The town of Ave Maria, Florida is ushering in the new year with a brand refresh touting the community as a “Big Kind of Small Town.” Ave Maria Development in conjunction with Denver-based Milesbrand agency, reveals brighter, vibrant colors with messaging consistent with the town’s positive growth - while still recognizing its roots with Southwest Florida’s founding family. Why a new brand? “Our town was founded in 2007 and has seen tremendous evolution since it first opened,” comments Andrea McLendon, marketing director for Barron Collier Companies, the developer of Ave Maria. “We’ve grown from a few families and mom and pop retailers to over 2,000 homes and national and international companies such as Publix Supermarket and Arthrex, Inc., right here in town. “A Big Kind of Small Town” resonates with new home buyers looking for those conveniences that big towns offer, but with the connections that come with living in a small town.” The new branding can be seen in the refreshed website, avemaria.com, town brochures and signage, television commercials, digital advertising, and upcoming enhanced interactive displays in the town’s New Home & Welcome Center. Arts/crafts festival planned Ave Maria Development will host a free arts and crafts festival on Tuesday, February 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, February 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Town Center. The event is free and open to the public and will feature painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers, and more. This arts and crafts festival is being held in conjunction with TNT events, an organizer of dozens of art festivals throughout Florida with a focus on hand crafted original works. More information can be found online at www.avemaria.com. ABOUT AVE MARIA Ave Maria has been named 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 Community of the Year, the Top Selling Single-Family Home Community in Southwest Florida for five consecutive years, and a Top 35 Master Planned Community in the United States while its active adult community - Del Webb Naples, - has been named a Top 20 Places to Retire. Located in southwest Florida, minutes from the beaches and cultural attractions of Naples, Ave Maria is a self-sustaining town including highly-rated schools, shopping and dining, employment opportunities, parks and recreation, and more. At its build out, the town could include up to 11,000 residences, and 1.7 million square feet of retail, office, and business park uses in its 4,000 acres. Ave Maria is located at the intersection of Oil Well and Camp Keais Roads in Eastern Collier County.