September-October 2021

Trevor Noah will be appearing at Hertz Arena in Estero on October 8.

Carlos Santana will be performing at the Hertz Arena in Estero on September 19.

On The Gulf

‘Ding’ Darling Day Moves to Lakes Park

J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s 33rd annual ‘Ding’ Darling Day celebration moves to Lakes Park in Fort Myers on Sunday, October 10. The refuge, in partnership with the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society–Friends of the Refuge, Tarpon Bay Explorers, conservation partners, and community sponsors, will offer a variety of tours and activities from 10am-2pm.

The free celebration will center at Lakes Park’s main pavilion and features the refuge’s Wildlife on Wheels mobile interactive experience, information booths, and Conservation Carnival games, including a dunk tank.

Scheduled tours start in the morning and include a bringyour-own-bike tour, guided birding walks, a Mindfulness Walk, and Nature Journaling with Refuge 2021 Artist in Residence, Rachel Pierce.

Winners of ‘Ding’ Darling Day Annual Amateur Photography Contest will also be announced. The submission deadline for ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society–Friends of the Refuge’s 29th annual photography contest is September 15. All entries must be submitted electronically.

The deadline to submit photographs for the ‘Ding’ Darling Day Annual Amateur Photography Contest is September 15.

There are cash rewards for the winners. Only amateur photographers (of all ages) are eligible to enter. Photos must be taken at J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge and within two years of entry date.

Lakes Regional Park is located at 7330 Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers.

The ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Refuge is located at 1 Wildlife Drive on Sanibel island. For information about ‘Ding’ Darling Day and their photo contest, call 472-1100.

Steampunk Conference Returns to Fort Myers

SWFL SteamCon returns to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers on Sunday, September 19 for a full day of steampunk fun — science fiction and fantasy, Victorian-era fashions and icons of the Wild West.

A subgenre of science fiction, SteamPunk features

retro-futuristic technology inspired by 19th-century steampowered machinery — a mix of the Victorian era and the American Wild West. Steampunk incorporates elements of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, and alternate history.

SWFL SteamCon features authors, artists and steampunk themed activities like Tea Duelling, Parasol Duelling, The Splendid Teapot Race, Hamster Wars, Costume and Talent Contests (lipsynching, dancing, juggling, telling jokes, playing an instrument). It also features live music and Cosplay celebrities Aurelia Paperdoll Cosplay, Avera Cosplay, Cezar Cosplay, and Toxiquetrone.

SWFL SteamCon is open 10am-6pm. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at the Bell Tower Shops, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For information, visit swflsteamcon.com.

The Cosplay celebrity, Toxiquetrone will be appearing at SWFL SteamCon at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers.

Edison & Ford Estates Host Birds Exhibit

The Birds of Southwest Florida exhibit in the Caretaker’s House at Edison & Ford Winter Estates features detailed illustrations by John James Audubon, along with quotes from the Edison and Ford families. Antique spy glasses, books on birds, and shell art are also featured.

The exhibit is a tribute to

On The Gulf

‘The Birds of Southwet Florida’ exhibit at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers is a tribute to Mina Edison’s love and advocacy for birds.

Mina Edison (Thomas Edison’s wife) and her love of birds. A dedicated conservationist long before the word entered popular vocabularies, she was an ardent supporter, advocate, and unofficial spokeswoman for several organizations, including the National Audubon Society. Mina was essentially involved in a national movement that would help spur vital legislation protecting wild North American bird species, as well as the creation of America’s first real system of waterbird sanctuaries along the east coast.

‘The Birds of Southwest Florida’ exhibit will be on view until mid-January. The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, located at 2350 McGregor Blvd. in downtown Fort Myers’ Historic River District, is open daily 9am-5:30pm. For information, call 334-7419.

Free Concert of Spiritual Music in Naples

Storytellers Creative Arts will host its annual ‘Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs Concert’ on Sunday, November 7 at Covenant Church of Naples, Tamiami Trail North near Pelican Bay. The concert features a plethora of hymns and special music performed in various genres, including gospel, jazz, bluegrass, and classical, with audience participation.

Conductor, Jeff Faux will be performing at the ‘Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs’ concert on November 7.

The benefit concert we will feature a mass Gospel Choir and other special guests, including concert pianist, Tamra Richardt; Naples Philharmonic’s principal bassist, Kevin Mauldin; vocalists Christi Cole and Amy Bright; Dr. Bill Barnett; bestselling author and storyteller, Dr. Bob Petterson; jazz musician, James Crumbly; violinist Jeff Leigh; and musician & conductor, Jeff Faux.

Admission is free. Donations contribute to Storytellers Creative Arts’ programs and outreach to the underprivileged, homeless, and in recovery. Storytellers

Creative Arts is a Christian faith-based non-profit serving Southwest Florida with a singular focus: Healing and transforming lives through the arts.

‘The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs Concert’ is at 7pm at Covenant Church of Naples, located at Tamiami Trail

N. in Naples. For information, call Storytellers Creative Arts at 287-7331.

New Waterlily Hybrids at Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden will host this year’s International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society’s New Waterlily Competition, a premiere event for hybridizers from around the world. Nine tubs house 26 new waterlily hybrids.

The Garden’s Aquatic Areas team receive contenders in early spring as plants, tubers, or rhizomes, and nurture them for months to maturity. They take meticulous measurements, photographs, and notes documenting the lilies’ color, size, appearance, and health to share with competition judges.

While a winner is not announced until December, the presence of the hybrids means that each summer and early fall Garden guests can experience seeing these lilies as they produce brilliant blooms. They will be on display the entire month of September.

26 new waterlily hybrids are on display at the Naples Botanical Garden.

The Botanical Garden’s 60,000 square feet of water gardens showcase beautiful waterlilies, more than 450 at any given time, all year.

The Naples Botanical Garden, open daily 9am-2pm, is located at 4820 Bayshore Drive in Naples. Call 643-7275 for information.

FGCU Library Hosts Orchids Exhibit

Florida Gulf Coast University Archives & Special Collections presents the exhibition ‘The Shape of Orchids: An Eternal Love Affair,’ celebrates the orchid collection of Daniel & Mary Alice Porecki. The exhibition features rare prints dating back to the early 17th century, a collection of stamps from across the globe, Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid comics, Clyde Butcher photographs, handcrafted botanical wallpapers, local herbarium specimens, and a living orchid wall on loan from the Naples Botanical Garden. Orchids are considered to be one of the most coveted of ornamental plants with their exotic, graceful, and delicate form. The orchid has, for many centuries, been a symbol of love, luxury, beauty, and strength.

‘The Shape of Orchids: An Eternal Love Affair’ will be on display thru December 3.

The University Archives & Special Collections is located on the third floor of the FGCU’s

On The Gulf

Bradshaw Library, located on FGCU Blvd. S. on campus. The library is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. For information, call 590-7610.

Songwriter Fest Returns to SWFL

After cancellation last year, due to the Covid Pandemic, the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest returns to Southwest Florida with more than 40 musicians playing more than 100 shows at 18 venues throughout Captiva island, Fort Myers Beach and downtown Fort Myers’ Historic River District. The 10-day festival is free, except two shows by this year’s festival headliners Jimmie Allen and Michael Ray.

Allen, the first black artist to launch a career with two consecutive #1 songs on country radio, and winner of the Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Artist of the Year, will perform at a pool party at the Pink Shell Resort & Marina on September 26.

Florida native Michael Ray performs on September 23 at Pinchers at The Marina at Edison Ford, before starting his tour opening for Luke Combs.

The Songwriter Fest, with shows over three consecutive weekends, starts on Captiva, September 17-19 and continues in Fort Myers, September 20-23, before wrapping up on Fort Myers Beach, September 24-26.

Songwriters from Southwest Florida scheduled to perform include Sheena Brook, Kim Mayfield, Roy Schneider, Tim McGeary, Katie Lyon, Bill Metts, Carlene Thissen, Claire Liparulo, David Hintz, J Robert, and Gianna Minichiello.

Some of the venues hosting the Fest are The Barrel Room, Social House and City Tavern in Fort Myers; Doc Ford’s Rum Bar, South Seas Island Resort and Key Lime Bistro on Captiva; and Matanzas on the Bay, Nervous Nellie’s and Pierside Grill on Fort Myers Beach. Call 338-3500 for information.

Stick Art at Naples Botanical Garden

The ‘Art of Stickwork’ exhibit in Naples Botanical Garden’s Kapnick Hall features 17 photographs and two original sketches of sculptor and environmental artist, Patrick

‘The Shape of Orchids’ exhibition is on view at FGCU’s Bradshaw Library thru Deecmber 3.

Dougherty’s one-of-a-kind interactive sculptures, woven from tree saplings. His unique works of art truly become part of the landscape. He often uses materials native to the surroundings to create his transitory works of art, each unique to their location.

Enhanced with multimedia displays and interpretive materials, it provides insight into the mind of the artist, his process, preferred materials, and the way in which he honors nature and invites curiosity. The exhibition will be on view October 1-January 9 in advance of Dougherty’s interactive

Naples Botanical Garden hosts the exhibit, ‘The Art of Stickwork,’ in advance of Patrick Dougherty’s installations at the Garden in November.

sculptures, which will be on view starting in late November.

Naples Botanical Garden, located a 4820 Bayshore Drive in Naples, is open daily 9am-2pm. For information, call 643-7275.

Hertz Arena 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero 948-7825

Oct 23: Jacksonville Icemen

Oct 27: Norfolk Admirals

Oct 29: Norfolk Admirals

Oct 30: Norfolk Admirals

NOv 17: Orlando Solar Bears

NOv 20: Jacksonville Icemen

Dec 1: Trois-Rivieres Lions

Dec 2: Trois-Rivieres Lions

Dec 4: Trois-Rivieres Lions

Dec 15: Atlanta Gladiators

Dec 17: Atlanta Gladiators

Dec 18: Atlanta Gladiators

Dec 29: Orlando Solar Bears

JaN 5: Orlando Solar Bears

JaN 7: S Carolina Stingrays

JaN 8: S Carolina Stingrays

JaN 21: Atlanta Gladiators

JaN 22: Atlanta Gladiators

JaN 26: Jacksonville Icemen

Feb 5: Orlando Solar Bears

Feb 16: Jacksonville Icemen

Feb 18: South Carolina

Stingrays

Feb 19: South Carolina

Stingrays

Feb 23: Orlando Solar Bears

Mar 2: Greenville

Swamp Rabbits

Mar 4: Greenville

Swamp Rabbits

Mar 5: Greenville

Swamp Rabbits

Mar 12: Orlando Solar Bears

Mar 16: Jacksonville Icemen

Mar 18: Orlando Solar Bears

Mar 19: Orlando Solar Bears

Mar 30: Idaho Steelheads

apr 1: Idaho Steelheads

apr 2: Idaho Steelheads

apr 15: Atlanta Gladiators

apr 16: Atlanta Gladiators

Claire Liparulo is one of several local singer-songwriters performing at the 7th Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, September 17-26.

Carlos Santana Brings Blessings

by Jason MacNeil

ON FEBRUARY 7, 2020 LEGENDARY GUITARIST CARLOS

Santana wrapped up a brief Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay. According to a set list from his official website, the show concluded with ‘Get Together,’ a cover of a hit song the New York City band, The Youngbloods recorded in 1967.

Now, over 16 months later and with most of North America slowly recuperating from the global pandemic, Santana is eager to get together with fans, giving both himself and the audience a sense of normalcy.

“More happier,” the guitarist says down the line from his abode on Kauai, Hawaii. “I think Dizzy Gillespie said, ‘Happier than a two-headed cat at a fish market.’”

Santana, performing at Estero’s Hertz Arena on September 19 as part of Santana: The Blessings and Miracles Tour, says he used the downtime to stay creative while being off the road. It’s a far cry from averaging roughly 70 concerts a year since starting his illustrious career in 1969.

“For me it was a blessing in disguise to enjoy something that I just learned from my son last week,” Santana says. “He said, ‘Believe. Relax. Enjoy.’ Since I can remember, I’m into crystallizing my existence and making more melodies that elevate people into a place where they can celebrate and validate their own light.

“We play music to bring hope and courage to people. Especially in a world so fragmented with fear. Santana’s always been about — since the first time we played Woodstock and before — it’s about the three things: unity, harmony and totality. We’re beyond patriotism or flags or countries. We’re beyond any of that.”

Santana launches the tour on September 11 in Atlantic City after another brief Vegas residency in late August. But the musician got to perform “not too long ago” in Kauai jamming with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann.

“He invited me to sit in with one of his bands, Billy & The Kids. So, it felt really good to dive into

the Grateful Dead material with him. I just close my eyes and imagine Jerry Garcia next to me and hit it and have fun.”

Part of the fun Santana had during the pandemic was creating his forthcoming studio album called Blessings and Miracles . The record features a bevy of collaborations ranging from Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett to pop singer Ally Brooke to country star Chris Stapleton.

The musician says the album cover’s imagery came to him first, then the music.

