September-October 2022

On The Gulf

King Tut Comes to IMAG

The IMAG History & Science Center, in association with the Origins Museum Institute, presents ‘Tutankhamun: Return of the King’ to mark the 100th Anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter in November 1922. Born circa 1341BC, King Tutankhamun was the 12th pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty and reigned from 13321323 BC, when he died at age 19. This discovery is one of the most remarkable archaeological excavations of all time since the tomb and its treasures were left undisturbed for over 3,000 years.

‘Tutankhamun: Return of the King’ will be on display at the IMAG History & Science Center, October 1-March. IMAG is located at 2000 Cranford Ave. in Fort Myers. The History & Science Center is open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 12-5pm. For information, call 234-0043.

Writers Conference Returns to Sanibel

Writers at all stages of development — from notebook scribblers to published novelists — are invited to view a variety of discussions and panels about writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young adult literature, as well as screenwriting and journalism. Workshops will also address editing and publishing.

NEWS & PREVIEWS

‘Tutankhamun:

the

is on view at IMAG History & Science Center in Florida, October 1 thru March.

Days at the Writers Conference are filled with writing workshops, readings, panels, and a networking cocktail hour, from 7:30am-6pm. Following the cocktail hours, evenings feature readings on November 3, a concert on November 4, from 6-7:30pm, and a keynote address on November 5.

The keynote speaker is Pam Houston, author of the memoir, Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country, which won several awards. Her most recent book is Air Mail: Letters of Politics Pandemics and Place, co-authored with Amy Irvine. She is also the author of Cowboys Are My Weakness and Contents May Have Shifted, among other books of fiction and nonfiction. She teaches creative writing at University of California, Davis and at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Singer-songwriter Ike Reilly performs an intimate concert on Friday night, November 4. Presenters at the conference

include writers, editors and literary agents, including:

FGCU professor Kevin Aho; Steve Almond (author of All the Secrets of the World); novelists Jenna Blum, Ron Cooper and Darin Strauss; poets Beth Ann Fennelly, Didi Jackson and Denise Duhamel; screenwriter John Dufresne; Joe Clifford (author of the best-selling and award-nominated Jay Potter series); Florida Book Awards gold medalist Lynne Barrett; and literary and talent agent Christopher Schelling.

All workshops, readings and networking, as well as the keynote address and concert, are at BIG ARTS, located at 900 Dunlop Rd. on Sanibel. Call 5907421 for information.

FloraImaginaria atSelbyGardens

M

arie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus is hosting an indoor/outdoor exhibition, ‘Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography,’ thru September 25. The exhibition features 72 images created by 49 internationally acclaimed photographers over

Return of

King’

Beth Ann Fennelly is one of the writers appearing at FGCU’s Sanibel Island Writers Conference, November 3-5.

the past three decades. Largeformat photographic prints will be dislayed inside the Museum and outside in the Gardens.

Works by celebrated artists such as Pedro Almodóvar, Valérie Belin, Daniel Gordon, Viviane Sassen and Martin Schoeller appear alongside photographs by emerging artists —artists from the United States, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, China, Israel, Finland, Canada, Cuba, Brazil, New Zealand, Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Photographs depict flowers found in the landscape or cityscape, or have been taken in studios.

Access to ‘Flora Imaginaria’ is included with general admission to Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus.

Selby Gardens is composed of a 15-acre Downtown campus on Sarasota Bay and a 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County.

Marie Selby Botanical gardens

Martin Schollar’s photograph of artist Jeff Koons is one of 72 large-format photographs on view thru September 25 at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ exhibition, ‘Flora Imaginaria.’

Downtown campus, open 10am-5pm daily, is located at 1534 Mound St. in Sarasota. For information, call 941-366-5731.

SWFL Celebrates Songwriters

Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is a 10-day music festival featuring over 100 performances by more

than 70 songwriters from all over the country at venues throughout Captiva, Fort Myers Beach and downtown Fort Myers. The Fest kicks off with concerts in Captiva, September 16-18; in Fort Myers’ Historic River District, September 19-22; and in Fort Myers Beach, September 23-25. Most shows are free with the exception of a few ticketed concerts like the Gary LeVox concert on September 25.

Varble, many returning from previous Island Hopper Fests. Singer-songwriters from Southwest Florida scheduled to perform at the Fest include Sheena Brook, Barbara Chamberlain, Carter Smith, Carlene Thissen, Claire Liparulo, Gianna Minicheiello, Tim McGeary, and Tony Saint Tone.

Concerts on Captiva will be at ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa, Dic Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Key Lime Bistro, Mucky Duck, RC Otter’s, South Sea’s Island Resort, and The Green Flash.

Shows in downtown Fort Myers are at City Tavern, Luminary Hotel, Social House, The Barrel Room, and Twisted Bistro.

Performances in Fort Myers Beach are planned for Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille, Matanzas on the Bay, Nervous Nellie’s, Pierside Grill & Famus Blowfish Bar, Pinchers Tiki Bar & Grill, Pink Shell Resort & Marina, Yucatan Beach Stand Bar & Grill. For information about Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, call 338-3500.

Emily Shackleton is one of more than 70 songwriters performing during the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, September 16-25 at venues throughout Captiva, Fort Myers Beach and Fort Myers’ Historic River District.

Gary LeVox, frontman for Rascal Flatts, is scheduled to perform at 5pm, poolside at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach.

In addition to LeVox, bestselling songwriters performing this year include: Kristian Bush, two-time Grammy award winner and half of the Sugarland duo; Aaron Barker, who has written songs for George Strait, Clay Walker and Willie Nelson; and Dave Pahanish, who co-wrote the Number 1 Billboard Country music single ‘Do You Believe Me Now’ by Jimmy Wayne, ‘American Ride’ by Toby Keith, and ‘Without You’ by Keith Urban.

Other singer-songwriters performing include Adam Ezra, Alana Springsteen, Autumn Nicholas, Blake Esse, Brooke Eden, Danny Myrick, Dylan Altman, Eli Mosely, Jessica Rose, Kat Higgins, Katie Lyon, Lance Carpenter, Reed Foley, Shane Stevens, and Wynn

Naples Botanical Garden celebrates waterlilies with guided tours, family activties, an art exhibition and more, during Waterlily Weekend, September 3 & 4.

Waterlily Weekend at Naples Garden

Naples Botanical Garden is celebrating waterlilies the weekend of September 3 & 4, offering guided tours of their waterlilies, views of new hybrids in the New Waterlily Competition, and a special exhibition of paintings, ‘Christy Noonan: Meditations on Waterlilies,’ as well as demonstrations, family activities, and curator talks. Activites and exhibits are included with admission.

The Botanical Garden curates a growing collection of waterlilies with nearly 500 diverse specimens on display throughout their many aquatic gardens.

Naples Botanical Garden, located at 4820 Bayshore Dr. in Naples, is open 9am-2pm thru September 30, open 9am-5pm afterwards. For information, call 643-7275.

Naples Art’s Exhibition Showcases The Artist’s Hand

Selected from the The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation and amassed over a period of more than 50 years, ‘The Artist’s Hand’ presents a comprehensive look at the collector’s compelling and particular interest in an artist’s creative practice and his fascination with ‘worked’ art, by which he alluded to art works where there was evidence of the ‘artist’s hand’. The exhibition features works by 70 artists.

Louis-Dreyfus made no distinction between high and low art, trained or untrained artists. Artists such as Nellie Mae Rowe, Bill Traylor, Purvis Young, Willie Young, Thornton Dial, and James Castle, who are represented in the exhibition, were considered outsiders until prominent museums and important collectors took an interest in their work and reconsidered their place in art history.

‘The Artist’s Hand’ is on view thru October 30. Naples Art is located at 585 Park St., one block south of the prestigious Fifth Avenue South area in downtown Naples. It is open Mon-Sat 10am5pm & Sun 11am-4pm thru October 9, and October 10-30, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm (Thu 10am9pm) & Sun 11am-4pm. For information, call 262-6517.

