Ave Maria Community Shines at Blues, Brews and BBQ

Ave Maria was lauded as a community during the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival on Saturday, February 15.People came from near and far to enjoy the music — particularly Deb and the Dynamics— as well as being drawn to the relatively new community, founded less than 20 years ago, for its historical feel. 

“We love the music, and we also like the accessibility of the whole community. It’s so well planned,” said Jayne Gresch.  

Gresch and Greg Gruber visited the event from Naples, listening to live bands and visiting street vendors and restaurants while also exploring the town’s shops. 

“I think it’s pretty awesome. It’s nice making it accessible to people with disabilities,” said Gresch, adding that being a registered nurse may make her notice these details more than some people might.  

As if on cue, just moments later, Jared Hagerstrom wheeled in doing a dance to join his other dancing friends, Kay and Bob Cunningham, as Deb and the Dynamics played on stage.  

Hagerstrom used a keyboard mounted to his wheelchair to help communicate.  

The three of them are friends from Fellowship Church, a Baptist church, in Ave Maria, they said.  

“I like the idea of a town center. It’s like the old days with a town square,” said Kymberly Smyth, another visitor to the event from Naples.  

Many attendees, including Ave Maria residents and people from towns hours away, ate food and sampled brews or wine from the numerous street vendors while others ducked inside restaurants, such as Blue Agave, OASIS, or The Pub and Grill, among others, for a meal. 

Some said they were visiting Ave Maria for the first time and others were returning. A couple from Fort Myers said they had come for mass at Ave Maria Parish the weekend prior and returned for the festival. The Parish building, 120 feet tall, sits majestically at the center of the town, constructed of stone, curved steel, marble, and gold statue accents. People brought lawn chairs, gathering round the church, looking out toward the town’s festivities. 

Among the attractions Saturday were also fancy cars, which included vintage and high-performance vehicles from the Cool Cruisers of Southwest Florida car club. 

“We’re one of the biggest car clubs in Florida,” said Sandy Berman, president of the club, as he handed out stickers and patches.  

Other event highlights included dancing  - not just from fans of the bands - but also by trained student dancers from Ave Maria Dance Academy.  

Bands included Old School on the main stage and Grupo Kompleto in a courtyard, while a kids’ zone, a horse show, and a competitive game of corn hole kept thousands of people entertained throughout the day and into the early evening.  

Ave Maria’s Town Center includes approximately 50 shops and restaurants and the event added even more vendors, congregated around Ave Maria Parish, a modern Roman Catholic church with its 30-foot-tall marble Annunciation sculpture. The sculpture is also the namesake of Annunciation Circle, which is like the main street central to the town around it. This commemorates when the archangel Gabriel informs Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Though the event was in no way overtly religious, the faith could not be missed between one of the largest Catholic church buildings in the U.S. and prayer cards of the Jubilee Year of 2025 - a year of forgiveness, reconciliation, and service. 

People enjoyed talking about the history of the town, founded by Tom Monaghan, who was also the founder of Domino’s Pizza chains, in partnership with Barron Collier Companies, the namesake for Collier County. Ave Maria University draws students from around the world.  

The event was yet another magnet to Ave Maria with several visitors noting they are considering moving there.  

If you missed the annual Blues, Brews and BBQ, other big Ave Maria events include the Shamrock Festival, which is scheduled noon to 5:00 PM on Saturday, March 15, and the Ave Margarita and Taco Festival, scheduled 5 to 10:00 PM on Saturday, April 5. Ave Maria is located between Naples and Immokalee.