“The cover is the Aztec god of rain, Tlaloc,” he says. “And he’s got two hands showing you so it says ‘Blessings and Miracles.’ The music was hovering, being orchestrated behind the scenes. The album just becomes like a bowl. Everything else is just taken from the garden and you put it in the bowl.”

Perhaps the most anticipated song on the album is a reunion with Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas on ‘Move.’ Thomas and Santana struck gold with the hit ‘Smooth’ from Santana’s mammoth 1999 smash-selling album Supernatural.

“It was really great,” Santana says of the reunion. “Grace is my GPS and everything happens by grace all the time. Orchestrating Rob Thomas again or in the past with (the late concert promoter) Bill Graham and (record executive) Clive Davis. But with Rob Thomas, Steve Winwood, Kirk Hammett, Ally Brooke and everyone else on this new album I just show up because it’s being orchestrated. I just show up with an open mind and a grateful heart. I’m able to be 74 years young and be relevant.”

Lining up the collaborators was also a tad easier logistically as everybody was off the road. Santana says a chat with Chris Stapleton resulted in the “magnanimous” track ‘Joy.’”

“We invited him to see if he would have eyes to write a song for us and he said he did,” he says. “So then he called me and then we talked about the times in which we were living: fragmented, fear everywhere around the world, too many peo-

“Santana’s always been about — since the first time we played Woodstock and before — it’s about the three things: unity, harmony and totality.”

“The only thing that’s in front of me, like Chris Stapleton said, is joy.”

“Grace is my GPS and everything happens by grace all the time.”

ple infected with fear. So we needed to heal fear and darkness and bring people hope and courage. So he just took the lyrics from what I was saying when we were on the phone and created this incredible song.”

Blessings and Miracles will be released October 15, but it’s unclear how much of the new material will be performed on the tour. Santana says fans attending this upcoming trek should expect “really juicy notes and a lot of spiritual energy.” Meanwhile he’s has already confirmed shows for 2022 that were delayed in 2020 with Earth, Wind & Fire due to the pandemic.

Like almost every other artist, Santana will have to see how international touring pans out with various countries having restrictions and public health protocols. But much like artists such as Celine Dion, Elton John, Rod Stewart and others, Santana has found a second home of sorts courtesy of Las Vegas residencies. He sees it as a perfect balance where instead of traveling the world to see fans they come from around the world to see him.

“Sometimes people will come and say, ‘Excuse me,’” Santana says. “It might be nine to 12 people and I turn around. They’ll say, ‘Excuse me, would you mind taking a picture

with us? We just flew in from Sydney, Australia and we just came to see you.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. They came in from Sydney, Australia? Nine to 12 of them came here, they took a plane, they are staying at a hotel and they bought the tickets? Oh, heck yeah, I’ll take a picture with you!’’ That’s a lot of money to spend on seeing someone. So, I’m very grateful and honored it’s like that. People from Paris, from New Zealand, from Australia, people come from all over the world. But now, hopefully, around the corner pretty soon we will be able to come and visit them as well.”

With his 26th studio album on the horizon and an estimated 100 million albums sold worldwide since his 1969 self-titled debut, Santana says he’s been able to persevere through the highs and lows. He attributes it to being a multi-faceted artist.

“Grace first,” he says. “And second I have a heart growing up around Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. I became multi-dimensional. Being around The Grateful Dead, The Doors, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Ravi Shankar, I learned. I’m not a one-trick pony, it’s true. I know the tricks. It’s more that

I identify with three things: unity, harmony and totality.”

And in addition to all the awards and accolades he amassed over the years Santana hit another milestone in July by turning 74 years young.

“Oh, it was great,” he says of his birthday. “Being here in Kauai with my wife, my sister and the people that I love. I just close my eyes and try and disappear. Gravity disappears and the years disappear. The only thing that’s in front of me, like Chris Stapleton said, is joy.” •

Pondering Palmettos

an interview with Jono Miller by Andrew Elias

THE PALMETTO, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CABBAGE palm, is an iconic part of the southeastern landscape and lore. It is the state tree of both Florida and South Carolina. Palms were essential to a major victory in the Revolutionary War, and have been the subject of paintings by some of America’s most acclaimed artists, including several members of the Hudson River School as well as Winslow Homer. They are featured in an Elvis Presley movie and in the cuisines of the southeast.

In The Palmetto Book, author Jono Miller explores the history and mythology of the plant, from its unique biology to its ecological importance to the controversy over whether palmettos are actually trees.

I asked Miller, former Director of the Environmental Studies Program at New College of Florida in Sarasota, about his fascination with palmettos and his new book.

Why did you choose to write about the cabbage palm?

What other plant could appear at home in both a Dr. Seuss book and a dinosaur diorama? I mean, they just look and behave differently than just about every other plant we’re exposed to. I imagine everyone who sees one for the

first time must be just a smidge curious about them. They are as common as sand in peninsular Florida and have been called the ‘raccoon of the plant world’, but they contain so many paradoxical secrets that it is fun to get to know them.

Is the Sabal palm a tree — and why?

That’s like asking if CERTS was a breath mint or a candy mint. Cabbage palms are simultaneously trees and not trees. The US Forest Service, the states of Florida and South Carolina, field botanists, ecologists, field guides, plant keys, naturalists, and common citizens are all on board with cabbage palms being trees, because, you know, they’re palm trees. Ecologists consider cabbage palms to be trees because of their arborescent (tree-like) form and their roles in the ecosystem. Plant taxonomists and people who like to flaunt their superior knowledge will tell you they are not trees. If someone insists they are not trees, ask if they are plant taxonomists. If not, prepare yourself for being told that, technically speaking, you are wrong about any number of things (like Massachusetts isn’t a state, but rather a commonwealth!).

How did palmettos become the cultural icon they are today?

You’re flattering me to recognize them as a cultural icon, and they certainly are in South Carolina, but the palm icon we are constantly confronted with in Florida is the coconut palm. Well over 99% of the palm images you’ll see on corporate logos, clip art, etc. are coconut palms. In fact, the coconut palm has appeared on Florida’s state seal 72 years longer than the cabbage palm.

Cabbage palms are simultaneously trees and not trees.

Winslow Homer’s ‘The Turkey Buzzard’

Why are palmettos so important to the wildlife and ecology of the swamp?

You can find them on higher elevations in swamps, but they really shine along rivers in floodplain forests called hydric hammocks. Cabbage palms and live oaks are some of the only trees that can thrive in settings that can be underwater for several weeks each year. As I wrote in the book, virtually every terrestrial animal in the range of the cabbage palm has probably interacted with them. That list includes bears, most woodpeckers, turtles, panthers, scrub jays, honey bees, vultures, northern yellow bats, rat snakes, ospreys, and a wide variety of migratory birds.

What are the two most fascinating things you discovered in researching this book?

That nobody knows for sure how long they can live (we’re up somewhere over two centuries), and they appear to have some cells that never die — that bizarre fact is in one of the chapters that didn’t make it into the book.

What is your favorite historical story about palmettos?

The Palmetto Book Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm

Well, it’s hard to beat the story of how the palm log fort on Sullivan’s Island thwarted the British attack on Charleston just a week before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But the story I find most charming is the story of the cabbage palm that was shipped from South Carolina to Gettysburg to mark the location of the South Carolina contingent campground at the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. The former northern troops had never seen such a strange plant, and it was ultimately dissected during the event to create souvenirs. The gentleman that had the palm shipped to Pennsylvania decorated five ‘handsome, fine-looking old ladies’ who, as young girls, had served as Union nurses yet had tended to wounded Confederate soldiers after Lee’s surrender. How’s that for a poignant reunion?

by Jono Miller (University Press of florida)

trees also think they are big grasses. Stand your ground. They are not grasses. Never will be. Grasses are in a completely different plant family. And there’s no need to prune them unless they are brushing up against something.

How important were Sabal palms to the Seminole culture and society?

Well, I can’t speak for the Seminoles or Miccosukees. They could easily have dozens of uses, but it is safe to say their traditional vernacular architecture, the chickee, depends on cabbage palm fronds for roof thatching. Ethnobotanists believe the edible heart of the cabbage palm (swamp cabbage) was probably not a measurable part of North American native diets before the arrival of metal axes – it would be a lot of work to harvest swamp cabbage with just a shell or stone tool.

How is climate change affecting cabbage palms and palmetto hammocks in Florida?

What is the myth about palmettos you most want to dispel?

Oh boy, only one? How about if I cheat and say: That they are a big grass and need to be pruned for reasons other than to create clearance from buildings, power lines, sidewalks, driveways, etc. Many of the same people that think cabbage palms are not

Overall, we are probably entering a great period for cabbage palms. As the planet warms, cabbage palms will likely expand their range northward. We keep hearing about climate change and fires, hurricanes and sea level rise. Cabbage palms handle fire better than other native trees. They are pre-adapted to deal with hurricanes since they are the most wind resistant native tree, and they are the last terrestrial (non-mangrove) to die as sea level rises. Sadly, because of rising sea level, thousands of cabbage palms are already dying on Florida’s Big Bend coast. I argue in the book that painter Winslow Homer’s paintings may have inadvertently created the first images of rising sea level.

What can we learn from the palmetto?

Things that may appear commonplace and ordinary can turn out to be extraordinary. •

Winslow Homer’s ‘The White Rowboat, St. Johns River’

Shining a Light on

Eby Gary Mooney

ven the good folks at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates admit that when people first think of Southwest Florida, they conjure up images of our sugar white sandy beaches, “but,” smiled Lisa Wilson, the Estate’s Marketing & Public Relations Director, “we believe the Edison & Ford Winter Estates are a close second!”

While some things at the Estates are timeless, like the winter homes of American icons Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, others constantly evolve, such as several new exhibits in various stages of production.

Currently on view in the Caretaker’s House at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates is ‘The Birds of Southwest Florida,’ an exhibit featuring multiple panels containing detailed illustrations from John James Audubon, along with quotes from the Edison and Ford families. Antique spy glasses, books on birds, and shell art are also on display. The exhibit will be on view until mid-January. The exhibit is a tribute to Mina Edison and her love of birds. A dedicated conservationist, she was an ardent supporter, advocate, and unofficial spokeswoman for several organizations, including the National Audubon Society.

Mina was also good friends with Jay N. ‘Ding’ Darling, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and conservationist. On a couple of occasions during the early 1940s, Mina invited Darling to be an honored guest for lunch at her Fort Myers estate. His signature bird drawings can be seen in Mrs. Edison’s official Seminole Lodge Guest Book located inside the museum.

Also currently on display is a series of paintings from well-known local artists ‘Frog’ Smith and Buell Whitehead. “Smith was popular, with many of his works selling for tens of thousands of dollars,” Brent offered. “Whitehead was quite the colorful character in early Fort Myers history, with his paintings focusing on subjects like hunting and fishing, and that is perfect as Edison and Ford were wildlife lovers. Edison worked to eliminate plumage collecting for women’s hats that decimated Southwest Florida rookeries.”

This autumn, WGCU PBS Kids’ Programing sponsors ‘The Wizard’s Workshop,’ a new interactive exhibit that focuses on problem-solving skills that are reflective of Edison and Ford. “It will be perfect for our youngest to most experienced visitors,” explained Brent. “It will prove you do not need to be a genius to be a problem solver.”

From January 14-May 29, the Edison & Ford Estates will present ‘Sustainable Conceptions.’ “While sustainability is important today,” Brent related, “this exhibit celebrates

The Edison & Ford Estates

that Edison and Ford were already practitioners in their day. Ford repurposed wooden shipping crates into floorboards for his cars and Edison purified laboratory chemical solvents for reuse in his Fort Myers rubber project.” To augment ‘Sustainable Conceptions,’ the Winter Estates will sponsor a companion exhibit from area artists that features 2-D and 3-D works composed of reusable products to inspire others toward a sustainable future. Artists are invited to contact Tayelor Kakes at the Estates if they are interested in exhibiting works.

In the first half of 2022, the Winter Estates will debut a five-year showcase on professional baseball history in Southwest Florida that began, surprisingly enough, with Edison’s friendship with the legendary baseball manager and Hall of Famer, Connie Mack.

“His grandson, Connie Mack III, represented our area in the United States House of Representatives before becoming a United States Senator,” explained Brent Newman, Chief Curator, “so he has a deep passion for our region. He and his family offered to share their wealth of artifacts, such as baseballs and photographs of the players on his grandfather’s

so much to see

History

Readies New Exhibits

teams.” Edison’s connection to Mack led to Fort Myers becoming a spring training destination for several major league teams over the decades, starting with Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics at Terry Park from 1925-1936.

The exhibit will be interactive, Brent explained, “with great audio-visual materials; in fact, we already have a small baseball display that features items such as a video of the great Ty Cobb playing catch at Terry Park. A highlight we will present is from a day Edison visited spring training and Cobb actually pitched to him. Cobb had the reputation of being the meanest man in baseball so there was concern over how he would treat Edison, who swung and missed at first before drilling a line drive. Cobb joked that the ‘young Tom Edison has quite a future!’”