SteamCon Returns to Cape Coral

Southwest Florida SteamCon returns to the German American Social Club of Cape Coral on Sunday, September 24 for a full day of steampunk fun.

FSW’s Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Presents Surreal Video Installation

parasol dueling, costume and talent contests, live music and cosplay, with special guest Alexandra Maxwell.

A subgenre of science-fiction, SteamPunk features retrofuturistic technology inspired by 19th century steam-powered 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 steampunk and fantasy theme vendors, artists, authors and artists, as well as steampunk themed activities like tea racing,

SWFL SteamCon is open 10am6pm. The German American Social Club of Cape Coral is located at 2101 SW Pine Island Rd. in Cape Coral. For information, visit swflsteamcon.com.

Venice Theatre Offers New Pride Series

Venice Theatre is proud to present, in partnership with Venice Pride, the inaugural 4PRIDE@VT, consisting of four special shows that will bring a message of inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community.

The 4PRIDE@VT lineup consists of four Wednesday evening shows all beginning at 7:30pm with a party before each performance.

The schedule of shows includes:

September 28: The Revolutionists, a women-centered tragicomedy set during the French Revolution

November 2: Kinky Boots, with book by Harvey Fierstein and music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper

January 25: Up On the Roof, featuring the songs of Carole King & James Taylor

March 8: Gypsy: A Musical Fable, based on Gyspy Rose Lee’s memoir, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim & book by Arthur Laurents

Performances are in the 432seat Jervey Theatre.

Venice Theatre is located at 140 Tampa Ave. W. in Venice. Call 941-488-1115 for information.

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College presents ‘The Exquisite Moving Corpse,’ a video installation featuring more than 60 internationally-renowned artists, each making one-minute ‘movies’ in response to a still image from the previous artist’s digital short. The collective art film includes video segments by Chip Lord, Jack Massing, Sean Miller, Nina Katchadourian, Kristin Lucas, William Wegman, Tony Oursler, Mel Chin, and Hasan Elahi, among others.

‘The Exquisite Moving Corpse’ installation temporarily transforms the gallery into a screening room with this feature length film inspired by a nearly century-old Surrealist artists’ pastime – looping continually during regular gallery hours thru December 10.

The original Surrealist ‘exquisite corpse’ was a café parlor game invented in 1925 by André Breton, Yves Tanguy, Jacques Prévert and Marcel Duchamp in Paris. Adapted from a word game where players added text to a sheet of paper that was then folded to conceal additions before being passed to the next contributor, the Surrealists applied this practice to drawings of the human figure. Taking turns in sketching head, torso, legs and feet independently to reveal fantastic creatures as the paper or corpse — was unfolded.

‘The Exquisite Moving Corpse’ was created and compiled over a two-year period beginning in March 2020, with most of the footage shot, shared and edited while artists worked in pandemicrelated quarantine.

The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery is located on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College at 8099 College Pkwy. in Fort Myers. The gallery is open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm & Sat 11am-3pm. For information, call 489-9313.

Naples Art hosts ‘The Artist’s Hand,’ thru October 30, featuring works from an idiosyncratic private collection.

SWFL SteamCon, in Cape Coral on September 24, celebrates steampunk, a sci-fi subgenre featuing Victorian era and American Wild West fashions and iconography.

‘Ding’ Darling Announces Inaugural Art in the Wild Celebration

n celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, ‘Ding’ Darling’s 145th birthday and the 40th anniversary of the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge, the J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel hosts Art in the Wild on Saturday, October 29.

Current, six-time Federal Duck Stamp winner Jim Hautman, who has achieved the most wins of any artist in federal duck stamp history, will make a personal appearance to sign stamps. A special exhibition of his nature art also will be on display in the ‘Ding’ Darling Visitor & Education Center auditorium that day and thru November.

The refuge’s 2022-2023 Artistin-Residence, Jacqui Roch will be on hand to lead nature-art demonstrations and workshops, and the 2022 ‘Ding’ Darling Amateur Photo Contest winners will be announced.

Admission to Wildlife Drive will be free during the Art in the Wild celebration.

‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge is open dawn to dusk daily, The Vistor & Educatuon Center is open 9am-4pm daily. The Refuge is located at 1 Wildlife Dr. off Sanibel Captiva Rd., on Sanibel. For information, call 472-1100.

Gulfshore Playhouse New Works FestivalReturns

Returning after a two year pause due to the Covid pandemic, Gulfshore Playhouse is bringing their New Works Festival back from September 7-18. The Festival will include developmental workshops for the winning plays and will culminate with staged readings.

“Each of the winners chosen during our months-long selection process will receive

much needed actor input, revision time, and a staged reading that will help in its development,” explained Kristen Coury, Founder & Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. “These are plays we may or may not produce at the Playhouse, but believe they will be served by this detailed work and specific feedback that a professional director, talented cast, and invested audience can provide.”

The three winners of the New Works Festival are:

Compromised, by Mike Bencivenga – September 16 at 7:30pm

A Danger to Yourself and Others, by Colette Mazunik –September 17 at 2pm James of Nazareth, by Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend – September 18 at 3pm.

In addition to the three winners, who will each receive 16 hours of rehearsal culminating in a staged reading, Gulfshore Playhouse will also workshop two new plays that it has interest in specifically developing for future production. These two plays will receive a full two-week workshop. They will also be performed as staged readings with light blocking and some props.

These two plays are:

The Refugees, by Brent Askari –September 15 at 7:30pm

Remember: The Story of Abe Price, by Jeffrey Binder –September 17 at 7:30pm

A post-performance Q&A with the playwright of each show will follow each performance.

Gulfshore Playhouse performances are at the Norris Center, located at 755 8th Ave. S. in downtown Naples. For information, call 261-7529.

Baker Museum Presents Works of Three Florida Artists

The Baker Museum’s exhibition ‘Florida Contemporary 2022-23,’ will feature the art of Edouard Duval-Carrié, of Miami; Ya Levy La’ford of Tampa, and Robert Rivers of Maitland.

Kathleen van Bergen, Artis—Naples CEO & President, explains, “Each season, Florida

Contemporary presents a select group of notable visual artists practicing in Florida and highlights the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes. The 10th edition of this annual exhibition invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene and certainly demonstrates the breadth and range of artistic expression in Florida.”

“This year, The Baker Museum team collaborated to create a strong edition of ‘Florida Contemporary,’ presenting three incredible artists: Edouard Duval-Carrié, Ya Levy La’ford and Robert Rivers, who represent diverse artistic interests and backgrounds and practice in a variety of locations throughout Florida,” said Museum Director and Chief Curator Courtney McNeil. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to work with these outstanding artists and to present their work to our visitors.”

‘Florida Contemporary 2022-23’ is organized by Artis— Naples, The Baker Museum, and is curated by Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., curator of modern art, and Courtney McNeil, museum director and chief curator. The exhibition will be on view October 14-July 16 in the Hayes Hall galleries.

Arts-Naples is located at 5833 Pelicain Bay Blvd. in Naples. The

Baker Museum is open Tue-Sat 10am-4pm & Sun 12-4pm. For information, call 597-1900.

School of Rock Competition in Fort Myers

The 2nd Annual Rock the Stage music competition is coming to Southwest Florida. Singers, groups, bands, instrumentalists, choirs, and musicians are encouraged to audition. Anyone of any age can participate as a solo or group, performing covers or original music. There are two divisions, under 18 and 18 & older. All participants will receive valuable input from professional musicians to help them grow as musicians.

Live auditions are scheduled for every Sunday, September 25-October 30, 10am-4pm. Those auditioning will perform in front of some of the best musicians in Southwest Florida to try and claim their spot in the semi-finals.

