 4 and 6
Masterworks: Ravel Piano Concerto at Artis—Naples
Guest conductor Kazem Abdullah leads the Naples Philharmonic in a selection of classical pieces; acclaimed pianist Fazil Say joins to play where the conductor covers the program. View event details
Jan. 5-7
Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival
The popular festival celebrates its fourth year. Sample Florida seafood, vegetarian bites and other offerings, cooked onsite. Shop a marketplace showcasing arts, crafts and specialty items. View event details
Jan. 5-19
Neapolitan Moods at East West Fine Art, Naples
Visiting artists Rustem Stahurski, Julia Kostsova and Irina Alexandrina capture the beauty of Naples in an Impressionist style. View event details
Jan. 5-25
Street Walking Artist at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
The exhibit showcases the work of Naples-based, 93-year-old abstract artist Joan Sonnenberg, who often finds creative inspiration during her daily walks. The creator’s works draw from mundane subject matter to create inspired textures and patterns. View event details
Jan. 6
In the Footsteps of Cypress Loggers, Immokalee
Learn how the Cypress loggers ravaged the landscape of Southwest Florida, leaving a longlasting impact on nature. Historian and Florida author Cesar Becerra leads a guided walk at CREW Land & Water Trust, detailing his more than thirty years of research on logging in South Florida and its impact on the environment. View event details
Jan. 6
Beethoven No. 5 & the British Invasion at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
The Southwest Florida Symphony performs a mix of classical Beethoven works and pop favorites from The Beatles and The Animals. Grammy Award-winning guest violinist Charles Yang joins the symphony in a special performance. View event details
Jan. 6
The Champ Jaxon Band at Cultural Park Theater, Cape Coral
The teenage Southwest Florida guitar virtuoso has played with The Marshall Tucker Band and The Allman Betts Band. Champ sings and plays guitar, performing many of the songs from his debut album, The Grove, with his dad, Nate, on rhythm guitar. View event details
Jan. 6 and 7
Naples Art Institute’s New Year’s Art Fair
Stroll through Cambier Park and browse the booths of professional artists from around the country at this annual event. Find works from about 250 professional artists covering an array of mediums, like acrylic and oil paintings, and woodwork. View event details
Jan. 7
An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma at Artis—Naples
The cellist joins PBS NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Brown for an evening of conversation with musical interludes. The musician shares personal anecdotes and ideas of how culture can help people find truth, build trust and serve one another. View event details
Jan. 7
Canadian Brass at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
The brass quintet has toured the world with a rotating cast of members for more than half a century. View event details
Jan. 8 – Feb. 27
Just Another Canvas: Tattoos as Art at Marco Island Center for the Arts
Some of South Florida’s top tattoo artists display their work in this exhibit showing the creativity and artisanship behind tattoos. Learn about the history of the artform, and purchase a temporary henna tattoo. View event details
Jan. 9-28
Beehive: The 60s Musical at Florida Repertory Theatre
You don’t have to go to a salon to get the popular hairstyle of the time to enjoy this jukebox musical honoring Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and other legendary female vocalists. View event details
Jan. 10-14
A Tribute to Claude Monet at Aldo Castillo Gallery, Naples
Cuban American artist Fredy Villamil pays tribute to one of the masters. Fredy exhibits his interpretation of Monet’s famous Water Lilies series, which Fredy painted in Giverny, the same city Monet worked in. View event details
Jan. 10-28
Harvey at The Naples Players
The classic play, written by Pulitzer Prize author Mary Chase, tells the story of a man and his best friend–an imaginary, 6-foot-tall rabbit. View event details
Multiple dates between Jan. 10 — Feb. 3
Stew at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the family drama centers around three generations of Black women preparing a feast. Emotion runs high as the turmoil within the family begins to make its way to the kitchen. View event details
Jan. 11 and 13
Critic’s Choice Series featuring Nathan Hill at Artis—Naples
Naples resident and New York Times bestselling book author Nathan Hill discusses his latest book, Wellness, with moderator Elaine Newton. The novel was recently included on Oprah’s Book Club list. View event details
Jan. 11-21
Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical at TheatreZone, Naples
An electrifying soundtrack of blues, gospel and rockabilly tunes the lives of the infamous outlaw couple Bonnie and Clyde in this Tony Award-nominated musical. TheatreZone’s six-person band, led by conductor Charles Fornara, sets the soundtrack to this production. View event details
