Venetian Village's Holiday Season, From the Snow Show to the Thanksgiving 5K: A Park Shore Calendar

This year the holidays at The Village Shops on Venetian Bay come as five events spread over three weeks. Two of them end with a snow show at 6 p.m. One starts at 7:30 on Thanksgiving morning. One is for dogs. In between, the restaurants on the bay run loyalty programs that pay a regular back for each dinner. If you live in Park Shore and plan to stop by more than once between Nov. 21 and Dec. 12, the season is set up for you.

All of it happens at 4200 Gulf Shore Blvd. North, the address on every event listing, and the Village takes questions at 239-261-6100.

Three weeks, five events

Here is the full holiday schedule from the Village's events calendar, in order:

The listings don't carry publish dates, so check the events page before you head over in case anything has moved.

The two big evenings are Saturdays exactly three weeks apart, and the run, the shopping weekend and the pet night fill the gaps between them. If you missed the first snow show, you get a second one.

Grand Illuminations opens the season on Nov. 21

Grand Illuminations kicks things off on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 3 to 7 p.m. The Village's listing promises free photos with Santa, Dickens Carolers, costumed characters and decorated walkways along the bay. The centerpiece is what the Village calls Naples' tallest Christmas tree, lit along with more than 100,000 lights. At 6 p.m. comes what the listing calls "a little Florida Christmas magic," a snow show.

The listing also suggests you "grab a bite at your favorite waterfront restaurant," and that's the practical way to plan the evening. The photos and carolers run from mid-afternoon, and the snow show is set for 6. Reserve dinner around 6 and the restaurants become your seats for the show.

Holiday on the Bay on Saturday, Dec. 12, repeats the formula: 3 to 7 p.m., Santa photos, carolers and another 6 p.m. snow show. So the season has two dinner nights built in, and that's where the restaurants' loyalty programs come in.

Coming back is what the restaurants reward

The Village's dining directory lists eight food spots: Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar, Ben & Jerry's, Black Letter Coffee + Cafe, Fish Restaurant, M Waterfront Grille, MiraMare Ristorante, T-Michaels Steak & Lobster and The Village Pub. Of those, the Village's Oct. 14 waterfront dining feature names six as its waterfront dining destinations, everything except the ice cream shop and the coffee shop.

A week later, the Village published The Perks of Dining on the Bay, which explains how each restaurant's loyalty program works. Side by side, the programs differ in ways that matter if you'll be back several times this season:

Do the math and the programs behave differently. The Coastal Table Club returns $5 for every $50 spent, about 10 percent, and Sundays double it. But you can redeem only $10 per visit, so it pays a little at a time across many meals. M Waterfront Grille's rate is half that, $100 back on $2,000 in spending, or 5 percent, but it pays out in one large reward. Since Fish and MiraMare share a program, points from a Sunday dinner at one count toward lunch at the other.

Birthdays add another reason to keep track. If yours falls between now and the end of the year, the Coastal Table Club's $20 birthday-month credit and The Village Pub's $10 birthday gift both apply during the holiday stretch. Bottleneck Rewards members link a payment card or upload receipts in the app, and T-Michaels signs guests up through a manager.

Thanksgiving morning starts early

The Gobble Gobble Thanksgiving Day 5K runs Thursday, Nov. 26. Announcements start at 7:20 a.m. and the race at 7:30. Elite Events organizes it and bases it at the Village. Its page describes the course as scenic Naples streets and waterfront near the Village, with an interactive course map and a flyover video.

The logistics are simple. Elite Events says there's parking throughout The Village Shops and restrooms near the start/finish area, and it suggests arriving early for the 7:20 announcements. You can sign up through the organizer's registration page; prices go up in steps as race day gets closer, so check the current rate there.

The beneficiary is a local charity. Elite Events says the race has a long history of raising tens of thousands of dollars for St. Matthew's House. St. Matthew's House describes its work as food assistance, homeless shelters, addiction recovery, transitional housing and workforce development. The race page repeats the organization's statement that its social enterprises cover operating expenses, so 100 percent of public donations go to its programs.

The listing gives the event window as 7:30 to 11 a.m., so the Village is done with the race well before most Thanksgiving tables are set.

Black Friday weekend and a Thursday for dogs

The morning after the race, Black Friday Stroll & Shop begins and runs Nov. 27 through 29, with discounts at participating boutiques and different shopping hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some stores are already running holiday promotions on the Village news page, including a holiday party posting from Lux Boutique dated Oct. 15.

Santa Paws lands on Thursday, Dec. 10, from 4 to 7 p.m., with free photos of your pet with Santa. The listing invites you to bring your pup and suggests a festive outfit. It doesn't publish leash or registration details, so call the Village at 239-261-6100 before you go if you have questions. It's the only weeknight event of the season, and it sits two days before Holiday on the Bay.

The errands run nearby, too

The holiday stretch also sends Park Shore to Tamiami Trail North, and that corner has changed this year. Gulfshore Business reports that Sierra, the outdoor and active-gear retailer in the TJX family with TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, opens Saturday, Nov. 14, at Park Shore Plaza. It takes the 18,676-square-foot former Party City space next to Burlington at 4377 Tamiami Trail N. Gulfshore Business says the store will carry apparel, footwear and gear for hiking, running and everyday movement at 20 to 60 percent off department and specialty store prices. It's only the brand's second Florida store, after Jacksonville. It opens a week before Grand Illuminations, which makes it a handy stop for running gear before Thanksgiving morning.

Grocery runs are easier, too. Gulfshore Business also reported that the rebuilt Publix at 4601 Ninth St. N., the Neapolitan Way store, opened July 2, 2026, with expanded amenities and a mezzanine seating area. So this year's holiday shopping, from gear to groceries, stays within a short drive of Venetian Bay.

At The CVJ Team, we keep track of Park Shore month by month, from the Village calendar to what's opening on the Trail. If you're weighing how close a building or bayfront home sits to Venetian Bay before next season, we're glad to walk you through it. Request Private Access & Home Valuation.