The top 12 from each age group will perform November 19 at the Rock the Stage Semifinals Showcase at Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.

The top 5 from each age group will compete in the finals on December 11 at the 2nd Annual Rock the Stage Fest, a familyfriendly event and fundraiser at Alliance for the Arts, along with top local and national acts: School of Rock House Band, The Patina Turners, Roxx Revolt & the Velvets, Bargain Bin Heroes, KISS Alive and Shoot to Thrill.

The winner in each division receives recording session time in a local studio, a free year of coaching programs from School of Rock Fort Myers, a custom press kit, and the opportunity to open for a national headliner at Buddha Live in Fort Myers. Rock the Stage, the largest music competition in Southwest Florida, a community event and fundraiser, is presented by the Lewis P. Tabarrini Children’s Music Outreach Foundation.

Video audition submissions are accepted and highly encouraged as space and time will be limited.

Live auditions are at School of Rock Fort Myers, located at 6900 Daniels Pkwy., Ste C-15 in Fort Myers. Call 932-7625 for information.

Ya Levy La’ford is one of three artists featured in the exhibition, ‘Florida Contemporary,’ at The Baker Museum in Naples, October 14-July 16.

Where the Wild Things Are

an interview with Pam Houston by Caylee

Weintraub

PAM HOUSTON LIVES in the wild.

In the opening of her memoir, Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country, she describes the view from her kitchen window:

I see a horseshoe of snow-covered peaks, all of them higher than 12,000 feet. I see my old barn—old enough to have started to lean a little—and the low ceiling homesteaders’ cabin…I see the big stand of aspen ready to leaf out at the back of the property…I see two elderly horses glad for the warm spring day, glad to have made it through another winter of thirty below zero.

Houston’s writing and the natural world are in constant interaction, each one influencing the other.

In Deep Creek, she writes, “Maybe I didn’t choose this ranch at all. Maybe this ranch chose me.” She writes about the wild, and the wild writes her.

Despite growing up in the New Jersey suburbs, in a place which was “totally not here,” Houston has made her life and writing career in the high country.

She lives near the headwaters of the Rio Grande in the southeastern corner of Colorado. She goes to the valley each week to gather supplies for her two elderly horses (Ben and Deseo), two Irish wolfhounds (Henry and Olivia), one miniature donkey named Isaac, and Icelandic sheep.

She tells me how her miniature donkeys, when she still had her bonded pair, declared war on her wolfhounds. She returned from the valley one day to find that the donkeys had “climbed up the steps to the porch where the dogs stay and the donkeys had shit like a million times in the dog beds in the dog bowls. It was a revolt. It was the revolt of the mini donkeys.”

Life on the homestead is hard work, but it makes for good stories.

“I’ve lived here for thirty years,” she says. She measures time by recalling the age of her horse. Deseo, who was three when she first moved to the homestead, is now thirty-three. “It’s long enough for it to feel like it’s always been home.”

Houston bought the homestead with the money she made from her first book, Cowboys are my Weakness. She bought her home with only 5% down because the realtor “liked the idea of me, a writer, living here.” Houston’s writing has paid off the ranch and, in turn, the ranch has given her stories.

“I get what I need to write from the natural world, from this place,” she says. “I’m really about metaphor. I’m about finding these glimmering pieces of

the world, discovering their meaning, and getting out of their way.”

This November, she will leave Colorado and come to a glimmering piece of the world—the Sanibel Island Writers Conference—as the keynote speaker. I asked Pam Houston about her writing conference experiences, craft techniques, and how to get out of the way of those glimmering pieces of the natural world. •

What was the first writing conference you attended and what was your experience?

PAM HOUSTON: It was at the University of Utah when we put on a conference: Writers at Work. We had an advisor who thought of putting on a writers conference, which was kind of a crazy idea because there weren’t many writers conferences around then. I was a volunteer for that for the whole four years we had it. It’s also where my work got noticed for the first time. As volunteers, we were supposed to get a one-on-one meeting with a writer, agent, or editor.

I signed up for a writer because I wasn’t ready to show my work to an agent. I went to find out who I got matched with, but the woman at the desk said all the writers’ plates were full, so I wouldn’t get a meeting. I was the goat of the program, so I was used to it. I was literally walking out the door and this lady came up to me. She was a visiting editor and said she had heard how shitty the other woman was to me. She said she would read my work. I handed her my manuscript. It was the only really good story I had. It wasn’t that good, but it was the best I’d written. The editor was Shannon Ravlein, the Editor-in-Chief of Algonquin Press and, at the time, editor of Best American Stories . She loved my story and called the woman who became my agent, Carol Houck Smith, a senior editor at Norton. She’s still my agent.

What is the benefit of attending a writers conference?

Everything good that has happened to me is because of writers conferences. I’m a total writers conference success story. All of this happened because of this moment of unasked for kindness. It’s why my whole career happened. I’ve started a non-profit that puts on writers conferences because I believe in that whole sense of community. I think writers conferences reinforce that idea which sometimes gets trampled on by people in our lives who are not writers that we are doing something meaningful and valu-

“I’m about finding these glimmering pieces of the world, discovering their meaning, and getting out of their way.”

“I really believe even now, or even more now, that stories are the way we connect with each other.”

“Everything good that has happened to me is because of writers conferences.”

able. I really believe even now, or even more now, that stories are the way we connect with each other.

What do you plan to address in your keynote speech?

For the keynote, I will talk about Deep Creek, which is my last big book. It’s about my homestead. It is also about the environment and climate change and trying to preserve what we have. I might also read something newer and a little more controversial to get a conversation going about women’s rights and personhood and the right to choose. I’m trying to use my platform as much as I can to talk about our political moment while still trying to be true to what I know and not speak for someone else.

Are there any craft techniques you find yourself using to write about political moments?

I think one really obvious but true solution or strategy is to just keep grounding even the more abstract ideas back to the physical. When you get political, it’s different because you have ideas and reactions and those are all abstract. In general, I don’t trust abstraction on the page. I count my abstractions and I keep them to a minimum. I’ve been working on a piece called ‘Stamina’ about a little ram that was born on the day George Floyd died, and I’m constantly

grounding political moments in the hay, the ranch, the animal. I try to parallel the natural world and the political.

What’s the best piece of writing advice that you’ve gotten that you would pass on?

Barry Lopez’s advice is what I carry most with me. It’s also what we get reminded of when we go to writers conferences. He says, ‘We are pattern makers. And if our patterns are true enough they will have the power to bring a person for whom the world has become chaotic and disorganized up from their knees and back to life.’ And then, as I tell my students, trust the metaphor: it knows more than you do. And trust the reader: she knows more than you do.

Do you have any advice for writers attending the conference?

Create those unasked-for moments of kindness. If there is one thing that I would tell my young self going through all this, it is that they are only going to like you for you. Don’t apologize for yourself. Be you and listen to every-

body’s story. Then, bring your own story unapologetically.writer •

The Sanibel Island Writers Conference will take place at Big Arts, Sanibel, November 3-5. Pam will be giving her keynote speech, followed by a book signing, on November 5 at 6pm. For information, call 590-7421.

Houston’s writing has paid off her ranch and, in turn, the ranch has given her stories.

“Since Hurricane Donna in 1960, Southwest Florida had lived largely hurricane free. In 1960 Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties had a combined population of about 105,000 residents. By 2004, the population had zoomed to over 800,000.”

A Decade to Remember

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, it was the worst of times. It was the first decade of the 21st Century in Florida, a period that included the Bush-Gore election debacle, the tragedy of 9/11, the housing bubble, the Great Recession, devastating hurricanes, red tides, and the election of Barack Obama.

In his new book, Dreams in the New Century: Instant Cities, Shattered Hopes, and Florida’s Turning Point (U niversity P ress of f lorida ) , author Gary Mormino explores a state of deep conflicts — north and south, liberal and conservative, newcomer and local, growth and conservation — and explains the social, cultural and political complexities that made it so important to the nation.