Because the Winter Estates debuts so many exhibits, as well as its permanent Edison and Ford artifacts, Brent encourages everyone to purchase a membership. “We have so much to take in, you simply cannot do it in one 45-minute visit. Even if you take our Estate tour, one guide may emphasize some aspect of Edison and Ford, while another offers a different perspective. The price of an individual membership is basically the cost of two tours, and you can return as many times as you like throughout the year.

love at first sight

“The Estates site is roughly 20 acres, mostly from Edison’s property and six from Ford,” related Alexandria Edwards, the Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator. “We have over 1,700 different trees on site, from roughly 450 various species from six continents. No matter what time you visit you see gorgeous flowers and plants that bloom at varying times. Orchids were the favorite of Edison’s wife Mina, who loved gardening, so we have over 300 different ones.”

Edison purchased his property from local cattle baron Samuel Summerlin in 1885 when he was 38-years-old. He already had over 500 patents to his name, in what would eventually total 1,093. “Southwest Florida then was isolated,” said Alex, “and a main reason why it appealed to Edison, as he could have a place well out of the public eye. It was not easy to access, as railroads only came as far as Cedar Key. Then you boated the rest of the way. When Edison bought his land, Fort Myers had just 349 full-time residents.”

Another aspect of the land that attracted Edison was its bamboo, as he was using that as light bulb filaments. “For Edison,” Alex said, “seeing the property was love at first sight and he purchased 13 1/2 acres within 24 hours for $2,750. That sounds

Thomas Edison’s laboratory

like a bargain today, but Summerlin took advantage of Edison, as most acres sold for roughly $50. Edison built the pier in 1885 as he needed to ship everything including the pre-fab houses from as far north as Maine. Twenty-nine workers assembled the two prefab houses in 1886, with Edison calling his a honeymoon gift to his new wife Mina.”

Mina christened the Edison Home ‘Seminole Lodge’ in 1902. It initially was two separate 2,900-square-foot Queen Anne houses with high ceilings and large windows to take advantage of the sea breeze. Each cost $12,000, with Edison owning one and Ezra Gilliland the other. Edison eventually purchased the second in 1906 as a guest house. There is a 14-foot verandah surrounding the homes, as the Edisons liked to be outdoors, especially for birdwatching. Unlike today, the verandah had floor-to-ceiling screens to ward off mosquitos and bugs. The second levels have two bed-rooms and a sitting room for he and Mina’s three children.

All the furnishings in Edison’s home are original, said Alex, “including the unique chandeliers you will not see in any other house (Edison tried to coin the word, ‘electrolier’ for them, but it did not stick). Edison electrified his home in 1887, a full 11 years before Fort Myers, with many residents turning out to see the lights come to life. A main floor highlight is Mina’s piano. Though almost completely deaf, Edison often said Mina’s piano playing is why he fell in love with her.”

Mina’s focus, Alex added, “was to beautify the community and assist its unfortunates, so

she joined many local organizations. She ran the household but never called herself a ‘Housewife,’ preferring ‘Home Executive.’ Edison prioritized work, with Mina the social host. Three years before her death, to ensure Edison’s Southwest Florida legacy, Mina sold the house and property to the City of Fort Myers for $1.”

The Edisons were the original ‘snowbirds,‘ generally living in Southwest Florida from January-March, Alex explained. “Sometimes they stayed as late as June, but spent only the Christmas of 1929 in Fort Myers. The idea for the Edison & Ford Winter Estates began as early as 1920 when Mina opened the property to local organizations and school groups, with the children annually singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Edison on February 11; a tradition that current schoolchildren still do on-site today. The Edison Estate formally opened in 1947. While the City owns the property, a non-profit board manages the Winter Estates, without any Edison heir representation.”

fast friends

Henry Ford first met Thomas Edison in 1896 and struck up a fast friendship, even though Ford was 16 years the junior. Ford was building his first motor car and impressed Edison, who encouraged him. In 1903, Ford founded the Ford Motor Company and enjoyed wide-ranging success with his Model-T from 1908-1927.

Robert Smith built the 3,000-square-foot bungalow in 1911 that eventually became known as ‘The Mangoes.’ Ford first visited Edison in Fort

Myers in 1914 and bought Smith’s adjoining house and land in 1916 for $20,000, then added two wings. However, he was not a frequent Fort Myers visitor, generally coming just two weeks a year around Edison’s birthday. Unlike the Edison Home, there are no original furnishings. Visitors can walk through the ‘Friendship Gate’ that connects Edison’s land to Ford’s.

Edison died on October 18, 1931 and Ford sold his house and property to the Biggar Family in 1945. The City of Fort Myers purchased the Ford Home and land from the Biggars in 1988 for $1.5 million.

concerts & holiday nights

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates will reintroduce its Concert Series on Friday, October 29, with the Blue Grass Band’s ‘Appalachian Road Show.’ There are no November and December concerts due to ‘Holiday Nights,’ but continue from January-April.

The annual ‘Holiday Nights’ spectacular begins the day after Thanksgiving, on November 26, and will be on view through January 2 (with the exception of Christmas Day), with the site remaining open until 9pm. “While ‘Holiday Nights’ is an annual tradition, it gets bigger and better every year,” promised Lisa, “so we encourage everyone to experience it all over again!” •

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates are located at 2350 McGregor Blvd., near downtown Fort Myers. It is open daily 9am-5:30pm except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. For information, call 334-7419.

When Thomas Edison bought his property in 1885 — over 13 acres for $ 2700 — Fort Myers had just 349 full-time residents.

Fort Myers became a spring training destination for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1925-1936.

Unlike today, Edison’s verandah had floor-to-ceiling screens to ward off mosquitoes and bugs.

Daniel Porecki still remembers the first time he saw an orchid bloom.

In his Maryland residence, he watched the green buds of his dendrobium orchid he ordered from a horticulture magazine split and, over the course of a few days, expand to reveal its white petals and purple heart.

for the love of orchids

Already an anthophile who built a greenhouse outside his home and attached it to his house, the moment he bloomed his first orchid was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with orchids.

by Caylee Weintraub

His wife Mary Alice, who was not his wife yet at the time, saw the orchid sitting in his kitchen when she came to visit him one time during their conversations about cuttings and plants. She likewise became overcome with what Victorians call orchidelirium: flower madness.

“It was fast,” Daniel said. “The house started filling up with orchids.”

Following that first bloom, Daniel and Mary Alice traveled the world in search of orchids and orchid treasures. They rented a Jeep in Jamaica and searched for fallen trees, which are the most obvious signs that a fallen epiphytic orchid might be nearby.

On a trip to Trinidad and Tobago, Daniel and his friend George, a doctor and body-builder, were hiking and saw an orchid growing on the side of a gorge in a tree, two hundred feet above the ground. Daniel’s friend climbed up the gorge to pluck the orchid from its hiding place. He applied for permits to bring the orchids back, bundled in his suitcase. This twenty-five year old butter yellow orchid still blooms now in Daniel’s patio garden, although his friend is gone now.

During their travels, Daniel and Mary Alice collected not

only living orchids, but paintings and artifacts of orchids too.

In a flea market, Daniel’s eye was immediately drawn to a painting of a large white orchid. Once he started looking for orchids, he saw them everywhere.

“My wife knew I had it bad when I looked at the painting and saw the orchid, but didn’t notice the naked woman in the background,” Daniel said, and laughed.

His house is filled with ephemera from his travels with Mary Alice. Wooden eggs painted by French prisoners display lady’s slipper orchids and cattleyas. Daniel’s favorite painting is above his bed, where a mirror on the opposite end reflects its image to him. Daniel falls asleep and wakes to the image of an orchid.

The walls of his home are lined floor to ceiling with orchid paintings, orchid-painted plates, orchid vases and tables, orchid tea cups and plates. His iPhone screen is a photograph of an orchid, and the light switches are hand painted with lady’s slippers and foxtail orchids. Above his shofar and menorah hangs an orchid painting.

“Some people prefer the minimalist approach,” Daniel told me. “But every time I move around it — it’s beautiful to me. I want to see it. When people come to do any services in the house, they look around, and I tell them, today no charge.” Daniel laughs.

Daniel has been a collector since his childhood in Tel Aviv, when he and friends, on each Shabat, would bicycle to archaeological dig sites and look for ancient oil lamps or malachite figures. Digging has always been his instinct. But as Daniel got older, he began digging not to excavate, but to plant.

As a child, he remembers drinking sahlab: a creamy drink made from the crushed roots of orchids. Although he would not

above : Clyde Butcher’s ‘Ghost Orchid’

know this until later, orchids had sustained him for years.

Daniel’s patio is lined with plant stands containing dozens of orchids. They are vestiges of his travels with Mary Alice. The orchids are a living history, a piece of the past that blooms year after year.

Mary Alice is gone now — lung cancer — but Daniel’s love for orchids remains.

He donated a large portion of his collection to Florida Gulf Coast University Library Archives, where they are now part of an exhibit titled ‘Orchids: An Eternal Love Affair.’ Threading through the exhibit is passion, and the way it borders on obsession not just for Daniel, but for generations of natural historians and artists.

I walk through the opening doors of the exhibit, and find myself in a botanist’s study. On the far left wall of the exhibit, there is a crepuscular purple and jungle green wallpaper with ferns dripping down and elephant ear plants tucked behind anthuriums.

Immediately to my right is a large wooden brown desk with a typewritten letter that reads: “Caught in a rainstorm today while looking for orchids.” Dark green wallpaper vines around the exhibit, and I feel like I am in the middle of a rainforest, the Florida humidity still lingering on my skin.

“We played with coupling rare and exquisite books and artwork with antique cameras,” Melissa VandeBurgt, Associate Director of University Archives, said. “Typewriters hang on the wall, and we installed dozens of framed insects and gold mirrors.”

Daniel donated his collection to University Archives in order to preserve a lifetime of orchid material, which spans decades of his life and is rooted in his love for Mary Alice. The exhibit lengthens this love story to encompass not only Daniel’s life, but four hundred years worth of orchidelirium.

“Curating exhibitions is storytelling,” VandeBurgt says. “People want a narrative, even if it is subtle. We often create a ‘character’ to help us develop the story throughout the research portion of the curation process. One of our student employees, Viviana, told us about a British female botanist, Marianne North, from the Victorian era and she seemed the perfect inspiration. ‘She’ helped us develop a tone and aesthetic that we could use to tie together four hundred years of orchid themed material.”

The exhibit features two Clyde Butcher photographs. One features a ghost orchid, which hovers in the black and white picture like its phantasmic namesake, and the other fea-

tures a clamshell orchid, so named for its crustacean-like resemblance. Victorian prints of paphiopedilum, cypripedium, and dendrobiums hang on the walls from a wire vine.

Another eighteenth century book, First Lessons in Botany, details the anatomy of plants.

The text anticipates the reader’s questions: “Of what are Plants composed?” the author asks, but then responds in turn with a kind of omniscience. “The matter or substance of plants consists of certain structures, of wonderful form, called vegetable tissues. They are of several kinds, but we must not stop to describe them now.”

There is no time for stopping in these texts. This is the sense of urgency orchids inspire. A frenzy for beauty.

One of the exhibit centerpieces is a living orchid wall assembled by the Naples Botanical Garden. Foxtail orchids, butterfly orchids, dendrobiums, and other species are rooted in damp moss. The exhibit converges on this living wall centerpiece, which forms the root of the obsession that haunts the natural historians and artists featured within the walls of the University Archives.

The exhibition has a dream-like quality. Like orchids themselves, the paintings and display cases seem like they are floating. Orchids themselves are epiphytic plants, known as “air plants.” It is this airiness and mysticism which permeates the two room display.

The exhibit inspires a sense of wonder. “The show puts a smile on your face,” Melissa VandeBurgt says. “After a year and half of Covid, I think we can all use something to smile about.”

Along the wall in the reading room is an eighteenth century herbarium filled with orchid plates from Daniel’s collection. Neil Gaiman’s Black Orchid comic collection is situated next to a display case of eighteenth century botanical guidebooks.

Couched in velvet, these guidebooks instruct readers on the proper methods of orchid maintenance as well as eighteenth century orchid collecting expeditions which mirror Daniel’s stories.

“In the mountainous country south of Lake Muncho in northern British Columbia, I observed large colonies of this little orchid growing in a most picturesque setting,” writes one author. “Sheltered beneath its low branches were numerous ‘shy’ Heart-leaved Twayblades.” These words are visible through the Twayblade-shaped stain of a two-hundred year old pressed Twayblade, the shadow of which has seeped into the text, infusing it with life.

Orchids have inspired this wonder and joy for centuries, but it feels most palpable to me standing next to Daniel Porecki in the orchid garden on his patio, his living history.

Daniel shows me an orchid laden with flowers, and another full of buds. It is not only a garden of plants, but a garden of memories.

He describes the experience of collecting each orchid, and the people he was with when he and Mary Alice gathered them from fallen trees or the side of gorges. Even after the people involved in the orchid-collecting have left his life or passed away, the orchid lives on.

