NEWS

Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and PR
Special to Fort Myers News-Press

BABCOCK RANCH, Fla. – Guests at the Babcock Ranch Art Show on March 11 to 13 can enjoy fresh air, fun and food while helping raise funds for a good cause. In addition to admiring the work of more than 40 artists, Babcock Ranch’s annual art show will offer an exclusive VIP Club experience with complimentary food and beverages, live entertainment and an opening-night reception.  Proceeds from VIP ticket sales, priced from $75 to $150, benefit the Babcock Ranch Foundation, which supports programs and initiatives that enhance, enrich and positively impact the lives of at-risk children in Southwest Florida.

“It’s unfathomable in this day and age, that some of our youngest citizens are experiencing hunger and homelessness,” said Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, the developer of Babcock Ranch. “The Foundation is committed to helping Southwest Florida families and children realize a better future. We know residents and guests attending the art show will be generous in supporting this important mission.”

The fourth annual Babcock Ranch Art Show will take place in Founder’s Square, the town’s downtown. The VIP Club is open during art show hours: Friday 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can purchase tickets in advance for opening night-only ($75), Friday night and Saturday ($110), Friday night and Sunday ($110) or all three dates ($150).

The VIP Club will be located under the Founder’s Square bandshell and in an adjoining tent with a lounge area overlooking Lake Babcock. Friday’s kick-off celebration features a reception with gourmet hors d’oeuvres and an open bar. On Saturday, guests will enjoy morning mimosas, coffee and treats during breakfast, grilled chicken topped with bruschetta for lunch catered by Slater’s, and soft drinks, beer and wine. Sunday’s VIP experience includes breakfast, Slater’s chicken marsala with garlic herbed rice for lunch and complimentary refreshments. VIP guests will also have exclusive access to Babcock Ranch’s seven preferred homebuilders.

Presented by Kitson & Partners and ArtFest Fort Myers, the national juried Babcock Ranch Art Show is free and open to the public. The outdoor event features 30 first-time artists, paintings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, wearable art, fiber, metal and glass. Many of the artists will also accept commissions.

Attendees can browse at their leisure while enjoying refreshments from food trucks as well as Slater’s, Babcock Ranch’s Square Scoops, Cup A Joe at Curry Creek Outfitters, and the Lakehouse Kitchen & Bar in Founder’s Square.

VIP tickets, artist portfolios and additional art show information are available at babcockranchartshow.com or by calling 941-257-4936.

Created by Kitson & Partners with respect for the natural environment and the philosophy that smart growth and sustainability work hand in hand, half of the town’s footprint is set aside as greenways, parks and expansive lakes, providing recreation and scenic backdrops for Babcock Ranch’s homes and the Founder’s Square downtown district.

Babcock Ranch offers homes from seven homebuilders in seven neighborhoods, with additional builders and newly introduced neighborhoods coming soon. Homebuilders offer more than 50 home designs ranging from 1,120 to more than 4,000 square feet. Homes appeal to young millennials, families, empty nesters and retirees alike, with prices ranging from the $200,000s to over $1.5 million. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and offer a full gig of fiber-optic connectivity.

Within Babcock Ranch’s welcoming neighborhoods, more than two dozen model and quick-delivery homes are now open or under construction by AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, Divco Custom Homes, Florida Lifestyle Homes, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Pulte Homes and WCI.

Named the Master-Planned Community of the Year by the Lee Building Industry Association in 2021 for a second consecutive year, Babcock Ranch also ranked 14th on RCLCO Real Estate Advisors’ 2021 list of the country’s 50 top-selling master-planned communities in 2021 and 16th by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

For more information about Southwest Florida’s new hometown, located just northeast of Fort Myers off Babcock Ranch Road/State Road 31, visit the Woodlea Hall Discovery Center at 42850 Crescent Loop in Babcock Ranch, call 877-709-6620, or visit www.BabcockRanch.com.