Southwest Florida Symphony Society staging ‘Deck The Hall’
The more than 20,000 people who pass through the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall during the month of November will have a very unique experience. The Southwest Florida Symphony Society is putting on its holiday extravaganza, dubbed “Deck The Hall.”
This amazing new form of silent auction features over 25 professionally decorated Holiday trees accompanied by about a dozen matching, or not, professionally decorated wreaths. The show starts on Friday, Nov. 4 with the preview party and goes on to Monday, Dec. 5. The display will be available for viewing during the normal operating hours of the hall and during all performances. Admission is free.
Everyone is invited to partake in the bidding as sheets will be available in front of each exhibit along with information about the creator and the tree’s “parents,” if it has been adopted. “Buy It Now” pricing will be offered. This enables the high bidder to take possession of his//her tree before the close of the exhibition on Dec. 5. After the high bidders have been contacted on Dec. 6, the trees will be delivered by a professional moving company to the winner’s destination of choice.
“I must say, this event can boast it has the most impressive list of designers and florists participating in any of the local Tree Festivals,” said Roz Lesser, Society Chairperson.
As of press time, the list includes Fringe Home Interior & Gifts, who will be decorating one of the larger full trees. Susan Raine-Kester will head up the project for the firm. Additional headliners include Calvin Johnson and Associates with their Flower Basket division, under the direction of John Calvin Johnson, doing the decorating and Rictoria Rieger will personally be doing the decorating of her tree.
Elizabeth Lodge and Tracey Rowley from 4 Step Design, located at the Miromar Design Center, are also doing a seven-foot tree as is Kathleen Bridget Sullivan Interiors from Naples. Kelli Sultan of KVS Interiors, Muni Reynoldson of Muni Interiors, Pat Estevez of Pro Interiors and Gaile Emond of Emond Interiors are also participating.
Beth Bay, President of the Naples Chapter of the Interior Design Society has agreed to have the whole chapter chip in. The florists participating include Donna Grohal of Angel Bloom Florists and Robin Walton of Blossom Shoppe Florists and Gifts. Then there is Shelly Green of Fort Myers Florists, who will be decorating the event’s signature seven-foot pink-on-pink tree. And not only has Jessica Gnagey at Ruth Messmer’s agreed to do a tree, but they are also doing a matching wreath.
Admission to the event is free, so no one should miss the exciting exhibition.
“The last time this was done was 18 years ago when I also chaired the function, so you might say this is a twice-in-a-lifetime experience,” added Lesser.
Anyone with questions about “Deck The Hall” can call Roz Lesser at 239-418-0996 during business hours or 239-945-1803 afterwards.