I asked Mormino a few questions about his book.

•

You write about how the decade 2000-2010 created the Florida of today, a state very much divided in many ways. What events in that first decade of the 21st Century were most important in exposing and exasperating the ’two Floridas’?

GARY MORMINO: Simply consider a top ten list of the most significant events of that era: Y2K, the Elián González saga; the role of Florida in the 2000 election, terrorist cells and 9/11, the year of four hurricanes, technological advances, the rise of Charlie Crist, Mel Martínez, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, the extraordinary growth of Southwest Florida, and the Terri Schiavo melodrama. The era also included a searing crisis known as the Great Recession, the death spiral of the citrus industry, the cratering of the newspaper business, chronic homelessness, the deadly introduction of opioids and pill mills. The period also included the election of a Black man, Barack Obama, president. What a decade!

Your book covers 2000-2010, but there are two distinct histories in that decade: 2000-2007 and 2008-2010. Please explain how the two differed and how each affected the state.

The decade cleaved Florida into two distinct periods. The Great Recession neatly sheared the first decade of 21st Century Florida; however, there seems to be no consensus as when the Great Recession began.

At some point between 2007

& 2008, Floridians realized that something very serious was happening. Quickly and painfully, Floridians encountered a lexicon of new terms to describe the scene: foreclosure crisis, housing collapse, rocket dockets, ‘Ponzi State’ and Ponzi schemes, and underwater, upside down and toxic mortgages. At one point, more Floridians were fleeing the state than arriving.

You describe 2004 as the ‘Year of Hurricanes’. How did the hurricanes effect the state — economically and environmentally — and how did the hurricanes specifically effect Sanibel & Captiva?

Since Hurricane Donna in 1960, Southwest Florida had lived largely hurricane free. In 1960 Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties had a combined population of about 105,000 residents. By 2004, the population had zoomed to over 800,000. Hurricane Charley roared over Caya Costa, Sanibel and Captiva islands, hurtling into Punta Gorda.

My wife and I visited Sanibel and Captiva islands in the spring of 2005 and we were stunned to see the damage to the tree line and so many structures.

The debate over how to rebuild Sanibel and Captiva was fascinating. One of the fiercest arguments came over what to do with the islands’ Australian pines (which are technically not pines). Some islanders — the term used then was ‘ambiance defenders’, loved the quick growing Australian pines, but others proposed a ‘Back to Natives’ movement, insisting the tree was an alien exotic invader that did not belong and must be eradicated. The debate continues, but many trees were removed.

You describe the ‘speculative orgy’ that took place in Florida in the early 21st Century, and how it was followed by the Great Recession. Explain what the ’speculative orgy’ was and why Southwest Florida, in particular, suffered during the recession?

If the first years of the new century witnessed Florida’s highest highs, the last years of the decade recorded some of the lowest lows. Between 2000 & 2006, rampant growth occurred almost every place along Florida’s peninsula. One person neatly encapsulates this ‘speculative orgy’: Alfred Hoffman Jr.

“The story of the Oasis high rise condo in downtown Fort Myers illustrates what could and did go wrong. The unit opened in 2005 and the first tower was quickly filled. The second was completed in 2008, coinciding with the housing crisis. The Bank of America filed a $157 million foreclosure on the units, the second-largest foreclosure in Lee County history.”

an interview with Gary Mormino by Andrew Elias

The son of an Austrian kosher butcher, Hoffman graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and became a decorated fighter pilot.

Harnessing that same work ethic drive, Hoffman began building homes in Southwest Florida. Anticipating waves of wealthy retirees seeking the Florida dream along golf courses and elegant subdivisions, Hoffman and a colleague purchased 24,000 acres of land from the Westinghouse real estate division in 1995. The undeveloped land sprawled across Lee and Collier counties. The MacArthur Foundation sold a vast tract of land to Hoffman and associates for $327 million. Hundreds of new golf courses and developments quickly appeared. Bonita Springs and other developments made the region one of the fastest growing in America.

In one of the boldest but seemingly prophetic statements about his faith in the growth of Southwest Florida and his WCI Communities, Hoffman told The Washington Post in 2002, “You can’t stop it. There’s no power on earth that can stop it.” Sales skyrocketed until the Great Recession. In 2008, WCI declared bankruptcy.

Why was Southwest Florida hit so hard during the Great Recession? The answer is more complicated than the real estate crisis. Many new developments featured manicured golf courses and elegant country clubs as a centerpiece. But the sport of golf declined precipitously during this roller coaster decade, the result of fewer participants (aging males). Many public and private golf courses have been transformed into housing developments and nature preserves.

If a home on a golf course represented an idyllic world for many new residents, a condominium seemed pitch perfect investment to many transplants. The story of the Oasis high rise condo in downtown Fort Myers illustrates what could and did go wrong. The unit opened in 2005 and the first tower was quickly filled. The second was completed in 2008, coinciding with the housing crisis. The Bank of America filed a $157 million foreclosure on the units, the second-largest foreclosure in Lee County history. At one point, a single family lived in the Condo I Oasis tower.

You write about Florida in the 21st Century as a ‘growth machine’, with the creation of ‘instant cities’ and ‘boomburbs’ (like Cape Coral, Marco Island, Golden Gate Estates). Explain what you mean by ‘boomburbia.’

To describe the hurly-burly world of Florida growth, wordsmiths coined new words to describe growth in Florida: ‘boomburb’, ‘microburb’, and ‘exurbs’. A boomburb aptly describes a community such as Cape Coral.

An unofficial definition would be a place that looks suburban, but lacks a traditional

downtown. What is the largest city south of St. Petersburg on the Florida Gulf Coast? Is it Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples?’ The answer is Cape Coral. Its 2020 population was estimated at 194,000! Sarasota is not even the largest city in Sarasota County (that distinction belongs to North Port).

You describe the growth of Lehigh Acres as a real estate success and an urban planning disaster. Can you elaborate?

Before 2006, few journalists and even fewer historians had ever heard of Lehigh Acres. But the community’s myriad woes during the Great Recession created a traffic jam on Highway 82 as journalists headed to Ground Zero of the Great Recession.

Lehigh Acres was a wildly successful roll of the dice for “developer Leonard Ratner. He purchased a vast ranch in Lee County, naming the new development Lehigh Acres. He hired a team of hungry real estate salesmen to find customers who wanted a slice of the Florida dream for $10 down and $10 a month. Sadly for the future residents, the developers never took seriously the responsibility of building a downtown, hospital, etc. Lehigh Acres may have suffered more during the Great Recession than any other city in America. A resident, Amon Louis Kerns, wrote President Obama a letter, inviting him to tour the beleaguered city. Obama complied and inspected the damage.

Florida’s politics has changed greatly in the 21st Century. What are the biggest reasons and most important events in bringing that change about?

Florida politics during the decade 20002010, can be summarized in two words: Republican dominance. Indeed, no child born in 2000 has even seen a Democratic Governor in the 21st -Century. The 1990s witnessed a golden age of iconic Democrats: Bob Graham, Buddy McKay, Lawton Chiles, Bill Nelson and Dempsey Barron. Forgotten Democratic leaders have become answers to trivia contests.

How does one explain the extraordinary success of Florida’s GOP? The reasons are complicated and simple. One must understand that for most of Florida history, the Republican Party of Florida had been as much an underdog as it was a punching bag. The first Republican Governor and U.S. Senator in modern Florida history did not emerge until the 1960s. As late as 1980, Democrats held a two-to-one voter registration advantage. Since then, the

Republican Party has been better organized, more motivated, and recruited a deeper bench.

The longer answer is demographics and the rise of the independent voter who, tends to prefer the GOP. Only one in three Floridians is a native of the Sunshine State. Retirees and senior citizens constitute an enormous demographic and political bloc. They tend to pull the red lever on election day, although in Broward and Palm Beach counties, large numbers of Jewish transplants remain loyal to the Democratic Party.

