Season Is Back: Your Week in Venice, Wellen Park & Gran Paradiso (Nov. 2–8)

You can tell season is back in Venice without looking at a calendar. There are more out-of-state plates on Venice Avenue, restaurants are filling up earlier in the evening, and the neighbors who spend summers up north are back and waving from their lanais. November is when our corner of Florida wakes back up, and this week shows it.

Every Monday I'm going to pull together what's happening around town for the week ahead, from downtown Venice to Downtown Wellen to right here inside Gran Paradiso. Here's what's on the calendar for November 2 through 8.

Downtown Venice

Tonight: Big Band Preview Night. The Venice Symphony is hosting a Big Band preview evening from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Mirabella's Coastal Italian, 2300 N. Tamiami Trail in Nokomis. It's an easy Monday night out and a nice way to get a feel for the symphony's season.

History tours from Centennial Park. If you have guests in town, the golf cart history tours and downtown walking tours that start at Centennial Park are one of the best ways to learn how Venice came to be. The evening ghost tours leave from the same spot. Times change from day to day, so check the community calendar at visitvenicefl.org before you go.

Friday: free Movie in the Park. Venice MainStreet and the Venice Institute for Performing Arts are showing the new live-action Moana on Friday, November 6, at 6:30 p.m. It's free and family friendly, so bring a chair or a blanket.

Coming up next. The Friday Night Concert Series at the Centennial Park gazebo continues November 13 with Steve Haines, and the Mayor's Hometown Christmas Tree Lighting is set for November 27. I'll have both on the calendar here when the week arrives.

Wellen Park

Downtown Wellen has become the gathering spot for the whole south end of the county. You've got brick streets lined with shops and restaurants on one side, and the lakefront park with its splash pad and shaded lawn on the other. On a cool November evening it's hard to beat.

Two dates to put on your calendar now: the Wellen Park Wine Festival starts November 14, and Wellen Wonderland, the community's holiday celebration downtown, is December 4 and 5. Wellen Park keeps its full weekly lineup of live music, markets and fitness groups at wellenpark.com/events.

Inside Gran Paradiso This Week

People ask me what it's actually like to live in Gran Paradiso. The easiest answer is to show you an ordinary week on our community calendar. Here's what residents have going on:

• Monday, 6 p.m.: Line dancing in the aerobics room. It's an evening class, so residents who still work can make it, and beginners are welcome.
• Wednesday, 1 p.m.: Rescue My Jewelry at the clubhouse, for anyone with a favorite piece that needs a little care.
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Garden Club's gardening seminar and plant swap at the clubhouse.

These events are for Gran Paradiso residents, and they're a big part of why people who move here tend to stay. The clubhouse, the resort-style pool and the courts are where neighbors turn into friends.

Thinking About Living Here?

If this kind of week sounds like the life you want, I'd be glad to help you find the right home for it. You can search every home for sale in Venice, Wellen Park and Gran Paradiso on my website, read more about living in Venice, or see what your current home is worth.

Event details come from Venice MainStreet, the Venice community calendar, Visit Sarasota and the Gran Paradiso community calendar. Times can change, so check with the host before you head out.

I'm Scott Swonger, and I've lived in Gran Paradiso since 2017. I'm not a pushy realtor, just a neighbor who loves it here. Want more? Visit scottswongerrealtor.com or text me at 941-600-3534.

Scott Swonger, PA, REALTOR®
HomeSmart Residential & Commercial Realty