The Shape of Orchids

When properly maintained, an orchid can live over one-hundred years, longer than most human lifetimes. One plant looks almost dead, but then Daniel pulls back a leaf, and reveals its startling bloom. •

“My wife knew I had it bad when I looked at the painting and saw the orchid, but didn’t notice the naked woman in the background.”

26

Paradise at the Naples Botanical Garden

by Paula Michele Wagoner

BATHE IN THE COOLNESS of a deeply shaded arch of dense tropical leaves. Let the fragrances waft through the natural air conditioning under the pink and white plumeria and the flowering vines of turquoise jade. Walk through the lush-filled zones of the lower latitudes. Notice the yellow butterfly following along landscapes of lily, lotus, cactus, and orchid-filled transitions, crisscrossing with moving water and pausing beside the colorful sculpture art by Steve Tobin, with its yellow wings glinting in early sunlight. Teleport into a remote jungle paradise.

Welcome to the Naples Botanical Garden, 90 acres of permanent conservation with a panoramic view of the Preserve: sights of birds drying their wings and vistas of Florida in all its Everglades-like wilderness. Eighty cultivated acres which represent the flora of various worlds existing between latitudes 26 degrees north and 26 degrees south of the equator are proffered for your appreciation.

The Brazilian, Caribbean and Asian gardens are bursting with tropical plant life, woven with winding pathways and dotted with shaded sitting areas. Any immersion for the patron will be a new experience and part of a changing and evolving world through the work of the horticulture and conservation teams. These teams monitor the plant collections to make sure they are healthy and nurtured at every stage of growth. Renée Waller, Director of Communications & Marketing, and

my tour guide says, “The world underneath your feet, that you see here, is so critical to the work that we do. We relish in it.”

Each zone in the botanical garden offers a new sensory-filled, spatial experience that transcends something unexplainable, becoming a rereading of Emerson’s understanding of spirituality in nature. This place comes together like pieces of an eco-puzzle, from 12 years of collective labor, talent, and evolution in nature. However one describes the gardens, the gardeners, volunteers and wildlife, all work hard every day to bring visitors an experience of symbiotic splendor and personal interpretation.

An excited German Shepard named Rocky jogged past us with his mom, Patty, a teacher on summer break, in tow. They jutted over to the water chestnut tree along the lake edge of the Preserve. Since it was ‘Dog Day,’ a two-day-a

-week event, Rocky excitedly took in the sights and smells amplified by other four-legged visitors nearby. Beyond Rocky in the distance, Lego®-like cubes indicated the new horticulture center under construction, which will house nursery space and seed banks. We passed an area wrapped in caution tape, where the horticulture team was working on a tree, before we entered the Buehler Enabling Garden.

The Enabling Garden provides opportunities for persons with disabilities to enjoy gardening. Pointing to the waist-high, flowering plant beds, Waller notes “We really make sure to remove those barriers regardless of your level of physical discomfort. We are passing some sensory beds here where everything is particularly fragrant. We have raised beds where reach is not an issue. We have alternative watering and carrying devices to really make sure gardening here is as accessible as possible.”

The Botanical Garden is as interactive as a visitor wants it to be, including the ‘Ask a Gardner’ questions on chalkboards throughout the gardens, where you can get an answer in real time, enhanced audio tours and opportunities to learn more about specific plants through QR codes.

Not only do they offer in-person education programs, but in a time of uncertainty, the Naples Botanical Garden accommodates even the most cautious public traveler. Waller states, “In an effort to come back bigger and better, all of our digital resources are put in place, even if you physically couldn’t come to the garden, we can bring the garden to you. We have a slew of educational, interpretational videos on YouTube, as well as on social media, such as our ‘Follow a Gardener Around’ on Instagram, where you can keep up with our tropical fruit specialist. We also have our Earth Cam, so patrons can see the garden any time of the day.”

From the Enabling Garden, we entered The Grove for a peak at the upcoming water lily contest pool, which was closed off to the public. We passed The Foster Succulent Garden — which reminded me of my poor luck with this popular plant

Patrick Doherty’s environmental installations of remarkable woven sculptures made of dried willow branches, will be on view in late November, until they naturally decompse over the next couple of years.

This Garden comes together like pieces of an eco-puzzle, from 12 years of collective labor, talent, and evolution in nature.

— before stepping into the Marcia & L. Bates Lea Asian Garden, where pieces were procured from Bali to enhance the experience of world travel without leaving a Naples zip code.

To pick a favorite spot would require another tasting trip, much like sampling wine with two sips and not one. Maybe what I loved most was the vanilla bean vine hanging off a fig tree, or the display of the mysterious ghost orchid, or the Codiaeum variegatum, known as the ‘Dreadlocks Croton,’ in the Enabling Garden, or their spectacular air-conditioned gallery of paintings and sculptures. Phew! I knew I needed to come back for a deeper perspective.

I thanked Renée for her insightful and thoughtful tour and arranged to come back with our dog Valkyrie. As I exited, I noticed that yellow butterfly again. There are many butterflies fluttering around the gardens, but whoever arranged for this one to see me out added a nice touch to my visit.

My husband and I returned with Valkyrie, who was glad for the cold water I brought, while Bryan was grateful for

the bug spray. As we walked and photographed, stopping for breaks beside shaded patches, and posing for pictures beside the Bali sculptures, we talked about the future of this place.

Autumn 2021 will bring an exhibition change. The Steve Tobin display of striking sculptures will be removed for an upcoming showing of environmental installations by artist, Patrick Doherty. Doherty, along with his son Sam, will construct remarkable stick art made from dried willow branches. His work intentionally uses space dynamically with large organic, woven sculptures that also have a positive environmental impact, since these pieces naturally decompose. His work can be viewed all over the world, and installations will be on display at the Botanical Garden for the next couple of years. In November, Doherty’s team, and some volunteers from the public, will collectively create a sculpture unique to the Garden that will be open for public viewing around Thanksgiving. The autumn is a perfect and cooler time for family visits to the Garden, especially when they are bringing back live music performances from

2-4pm every Saturday, starting in October. The Botanical Garden’s annual and magical ‘Night Lights in the Garden,’ when thousands of lights will illuminate the gardens, will be on view from November 26-December 23, December 26-30, and January 1 & 2, 2022.

In the final moments of our return excursion, precious time was spent in the LaGrippe Orchid Garden. This Tolkien-like world enriched with a variety of orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes growing in the sunshades of the trees is the perfect habitat for a woodland elf. Valkyrie pressed against the cool, moss-covered, coral limestone, cascading with water, while Bryan sat on a misshapen bench under dangles of color from above. I took closeup pictures of the orchids a lá Georgia O’Keefe. A painter could have an eternity of references here. Being drawn into moments like this makes each visit feel brand new.

Plan your trip soon — and remember to bring water and bug spray. •

The Naples Botanical Garden is located at 4820 Bayshore Drive in Naples. The Graden is open to the public 9am-2pm daily, and for members only daily 8-9am. For information, call 643-7275.

Naples Botanical Garden is bringing back live music performances

The LaGrippe Orchid Garden is a Tolkien-like world with a variety of orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes growing in the shade of the trees.

the importance of remembrance

by Julie Clay

Born out of a Golden Gate Middle School class project in the late nineties, the Holocaust Museum of Naples opened in its original location in 2001. Ten years later, I wrote an article about the Museum in the September/October 2011 issue of Ft. Myers magazine. Once again, I am honored to share an update on the Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center, now in its 20th anniversary year and happily residing in a beautiful, much larger space.

Upon entering the Museum’s new home on US 41 in North Naples, one is welcomed by a giant photo mosaic of Anne Frank created by artist Robert Silvers. Before her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam and she started her famous diary, the striking picture is a close-up of a young girl with a gentle smile.

Step closer, and the thousands of miniature Holocaust and WWII black and white photos that comprise the work come into view. It’s a collection of concentration camp prisoners, posters, documents, and more. Survivors who live (or enjoyed their last days) in southwest Florida, like Museum co-founder Lorie Mayer and the late legendary vocal talent (and camp liberator) Peter Thomas, are among them in pictures taken by Naples photographer Erik Kellar. Above the mosaic is a quote from Anne’s journal, “How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world.”

The Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center in Naples are doing their part to help us never forget the atrocities inflicted upon six million Jews and countless others by the Nazi regime and their Japanese counterparts.

As the Museum’s collection of donated artifacts grew over the years, the hunt began for a new location. Finally, in September 2019, the Museum opened its doors to a beautifully designed facility imagined by architect David Corban. Corban was recently honored for his efforts with an award from the American Institute of Architects Florida.

Executive Director and CEO Susan Suarez, hired just in time to kick off the capital campaign in 2017, recalls all the crazy around the recent move. “We had to design everything. We had a very short window. Our lease was going to run out in the old space,” she says. “Luckily, we had a great team putting everything together with our architect, exhibit design company and PBS, our construction company.”

The community was also excited about the new location; the grand opening in November 2019 drew close to 1000 excited participants. Then, between school field trips and visits from the public, the Museum was busy and booked solid. Susan remembers it was hectic but exciting, with programs connecting local survivors and children of survivors with guests to share their stories. Stuart Mest, whose father lived in the Warsaw Ghetto, and several of the war’s ‘hidden children’ were docents conducting tours. The move was nothing but success. Then Covid hit.

Like the rest of the world, the Holocaust Museum closed down in March 2020. They were able to continue the outreach, however, with everyone’s favorite Covid friend. “Our Zoom programs were extremely well attended,” Susan expresses. “We had participation from people who couldn’t come to our programs in the past, and people Zooming

in from all over the country. We have done virtual tours of our special exhibits and survivor talks on Zoom.” Based on these successes, the Museum plans to continue doing programs on Zoom specifically for those who don’t live locally. They reopened this past June 9, thoroughly sanitized and prepared with PPE equipment. Susan says that the initial handful of people that started trickling in have once again become a steady stream, regulated with timed tickets.

Now operating comfortably in 6,000 square feet, the Museum houses over 1,000 artifacts, documents, and photographs, displayed in chronological order throughout the three main galleries.

Galleries One and Two are shrouded in muted light, representing the dark days of Hitler’s rise to power and the war itself. (The dim light also helps to protect the artifacts on display.) Gallery One chronicles the rising wave of anti-semitism, building to Kristallnacht on November 9 & 10, 1938, when Nazi repression of German Jews officially turned violent. Many of the larger informational wall pieces are blown up from the original smaller ones jockeying for space in the Museum’s first home. A survivors sculpture features the names of Naples area people who have volunteered or are still volunteering for the Museum. There is also an illuminated red circle on the floor representing barbed wire. Gallery Three is brightly lit and aptly named

‘Return to Life.’ A list of Displaced Persons is featured, a piece the Museum couldn’t correctly display in the original location.

Between World War II’s end in 1945 and 1952, over 250,000 liberated prisoners, now called Displaced Persons, rebuilt their lives in former concentration camps and urban centers in Germany, Austria, and Italy before moving in large part to the United States and a section of Palestine which eventually became the state of Israel in 1948.

Then there’s the boxcar. In 2007, Holocaust Museum board member Emeritus Jack Nortman acquired an authentic 10-ton Holocaust-era railway car as a traveling exhibit to schools and community locations. Approximately 100,000 people have been impacted by it so far from its visits to schools, museums, universities, public libraries, synagogues, and more. Grounded for Covid, the boxcar will be traveling once again to a six-county area in southwest Florida.

Back inside the Museum, past the three galleries, visitors can pause in the Reflection Room, a quiet, soothing place bathed in natural light where one can gather their thoughts on all that they’ve just taken in. On the wall, the liberation dates of all the concentration camps are displayed in chronological order. Susan explains that the room has been specially designed as a ‘solar calendar’ to light up a particular date at solar noon, which changes daily. Across

from the Reflection Room is the Declaration of Human Rights wall; there are 30 rights in all.

As much room as the Holocaust Museum gained with the move; plans are in place to purchase another 3,600 sq. ft of space next door. Susan gives us a glimpse, “We’ll have permanent exhibits in the current special exhibit area to focus on modern genocides and human rights. The Special Exhibit gallery will be in the new space and larger.” She also hints at additional ‘wow factor’ type use for this space. A capital campaign is in the works (complete with naming rights) to cover the cost.

After the main gallery tour, we then visited the archives, a specially designed room with its own air-conditioning unit and humidity settings for optimal storage care of the items within. Gems like a copy of Susan Rubin’s book, Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto, donated by illustrator Bill Farnsworth, are amoung a vast assortment of carefully stored and notated artifacts, both large and small. Susan indicates they rotate artifacts, showing different items every six months.

Anyone can have the privilege to see the Museum archives, courtesy of the Authentic Experience Tour. Developed in conjunction with the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau, this unique tour is conducted in two parts. Groups of up to 15 people are taken through the Museum and into the archives to see additional items donated by local Holocaust survivors, their families, and concentration camp liberators.