If one reduced Florida politics into a single, frozen moment, Fort Myers played a critical role. The date was February 9, 2010. Newly elected President Barack Obama came to a Town Hall meeting. Governor Charlie Crist, desperate to receive federal funds to help a free-falling Florida, introduced the President. The President proceeded to embrace the Governor in what he called a ‘bro hug’. An emerging Tea Party movement called it the kiss of death.

Rick Scott may be the most amazing Floridian of our generation. Only in Florida could someone with a such a dubious reputation move to the state and become Governor within a decade.

You describe the decade of 2000-2010 in one word: ‘fraught’. Please elaborate?

Fraught is the perfect word to describe a decade that featured razor-thin elections and long recounts, the ethical and political ramifications of Elián González and Terri Schiavo, nine hurricanes, global warming, the worst economic collapse since the 1920s, a housing crisis, an opioid epidemic, a proliferation of guns and murders, and an environmental reckoning ending with the Gulf Oil Spill.

In 2000, Florida’s population was 16 million, growing to almost 19 million a decade later, swelling to 21.2 million in 2020. In the last decade, Florida surpassed New York to become the third largest state in the Union. In 1940, on the eve of World War II, Florida was the smallest state in the South.

What do you foresee for Florida and its residents in the coming decade of 2020-2030?

To be honest, I am concerned about the future of Florida. When I talk to audiences about the future, I increasingly encounter Floridians who lack confidence about our future. As a father, I ascribe to the old-fashioned idea that we should leave this world a better place than we found it. •

“Lehigh Acres was a wildly successful roll of the dice for developer Leonard Ratner. Sadly for the future residents, the developers never took seriously the responsibility of building a downtown, hospital, etc.”

“Cooking is a process, like art. You mix your foods together in a creative style to produce savory results, like you mix your colors and mediums together to create magnificent art.”

Artists in the Kitchen

by Gary Mooney

WE’VE ALL HEARD the old line about starving artists, but there is a new breed of Southwest Florida artists who find successful ways of combining art with food and cooking.

Arts & Eats Café

David Acevedo and his business partner, Jamie Burnette, founded the Arts & Eats Café in early 2021 in conjunction with The Union Artists’ Studios at the Alliance for the Arts. “The Union Artist Studios began in 2012 as a result of needing shared studio space for artists,” explains David, “and we wanted not only a workspace, but a real organized artists’ colony under one roof. When we learned about the spot at the Alliance for the Arts, we jumped at the opportunity. Originally, there was room for six studio spaces and I made one my own, and we soon added another. We expanded in early 2021 with three more spaces as well as the Arts & Eats Café. Not only are all our artistic spaces full, but on the rare occasion one becomes available the vacancy never lasts long.”

As for the Arts & Eats Café... “It’s always been my dream to have a coffee shop,” continues David, “even though I don’t drink much coffee nor am I a professional chef. I do however love all aspects of food like I love all aspects of art, so an art café seemed like a natural. When the downstairs space below The Union Artist Studios became available, the moment seemed right. The room already had a bar, the back room was perfect for a kitchen and there was even a window between the two for passing food, so everything fell into place. I spoke with Jamie, who thought it was a great idea, so we opened in May 2021.”

A Perfect Fit

To David, food and the arts are a perfect fit! “Cooking is a process, like art. You mix your foods together in a creative style to produce savory results, like you mix your colors and mediums together to create magnificent art, plus both are relaxing outlets for me. We serve our selections with artistic flourishes

and your coffee often comes in hand-painted cups, so everything here is more interesting than at most restaurants, with an artistic vibe. Even the menus are in calligraphy and real artists prepare your meals, so you can’t be a more legitimate art café than that.”

“People approach meals quite differently than ten years ago, as we live in an Instagram and Facebook world,” he notes. “Diners photograph their food and send those to friends all around the world before they ever take their first bite.”

“The first time a customer enters the Arts & Eats Café they look around and say ‘wow!,’ exclaims David. “When the average person hears ‘art café,’ they think of a place with photographs on the wall that serves food, but here we grab them with colorful and vibrant artwork and writings on our walls. Then they discover our full menu of salads and desserts as well as our coffees, and that impresses them even more.” He continues, “And that is before they see and taste the final product. I can honestly say with pride that we do not have one single complaint.”

David explains that the ‘Arts & Eats Café, in conjunction with The Union Artist studios, “is as unique as it gets. I don’t recall ever seeing or even hearing about any other artistic café like ours, where you can enjoy a tasty meal while mingling with working artists in their own studios in the creative process. If you like what you see, you can purchase their artwork on the spot.”

While not a big coffee drinker, David explains that “Jamie is the master brewer and coffee runs through his veins, so all our flavors taste great. We offer everything from cappuccinos to lattes as well as ice versions, with the cold brew a big hit. We buy our beans locally that we carefully select, and even I think our coffee with vanilla and caramel is excellent—we receive great compliments from our customers.”

A Better Place to Live

David says that Arts & Eats Café customers “enjoy visiting with the working

“Customers enjoy visiting with the working artists as much as they do the food and the artists enjoy chatting with them.”

Stephen Blancett (left) & David Acevedo

artists as much as they do the food. They bring their coffee and food to the various studios and the artists accommodate them with chairs, couches and small tables. The artists enjoy chatting with the customers who take an active interest in their work, so it is a Win-Win.”

“It is crucially important for the general public to appreciate and understand the value artists bring to our community,” David relates, “so I encourage everyone to pay attention to and support our local artists. It is incredibly beneficial to our region that our artist community grows and flourishes, to make us colorful, vibrant, active and alive. Our Southwest Florida artists work really hard to make our region a better place to live.”

Art & Eats Café and The Union Artist Studios is located in the Edwards Building on the Alliance for the Arts campus at 10051 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers. They are open Fridays 10am-2pm and Saturdays & Sundays 9am-2pm (in late September, hours change to Tuesdays-Fridays from 10am-2pm and weekends from 9am-2pm. The Union Artists’ Studios hosts open hours every Saturday from 10am-1:30pm. Each Sunday at 11am, they offer an ‘Art Talk’ forum open to all artists and the general public.

Artist in the Kitchen

Stephen Blancett is the author of Artist In The Kitchen: Culinary Masterpieces Made Easy, which he self-published in late 2021. His twin passions for art and cooking came about at the tender age of eight. “My first art exhibit was a school project and I didn’t even know about it. I did a watercolor of my beloved dog Coco and my teacher put it on display in the Public Library and some neighborhood kids told me I won the Blue Ribbon.”

He adds, “Around that same time, we had a wonderful Greek widow who lived directly beside us and she and I created an immediate bond. We would sit on her front porch and talk about everything, and she made authentic Greek dishes, like rolled grape leaves, that captivated me. As I watched her, I thought, ‘I can copy that,’ so I began cooking. Even then, I added color to my dishes, so the first time I baked a cake, I used blue food coloring. As I left it out to cool, I went upstairs and when I returned, I discovered my dog on the counter-top with blue food all over its face.”

The initial idea for an artist’s cookbook came to Stephen roughly 15 years ago. “Ever since I first went on my own, around the age of 20, and entertained friends with homecooked meals, everyone said I must open a restaurant, but the thought of slaving over a hot stove nightly held no appeal, even though cooking affords me another creative outlet to express myself in addition to my artwork, as presentation is everything.”

“I have an advertising background with great photographic knowledge, so I selected the title early in the process and whenever I prepared something, I immediately took photos,” he explains, adding “Out of nowhere, the pandemic hit and suddenly I had time for the book.”

When reminded that he once described his recipes as “colorful and fun, like my paintings,” Stephen exclaims, “Oh, definitely. My art is colorful and somewhat abstract and sometimes sexy and I feel the same way about my recipes.”

