On September 30, 2026, the Community Center of Boca Grande posted a short video to its construction page with the title "Foundation of the new theater!" The site is the southeast corner of the campus at 131 1st St. W., just north of the Island School. The non-historic multipurpose building used to stand there. For now it is a slab and a fence. That one building site shapes how the 2026-27 season runs across the island.
The main stage is under construction, so the dated fall events with published venues are spread out. You'll find them at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, the Veterans Memorial at 5th Street and Gilchrist Avenue, Crowninshield Community House on Banyan Street, and Park Avenue downtown. From the Dam Streets, just north of the Village and close to the island's paved bike path, nearly all of them are easy to reach by bike.
What is actually going up on 1st Street West
- The building: Lee County's project FAQ describes the new theater as a 242-seat auditorium. The contractor, Stevens Construction, describes a 9,200-square-foot accessible building with more seating, a lobby and more audiovisual capacity.
- The design team: Parker Mudgett Smith Architects lists the project in its portfolio.
- The historic auditorium: It stays. The Community Center FAQ describes plans to reuse it as a larger multipurpose space for performances and exercise, and proposes a fitness center.
- The funding: The Friends of Boca Grande call the fundraising effort the Renaissance Campaign. Its homepage describes the Renaissance Fund as supporting the campus rebuild, and the Friends are still asking for contributions.
The new building adds to the campus. The auditorium many residents know by heart is not being torn down. The multipurpose room is the building that came down to make room for a dedicated stage.
Three dates that don't quite line up
The timeline gets a little confusing, and that matters for anyone hoping to see a show in the new hall this winter.
In June 2024, the Boca Beacon reported a forecast that the auditorium work would be done by July 2026. That date has passed. In April 2025, Stevens Construction's project page gave the expected completion as "early 2027." No newer public opening date was found. Then there is the Friends' event page for Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026:
"Guests are invited to attend the official Beam Signing Ceremony, marking the beginning of construction and the next chapter in bringing this visionary project to life."
Concrete was already in the ground by the end of September, so the Leave Your Mark ceremony works better as a milestone than a starting gun. Guests sign a ceremonial beam before it goes into the structure. The event also thanks the campaign's Renaissance Donors and includes remarks from project leaders and light refreshments. Treat the theater's opening as early 2027 at the soonest, and unconfirmed. Plan this season around the venues that are open now.
Where the season lands instead
Here are the venues with confirmed events between late October and mid-December, based on what each organizer has published.
| Venue | What's there this fall | Organizer |
|---|---|---|
| St. Andrew's Episcopal Church | Grande Chorus rehearsals and "Yule be Singin'" performances | Friends of Boca Grande |
| Crowninshield Community House, 240 Banyan St. | Veterans Day reception, Nov. 16 annual meeting, Dec. 3 Sign & Sip volunteer reception | Historical Society, Friends of Boca Grande |
| Veterans Memorial, 5th St. and Gilchrist Ave. | Veterans Day ceremony, Nov. 11 | Boca Grande Historical Society |
| Downtown, 301 Park Ave. | Chili Cook-Off, Nov. 7; Christmas Walk, Dec. 5 | Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Under Gasparilla Outfitters | "Notable Pets of the Island" pop-up, Dec. 5 | Boca Grande Historical Society |
| Parsley Baldwin, 428 4th St. W. | Chamber Mixer, Dec. 17 | Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce |
Several of the Friends' larger events have no published venue yet. That includes the Sweet Fleet concert and the Western Art lecture series. Check the event page before you go rather than assuming the old room on 1st Street West.
The calendar, in the order it arrives
Late October. The Boca Grande Historical Society opens its "Let's Talk About Florida" series on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. with "The Ghostly Tales of Southwest Florida." It is free and open to all. On Friday, Oct. 30, the Friends of Boca Grande and Lee County Parks & Recreation host Boca Grande Fall Festivities. It's an afternoon of bounce houses, a cake walk, a haunted house, crafts and free food.
The first week of November. Thursday, Nov. 5, is a busy day. The Historical Society holds its Season Opener from 3 to 5 p.m., with the Footprints from the Past exhibit room and the Fishing Hall of Fame tribute wall. The same morning, the Friends begin "Understanding Western Art: Stories, Styles, and Masterworks." The series runs Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20, then Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18. Grande Chorus rehearsals start Friday, Nov. 6. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce holds its Chili Cook-Off downtown from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Veterans Day week. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Friends host Sweet Fleet: The Fleetwood Mac Experience. A 7:30 p.m. show was added, and tickets are $50 general admission or $85 premium. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 9 to 11 a.m., the Historical Society holds its Veterans Day Celebration at the Veterans Memorial. Captain Glazer, USN, is the listed speaker, and a reception follows at Crowninshield Community House. On Nov. 12 and 13, the Boca Grande Art Center offers a two-day Sailor's Valentine workshop with instructor Karen Irvine, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Mid-November. Tuesday, Nov. 17, has three events. The Historical Society's History Center tour has a time still to be announced. At 4 p.m., its free "Let's Talk About Florida" program covers "A Land Remembered." The Friends' Family of Spies book talk with Christine Kuehn Schiponi was already sold out when checked. Thursday, Nov. 19, is the beam signing. The Art Center's members-only reception for Deck the Walls & More runs from 5 to 7 p.m. the same evening, and the Chamber's joint mixer with BIPS also runs 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition itself runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 6. It's open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving. The show features small and moderately sized works by the center's Exhibiting Members.
The first weekend of December
The first weekend of December is the busiest stretch of the season. On Thursday, Dec. 3, the Friends hold Sign & Sip, their annual volunteer sign-up and reception at Crowninshield. On Saturday, Dec. 5:
- The Boca Grande Woman's Club opens Boca Bargains.
- The Chamber's Christmas Walk fills downtown from 5 to 8 p.m.
- After 5 p.m., the Historical Society sets up a pop-up exhibit called "Notable Pets of the Island" under Gasparilla Outfitters, with holiday treats.
The Woman's Club's Annual Christmas Tree Lighting follows on Sunday, Dec. 6. Neither club listing gives a time or venue yet.
After that, the calendar quiets down into a few smaller events. The Friends stage Sleuths: The Crime at Black Dudley on Tuesday, Dec. 8. On Friday, Dec. 11, Denise Daly leads a Shell Christmas Tree workshop at the Art Center from 10 a.m. to noon. The Grande Chorus performs "Yule be Singin'" at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Dec. 11 and 12 at 5 p.m. Both performances are free and open to the public. The Chamber closes its year with a mixer at Parsley Baldwin, 428 4th St. W., on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Western Art series finishes the next morning.
Through all of this, crews keep working at the corner of 1st Street West. The Community Center's construction updates page is where the next stage of the theater will show up first.
For Dam Streets owners weighing how the Community Center's rebuild, and an island calendar spread across the Village, fits with how they use their homes from season to season, Rich Taylor is glad to talk it through. Request a private consultation.