Museum outreach continues in October with a return to the Holocaust-themed Movies That Matter series. Susan explains that this year will probably be a mix of movies on Zoom, like in 2020, and those shown at the Paragon Pavilion theater in Naples.

The Museum will also be holding a special 20th-anniversary celebration, entitled ‘The Luncheon,’ on December 3 at the beautiful Arthrex One headquarters building in Naples. The festivities will include a short play called Remember: The Story of Abe Price. A Holocaust survivor and Museum co-founder, Mr. Price lived a courageous life of capture, escape, loss, love, and triumph. The play is produced by Gulfshore Playhouse founding and producing Artistic Director Kristen Coury and was written by Broadway’s Jeffrey Binder (Zazou in Lion King and Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins).

The Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center helps assure that we never forget the horrors and tragedies of the holocaust, as well as the providing the opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the triumphs and lives of the incredible survivors. •

Executive Director, Susan Suarez says that reopening after having to close because of the pandemic, the initial handful of people that started trickling in to the museum has once again become a steady stream, regulated with timed tickets.

Southwest Florida Attractions

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

1380 Colonial Blvd. • FORT MYERS 239-278-4422

broadwaypalm.com

tue-sun eveninGs WitH select matinees

Broadway Palm is Southwest Florida’s Premier Dinner Theatre. The theatre’s season features the best of Broadway combining your favorite shows of the past along with the most recent musical hit sensations. Broadway Palm features nationally selected performers, dazzling sets and costumes and a live orchestra.

Burroughs Home & Garden Historic Tours

2505 First St. FORT MYERS

239-337-9505

burroughshome.com

mon, tue & Wed

Guided tours at 11am

WitH prior reservation

Walk among live oaks and lush gardens or relax in a rocking chair on the stately verandah as you watch the meandering river gently roll by… but, first join Mona and Jettie Burroughs, the privileged daughters of wealthy businessman Nelson Burroughs and his wife, Adeline, for a tour as they share their history and delightful tales of growing up in one of Fort Myers’ largest, most stately mansions. Selfguided audio and reading tours weekly 9am-1pm with prior reservation. Tours in Spanish available.

Cape Coral Museum of History

544 Cultural Park Blvd. • CAPE CORAL 239-772-7037

capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org

Wed–fri 11am-4pm & sat 10am-2pm

Since its inception in 1987, the Cape Coral Museum of History has sought to discover, preserve, and share the history of Cape Coral. Operated by the Cape Coral Historical Society, the Museum exhibits artifacts, documents and photographs pertaining to the history of Cape Coral and Southwest Florida. With three buildings and two garden areas there is so much to explore!

Charlotte Players

performances at Langdon Playhouse

1182 Market Circle • PORT CHARLOTTE

Charlotte Harbour Event Center

175 Taylor St. • PUNTA GORDA

941-255-1022

charlotteplayers.org

mon-fri 10am-4pm & sat 11am-1pm & 1 Hour Before performances

Charlotte Players is Charlotte County’s oldest Performing Arts Organization. Their have been presenting live theater since 1961. Their Mission Statement is: ‘Charlotte Players, a volunteer organization, shall provide and promote quality theater arts programs to educate, entertain and enrich the Southwest Florida community.’

Attractions GUIDE

Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples

15080 Livingston Rd. • NAPLES

239-514-0084

cmon.org

every day 10am-5pm except for Wed

The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples (CMON) celebrates children’s curiosity. The nonprofit is a safe space that encourages children to play, learn, and dream. With 30,000 + square feet of interactive, hands-on exhibits, CMON provides child-centered educational opportunities with a vision to spark a passion for lifelong learning.

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

1495 Smith Preserve Way • NAPLES 239-262-0304

conservancy.org

tue-sat 9:30am-4pm

The Conservancy has announced a monumental $4.5 million renovation and expansion of its Susan and William Dalton Discovery Center, which will add new interactive exhibits and galleries exploring areas of critical importance to the region. The Nature Center will remain closed during construction, and a reopening is anticipated winter 2022.

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

375 Sanctuary Rd. • NAPLES 239-348-9151

corkscrew.audubon.org

timed admissions daily 8am-1pm

Experience the world’s largest remaining, old-growth cypress forest. See wading birds, songbirds, otters, alligators, and more from our 2.25-mile boardwalk. As part of the western Everglades, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects 13,450 acres of wetland marshes and other habitats for the benefit of wildlife and people.

CREW Land & Water Trust

CREW Trust Hiking Trails

Flint Pen Strand: 15970 Bonita Beach Rd. • BONITA SPRINGS

Marsh: 4600 Corkscrew Rd. • IMMOKALEE

Bird Rookery Swamp: 1295 Shady Hollow Blvd. W • NAPLES

Cypress Dome: 3980 CR 850 • IMMOKALEE

239-657-2253

crewtrust.org

every day sunrise-sunset

Hiking trails for you. If you love nature, explore old-Florida wilderness at the 4 different CREW trails. See alligators at CREW Bird Rookery Swamp, enjoy wildflowers along CREW Marsh Trails, photograph swallow-tailed kites at CREW Cypress Dome Trails or find a wildlife paw-print at CREW Flint Pen Strand Trails.

ADVERTORIAL

Southwest Florida Attractions

Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

3883 Sanibel Captiva Rd. • SANIBEL

239-472-3644

crowclinic.org

Jan-July mon-sat 10am-4pm

auG-dec mon-fri 10am-4pm

CROW welcomes the public to its Visitor Education Center, designed to teach visitors of all ages about how they rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals back to the wild. Interactive exhibits teach the public about protecting wildlife and how to identify native and invasive species. Daily presentations at 11am. Guided hospital tours available with advanced registration.

J.N.’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge

1 Wildlife Drive • SANIBEL 239-472-1100

fws.gov/refuge/jn_ding_darling; dingdarlingsociety.org

visitor center: mon-sat 9am-4pm

Wildlife drive: sat-tHu sunrise-sunset

“Ding” Darling welcomes nearly one million visitors each year with wildlife watching, hiking, biking, paddling, nature boating excursions, free interpretive programs, and its freeadmission Visitor & Education Center. The center features hands-on activities and the Refuge Nature Store, which benefits refuge conservation education, research, and land acquisition/restoration.

Florida Everblades

11000 Everblades Pkwy. • FORT MYERS

239-948-7 825

floridaeverblades.com

Box office: mon-fri 9am-5pm

The Florida Everblades are a professional hockey team in the ECHL and are affiliated with the Nashville Predators of the NHL. They offer family fun at an affordable price for everyone. Watch the next NHL stars today!

Florida Repertory Theatre

2268 Bay St. • FORT MYERS

239-332-4488

FloridaRep.org

Box office: mon-sat 10am-5pm & one Hour Before performances

Florida Repertory Theatre is a fully professional regional theatre company located in the heart of the Fort Myers River District. Performing in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre, Florida Rep brings over 90,000 visitors to Southwest Florida each year, to see nationally recognized comedies, dramas, new plays, and musicals. “As Good as Broadway!” - tHe Wall street Journal

Attractions GUIDE

Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers

6900 Daniels Pkwy. • suite 29-193 • FORT MYERS

239-288-2535

mastersingersfm.com

Since its inception in 2001, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers has been the premier choral group in Southwest Florida. Its mission is to share significant choral works from classical composers as well as innovative new compositions. The 80-plus voice ensemble is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and gives back to the community through the generosity of its patrons.

Gulf Coast Symphony

FORT MYERS

239-481-4849

gulfcoastsymphony.org

The Gulf Coast Symphony is one of the most dynamic and innovative orchestras in the United States. The organization boasts three performance groups: a full symphony orchestra, a professional chamber orchestra, and its jazz collective. Highquality performances with both world-renowned and emerging artists, performing at the premiere performing arts venue the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, plus another 100 nights of concerts at its new, more intimate venue, and educational hub, The MACC, its Music & Arts Community Center. The concert season includes musicals, ballet, classical, pops, opera, jazz, chamber music, world music and other genres.

Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center

975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd. • suite 108 • NAPLES

239-263-9200

hmcec.org

Wed, tHu, sat, sun 1pm-4pm

The Museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a variety of special exhibits, events and programs. Public tours available –check website for details. School and Group tours available by appointment. Wheelchair-accessible and expanded parking. Pre-purchase of timedentry tickets on HMCEC. org encouraged. “Best of the Gulfshore,” TripAdvisor and Yelp award recognition.

Naples Art

585 Park St. • NAPLES

239-262-6517

naplesart.org

mon-fri 9am-5pm

They believe art can change lives and improve entire communities. Through their unique and engaging programs, classes, exhibitions, and events, Naples Art enhances community-wide appreciation for and understanding of the visual arts and supports artists of all ages and aspirations.

ADVERTORIAL

Southwest Florida Attractions

The Naples Players

701 5th Ave. S. • NAPLES

Box office: 239-263-7990

naplesplayers.org

Box office: 10am-4pm

The Naples Players continually seeks to enrich, educate and entertain our community through a superior theatre experience. They are a premier community theatre, seeking to inspire passion for the performing arts through unparalleled access to the process, experience, and conversations surrounding the arts and our community.

Ostego Bay Marine Science Center

718 Fisherman’s Wharf • FORT MYERS BEACH 239-765-8101

ostegobay.org

mon-sat 10am-4pm

The Original Museum, Nature and Science Center on Fort Myers Beach. Explore and discover the natural beauty of Southwest Florida. Learn about the unique ecology of the barrier islands and estuary ecosystem. Science Center Great for kids of all ages! Celebrating 30 years of Conservation through education.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

300 Tower Rd. • NAPLES

239-530-5940

rookerybay.org

mon-sat 9am-4pm

Discover, see and explore Southwest Florida’s coastal environment with Rookery Bay. Experience interactive coastal and natural history exhibits including a marine-life touch tank and aquariums. Enjoy trails, nature programs, observation bridge and more. Kids and adults alike can explore the Center and discover the plant, fish and wildlife that call Rookery Bay Research Reserve home. Guided eco-boat and kayak tours are also available year-round.

Sanibel Historical Museum & Village

950 Dunlop Rd. • SANIBEL 239-472-4648

sanibelmuseum.org

may-July tue-sat 10am-1pm closed auG-mid oct mid oct-apr tue-sat 10am-4pm

The Sanibel Historical Museum & Village exists to show visitors and residents alike what it was like to be a pioneer on Sanibel in the 1890s through 1940. They have nine authentically restored island homes that were moved from their original locations around the island to become part of their village. Through exhibits and stories, they aim to educate people in a fun way about the history of Sanibel. Visitors will feel immersed in the time period, as their buildings are set up to give visitors the experience — the feel — of being back in the time of the pioneers.

ADVERTORIAL

Attractions GUIDE

The Shell Factory

16554 N. Cleveland Ave. • NORTH FORT MYERS

239-995-2141

shellfactory.com

nature & fun parks: mon-sun 10am-5pm

restaurant: mon-tHu, sat 11am-8pm, fri 11am-9pm, sun 11am-7pm

Voted Best Family Amusement Center in Fort Myers! The Shell Factory (the kitschiest, coolest, wildest, wettest, tastiest, craziest place in Southwest Florida) offers all-day fun like rides and games, shopping, restaurants, an outdoor bar and live entertainment. Over 400 critters, many rescued, call The Nature Park home. Donations to the park’s 501(c)(3) charity sustain their care.

The Studio Players

performances at Joan Jenks Auditorium

Golden Gate Community Center

4701 Golden Gate Pkwy. • NAPLES

thestudioplayers.org

239-398-9192

eveninG sHoWs 7:30pm, sun matinee 3pm select dates

Since 2013 The Studio Players has been coined “The Spirit of Community Theater” Naples hidden gem. The Studio Players cultivates a highly creative, inclusive, and collaborative environment in which professional artists and artists in training are encouraged to broaden their craft while engaging, entertaining, and challenging our diverse community with theatrical productions that range from alternative and contemporary to more established works. The Studio Players is a 501 ( c ) (3) non-profit organization.

TheatreZone

performances at G&L Theatre • Community School of Naples

13275 Livingston Rd. • NAPLES

888-966-3352

theatre.zone

TheatreZone is a nonprofit, 501(c)3, professional equity theatre performing in-residence at the G&L Theatre on the Community School of Naples campus. Online at: theatre.zone. Follow TheatreZone on Twitter at TheatreZoneFL, on Instagram

@Theatre.Zone, and on Facebook at facebook.com/ TheatreZoneFL.

Venice Theatre

140 Tampa Ave W. • VENICE

941-488-1115

venicetheatre.org

Located just an hour north of Fort Myers, Venice Theatre is the second largest community theatre in the country and host of aactWORLDFEST, scheduled this season for June 20-26, 2022. Venice Theatre’s 72nd season features a variety of musicals, comedies, dramas, and concerts including ‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical,’ ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,’ its original musical version of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ ‘Ain’t Misbehavin,’ ‘Hamlet,’ ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and more. Visit venicetheatre.org for the most up-to-date schedule and Covid-19 protocols.