“The cover photograph of Artist In The Kitchen is bright and colorful and I added ingredients to it not so much to enhance the flavor as to make the color pop. That is a curry-based mussels dish and I add red bell peppers simply to make it more colorful and inviting, as the taste palette is just as important as an artistic palette.”

Many of Stephen’s inspirations come from his extensive travels over the past 30 years. “I spend a great deal of time in the Caribbean, especially in St. Thomas, so you find a good bit of Caribbean flair, with many curry recipes.

One particular favorite is when a group of us organized a climbing trip to Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Golisano Children’s Hospital and a fellow climber made a pasta with peanut butter that sounded absolutely disgusting but was terrific. Another time I was at a Naples restaurant and savored a chicken pasta dish with artichokes, cherry tomatoes and bow-tie pasta. It blew me away and it is one of my favorites.”

Not Just Another Cookbook

Artist In The Kitchen has roughly 110 recipes. “I considered approximately 200 when I began,” explains Stephen, “and the cut line really came about because I did not want just another ordinary cookbook, so recipes that did not make it are ones you find anywhere. I have a terrific recipe for Beef Wellington, for example, but you can find that in most cookbooks so I left it out.”

Among Stephen’s favorites in the book are coconut curry soup with shrimp and mussels. “It is on the cover because coconut with curry is one of my ideal food combinations, plus it is so bright and colorful. Another is individual pizza pot pies that are perfect for families with kids or anyone hosting a pizza party, as they are simple, delicious, and easy to personalize. Finally, there is my mom’s date-nut pudding that she made for the Holidays. Mom passed away about a year ago and her date-nut pudding was legendary in our family. The funny part is I hated it as a kid, but now I love it. I chose it not only because it tastes great, but for sentimental reasons.”

The Look of Pure Enjoyment

Stephen is already planning an Artist In The Kitchen, Part II as well as a companion quarterly magazine. “With my publishing background, these are natural extensions. It is amazing how many artists are great cooks. For the magazine, I will interview artists about their work, then do sidebars on their favorite recipe. Another future project is a creative cocktail book that I hope to release this November.”

For Stephen, the best part of his culinary life is “watching friends when they enjoy my recipes. Even better than any verbal compliment is the look on their faces when they savor one of my meals. It is that look of pure enjoyment.” •

For information about the Arts & Eats Cafe, visit artsandeatscafe.com. For information about The Union Artist Studios, visit theunionstudios.com.

You can obtain a copy of Artist In The Kitchen at the Arts for ACT Gallery, DAAS Gallery, and LaMarche Gift Boutique in Fort Myers, on Amazon, or at artistinthekitchen.com.

“My art is colorful and somewhat abstract and sometimes sexy and I feel the same way about my recipes.”

Here Come the Birds

by Angela Minor

Here Come the Birds A

Avian migration remains one of the magnificent mysteries of nature. Around the world billions of birds follow an established route called a flyway. Twice a year (spring and fall) they make seemingly impossible journeys that can be thousands of miles long. Many of these feathered aviators come to and through southwestern Florida along the Atlantic Flyway. Some stay for winter. Others, heading to points south, stop by for food and rest, while some remain in the sky — following their coastline map.

Lee County has some favorite spots for these visitors due in large part to the local conservation efforts of individuals, groups and organizations. “It is the time of year when all species should be at peak numbers, and huge flocks are exciting and impressive,” says Vince McGrath, past president of Audubon of Southwest Florida and current field trip chair for the Caloosa Bird Club.

Charlie Ewell, Lee County Bird Patrol president, states, “[Birding] is a great way to spend time outdoors. [They] are fascinating animals with a direct connection to prehistoric times.” He continues, “For me it has been an evolution of curiosity that developed into a passion for learning to identify the birds that I was seeing. After that it gets in your blood and you want to do it all the time!”

Let’s go birding at six migration hotspots recommended by our experts.

Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Park

While only 44.77 acres in size, this destination is a fall migration hotspot amongst local birders. Surrounding the 1884 historic lighthouse are shaded nature trails, sandy beaches and visitor-friendly facilities — restrooms and outside showers, pavilion, picnic areas, grills and a pier. The site is ADA accessible and pet-friendly.

Located across the entire eastern tip of the island, this park is a popular location. Some come for the beach activities; some to fish; some to snap gorgeous photos; and, some come for the seashells or snorkeling. Dolphins frolic in the waters and, with a bit of good timing, manatees might swim nearby.

Others of us bring binoculars and old-school field guides hoping to see feathered friends winging their way south for the winter. The park opens at dawn —an ideal time to get ahead of the crowds and see the “early birds” of the day. Some 185 species have been reported here; and it’s our secret hope to add a “new” sighting to that list! “This time of year, when a given species wanders off its normal course, it’s always a treat,” says McGrath.

Check online for Audubon of Southwest Florida’s Annual Sanibel Lighthouse Hawk Watch, created and lead by lifelong birder, Vince McGrath.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Birds and birders flock to this 3,500-acre ecosystem for the amenities. Measuring 11 miles long and 1.3 miles wide this narrow wetland of freshwater combined with upland characteristics is a sanctuary of natural resources. The preserve is a shallow, wide, slow-moving stream dotted with hardwood hammocks, old-growth bald cypress and ponds. It is the perfect fall migration destination.

Human visitors also enjoy a ‘slew’ of amenities including access, education and the benefits of successful conservation. A 1.2-mile boardwalk (fully accessible) winding just above the wetlands offers low impact opportunities for up-close views of flora and fauna. Along the way visitors can read information boards, rest at ample seating spots and stop at the observation decks and blinds. Explore on your own (there is an excellent trail guide online), book a guided or custom walk with a naturalist, or even take a ‘not so dry’ group tour.

Visit the interpretive center, Lee County’s first certified green building, to watch a bird migration video, shop to support the local Friends group and talk with knowledgeable staff and volunteers. While there, be sure to ask how a 1970s high school field trip and a group of inspired students proactively and tenaciously protected this living ecosystem.

This park is recognized as one of the 510 sites across the state on the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail. This is a collection of recommended locations ‘designed to

photographs by Michael Todd

painted bunting

conserve Florida’s 490 native species of birds via birdwatching, education and economic opportunities’.

Lakes Regional Park

For a family fun day along with terrific birding, plan a visit to this 279-acre park. Recreational facilities are placed strategically along one edge of 158 acres of man-made freshwater lakes. Volleyball courts, fitness stations, a pavilion, playground and playtime water features, an amphitheater, bike rentals and concessions draw the crowds. Theme-specific gardens, paddlecrafts and fishing along with a railroad museum and mile-long train ride are more activities at this park.

For birders, paved trails and nature trails with a rating of ‘easy’ follow the lake’s edge. With several miles of walkways to explore, this is a great way to leave the crowds behind. Be sure to take the 1.1-mile boardwalk loop that crosses the lake for an ideal view of the many islands — home to ‘one of the most important nesting rookeries in the county’. For a timely migration insider scoop, take a birding tour with a knowledgeable guide to see some of the 216 reported species.

and a short boardwalk are open to the public. For paddlers and kayakers, shady creeks meander through the mangroves (more beach is accessible only by water); creating an expanded — and less crowded — birding experience.

Time your visit with low tide when the waders are in

opportunities and birders — in the city whose official bird is the burrowing owl.

Prairie Pines Preserve

It’s all about the trails and habitat diversity in this Conservation 20/20 preserve. There are over 17 miles total of hiking, biking and equestrian trails navigable via color-coding, online and kiosk maps. This destination has a pet-friendly policy, free admission and restrooms at the parking lot. A well-maintained ADA compliant loop trail is also on site.

full force. And/or arrive in early mornings and late evenings to see a spectacular flight show as the birds leave and return to their roosts further inland. Scan the skies; watch the shoreline; and, remember to turn around and point your binoculars into the mangroves. Some 228 species have been recorded at this Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail preserve!

