News & Previews – on the gulf

On The Gulf NEWS & PREVIEWS ‘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. 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.

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

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

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.

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

‘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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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 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 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.

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

Naples Botanical Garden hosts the exhibit, ‘The Art of Stickwork,’ in advance of Patrick Dougherty’s installations at the Garden in November. Hertz Arena 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero 948-7825

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