April 2026 Old Naples News | 51BUY. SELL. RENT. VACATION.ALL UNDER ONE SHELL!9404 MONTELANICO LOOP$1,699,900ESPLANADE5720 GRANDE RESERVE WAY #2004$844,900THE STRAND27031 OAKWOOD LAKE DR #201$625,000BONITA BAYMike Wexler, Realtor®[email protected], 2027)• Shrek the Musical JR (April 10–19, 2027)• Urinetown (May 15–23, 2027)Showcase classes for elementary-age students in this year’s TNPA offerings include Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon, Willy Wonka Kids, 101 Dalmatians, and Ever After the Musical.Season 73 will be presented at The Naples Players’ theatre (The Sugden Community Theater) on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples. Season tickets will be available for renewal and purchase beginning February 16, with the option to renew or purchase online for the first time. Individual tickets go on sale April 6. Ticket prices range from $50–$55 for season ticket holders, $57 for Work & Play Pass holders, and $62–$67 for the general public. Discounts are available for veterans, first responders, educators, and students, and The Naples Players continues to offer a \"Pay What You Can\" program to ensure access for all members of the community.For more information about Season 73, subscriptions, or programs, visit: naplesplayers.org/season73.ABOUT THE NAPLES PLAYERSFounded in 1953, The Naples Players is a nationally recognized community theatre dedicated to building community through exceptional access to the power of theatre. Located in the heart of downtown Naples, The Naples Players engages more than 850 volunteers annually and reaches over 70,000 audience members and students through high-quality productions, inclusive education programs, and innovative community partnerships. The Naples Players is home to the Baker Day School of the Academy of Dramatic Arts, the only full-time performing arts school in Southwest Florida. With a newly renovated, LEED-certified facility, The Naples Players continues to serve as a cultural hub and leader in how theatres can impact their communities. Learn more at naplesplayers.org.Artistic Director Phillip Fazio CEO & Executive Artistic Director Bryce Alexander
The world's most prestigious indoor/outdoor garden festival blooms again for the 113th year starting May 19 in London under the direction of the Royal Horticultural Society. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show was officially dedicated by Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII in 1913. It encompasses 20 acres of grounds surrounding The Royal Hospital Chelsea, a stunning residential estate designed by renowned architect Christopher Wren in 1692 as a retirement home for veterans of the British Army. Attended by the highest echelons of British society, including the Royal Family, horticulturists and enthusiasts from around the world, its tickets sell out far in advance, and at approximately US $150-plus, most would happily pay more. But even without a ticket, visitors flock to London for the adjacent floral extravaganza that every year seems to escape farther beyond the walls of the show like fastgrowing tendrils of wisteria into London's most iconic shopping and dining districts: Chelsea, Belgravia and Mayfair. Hundreds of businesses from posh hotels, restaurants and fashion houses to banks and bakeries sprout floral extravagance on their facades, drenching windows and spilling onto the sidewalks. Many also transform their interiors into Instagram-perfect environments. The official dates are May 18-24, wrapped an extra day on each side of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The price to immerse and gawk at the spectacular displays? Free!London in Bloom Flower ShowKAREN T. BARTLETTTravel Editor LONDON IN BLOOMThe Chelsea Flower Show & Beyond Visitors' first impression is the massive RHS flower wall. | Photo by Chris Mundie LayLeft: Scene from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Photo by Chris Mundie Lay Right: Three hundred retired soldiers called Chelsea Pensioners live on the site of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. During official occasions the highly esteemed men and women wear their iconic scarlet uniforms.