ADVERTORIAL

SEPT 1

WEDNESDAY

•Mangroves by Kayak Tour: Guided tour of Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 9a. rsvp. 765-0865.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

2

THURSDAY

•Latin History Tour: Guided tour. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 10a. rsvp. 765-0865.

•Matt McClowry: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•Shell Mound Tour: Guided tour outside. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 11a. 765-0865.

•Untold Stories Tour: Guided tour. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 1p. 765-0865.

FRIDAY

•Art on the River: Exhibits. Burroughs Home & Garden, 2500 First St, Ft Myers.

6-10p. Free. 337-9505.

•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 939-2787.

•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 337-5050.

•Art Reception: DAAS

Co-op Gallery, in Butterfly Estates, 1815-3 Fowler St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Free. 590-8645.

•Art Reception: Davis Art Center Rooftop Sculpture Garden, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-12p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 337-5050.

•Dave Landau: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Kenny Giordano: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Los de Pe Erre: Comedy. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 8p. 939-2787.

•Mangroves by Kayak Tour: Guided tour of Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 9a. rsvp. 765-0865.

4 SATURDAY

•Dave Landau: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Charlotte Stone Crabs: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.

•Garden Tour: Guided tour. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 11ap. 765-0865.

•Meet Clyde & Niki Butcher: Book signing. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 11a-4p. Free. 695-2428.

•Naples Jazzmasters: Free concert. Norris Center, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 1-3p. Free. 612-327-3835.

•Shell Mound Tour: Guided tour outside. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 2p. 765-0865.

•The Jersey Beat: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

What Goes On

Cecile McLorin Salvant performs at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers on October 13. For information, call 333-1933.

Broadway Palm in Fort Myers presents ‘A Night on Broadway’ September 9-October 2. Call 278-4422 for information.

What Goes On

Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Untold Stories Tour: Guided tour. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. 1p. 765-0865.

5

SUNDAY

•Kenny Giordano: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Meet Clyde & Niki Butcher: Book signing. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 11a-4p. Free. 695-2428.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

8

WEDNESDAY

•Florida Fiddler Show: Great Florida Cattle Drive, music & storytelling by J. Robert. Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 7:30p. 642-7270.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

9

THURSDAY

•Amernet String Quartet: Schubert, Schulhoff & Brahms concert. Shell Point, Tribby Arts Center, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 454-2067.

•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 692-8436.

•Fine Arts & Crafts Show: Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 10a-4p. Free. 692-8436.

•John Carfi: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices The heights center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

FRIDAY

•Brian Regan: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•Florida Fiddler Show: Great Florida Cattle Drive, music & storytelling by J. Robert. Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island.

7:30p. 642-7270.

•John Carfi: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Vic Guittard: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

11

•Tommie D & Dee: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/ Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 9483766.

•Zan Lombardo Poetry Reading: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a. 939-2787.

12

SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Ross Newell, Elizabeth Reece Lockhart concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers.

7-9:30p. Free. 691-4069.

•John Carfi: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Naples Jazzmasters: Free concert. Norris Center, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 1-3p. Free. 612-327-3835.

•Stage 2 Improv: Storytellers. Comedy. Tobye Studio, Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 8p. 263-7990.

Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers.

3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

14

SUNDAY

•Art Reception: Cape Coral Arts Studio, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 574-0802.

•Book Launch: Destiny Haggert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 2-4p. Free. 333-1933.

•Florida Fiddler Show: Great Florida Cattle Drive, music & storytelling by J. Robert. Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 3p. 642-7270.

•Manny Touron: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo.

TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island.

5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

15

WEDNESDAY

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

16

THURSDAY

•Caleb Synan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•FGCU Wind Orchestra: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.

•Gallery Talk: Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

17

FRIDAY

•Caleb Synan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Comedy for a Cause: Benefit. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 6p. 941-255-1022.

•Doc Mambo: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 855732-3836. 18

SATURDAY

Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Island Hopper Songwriter

Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

•Naples Jazzmasters: Free concert. Norris Center, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 1-3p. Free. 612-327-3835.

•Zan Lombardo Poetry

Reading: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a. 939-2787.

•Zan Lombardo Poetry

Reading: Mangroves as poetry. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5p. 939-2787.

19

SUNDAY

•Betto: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/ Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Full Moon Night Hike: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Island Hopper Songwriter

Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. 338-3500..

•Jeanie Darnell & Michael Brown: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 3p. 745-4268.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Santana: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 8p. 948-7825.

•SWFL SteamCon: Steampunk & fantasy conference. Speakers, panels, celebrity guests, entertainment, contests. Crowne Plaza Hotel at Bell Tower, 130501 Bell Tower Dr, Ft Myers. 10a-6p. 482-2900.

20

MONDAY

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

21

•Caleb Synan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College

TUESDAY

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers

Albert Cummings performs at the Center for the Arts Bonita Springs on October 14. For information, call 495-8989.

River District. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

22

WEDNESDAY

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

•Lecture: Butterflies in SWFL. Lovers Key State Park Disocvery Center, 8700 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 12p. Free. 463-4588.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

THURSDAY

•Arts & Animals: Exhibition. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers.

6-8p. 939-2787.

•FGCU Symphonic Band: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

•Michael Ray: Island Hopper

perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. 3383500.

•John Crist: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•Naples Jazzmasters: Free concert. Norris Center, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 1-3p. Free. 612-327-3835.

•National Estuaries

Day Celebration: 40th anniversary celebration, guided boat tours, films, presentations, demos, kayaking, art exhibit, food trucks, etc. Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 9a-4p. 530-5977.

•Rollin’ Jay Moore: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

26

Songwriter Fest concert. Pinchers, The Marina at Edison Ford, 2360 W First St, Ft Myers. 338-3500.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•Rollin’ Jay Moore: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

FRIDAY

•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-6398810.

•Early Birding Walk: Guided tour. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. 248-9151.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

•Rollin; Jay Moore: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233. 25

SATURDAY

•Gary Greenstein: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters

30

THURSDAY

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•Steve Furey: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

OCT 1

FRIDAY

•Art on the River: Exhibits. Burroughs Home & Garden, 2500 First St, Ft Myers.

6-10p. Free. 337-9505.

Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

4 MONDAY

•Danny Sinoff: Jazz piano concert. Players Circle Theatre, Shell Factory, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Fort Myers. 7p. 800-3292.

6

WEDNESDAY

•Lecture: Beach Birds of SWFL. Lovers Key State Park Disocvery Center, 8700 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 12p. Free. 463-4588.

SUNDAY

•FGCU Jazz Ensemble: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•Fort Myers Cosplay Con: Games, demos, contestsm, workshops, panels, crafts. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 11a-5p. 939-2787.

•Gary Greenstein: Live music. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd/Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero. 4-7p. Free. 948-3766.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. 338-3500.

29

WEDNESDAY

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hos ted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Sunset Stroll: Guided walk. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6p. 248-9151.

•Exhibition Reception: Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. 4:30-6:30p. Free. 642-1440.

•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 3375050.

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 337-5050.

•Steve Furey: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

2

SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: The Hummingirds, Ken Crisby concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. Free. 691-4069.

•Misook Yun & Ryu-Kyung Kim w Chansik Youn: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.

•Steve Furey: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

3

SUNDAY

•Friends Fall Festival: Live music, entertainment, kids games, crafts, food. Burroughs Home & Garden, 2500 First St, Ft Myers. 2-5p. 337-9505.

•Intl Blues Challenge: Regional musicians compete. Cape Caberet. 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. 1-6p. 549-3000.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

7 THURSDAY

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•Shaun Jones: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

8 FRIDAY

•Jim Jeffries: Coemdy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•Shaun Jones: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•The Theory of Relativity: Youth Theatre musical. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 4958989.

•Trevor Noah: Comedy. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 8p. 948-7825.

9

SATURDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Backyard Bluesfest: Tommy Lee Cook & The Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-8p. 693-7111.

•Music in the Garden: Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 2-4p. 643-7275.

The Grand Piano Series presents Vijay Venkatesh on October 20 at the St. Leo Church in Bonita Springs. Call

for information.

What Goes On

•Orchid Sale & Symposium: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. 334-7419.

•Rastrelli Cello Quartet: Grieg to Hollywood. Shell Point, Tribby Arts Center, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 4p. 454-2067.

•Shaun Jones: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Southern Express Bluegrass Band: Concert. Norris Center, 755  8th Ave S, Naples. 7p. 213-3058.

•The Theory of Relativity: Youth Theatre musical. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 4958989.

SUNDAY

•‘Ding’ Darling Day: Guided birding walk, mindfulness walk, plein-air art demos, carnival games, crafts. Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Fort Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 472-1100.

•Art Reception: Cape Coral Arts Studio, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 574-0802.

•ETC…Readers Theater: ‘Tis Not As It Seems. One-act plays. Naples Players Etc... Readers’ Theatre. Tobye Studio, Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 263-7990.

•FGCU Chamber & University Choirs & Women’s Chorale: Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Rd, Naples. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•Funny Shorts Live: Short plays. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•Naples Philharmonic Chamber Music: Three Female Composers. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Orchid Sale & Symposium: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. 334-7419.

•The Theory of Relativity: Youth Theatre musical. Center for the Performing Arts

Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

11

MONDAY

•Danny Sinoff: Jazz piano concert. Players Circle Theatre, Shell Factory, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Fort Myers. 7p. 800-3292.

12

TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island.

5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

•Stage 2 Improv: Comedy. Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 5701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 8p. 389-9192.

•Three Dog Night: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 4814849.

17

SUNDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 2p. 218-0481.

WEDNESDAY

•Sunset Stroll: Guided walk. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 5:30p. 248-9151. 13

•Cecile McLorin: Jazz concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, concert 7:30p. 333-1933.

•Film & Discussion: Movies That Matter. Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center, 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, #108, Naples. 1p. rsvp. 263-9200.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers.

8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Trinity - Classic Irish: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 277-1700.

14

THURSDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Albert Cummings: Blues concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•Art Reception & Talk: ArtLab, FGCU Library, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 692-8436.

•Exhibition Reception: Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. 4-6p. Free. 642-1440.

•FGCU Wind Orchestra: Riverside Park, 27300 Old Rd 41 Bonita Springs. 7:30p.

Free. 745-4268.

•Mike Baldwin: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•Opera al Fresco – Divas in Duet: Outdoor concert. Gulfshore Opera. St. Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 12p. 529-3925.

15

FRIDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-6398810.

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

•Comedy for a Cause: Benefit. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 6p. 941-255-1022.

•Mike Baldwin: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College

Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 855732-3836.

16 SATURDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 2 & 8p. 218-0481.

•Backyard Bluesfest: Tommy Lee Cook & The Buckingham Blues Band, Bruce Katz Band Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-8p. 693-7111.

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2 & 7p. 495-8989.

•Hansel and Gretal: Opera Naples w FGCU Bower School of Music. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7:30p. 963-9050.

•Hansel and Gretel: Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7p. 745-4268.

•Mike Baldwin: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

•Hansel and Gretel: Opera Naples w FGCU Bower School of Music. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7:30p. 963-9050.

•Naples Concert Band: Free outdoor concert w guests. Cambier Park bandshell, Park St, downtown Naples. 2-4p. Free. 270-1221.

•Naples Philharmonic Chamber Music: Two Octets. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 5971900.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

18

MONDAY

•Danny Sinoff: Jazz piano concert. Players Circle Theatre, Shell Factory, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Fort Myers. 7p. 800-3292.

19

TUESDAY

•Naples Philharmonic Chamber Music: Two Octets. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 5971900.

•Night Walk: Guided walk. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6:30p. 248-9151.

20

WEDNESDAY

•An Evening of Jazz: Concert. Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham

DAAS Gallery, located in The Butterfly Estates in Fort Myers, presents the art of David Martin, September 3-26. Call 590-8645 for information.

Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Vijay Venkatesh: Grand Piano Series chamber music concert. St Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 646-7348179.

THURSDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting

Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Divas in Duet: Concert. Gulfshore Opera. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. 529-3925.

•Frankie Paul: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival Opening Night Film & Party: Arts-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Film 7p, party 9p. 775-3456.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

•SWFL Sustains: Sustainable food sampling, speakers. DiamondHead Beach Resort, 2000 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach, 6-9p. 306-3501.

FRIDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting

Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-5p. Free. 472-4557.

•Early Birding Walk: Guided tour. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. 248-9151.

•Frankie Paul: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Halloween Spooktacular: Games, activities, crafts, trick-or-treating. Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. 10a5p. 514-0084.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival: Film screenings & panel discussions. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 775-3456.

•Sunset Concert: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. 6p. 941366-5731.

23 SATURDAY

•24-Hour Playwriting Project: No rehearsal, no director, sealed script, one actor. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 2 & 8p. 218-0481.

•Americana Community Music Association: Rebecca Folsom, Chuck Williams concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. Free. 691-4069.

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-5p. Free. 472-4557.

•Fine Arts & Crafts Show: Naples Artcrafters. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 10a-4p. Free. 304-5258.

