Hurricane Ian sends Naples a memo: Rethink those special events

Paradise won't be Party-dise any time soon. The City of Naples, after much soul-searching Thursday, took a scissors to its upcoming special events calendar, scrubbing the popular Thanksgiving Day 5K Turkey Trot and moving back the iconic Swamp Buggy Parade.

Undeterred, the Gulf Coast Runners, who were meeting Thursday afternoon, took immediate action to move its 5K to Paradise Cove Sports Complex on City Gate Boulevard. A field of runners that has been as high as 4,000 will push off as planned, but in a new location.

The Swamp Buggy Parade also will roll on, but on the first day of the Winter Classics buggy races Jan. 28 and 29 instead of Nov. 19 as originally planned.

The decisions Thursday included events that had already been planned and approved by City Council. But after Hurricane Ian slashed through Naples on its northward march, the critical need for clean up time and worries about safety changed the paradigm for city staff.

"Debris removal is a huge, huge, huge task," said City Manager Jay Boodheshwar. "Imagine a football stadium filled up with debris — to 40 feet high.

"And that is only the stuff inside the house. It doesn't include vegetative debris. It doesn't include appliances. It doesn't include wrecked vehicles. When you add all that in you're talking two football stadiums."

"We're asking people to be patient," he said. "This isn't going to be one pass (to collect debris). It's going to be multiple passes."

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City Council had no trouble letting some of the events that were low-impact continue, such as Cambier Park Sunday services at Celebration Beach Church, which has offered to clean the park after each service. The Naples Art shows, the earliest of which would be set on its own grounds to eliminate city cleanup, eventually won approval, too, on the condition it pays some outstanding fees.

Some larger events within the City of Naples got more discussion:

Delayed: Swamp Buggy Parade, Cambier concerts

Maria Rodriguez, an employee of Swamp Buggy Races organization, pointed out that its Swamp Buggy Parade is the oldest in Southwest Florida, dating from the 1940s. Her organization offered to move the parade from Nov. 19 to the start of the second racing dates, Jan. 28.

"If it's not a good date, we get it. There are larger priorities, such as making the community whole," she said. "But we want to have this parade to show the world that we are back. I have no doubt we will be back, bigger and better."

As with everything else, there are disadvantages: Closing off U.S. 41 during tourist season. And advantages: Bringing the parade to Naples during its 2023 centennial. But the offer to delay the parade won council's approval, and the parade will be moved to Jan. 28.

Also delayed will be:

• All concert series at Cambier Park. Three different bands — Naples Concert Band, Naples Jazz Society and Naples Big Band — all offer free Sunday concerts that are public favorites. Council decided to push back October concerts and talk with the organizations about taking responsibility for cleaning the park, with the possibility of resuming them in December.

• The Third Street Farmers Market. The Third Street South area took on heavier damage than Fifth Avenue, and the Saturday morning market, which was to have started this weekend, will be pushed back to a date at which city staff is comfortable with it returning.

• Evenings on Fifth. As with the others, the group asked that the event be canceled for October, with the option for it to return in November.

Parks and Recreation staff will work with the street department and city administrators as well as those organizations to settle on optimal dates for a return to their schedules.

"We'll know where we're at in a couple of weeks. We may come back to you and talk about the next 30 days," Boodheshwar told them. "I have concerns the next 30 days, and I definitely have concerns about the next 60 days on anything that is closing a road and require a lot of staff resources, specifically affecting public safety."

"This is a tough balance," Boodheshwar said. "We do want a return to some sense of normalcy."

But given the demands on cleanup after Hurricane Ian ushered in a storm surge of more than 3 feet downtown, sloshed sand into its storm sewers and felled trees of all sizes, both council and city staff felt a pause would be best.

For that reason, council decided to ask Gulf Coast Runners to move its Old Naples 10K from Nov. 12 and the Skim Jam, a surfing event at 13th Avenue beach. It was originally set for Oct. 22.

For discussion: Stone Crab Fest, Cane Walk

The White Cane Walk sponsored by Lighthouse for the Blind was scheduled for Oct. 15. City staff will ask the organization if it can find a different day.

The Oct. 28-30 Stone Crab Festival may be moved to another weekend. Although director Jerrod Cain pointed out that it had its own onsite parking at Tin City and has its own dining area. Its major expense is the addition of two to three police officers for security.

"It's a big event for the area. It's a huge event for Tin City. It's the biggest event of the year for them financially," he told council. "And it's really kind of a kickoff to the season. It might be a good statement for the area to say, 'hey, we're not going to let this hurricane get us down'."

Council still pushed back, asking if Cain could work with city staff to set an alternate date, perhaps in early December.

Rescinded: Regatta, one art festival

Approval for the Thanksgiving Weekend Art Festival. The festival had its advocates, since, as one councilman pointed out, its original motive was to bring people to the fairly young Design District. But the loss of the Gulfshore Playhouse parking area, with its new building now under construction, paired with Naples Square residents' concerns about getting into and out of their buildings and the closure of streets, made them leery.

The Halloween Spooktacular was scrapped because it would close off Fifth Avenue during October, while conditions are still tenuous, and the decision was made with the blessing of the Business Improvement District.

The Naples Regatta approval for Lowdermilk Park also was revoked.

"Lowdermilk is in shambles at this point in time, unfortunately," said Jennifer Fox, recreation superintendent. Nov. 12 was simply not feasible at this time, she and other officials said. The park was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.

"It's been a long, very emotional last eight to 10 days, but I'd be remiss as a newcomer not say what I'm witnessing in this community of people pulling together is quite a sight," Boodheshwar told the council in opening the meeting.

"There's a lot of work ahead, but I feel we're going to come out on the other end of this a stronger community, we're going to be a more collaborative community. We're going to hear each other more. I feel there are really good things that are going to come out from this."

Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-253-8936.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Swamp Buggy parade, Cambier concerts: Naples prioritizes for events