On the day after Thanksgiving, young children from all over the island gathered around at the doors of MIA. Inside, Interact Club was busy setting up stations and putting the final touches on the decorated school. Garland was hung, lights were turned on, and the tree was trimmed just right.

At 5 PM, the doors opened and children flooded the halls of the school. As they progressed down the hallway, they were greeted by a host of fun, Christmas-themed stations. Face painting, a photo booth, cookie decorating, ornament crafts, picture frame making, charm bracelets, a ‘Pin the Nose on Rudolph’ game, and a coloring station all greeted the joyous kids.

Finally, the line progressed into the lobby. A winter wonderland full of icicles, snowflakes, and lights adorned the room as the last stop neared: Santa’s lap. At the bottom of the main staircase sat Santa and Mrs. Claus. Christmas Island Style provided a photographer to capture the kid’s smiling faces. Santa’s Arrival went wonderfully. The school was full of Christmas magic and wishes.

On Saturday, December 2nd, 2023, Sunrise Rotary hosted its annual Santa Fun Run. The Santa Fun Run is a 5k run/walk that is hosted at Mackle Park on Marco Island each year.

The run had a more cheery crowd than in previous years. There was a large number of runners and walkers this year, as well as people on the sidelines cheering for them as they ran and crossed the finish line.

Medals were handed out by volunteers from MIA’s Interact club and audience members at the end of the run. There was also milk and cookies available for all participants at the finish line.

The Marco Island tree lighting is an annual event that took place at 6:00 pm on the evening of Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 at Veteran’s Park.

The grounds of the park were covered with people who had come to watch the performances on the stage, and the tree being lit.

The performances before the tree lighting consisted of dancers, singers, bands, and a variety of other performers all around the island. Some of these were from Marco Island Charter Middle School, some from Marco Island Academy, and others from independent organizations.

The tree was lit just after 7:15 pm. The park was illuminated with the lights. People gathered around the tree for pictures and socialization for a long time after.

On the night of December 5th, 2023, the Marco Island Esplanade was filled with adorable pets and their owners. The pet parade brought the attention of many to the Esplanade as just over thirty of the community’s furry friends competed against each other in this dog modeling style competition.

The prizes awarded were for the most festive, best groomed, and most creative. Each of these categories had a first, second, and third-place winner.

The dogs all gave everything to the competition. Whether it was being decked out in Christmas apparel, fancy hairstyles, or even shark costumes, the dogs all gave their A games with the parade.

Cascading down San Marco road on December 9th, businesses and organizations across the island assembled festive floats in celebration of the season. Marco Island Academy’s display featured our enthusiastic cheerleaders, the administration, a Whoville-themed float with the Grinch and Max, the one and only Manta Ray, and students from across the school marching behind passing out candy and holding banners. At the judge’s station, toys from Interact’s Toy Drive were donated into the charity sleigh for children in need, carried by the girl’s soccer team.

For the energy and enthusiasm, MIA won Most Entertaining. Other notable displays were the Newcomers Club of Marco Island as Barbies, which won Best Overall in Parade - Individual/Organization, and Marco Island Charter Middle School, which won Best Marching Band.