•Florida Everblades vs Jacksonville Icemen: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•Frankie Paul: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Frontiers: Journey tribute concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival: Film screenings & panel discussions. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 775-3456.

•Naples Jazzmasters: Free concert. River Park Community Center, 301 11th St N, Naples. 2-4p. Free. 612327-3835.

•The New York Bee Gees:

SWFL Symphony Bee Gees tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 418-1500.

24

SUNDAY

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-5p. Free. 4724557.

•FGCU Symphony Orchestra: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•Jenning & Keller: Outdoor concert. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 4p. 939-2787.

•Naples Dixieland Jazz Band: Free concert. Cambier Park, 6th Ave S & 8th St S, Naples. 2-4p. Free. 612-3273835.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival Closing Awards Ceremony, Film & Wrap Party: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Awards 5:30, Back to the Future in Concert with Naples Philharmonic 7:30p, party 9:30p. 597-1900.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

26 TUESDAY

•Early Birding Walk: Guided tour. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Cafe, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. 248-9151.

27

WEDNESDAY

•All That Jazz: Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra & violinist Benjamin Schmid. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.

•Florida Everblades vs Norfolk Admirals: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 9487825.

•Lecture: Florida Native Palms. Lovers Key State Park Disocvery Center, 8700 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 12p. Free. 463-4588.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers.

8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

28

THURSDAY

•Jamie Morgan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Jason Aldean: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero.

7:30p. 948-7825.

•Open Rehearsal: Coastal Voices. The Heights Center, 15570 Hagie Dr, Fort Myers. 6:30p. 502-8527.

29

FRIDAY

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

•Florida Everblades vs Norfolk Admirals: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 9487825.

•Jamie Morgan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Naples

Philharmonic: Andrey Returns. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 8p. 597-1900.

•Rhythm on the River: Appalachian Road Show outdoor concert & cocktails. Edison & Ford Winter Estates River Pavilion, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Bring lawn chairs. 334-7419.

30 SATURDAY

•Backyard Bluesfest: Tommy Lee Cook & The Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-8p. 693-7111.

•Bert Kreischer: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7: & 9:30p. 481-4849.

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts

Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2 & 7p. 495-8989.

•Florida Everblades vs Norfolk Admirals: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•Jamie Morgan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Naples

Philharmonic: Andrey Returns. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 8p. 597-1900.

•Stage 2 Improv: Monster Mash. Comedy. Tobye Studio, Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 8p. 263-7990.

31

SUNDAY

•All About Soul: BillyJoel tribute concert. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 7:30p. 941-488-1115.

•Clue - On Stage: Play. Center for the Performing Arts

Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

•Open Blues Jam: Live music hosted by Tommy Lee Cook &

The Naples Players present ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at the Sugden Theatre in Naples, September 29-October 24. For information, call 263-7990.

What Goes On

the Buckingham Blues Band

w Rex Bongo. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.

•Star Wars vs Harry Potter: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 2p. 277-1700.

•Wonderween: Kids’ Halloween activities.

Everglades Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 1-4p. 992-2591.

ONGOING

THEATER

•4 Beekman: Sep 10-19. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941255-1022.

•A Killer Act: Thru Sep 5: Wed-Sun. Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•A Night on Broadway: Sep

9-Oct 2. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Act of God: thru Sep 5.

Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Almost, Maine: Sep 24-Oct

10. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941488-1115.

•And the Nominees Are: Sep

9-19. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•Boeing Boeing: Sep 29-Oct 24. The Naples Players. Blackburn Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•Broadway Cabaret Series: Oct 14-31. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Good People Oct 27-Nov 14. Marco Players. Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 642-7270.

•Haunted Haloween Revue: Oct 21-31. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•Lets’s Fall in Love: Sep 28-Nov 11. Florida Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio

Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.

•Mama Won’t Fly: Sep 23-Oct 3. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein: Sep 30-Oct 24. New Phoenix Theatre, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 284-5214.

•Men on Boats: Oct 21-31. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•Murder Wrap: Sep 8-Nov 25: Wed-Sun. Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•She Kills Monsters: Oct 22-Nov 7. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Social Security: Sep 23Nov 6. Off Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•The Color Purple: Sep 3-Oct 2 (previews Sep 1 & 2). Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•The Great American Trailer Park Musical: Oct 29-Nov 28. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•The Lifespan of a Fact: Oct 27-Nov 14. Players Circle Theatre. Shell Factory, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Fort Myers. 800-3292.

•The Misanthrope: Oct 29-Nov 7. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-7268.

•The Mystery of Irma Vep: Sep 24-Oct 10. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•The Sound of Music: Oct 7-Nov 20. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•The Woman in Black: Oct 26-Nov 14. Florida Repertory Theatre, Historic Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.

•Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song: Sep 10-26. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.

•Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike: Oct 8-17. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941-255-1022.

EXHIBITIONS

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. 9a-4p. Free. 472-1100.

•Aldo Castillo Gallery: 1634 5th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sun 11a-7p. Free. 312-375-8887.

•Aldo Castillo Gallery: Miromar Design Center, 10800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero.

Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 312375-8887.

•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Sep 3-25: Forge & Scroll; Oct 1-30: Dia de los Muertos.

Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-1p. Free. 939-2787.

•Another Time: 1414 Dean St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. Free. 672-4607.

•Arsenault Studio & Banyan Arts Gallery: 1199 3rd St,

Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-1214.

•Art Center Sarasota: 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Thru

Oct 2: Probable Realities, Petticoat Painters, Figure Drawing. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 941-365-2032.

•Arts for ACT Gallery: 2265 First St, Ft Myers. Sep: 3-28: Gallery Artists Show; Oct 1-Nov 1: Diana Lynn Ripoll.

Mon-Sun11a-4:30p, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Fri 11a-10p. Free. 3375050.

•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Sep 7-Dec

5: Helen Levitt- In the Street; Sep 7-Mar 2: Subject Matters; Oct 16-May 15: Baseball Heroes; Oct 16-May

15: Love in All Forms; Oct

21-Jul 17: ongoing: MagritteReflections of Another World, Louise Nevelson – Dawn’s Forest. Tue-Sat 1-a-4p, Sun

12-4p. 597-1900.

•Bert’s Pine Bay Gallery: 4332 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Sun & Mon

10a-5p, Tue-Sat 10a-7p. Free. 283-1335.

•BIG ARTS: 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Mon-Sat 9a-4p & Sat 9a-1p (Jan-May). Free. 395-0900.

•Bob Rauschenberg

Gallery: FSW State College, Humanities Hall, 8099 College Pkwy SW, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 11a-3p. Free. 489-9313.

•Cape Coral Art

Center: Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. Thru Sep 24: Ring of Fire; Oct

20-Nov 19: Playing Around Town. Free. 574-0802.

•Cape Coral Art League: 516

Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Sun 1-4p, Mon-Thu

10a-4p, Fri 1-9p, Sat 9a-1p. Free. 772-5657.

•Center for the Visual Arts

Bonita Springs: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru

Sep 27: Wildlife Photography of Bill Cox; Sep 3-30: A Land Remembered; Sep 3-30: Stone Words; Oct 8-28: One

Story is Not Enough. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 1-5p. Free. 495-8989.

•Clip Joint Barber Shop & Art Gallery: 7431 College Pkwy, unit 120, rm 136, Ft Myers. Mon & Wed-Sat 10a8p. Free. 281-8180.

•Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio: 237 Warfield Ave, Venice. Tue-Fri 10a-4:30p. Free. 486-0811.

•Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery: 52388 Tamiami Tr, Ochopee. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 695-2428.

•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL Gallery. Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. Tue-Sun 11a-5p. Free. 9493073.

•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Inside Butterfly Estates, 18153 Fowler St, Ft Myers. Sep 3-26: David Martin. Wed-Sun 10a-3p. Free. 590-8645.

•East West Fine Art: Mercato, 9115 Strada Pl, #5130, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 12-6p. Free. 821-9459.

•Emily James Art Gallery: 720 5th Ave S, # 111, Naples. Mon 3-7p, Tue & Wed 11a-7p, Sat 11a-8p, Sun 12-5p. Free. 777-3283

•Englewood Art Center: Ringling College of Art & Design, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Tue 9a-9p & Wed-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 941474-5548.

•Estero Art League: Estero Community Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Rd, Estero. 489-5216.

•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Wasmer Gallery–Thru Nov 10: Erwin Eisch. ArtLab– thru Sep 30: Friends on Earth; Oct 15-Nov 10: Spencer Gillespie. Wasmer Gallery in Arts Complex, ArtLab in Library. Mon-Fri, 10a-4p & Thu 10a7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center: 525 Kumquat Cr, Sarasota. Mon & Tue 5-7p & by appt. Free. 941-894-6469.

•Fort Myers Beach Art Association & Gallery: 3030 Shell Mound, Ft Myers Beach. Main Gallery– Thru Oct 19: Summer Show; Oct 16-Nov 11: Member show. Studio 2 Gallery– Oct 30-Nov 11. Oct-Apr Mon-Sat 10a-3p, May-Sept Wed & Thu 9a-12p. Free. 463-3909.

•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. Free. 403-7787.

•Guess-Fisher Gallery: Crayton Cove, 810 12th Ave S, Naples. Mon-Thu

The Marco Island Historical Museum presents ‘Creating Home: Art by Jessica Osceola’ thru October 9. Call 642-1440 for information.

11a-5p, Fri & Sat 11a-9p. Free. 403-8393.

•Harbour View Gallery: 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. Daily 11a-8p. Free. 540-5789.

•Harmon-Meek Gallery: 599 9th St N, #309, Naples. NovApr Mon-Fri 10a-5p. Free. 261-2637.

•Harmon-Meek Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Oct-Apr

Tue-Sat 12-5p. Free. 2612637.

•Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery: 2490 Library Way, Sanibel. Oct-Apr Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 11a-4p. Free. 395-0027.

•HW Gallery: 1305 Third St S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 263-6640.

•Island Conclave: 5101 Pine Island Rd, Bokeelia. Tue-Sat 11a-5p. Free. 282-8488.

•Island Visions: 4643 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 282-0452.

•Lovegrove Gallery & Garden: 4637 Pine Island Rd NW, Matlacha. Nov-Jul daily 10a-5p, Aug-Oct Fri-Mon 11a5p. Free. 283-6453.

•Marc Harris Wildlife

Photography Gallery: In Everglades Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Daily 9a-5p. 283-3354.

•Marco Island Center for the

Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Thru Oct 5: Warm Cool Complimentary Colors; Oct 11-Nov 22:

Abstraction & Expressionism. Mon-Fri 9a-4p. Free. 394-4221.

•Method & Concept: 26 10th St. S, Naples. Oct-Apr

Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat 10a-2p; May-Sep Mon-Fri 10a-5p. 529-2633.

•Naples Art Studios: North Line Plaza, 2172 J&C Blvd, Naples. Thru Nov 2: Gallery group show. By appt or chance. 821-1061.

•Naples Art: 585 Park St, Naples. Thru Oct 31: Intersections. Mon-Fri 9a-5p. Free. 262-6517.

•Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery: 375 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 11a-5p. 261-4300.

•Rene Miville Gallery: Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, 2nd fl, Ft Myers.

Mon-Sat 10a-8p & Sun 12-7p. Free. 333-3130.

•Ringling College of Art + Design Galleries: Basch Gallery (Academic Center, 2363 Old Bradenton Rd; Cooley Photo Center (Student Center, 2700 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota); Crossley Gallery (2698 Bradenton Rd, Sarasota); Madeby Gallery (Student Center, 2700 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota;

Selby Foundations Gallery (Atrium, 2700 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota); Smith Gallery (Academic Center, 2363 Old Bradenton Rd; Stulberg Gallery (Basch Visual Arts Center, 1188 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Way, Sarasota); Thompson Gallery (Keating Center, 2700 N. Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Sep-Apr Mon-Sat

10a-4p; May-Aug Mon-Fri

10a-4p. Free. 941-359-7563.

•Sanibel Captiva Art League: Mon & Thu 9a-8p; Tue & Wed, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. Sep: Anita & Bob Marshall at Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Free. 322-8593.

•Sanibel Community House: Sep: Anita & Bob Marshall. 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 9a-3p. Free. 472-2155.

•Sheldon Fine Art: 460 Fifth Ave S, Naples. 10a-10p. Free. 649-6255.

•Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. Grand Atrium– Sep 3-24: Voices of the Island;

Oct 1-13: Dark Art. Capital Gallery– Sep 3-24: Spectrum of Life; Oct 1-13: Deities from Distant Lands. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & 6-9p & 1st Fri of month (summer Mon-Fri 10a-4p).

Free. 337-1933.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 5:30-close. Free. 204-9949.

•Sweet Art Gallery: 2100-A Trade Center Way, Naples. Nov-Apr Mon-Fri 10a-5p, 1st Wed 5-8p, 3rd Fri 6-8p, Sat by appt; May-Oct Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat by appt. Free. 597-2110.

•The Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru Jan 16: Prints, Ceramics & Glass from Japan; Oct 31-Jan 23: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer Sculpture. Circus Museum–thru Oct 10: Women in Print. Bayfront Gardens. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-359-5700.

