Bright Beginnings for a New Year on Sanibel

Happy New Year, one and all!

After all the lights and hoopla of the holidays, January can be a bit of an anti-climax to December.

Aside from the drop in morale, there is also a bit of a drop of temperature in the year's first month as well.

So those of us who live, work and play on Sanibel try to do things that are fun and interesting in January to counter the after holiday blues.

Fortunately, there are so many things to do in January, we have no problem finding "spirit lifters".

Here's a very small sample of what's on the Island's and environs calendar for January:

• Mary Alice Monroe will appear at the Sanibel Island Bookshop, located at 1571 Periwinkle Way, on Friday, Jan. 23 starting at 11 a.m. She will be reading from and signing copies of her latest best-seller, "Last Light Over Carolina."
  

• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: Illuscination

  Thursday, January 7 – Sunday, January 10, 2010 Germain Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Fort Myers
  

• Florida’s Creative Coast Weekend
  Friday, January 8 – Sunday, January 10, 2010, Pine Island, Matlacha, Cultural Weekend Events Thursday, January 14 – Saturday, February 6, 2010

• Unnecessary Farce , Live Theatre

  The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater, 2200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island

• World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions

  Saturday, January 16, 2010 Germain Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Fort Myers

• The Shirelles
  Monday, January 25, 2010 Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Live Dinner Theater Performance

And don't forget the line up at Big Arts on Sanibel!

Classical Afternoon
Sunday, January 10, 2010, 3:30 p.m.
Reception with the artists following performance

The IU Jacobs School of Music Starling Chamber Players uniquely combines the talents of two of North America's finest chamber music instrumentalists with a group of world-class students from the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A program rich with sparkling virtuosity and variety makes this is a concert not to be missed.

Thursday, January 14, 2010, 8 PM

Hailed by The Washington Post as a "polished" and "ravishing" piano trio, the N-E-W Trio has emerged as one of the nation's most promising young ensembles. The N-E-W Trio's members, Andrew Wan, violin; Gal Nyska, cello; Julio Elizalde, piano are currently pursuing graduate, artist diploma, and doctoral degrees at The Juilliard School. Each member has individually won Juilliard's concerto competition leading to performances at Lincoln Center.

These were chosen from literally dozens of events on and near Sanibel. If you are coming for a week, you are sure to find several nice options during your stay, but you might want to linger longer given all the great choices of things to do!