Rotary Park

What was once the scarred remains of a rock quarry at the edge of the city is now a destination of fun and respite in nature. It is also listed on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.

Bunche Beach Preserve

A visit to this 718-acre destination is a trip back in time. Named in honor of Dr. Ralph Bunche who later became the first Black recipient of the Nobel Prize, this living ecosystem is called ‘Old Florida’ by local naturalists. The sandy beach, mangrove forests and salt flats still remain an unspoiled tidal wetland area.

Located along San Carlos Bay, this preserve has some of the best ‘shorebirding’ in the county – up to 20 species, according to McGrath. From the small parking area, visitors can walk about a mile along the beach. Also, two viewing piers

This 97-acre park in Cape Coral offers a sanctuary in the midst of a populated section of the county. Visitors can learn at the environmental center and butterfly house. Join classes to learn about native plants; bring the kids to the playground; have a picnic on the grounds; and, enjoy time with your canines in the dog park.

There are several trails in the upland and mangrove estuaries for birding. The ‘rugged’ trail (rated ‘easy’) carries you into the wild spaces with the option of a bird’s-eye view from an observation tower. Take the 0.6-mile boardwalk trail (wheelchair accessible) to Glover Bight — a wetlands area of shallow flats, oyster beds and wading birds. Low tide and/or early morning are the optimal times for this trek. The park is a destination on the Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail.

Check online for the dates of the upcoming burrowing owl festival at the center, featuring speakers, demonstrations, tours, photo

Prairie Pines is one of 51 preserves in Lee County in the Conservation 20/20 land acquisition and stewardship program. Begun in 1976, this taxpayer-funded conservation program continues to receive overwhelming citizen support (an 84% continuation vote in 2016). At this location, active environmental management is focused on the eradication of invasive plant species.

Fall and winter — dry season — are the perfect times to explore the primitive trails in this area of 50% wetlands. Over 2,600 acres of depression marshes, flatwoods (wet and mesic), wet prairie and prairie hammock await with more than 100 avian species reported to date. The boardwalk over the wetlands has a bird blind that can be a quiet and uncrowded spot for watching and photographing wildlife. Early morning is the prime time. •

For more information about birding in Southwest Florida, visit: audubonswfl.org, caloosabirdclub.org. birdpatrol.org.

Sanibel

American white pelican

yellow warbler

bald eagle

The Heart

Heart of Breaking Up

by Jason MacNeil

Country newcomer and Virginia Beach native, Alana Springsteen is riding high now thanks in part to a broken heart. The end result was an ambitious twopart, two-EP, 15-track project entitled The History of Breaking Up. The first part, featuring seven songs, was released in mid-September of last year while the eight-song second portion was released this past July.

Springsteen says the idea was inspired by the title track she penned four years ago.

“I’ve been through my fair share of heartbreak the past couple of years and I write what I know,” she says during a late July conversation. “It’s just a lot of things that I needed to get out. Things I learned about myself, about love, etc. It feels good to finally have these chapters out and all these songs mark these moments in my life. I didn’t know at the beginning what songs would end up on it but I definitely knew it was going to be a journey.”

The singer, performing in Fort Myers Beach as part of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest in September, says the EPs weren’t culled from two distinct writing and recording sessions but a gradual collection of songs reflecting the life of the young yet prolific songwriter.

“I’m somebody who probably writes four to five times a week and I will always be a songwriter first,” she says. “I’ve been writing music since I was nine years old so it’s just something that pours out of me. These projects came together piece by piece. There were songs I knew I wanted on it early on like ‘The History of Breaking Up’ and then there were others I wrote along the way as I was going through these different relationships and situations.”

Unlike some musicians who withhold new material until its official release date, Springsteen road-tested some of the songs for The History Of Breaking Up (Part Two) tour with LANY last year and Tenpenny Mitchell earlier in 2022. The new tunes resonated with fans, which was a perfect measuring stick for inclusion on the second EP. The positive reactions fueled her to forge ahead despite the lyrics being authentic and personal.

“I’m not a super open-book type of person,” Springsteen says. “I know that sounds bizarre because I’m a songwriter and I pour my heart out constantly. It’s my outlet. But that’s the only place I’ve been able to be that honest and vulnerable through my music.”

“These are real stories and real things I went through. I think it always takes a certain amount of courage to be that honest in songs and write about real situations.”

“Songwriting has always been like my therapy. These are real stories and real things I went through. Sometimes it was hurtful to think about and talk about. I think it always takes a certain amount of courage to be that honest in songs and write about real situations that affected me. I want to feel that there’s no barriers between myself and my fans. The way I do that is writing the real things that I go through and not being afraid to be that honest.”

The History Of Breaking Up (Part Two) features ‘Trust Issues’, which Springsteen co-wrote with Sasha Sloan, Nick Bailey and Jessie Jo Dillon. She describes it as “a really emotionally charged song” about “a guy who really wrecked my heart last year.” Fortunately, the music video seems more soothing and upbeat.

“In that video you’ll see me doing everything I love,” she says. “When I’m heartbroken and just lost in it I do my best to get a latte or go for a drive or go see a sunset. Those are all the things that make me feel centered and more like myself again. You’ll see a lot of my heart and a lot of my favorite things in that video. There’s nothing like sunsets, coffee and long drives to get you through heartbreak.”

Also, while her current favorite track is the deep cut ‘You Are,’ Springsteen also says ‘While You’re At It’ also struck a nerve with both her and her fans.

“The inspiration behind that is sometimes the worst experiences, sometimes the amount of hurt that you go through is directly related to how much love you feel,” the musician says. “You can’t have the good without the bad and vice versa. I wanted at least a moment on this

project to talk about the good things before sometimes it all goes badly. The moments that you hold onto.”

In terms of her own songwriting, Springsteen says being in Nashville hasn’t made the process any easier, but she’s found the community of songwriters around her a huge benefit.

“You’ve got to show up everyday with the same amount of intensity and the same amount of passion,” she says. “I think in these past couple of years I’ve started to find this family of songwriters who know me and who I feel safe with and vulnerable with and helped me tell my story. That crew, that squad I built up, I do not take for granted. I’m so thankful to those people who helped me share my heart every single day.”

Perhaps the only hurdle Springsteen has had to overcome is taking a step back to get a better perspective on the process or seeing the proverbial forest for the trees.

“I can’t wait for it,” she says. “I mean, put me on a beach by the ocean and I’m a happy, happy girl. It’s just getting to connect with fans and getting to play new music. And having released so much of my stuff during Covid it’s sweeter than ever just to be out there hugging people, seeing their faces. I can’t take it for granted anymore.”

She’s also unsure what exactly she’ll be performing during her Fort Myers Beach set at Island Hopper but expect some surprises.

“I think I’ll play some stuff that I’ve released, but sometimes at these songwriter shows when it’s just me and my acoustic, I love to try a lot of new songs,” she says. “Even stuff I’ve written a week ago that are brand new. So I expect they will hear a lot of music that is not out yet and might be coming around the corner. Honestly, it’s just a chance to get out and be with so many of my songwriter friends and get to share a lot of new music.”

One possible surprise is how quickly Springsteen is looking ahead with work on the next project already. Fans shouldn’t expect a third part to The History Of Breaking Up looming, but she’s making up for lost time due to the pandemic.

“Now that these projects are out there’s no letting off the gas,” she says. “It’s only up from here and I’m excited to go out and play these shows and get more music out really soon.

“One of my favorite things is when people come up and share their stories about how these songs have helped them through situations. I think that’s the magic of music, the connection it brings. It is always a special moment to hear how my friends and my fans are finding a piece of their story in my songs. That’s the thing that I love about it.”

“From the songwriting aspect to production I can get very into the details and lose myself in it,” she says. “I know when a song is done when I listen to it and find myself not thinking about all of that anymore. Just focusing on how it feels and losing myself in the music. When I’m at that point I know that it’s finished and then step away.”

