Ragtime star Joshua Henry to star in "Get Up, Stand Up!" backed by Gulf Coast Symphony on Sunday, January 25, at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Stage III Series' 2026 lineup features a play that focuses on the leadership and legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower, another about Emma Grandma Gatewood, the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail alone, and a music-filled production that showcases wild child Janis Joplin and the icons who inspired her, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Etta James.

Two theaters have shows on Christmas Eve and two others welcome audiences on Christmas Day among the 11 shows onstage at SWFL theaters Christmas week.

Between New Year’s weekend and April’s end, Southwest Florida is the scene of more than 40 outdoor art fairs and festivals. Some are boutique shows that feature just a few dozen artists. Others boast more than 200 exhibitors, with ArtFest Fort Myers attracting an estimated 90,000 visitors and the Cape Coral Art Festival topping out at 140,000 attendees. Here you'll find the names, dates and organizers of each of these outdoor art shows.

BIG ARTS is built to last. The building weathered Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton largely unscathed. The outdoor sculpture garden wasn’t as lucky. But it has now been restored and Gallery Director Wilson McCray hopes people will check out the improvements this season and is busy preparing a map that will facilitate self-guided walking tours.

The Naples New Year's Art Fair and Sarasota Winter Fine Art Festival take place January 3-4.

Marco Island Center for the Arts is celebrating the start of Christmas week with “Singin' and Swingin' – The Holiday Songbook.” It’s a musical revue that features singer Charlie Blum. He’ll not only perform. Director Hyla Crane points out that he’s also the one who chose the music for the show.

Adam Szymkowicz’s “Clown Bar Christmas” spoofs conventional Christmas stories, shows and songs. Hallmark is among the franchises lampooned, with a clown named Petunia serving as the mistress of mischief on a Christmas tree farm.

Three months ago, ballerina Skylar Frye found herself at a crossroads. After studying ballet from age 8, and 10-hour days and performances every night for weeks at a time during her four years at the University of Arizona, she was tired. But Gulfshore Ballet has helped rekindle her passion with its invitation to dance Dew Drop, Snow and Arabian in 'The Nutcracker' ballet.

There are over 28,000 Floridians experiencing homelessness. That number comes from the 2025 Point-in-Time, or PIT, Count conducted by the Florida Department of Children and Families.