The Holiday Season in A Big Kind of Small Town
Annual holiday traditions in Ave Maria are something our residents look forward to all year. With the pandemic changing some aspects of Ave Maria’s events, we are proud to say that in 2020 we were able to safely continue these festive holiday events.
Hometown Christmas
The night was filled with cool weather, festive contests, live music, food and drinks from our Town Center merchants, a picture opportunity with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a dance show by the school of Irish Dance.
One of the evenings highlights was a bike and golf cart decorating contest and parade. It was a fun sight to see – dozens of bikes and golf carts thoughtfully decorated with lights, bows, Christmas trees, elves, and more. Our Ave Maria streets came to life! Another fun activity was the gingerbread house decorating contest where several residents participated. Some gingerbread houses looked too good to eat.
A Christmas classic – the Ugly Sweater Contest was a huge hit! Many residents pulled out their least attractive sweater in hopes of winning, and one stole the show. Congrats to Jen, the winner of the contest, who happens to be a sales associate for our newest builder, Lennar.
The community room transformed into Santa’s village, by our wonderful volunteers. The room was decorated beautifully and provided an intimate setting for pictures with Santa. There was a table for Cards of Care for Seniors, a part of the Ave Cares program, where residents created handmade cards and delivered to nearby nursing homes to bring some holiday cheer.
Breakfast with Santa
This annual family fun event was held at the Ave Maria Waterpark which enabled a lot of outdoor, open space for fun. Families enjoyed breakfast, coffee, fake snow, balloon props, and the perfect photo opportunity with the beloved Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Annual Toy Drive
The Ave Maria Veterans Association organized an annual toy drive that benefitted the children of the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. This toy drive was a community-wide effort, with several merchants and neighborhoods with specific drop off locations and collection outreaches. In addition to hundreds of toys, a monetary donation was given to the organization as well. We love how much Ave Cares!
Deck the House Decorating Contest
Residents were put to the challenge to show the community their best decorations this Christmas! The winners of the contest were Mark and Middalia in Maple Ridge by CC Homes builder. Their decorating theme was JOY. When they won, they shared why they choose the theme of Joy. “’We felt that everyone needed some joy and upliftment this year, so we created our theme around that to spread some much needed joy. We even kept our display sanitized and even invited people to sit in the sleigh and take pictures.” This homeowner won a Grand Prize valued at $250. A few homes were great contenders and have received a token gift for their efforts.
The Ave Maria lifestyle is unique in the sense that it’s more than a place to live, it’s a community. Thank you to the Ave Maria Masters Association and all of the volunteers and residents who made these events memorable. In 2021 we will have several events open to the public where you can personally experience Ave Maria, Florida – A Big Kind of Small Town.