- March 16, 2025
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Santa Claus gives a candy cane to Lucy Clark.
Santa Claus, Lucy Clark and Mary Lou and Bill Johnson
Art Conforti, Reggie Conforti and Shelly the Turtle.
Gail Loefgren, Brad Marner, Reva Jackson and Celia Moore
Joanne and Larry Wilheln
Kathy Garcia, Susan Phillips and Linda Ulrich
Myrtle the Eastern screech owl and Jonathan Hande from Save Our Seabirds
Shelly the Turtle with Logan and Abigail Barber
Wendy Reichert, Nancy Rozance and Brigitte Burdick
Nick, Elliot, Jillian, Grant and Samantha Ponitz
The Town served up marbled cake.
Kaitlyn Kramer Reeves, Chris Pfahler and Marlo Turner from Tidewell Foundation
Lynn and Jim Larson with Svetlana Ivashchenko
Cyndi Seamon, Karey Kaine and Sam Digiammarino
The Rotary Club of Longboat Key collected toys to donate to migrant families.
Jeffrey and Jeff Bergman donated a toy.
Bonnie Schneider with Dave, Chase and Abi Clabeaux
Danielle, Harbor, Ella and Lynn Christensen
Gail Loefgren, Mark Meador and Mayor Ken Schneier.
Mark Meador and Ken Schneier fiddle with the light switch.
Mark Meador from Casa Del Mar provided the lights and setup.
Henry, Jennifer and Michael Walton
The oak trees lit up with the second push of the button.
Next year, Loefgren plans to cover the trees to the top.
Next year, Loefgren plans to cover the trees to the top.
On its third year, the annual Light Up Longboat event is starting to branch out — from the cheerful offerings on hand to the expansion of the illuminated-for-the-holidays oak trees at Town Center Green. The third annual tree lighting saw its largest crowd on Nov. 27.
The holiday hullabaloo attracted families, from visitors to residents, to grab a cup of hot chocolate and take in the wintry Florida night. Nick Ponitz, visiting with his family for the second year in a row, said they saw the flyer for their event in their condo and decided to come check it out.
There was plenty to see, from 10 local organizations with informational tables stocked with candy and sweet treats set up around the burgeoning Town Center Green to Santa Claus doling out hugs and candy canes and finally, to the five oak trees covered in blue lights, thanks to the hard work of Casa Del Mar's Mark Meador and his team.
The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce hosted the event along with the town, but other participants included the Longboat Key Turtle Watch, Save Our Seabirds, The Paradise Center, the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs of Longboat Key, the Longboat Library, Tidewell Foundation and the Longboat Key Garden Club.
Chamber President Gail Loefgren welcomed the crowd to the event and Mayor Ken Schneier went through a list of town projects and accomplishments during 2021 before lighting the tree. After a momentary bobble and a second countdown from the crowd, Schneier and Meador got the lights on, much to the delight of the assembled attendees. Kids ran to the glowing oaks to get a better look.
The Town Center Green is on its way to further upgrades in the coming year, with walkways, lighting and other facilities planned.