Jan. 11 — Feb. 4
The Refugees at Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples
World premiere: Playwright Brent Askari’s show tells the story of a Connecticut family that becomes refugees in the Middle East. The playwright wrote the piece upon winning the National New Play Network’s Smith Prize for Political Theater. View event details
Jan. 13 and 14
Bonita Springs National Art Festival at Arts Bonita
Hundreds of juried artists from around the world gather to sell their pieces in Riverside Park in this Southwest Florida winter and spring tradition. View event details
Jan. 16-21
Company at Artis—Naples
Sondheim’s five-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy takes place on a woman’s 35th birthday, as friends pressure her to settle down. See the Broadway tour in all its glory. View event details
Jan. 18-21
Naples Boat Show
The largest recreational boat show in Collier County showcases hundreds of boats and spans the Naples City Dock and Sugden Regional Park. Explore the large selection of new yachts and pre-owned boats. Top brands, including Viking Yachts and Prestige Yachts, are available for purchase. Visitors meet with folks representing marinas, boat dealers and associated boating-related businesses. View event details
Jan. 19 and 20
Artful Arrangements in the Naples Art District
Have a look into a Japanese tea ceremony and witness the creation of thoughtfully crafted floral arrangements that complement original artworks in this showcase spanning about 30 studios across the district. Tea and sweets will be served alongside the floral demos. View event details
Jan. 19 — Feb. 29
A Tenuous Framework at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers
The exhibit—shown here for the first time in a gallery—explores worldviews, with a multimedia installation that includes architectural miniatures, photography and a series of short films and videos that explore our ancestry and shared past. The project represents more than 20 years of investigations intoperceptions of history, ancestral memory and psychological displacement. View event details
Jan 12-21
Rookery Bay Festival of Birds
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the festival with bird-themed activities and workshops. Experience a watercolor painting class, guided field trips to wildlife hotspots and a nature film series coordinated by the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, with a keynote address by actress and conservationist Holly Marie Combs. View event details
Jan. 22
The Spanish Seminole: The Untold History of the Spanish Indians, at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel
Artist and author David Rahahę·tih Webb speaks in his book detailing the Spanish Indians of Sanibel and beyond. David, an eighth-generation Sanibel native, shares the history of Spanish Seminoles using images, newly found documents, oral histories and artifacts. View event details
Jan. 23-28
Hadestown at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
The Broadway tour production of the eight-time Tony-winning best musical retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as they journey to and from the Underworld. View event details
Jan. 24 — Mar. 30
Stitching History from The Holocaust at Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center, Naples
See designs Prague dressmaker Hedwig Strnad sent to American relatives in hopes of obtaining a visa and escaping Nazi prosecution with her husband.The Milwaukee Repertory Theater spent 10 months creating the designs Prague dressmaker Hedwig Strnad sent to American relatives in hopes of obtaining a visa and escaping Nazi prosecution with her husband. Created by the Mulwaukee Repertory Theater over a 10-month period, the traveling exhibit is on display at Naples’ HMCEC to share the stories and talents of Holocaust victims. View event details
Jan. 25
Night in Italy at St. Leo’s Parish Life Center, Bonita Springs
Gulfshore Opera’s world-class artists-in-residence perform a selection of operatic works that showcase different styles of Italian music. View event details
Jan. 25 and 26
Masterworks: Death and Transfiguration at Artis—Naples
Alexander Shelley conducts his first Naples Philharmonic Masterworks performance as the new artistic and music director. The program includes the great Richard Strauss’ Death and Configuration and Don Juan compositions, among other works. View event details
Jan. 26 and Jan. 27
2024 Sanibel Invitational Art Fest, Sanibel
Seventy artists showcase an array of original pieces created from media including ceramics, digital art and paintings. View event details
Jan. 27
Judith Hill at BIG ARTS, Sanibel Island
The songwriter and Grammy Award-winning vocalist (and contestant on The Voice) has performed with Michael Jackson, Josh Groban and Prince. View event details
Jan. 27
Plein Air Fest at Naples Botanical Garden
The botanical garden serves as the ideal locale for this annual event, where local artists paint outdoors amongst the beautiful tropical plants. View event details