Each year top designers vie for the honor of creating the dozen or more main themed gardens. Hundreds of additional designers and vendors showcase smaller gardens and wondrous floral designs along the Main Avenue, down forested trails and limestone walkways, over footbridges, and alongside terraced walls. Blooms spill from every conceivable structure or container, from a replica English cottage and crumbling stone ruins to exotic water gardens and the soaring, three-acre Great Pavilion, anchored by the breathtaking experience of a David Austin Rose Garden. Among the most anticipated 2026 presentations is Tokonoma Garden - Samumaya no Niwa, a nostalgic Japanese tea garden. Patrons also are buzzing about the potential showstopper this year: the romantic Boodles Garden, inspired by features of four historic royal palaces, including The Tower of London. (which is officially named His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London). Throughout the show are ideas for sensory gardens, herb gardens, bonsai gardens and apartment-size balcony gardens, and scores of artful discoveries secreted among the plantings. From lush expanses of verdant greens to outrageous bursts of color, plantings are incorporated into alcoves, intertwined as living sculptures and topiaries, bursting forth from artisanal pots, and generating oohs and aahs at inspired vendor displays. Foodie options include champagne breakfasts, high teas, street food, picnic items and intimate cafes. For the most discriminating of tastes, there's Spring Garden, an exclusive all-day, reservationonly, multi-meal experience showcasing the culinary artistry of Michelin-starred chef Jeremy Chan of Ikoyi and renowned Spanish chef José Pizarro. Prices range from US $1,000 - $1,500. Regarding discriminating tastes, one thing that most decidedly will not be seen at the Chelsea Flower Show is a gnome. Not one. Ever. The kitschy little creatures enjoyed one brief year (2013), which was quite enough, thank you, for RHS members and patrons. Shopping also is an indulgence, with thousands of flower-themed gifts, books, art and photography for sale, plus a big plant sell-off on the final day. Proceeds from the show are distributed among several charities. And Beyond...The Official RHS Chelsea Flower ShowMusic, sculpture and roses blend harmoniously in the spectacular David Austin Rose Garden. | ShutterstockScenes from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Photos by Chris Mundie LayAn English garden display of lupines, delphiniums, salvia and more. | Chris Mundie LayChelsea, Belgravia and Mayfair
54 | Old Naples News April 2026CHELSEA IN BLOOMLast year the Chelsea district was awash in fashion and flowers. In stark contrast, Chelsea in Bloom 2026 will be out of this world. Literally. Well, not literally-literally, but the displays along posh King's Road and Sloane Street will be an \"intergalactic wonderland of creativity, drawing on astrology, mythology, spiritual symbolism, and celestial magic.\" A dazzling zodiac constellation will take over Sloane Square; a UFO will land on Pavilion Road; and Duke of York Square will become an immersive lunar landscape, with tantalizing new reveals weekly. More than 130 businesses, including Ralph Lauren, Lululemon, and the Sloane Square Hotel pull out all the creative stops to transform their facades into living, fragrant (and this year, outrageous) art. Best tube station: Sloane Square. BELGRAVIA IN BLOOM Fairy Tales in Belgravia is the 2026 theme for this charming, haute couture and design district’s streets and public squares, especially around affluent Elizabeth Street, Motcomb Street, Eccleston Yards and Pimlico Road. Expect magical, colorful, and oh-so-adorable photo ops at more than 50 retailers, including Philip Treacy, an excellent source for your next Hats in the Garden fascinator. Best tube stations: Knightsbridge and Sloane Square.MAYFAIR IN BLOOM: A smaller version of Chelsea and Belgravia's shows, this ultra-luxe shopping mecca in London's West End (think Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Christian Louboutin and Saville Row) commands its spot on next month's flower-infused walking tour. Annabel's is a private club, but it's free to gawk at its jaw-dropping floral facade. Reserve a table for high tea at Sketch, the famous, \"must-do-once\" whimsical restaurant, which kicks it up another notch each year with a new level of immersive floral presentations. Best tube stations: Bond Street and Green Park. orhs.org.ukvisitlondon.combelgraviavillage.com/belgravia-in-bloomchelseainbloom.co.ukLondon in Bloom Flower ShowTop: Chelsea in Bloom | ShutterstockMiddle: Courtesy of Chelsea in BloomBottom: Chelsea in Bloom| Photo by Chris Mundie Lay
April 2026 Old Naples News | 55prepare to be IMPRESSEDWe are committed to understanding the needs of our customers, insuring we consistently deliver the best printed materials possible.DESIGN PRINT PUBLISHMAIL11000 Panther Printing Way, Fort Myers, FL 33908New FSC AD 8.5x10.375.indd 1 3/10/22 11:39 AM
56 | Old Naples News April 2026Summer Vacations Begin 32 x 32
These paintings can be viewed at East West Fine Art in Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt. 2359 Vanderbilt Beach Rd • #410, Naples, FL 34109 | eastwestfineart.com | [email protected] ARKHANGELSKAYAOwner, East West Fine ArtFor 25 years, East West Fine Art in Naples has built a reputation as a leading voice in contemporary impressionism. The gallery has earned numerous cultural awards while championing painters who keep the tradition of light, atmosphere, and emotion vibrantly alive. Today, we celebrate the paintings of three artists who transform timeless places into luminous works of art.Old cities in Italy and France possess a beauty that is not merely seen but felt. Their charm lies in layers of history worn gently by time, stone facades softened by centuries of sun.In Italy, terracotta rooftops glow at sunset, and church bells echo across narrow cobbled streets. Ruins stand beside Renaissance palaces, reminding visitors that grandeur and decay can coexist in quiet harmony. It is this warmth and radiance that artist Svetlana Kukueva captures in her paintings of Italy, where light bathes ancient architecture in a timeless glow.France offers its own poetry of place. In Paris, light dances along elegant facades, and the Seine carries reflections of centuries-old bridges. The romance and quiet grandeur of the city are beautifully interpreted by French Artist Kerdalo. Beyond the capital, the countryside unfolds in sunlit fields and tranquil villages. Laurent Parcelier masterfully renders the French landscape with luminous color and serenity.Through the eyes of these artists, the enduring beauty of Italy and France becomes not only a memory of the past but a living work of art.When Cities Inspire the CanvasKerdalo Les Bouquinistes 31.5 x 31.5 Svetlana Kukueva Tuscan Holiday 35 x 23From Piazza to Paris
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