Captiva Island, Florida Prepares for 2011 "Captiva Holiday Village" Month-Long Festivities

CAPTIVA ISLAND, Fla., Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark the 2011 holiday season by enjoying weekend festivities on memorable Captiva Island during its four-week-long Captiva Holiday Village event, beginning Thanksgiving weekend and running through Dec. 17.

Each event weekend on this popular southwest Florida barrier island will be a themed, fun-filled extravaganza, set against a Gulf of Mexico backdrop.  Captiva Holiday Village weekends will include street dancers, fireworks, live concerts, and a lighted boat parade – all taking place in Captiva's "Village" Center, its colorful restaurants and shops festively lighted and decorated.

A feature of this year's Captiva Holiday Village is community Chautauqua, offering educational and entertaining workshops, boat cruises, and natural history talks.   

Captiva resorts, inns, cottages and vacation homes will be offered at special rates in conjunction with this year's second annual Captiva Holiday Village event.  As the gateway to the out-islands of Pine Island Sound, Captiva offers easy access to an abundance of water sports: kayaking, guided fishing, parasailing, wildlife cruises and world-renowned shelling.

Event highlights are as follows:

Weekend 1 Thanksgiving Weekend:  Nov. 25, 26
Fireworks & Tree Lighting  
Children's Classic Holiday Reading and Christmas Tree Lighting
Sunset Arias on the Beach

Weekend 2 Luminary Islands Weekend:  Dec. 2, 3
Sanibel Luminary
Decorated Golf Cart Parade
Captiva Luminary

Weekend 3 Country Christmas:  Dec. 9, 10, 11
Sunset Arias  
Country Christmas Concert with CMA Hall of Fame artist Charlie McCoy
Holiday Marketplace  
Lighted Boat Parade
Country Christmas Concert with Charlie McCoy
Caroling

Weekend 4 Captiva Carnaval:  Dec 16, 17
Cuban Dance and Jazz Concert
Bahamas Junkanoo Revue Street Parade

For detail on events, and more information, please visit:   www.captivaholidayvillage.com.   

About Captiva Island

Captiva 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 just three hours by car from Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. A narrow seashell-laden island famous for its dramatic sunrises and sunsets, celebrity visitors, and creative residents, Captiva is home to two large resorts, several charming small inns and several private homes.  Pedestrians stroll among colorful galleries, shops and restaurants in the island's vibrant 'downtown,' coined "the Village."  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 media around the world. 

SOURCE Captiva Holiday Village