•Timeless: 2218 First St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. 332-8463.

•Tower Gallery: 751 Tarpon Bay Rd, Sanibel. Daily10a-5p. Free. 340-6467.

•Union Artists Studios: Alliance of the Arts, 10051 McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Free. 980-1394.

•Unit A - Marcus Jansen Studio & Residency: 2633 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Ft Myers. Mon-Wed 11a-3p & by appt & special events. 240-1053.

•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Main Gallery–Sep 15-Oct 6: Color!; Sep 15-Oct 6: Black & White; Oct

9-Nov 3: Falling in Art;. Goff Gallery– Oct 9-Nov 4: Fired Up!. Mon-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 10a2p. Free. 951-639-8810.

•Watson MacRae Gallery: 2340 Periwinkle Way, #G1, Sanibel. Thru Sep: Summer Salon. Mon-Sat 11a-5p. Free. 472-3386.

ATTRACTIONS

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Wildlife viewing, education Center. Visitor Center- Mon-Sat 9a-4p; Wildlife drive- Sat-Thu sunrise-sunset. 472-1100.

•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum: Thru Nov: Graffiti & Street Art exhibit. Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 30290 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston. Thru Dec: Alligator Wrestling - Danger, Entertainment, Tradition. Daily 9a-5p. 877-902-1113.

•Artis-Naples: 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 597-1900.

•Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum: 3075 SanibelCaptiva Rd, Sanibel. Daily

1495 Smith Preserve Way, off Goodlette Frank Rd. Tue-Sat 9:30a-4p. Free. 262-0304.

•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd. Guided walks, swamp walks, night events. Daily 8a-1p. Free. 248-9151.

•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Guided walks. Trails open daily sunrise-sunset. Free. 657-2253.

•CROW: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife. 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Visitor Education Center, wildlife presentations daily 11a; speakers. Jan-Jul Mon-Sat 10a-4p, Aug-Dec Mon-Fri 10a-4p. Free. 4723644.

•ECHO Global Farm & Research Center: 17391 Durrance Rd, N Ft Myers. Farm tours Dec-Apr Tue-Sat 9:30a & 1:30p; May-Nov Tue, Fri, Sat 9:30a. Tech tours Tue, Fri, Sat 11:30a. 543-3246.

•Edison & Ford Winter

Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Thru-Jan: The Birds of SWFL. Daily 9a-5:30p. 334-7419.

•Everglades Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Botanical gardens, animals, alligator feedings, Marc Harris Wildlife photography gallery. Daily 9a-5p. 992-2591.

10a-5p. 395-2233.

•Berne Davis Botanical Garden: 2166 Virginia Ave, Ft Myers. Dec-May Tue 10a-1p. Guided tours. 332-4942..

•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Tours Mon-Wed 11a. 337-0706.

•Butterfly Estates: 1815 Fowler St, Ft Myers. Tue-Sun 10a-3p. 690-2359.

•Calusa Heritage Trail: 13810 Waterfront Dr, Pineland. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 283-2062.

•Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. Museum, butterfly aviary, walking trails, lectures & live reptile shows daily, planetarium shows Sun 3:30p. 10a-4p & Sun 11a-4p.

275-3435.

•Cape Coral Historical Museum: 544 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Wed-Fri 11a4p & Sat 10a-2p (closed Jul). 772-7037.

•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331

Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Sep

7-Oct 30: Remembering 9/11 exhibit. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 252-8476.

•Conservancy of SWFL:

•Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. Daily 10a-5p (except Wed). 514-0084.

•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. Exhibit: Caught on Film - Wartime Photography of Ken Regele. Guided tours. Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 1-4p. 263-9200.

•IMAG History & Science Center: Exhibits, activities, live sea life touch-tank & feedings, films. 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 321-7420.

•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. Thru Nov 27: Down the Garden Path exhibit. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 252-2611.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Thru Oct 9: Creating Home - Artwork by Jessica Osceola exhibit; Oct 12-Jan 22: Picture Perfect - Marco Island in Postcards exhibit.Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.

The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers presents ‘Dia de los Muertos,’ October 1-30. For information, call 939-2787.

What Goes On SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

•Marie Selby Botanical

Gardens: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. Thru Sep 26: We Dream a World: African American Landscape Painters of Mid-Century Florida; thru Sep 26: Glass in the Gardens; Spanish Pointe campus– 337 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Butterfly House. Both campuses 10a-5p daily. 941-366-5731.

•MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota. Daily 10a-5p. 941-388-4441.

•Mound House: 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. Guided tours Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-3p; programs Tue, Wed, Sat 10a; free guided beach walks Tue 9a, Newton Park, 4650 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Jan-Apr TueSat 9a-4p; May-Dec Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-4p. 765-0865.

•Museum of the Everglades: 105 W Bwy, Everglades City. Thru Nov 27: Pioneering the Past exhibit. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.

•Museum of the Islands: 5728 Sesame, Pine Island Center. Free. 283-1525.

•Naples Botanical

Garden: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Thru Sep 6: Artists in Bloom art exhibit; thru Sep 6: Steve Tobin’s

Nature Underground art installations; Oct 1-Jan 9: Patrick Dougherty’s The Art of Stickwork photo exhibit; Nov-Nov 2023: Stickwork interactive sculpture installation. Daily 9a-2p (Wed 9a-8p). 643-7275.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Sep 4-Dec 31: Fabulous Fins & Fenders exhibit. Mon-Sat 9a4p. Free. 262-6525.

•Naples Museum of Military

History: Naples Airport, 500 Terminal Dr, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-4p & Sun 12-4p. Free. 450-0073.

•Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: 1590 GoodletteFrank Rd, Naples. Wildlife & botanical exhibits. Daily 9a-4:30p. 262-5409.

•Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary: 41660 Horseshoe Rd, Punta Gorda. Mon-Fri 9a-12p, Sat & Sun 11a-4p (Sun 11a-4p NovMay). 543-1130.

•Ostego Bay Foundation Marine Science Center: 718 Fisherman’s Wharf, Ft Myers Beach. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 765-8101.

•Palm Cottage Museum & Norris Gardens: Naples Historical Society, 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Tue-Fri 12-4p & Sat 1-4p. Free. 261-8164.

•Randell Research Center: 7450 Pineland Rd, Pineland.

South Florida archeology & ethnography exhibits.

Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 1-5p. 283-2062.

•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Sep 1-30: Natl Estuaries Celebration. Exhibits, daily programs, guided boat & kayak tours. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. 530-5940.

•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. May-Jul 10a-1p, mid Oct-Apr Tue-Sat 10a-4p. 472-4648.

•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

Native Landscapes & Garden Center: 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Exhibits, demonstration gardens, workshops. Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p & Sat 10a-3p JanApr 472-1932.

•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

Nature Center: 3333 SanibelCaptiva Rd, Sanibel. Exhibits, programs, guided tours. Oct-May Mon-Fri 8:30a-4p, Oct-Sep 8:30a-3p. 472-2329.

•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Garden tours Tue & Wed 10a. 949-0749.

•Shell Factory & Nature Park: 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Ft Myers. Shell exhibits, Animal exhibits, petting farm, Christmas house, natural history exhibits, water games, video arcade, miniature golf, playgrounds, zip line. Daily 10a-5p. 995-2141.

•True Tours: River District History Walking Tour; Private trolly tour: 9a-4p; Fabulous Ft Myers females Tours; Oct 20-31: Haunted History Tours 8p; Flavors of Matlacha Tour Sat 10a Jan-Apr. Tours begin & end at Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, Ft Myers. rsvp. 945-0405.

•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente

Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 12-4p. Free. 332-8778.

MUSIC & COMEDY

•Americana Community Music Association Listening Room: All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Select Fri, Sat, Sun 7p. 691-4069.

•Ben Allen’s Backyard Grill & Pub: 12655 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Live music select nites. 304-9552.

•Bert’s Bar & Grill: 4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Live music select nites, daily 2-7p: Calypso Magic. 282-3232.

•Big Blue Brewing: 4721 SE 10th Pl, Cape Coral. Live music Thu-Sat nites. 471-2777.

•Big Storm Brewery: 839 Miramar St, Cape Coral. Open Mic Sun 3-6p, live music Fri & Sat nites(Jan-May) 6-9p. 257-1401.

•Bone Hook Brewing: 1514 Immokalee Rd, #106, Naples. Live music Fri & Sat nites. 631-8522.

•Buckingham Blues Bar: 5641 Buckingham Rd., Ft Myers. Live music select nites. Free open blues jam Wed 8-11p & Sun 3-6p. 693-7111.

•Buddha Bar & Grill: 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music Wed-Sun. 482-8565.

•Cape Cabaret: 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. Live music Tue-Sat. Tue: jazz jam 6:30-9:30p; Wed: dance party 7-9:30p; Thu: blues. 549-3000.

•Coastal Dayz Brewery: 2161 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, Live music select Fri & Sat nites & Sun 2-4p. 204-9665.

•Cottage Bar: Shucker’s, 1270 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nightly. 765-5440.

•Crazy Dingo Brewing: 8500

Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 863342-4731.

•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers. Live music Wed, Fri & Sat nites, Sun 2-4p. 313-6576.

•Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Thu-Sat: comics 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Millennial Brewing: 1811 Royal Palm Ave, Ft Myers. Live music Fri nites 6-9p. 271-2255.

•Naples Beach Brewery: 4120 Enterprise Ave, #116, Naples. Live music select nites. 304-8795.

•Palace Pub & Wine: 1317

Cape Coral Pkwy, Cape Coral. Live music & burlesque select nites. 217-0919.

•Point Ybel Brewing Company: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music Sat nites. Free. 603-6535.

•Rack ‘em Spirits & Times: 1011 SE 47th Ter, Cape Coral. Live music Fri & Sat nites. Free. 540-7225.

•Riptide Brewing: 28120

Hunters Ridge Blvd, Bonita Springs. Live music select Fri & Sat nites 7-10p. 949-9945.

•Riptide Brewing: 987 3rd Ave N, Naples. Live music select Fri & Sat nites 7-10p. 228-6533.

•Roadhouse Café: 15660 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live jazz Wed-Sun 6:30-9:30. 415-4375.

•Smokin’ Oyster Brewery: 340 Old San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely 6-9p.. Free. 463-3474.

•Sneaky Pete’s: 3465 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Live music Wed-Sun. 4988887.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Live music Wed-Sat nites. 204-9949.

•Table & Tap: Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. Live music Fri 6-9p, Sat 1-4p & 6-9p. Sun 12-3p. 941-235-6906.

•The 86 Room: 22 Patio DeLeon, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 332-0014.

•The Barrel Room: Twisted Vine, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live jazz & blues. Wed 7-10p: Gerald Augustin Jazz Trio; Thu 7-10p: Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet; Fri & Sat 9p-12a: blues bands; Sun 10a-2p: Jazz Brunch w Roy Gerson & Don Mopsick. 333-2225.

•The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon: 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Fri & Sat nites. 985-9839.

•The Rhythm House: 16440

S Tamiami Tr, Ft Myers. Live music select Tue-Sat 6:309:30p. 466-8326.

•Whiskey Park: 3300 Mercantile Ave, Naples. Open Mic Wed nites; live music Fri & Sat nites. 263-6777.

PARKS

•Bonita Beach Park: 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs. 533-7444.

•Bowditch Point Regional Park: 50 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 463-3764.

•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. 707-6794.

•Caloosahatchee Regional Park: 18500 North River Rd, Alva. 693-2690.

•Collier-Seminole State Park: US 41 (Tamiami Trail), S Naples. 394-3397.

•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: 11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach. 597-6196.

•Estero Park: 9200

Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. 248-1609.

•Everglades National Park: Gulf Coast Visitor Center, 815 Oyster Bar Ln. Everglades City. 695-3311.

•Four Freedoms Park: 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. 5740804.

•Hickeys Creek Mitigation Park: 17980 Palm Beach Blvd, Alva. 693-2690.

•Koreshan State Historic Site State Park: US Hwy 41 & Corkscrew Rd, Estero. 992-0311.

•Lakes Regional Park: 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. 533-7575.

•Lovers Key State Park: South of Ft Myers Beach. 463-4588.

•Lynn Hall Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 2297356.

•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. 6905030.

•Matanzas Pass Preserve: 119 Bay Rd, Ft Myers Beach. 707-3015.

•Myakka River State Park: 13207 SR 72, Sarasota. Canoeing, camping, wildlife tours by air-boat & tram, scenic drive, guided walks. 941-361-6511.

•Naples Preserve: Eco-center. 1690 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. 261-4290.

•North Collier Regional Park: 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples. 652-4512.

•Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: 7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. 533-7550.

•Veterans Park: 55 Homestead Rd, Lehigh Acres. 369-1521.

•Wa-Ke-Hatchee Park: 16730 Bass Rd, Ft Myers. 432-2154.

Artis–Naples’ Baker Museum in Naples presents ‘Baseball Heroes,’ October 16-May 15. For information, call 597-1900.