Longboat Key plans to move into the season as normal

Cheers of joy were heard out on the Links on Longboat Golf Club when the Key-Niners held its first match of the season. 

At its welcome-back lunch on Nov. 7, the ladies of the Key-Niners explained it was a special feeling seeing their snowbird friends and feeling some normalcy after weeks of uncertainty.

“You should have heard us out on the driving range,” said member Ricki Harvey. “We were like screaming when we first saw each other. We are so happy to be back with everyone.”

Just like the Key-Niners, the town of Longboat Key and its organizations are welcoming back snowbirds as normal as the island continues to recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

Susan Phillips, assistant to the town manager, shared that even though they don’t know what to expect for the season, they have been hearing a lot of resilience from both the part-time and full-time residents.

“Everybody's been appreciative of the town's efforts when looking at other communities' recoveries,” said Phillips. “We are making good progress, but we just ask everyone to be patient as they come back. As Howard (Tipton) says, ‘It's a marathon, not a sprint.’” 

To assure the snowbirds to come back, Phillips looks forward to the events coming up this season.

Photo by Petra Rivera

Light Up Longboat will be the town’s first official event after the hurricanes, and it is intended to be bigger than ever. On Nov. 23, the town is partnering with the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce to host it at the Town Center Green for the sixth year in a row. 

After the yearly tree lighting ceremony, local musicians will perform holiday songs to liven up the holiday spirit on the Key. People will get the chance to talk to a variety of local businesses and organizations to support their recoveries, along with special appearances from Santa Claus, Mickey and Minnie Mouse. 

“Hopefully, we'll have most of the debris cleaned up and have the island feeling a little more normal by then,” said Phillips. “What we want to achieve is bring some joy and some recovery and sense of community.”

Similarly, there will be a free concert on Dec. 14 on the Town Center Green as another way to promote normalcy and community. Phillips also shared that the Longboat Key Garden Club is partnering with the Longboat Island Chapel to host the first-ever “Art in the Garden” event in April. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

The event was inspired by Christmas in the Garden as a way to showcase local artists in a natural environment for five days. She said it was planned before the hurricanes hit the island, but she knows it is the perfect thing to give people confidence for the season. 

Even though the Chapel was greatly damaged by the hurricanes, volunteers are working hard to clean it up in time for Christmas in the Garden in December. The Rev. Brock Patterson was insistent on moving forward with the annual holiday event to provide some hope for people on the island. 

“People want to see each other,” said Patterson. “They want to do their events and their activities as best as we can. We're carrying on full steam ahead with a lot of things.”

After cleaning up the garden, volunteers from the Chapel will start decorating its trees of varied themes. Patterson said they are still confirming which businesses and organizations plan to donate a tree this year. 

For the first time, there will be a community tree where residents can hang a special ornament that means something to them. He plans it to be a symbol of unity and peace as the island recovers.

Courtesy image

“Christmas in the Garden is a very peaceful, meaningful time for people,” said Patterson. “This year more than ever, because all of our homes and property are in such disarray, it's really important for the community to know they have a place where they can come, sit down, chill out and experience Christmas.”

As more snowbirds come in, small businesses reopen for the first time, and they use it as a reason to celebrate. Driftwood Beach Home and Garden hosted a reopening party for its first day back open on Nov. 10. Owner Heather Rippy said around 100 people stopped by to show their support. 

“Everyone was so kind in their support of my small business,” said Rippy. “ It was encouraging to hear people talk about how the shop and businesses like mine are important to them and the community. I am so grateful and filled with hope.”