Springsteen has a busy 2022 slated with touring and festival appearances on the horizon. She’s performed at the Faster Horses festival in Michigan this summer, Watershed in George, Washington and Atlantic City’s Tidalwave festival, all three featuring some of country’s biggest names. But she’s quite excited to hit the Island Hopper Songwriting Fest.

By now you’re probably asking one very basic question about Alana Springsteen I’ve not gotten around to yet: Is she’s related to a certain New Jersey native who also shares her surname. It’s not the first time she’s been asked the obvious question, but she is not.

But what song would Alana select if Bruce asked her onstage for a duet during one of his shows?

“Oh my god, what a question!” she exclaims. “I would say ‘I’m On Fire’. I think that one is pretty special. I just love the moodiness of it and it’s always been one of my favorites of his.” •

Alana Springsteen will be performing September 23-25 at venues on Fort Myers Beach during the Island Hopper Songwriting Fest.

“It is always a special moment to hear how my friends and my fans are finding a piece of their story in my songs.”

America’s Military and 1st Responders Museum, located inside the North Road terminal at Naples Airport, is a place where you can view thousands of historical artifacts, including weapons, uniforms, medals, ribbons, and printed materials, all generously donated by veterans and their families. These artifacts, many of which are one-of-a-kind, represent every United States war from the Revolutionary right through to the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan. The Museum welcomes over 10,000 visitors a year.

APlace for Heroes

model of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima to end World War II, signed by the crew. This impressive replica is two feet long with a three-foot wide wingspan. Unfortunately, it is one of the artifacts currently in storage.

“Founded in 1943 as a U.S. Army Air Base, with a mission of training fighter pilots for World War II, the Naples Airport has a long history of supporting the military and our veterans. The Naples Airport is proud to be the home of America’s Military & 1st Responders Museum and will continue to support the Museum in any way we can,” says Chris Rozansky, Executive Director of the Naples Airport Authority. “As a military spouse, I am humbled each time I visit the museum and am grateful for all those who have served our country in the military.”

Established in 2006, a couple of gentlemen in the Charlotte County area would go to different events throughout Southwest Florida and set up a table to show their collection of military memorabilia. In 2011, Ted Soliday (a former combat pilot in Vietnam), the Naples Airport director at the time, went to one of those shows and suggested that they come down to Naples and set up a display at the airport.”

Once approved, the two gentlemen, Bob McDonald and the late Carl Hauber, opened the Museum in the terminal on Veterans Day 2011, with just a couple of glass cases containing artifacts under the name of Naples Museum of Military Memorabilia. As Dave Hinds, Museum President and three-time Purple Heart recipient recalls, “It just snowballed from there.”

In 2013, he remembers, “A volunteer built cases set in the middle of the Museum where they displayed ships, airplanes, guns, and knives. These glass cases were about four foot by six foot wide.” He fondly recalls a large-scale

As word got out, additional pieces began flowing in, not only from veterans and their families but from visitors flying into the airport on vacation. Within three short years, the room filled up, says Hinds. “We were granted permission to set up 10 cases back-toback right down the middle of the terminal, which worked out fine until a commercial airline, Elite Air, came in, along with the TSA in 2016. They went berserk looking at these cases with guns and knives in them, all worried about terrorists,” he laments, “We had to take them down and move them into a small room up the hallway.”

The airline’s entry coincided with an extensive remodeling project, both reasons the airport reduced the Museum’s presence to the single room they occupy today. Space limitations dictate that the rest of the collection (more than 6,000 artifacts) be kept in storage as the Museum searches for a larger home.

As they gladly and graciously accept donations for their collection, the Museum is gearing up for its next phase. Hinds says the airport has plans to build another airport building, and although they are a good couple of years away, the Museum has been promised a larger space within it as the primary tenant.

by Julie Clay

Hinds explains the recent name changes. Initially launched as the Naples Museum of Military Memorabilia, the name was tweaked a few years later to Naples Museum of Military History before recently changing to its new moniker as America’s Military & 1st Responders Museum. He explains, “We wanted to include the first responders. Many of them started their first career in the military. When they left the service, they began their second career as first responders. We contacted them and told them that we also want to honor their people.” A new 1st Responders exhibit case is now on display in the Museum and exhibitions are on

view at both Naples Community Hospital campuses, Naples City Hall, and the Collier County Public Library headquarters.

Touring the displays, I viewed one of the Museum’s most prized donations, a collection of four Medal of Honor Challenge Coins commemorating one’s branch of service or organization. Hinds offers, “We have so many one-of-a-kind unique items. These coins were offered by the descendants of recipients and donated to the Museum by the National President of the Korean War Veterans Association, Naples resident Jeff Brodeur.” One of those Medal of Honor recipients was a Holocaust survivor and Korean War POW who immigrated to the United States and joined the army. The collection, part of the Museum’s case of Korean War memorabilia, also includes a limited edition Memorial plaque.

Another large display of particular note is a wall-mounted State of Florida flag, lit 24 hours a day, containing a collection of 1,952 inch high American flags meticulously placed, representing each Florida resident killed or MIA/POW in Vietnam. Created by Kay and Rick (Baz) Berner, the plaque was donated to the Museum in 2009.

Other items in the Museum may come as

somewhat of a shock for visitors, namely spoils of war brought home by World War II GIs that include objects bearing the horrific Nazi swastika and Japanese flags belonging to two kamikaze pilots. Hinds informed me that Japanese tradition dictates that these flags were supposed to

have been burned with the pilots on their suicide missions diving into the ships. At least two were recovered by Allied forces.

As the Museum waits for a larger home, thousands of artifacts, (military photos, medals, leather flight jackets, uniforms, field equipment, aircraft ship and vehicle models, helmets, weapons, trench art, newspaper clippings, and more) have been carefully photographed, tagged, preserved, and stored until space is available for display.

If you want to help the Museum reach its goal of a new, larger home, you can support them with a monetary donation or by purchasing one of two custom engraved items: a Memorial Paver for the museum Wall of Honor or a custom plaque mounted on a 1940’s brand new solid brass Bearing Circle placed on an entrance arch to the new museum building. Information on these and other ways to support the Museum can be found on their website: AMFRM.org. You can find out additional information via the website as well. •

America’s Military & 1st Responders Museum is located at Naples Airport, 500 Terminal Drive in Naples. For information, call 614-205-0357.

The Museum, located inside the North Road terminal at Naples Airport, welcomes over 10,000 visitors a year.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation 34725 W. Boundary Rd. • Clewiston

877-902-1113

ahtahthiki.com

daily 9am-5pm (entry to boardwalk closes at 4pm)

Nestled in the heart of the Everglades on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum features dynamic exhibits and a vibrant boardwalk through a cypress dome. Come and learn about the Seminole people and experience their rich cultural and historical ties to the Southeast and Florida.

America’s Military & 1st Responders Museum

(formally Naples Museum of Military History) 500 Terminal Dr. (off North Road) • Naples 614-205-0357 amfrm.com

mon-sat 10am-4pm & sun 12-3pm

Over 6,000 historical artifacts, dating from revolutionary war to the war on terror, including uniforms, weapons, medals, model planes and ships, letters, posters, from all branches of the military service and many one of a kind, are on display. 99% of artifacts were donated by veterans and their families from across the United States and the world. The museum inside the airport commercial building is operated 100% by donations and volunteers. Free admission – paid by our veterans.

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

1380 Colonial Blvd. • Fort Myers

239-278-4422

broadwaypalm.com

tue-sun evenings & select matinees

Broadway Palm is Florida’s Premier Dinner Theatre and celebrating 30 years of entertainment. 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.

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

3450 Ortiz Ave. • Fort Myers

239-275-3435

calusanature.org

tue-sun 10am-4pm

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium has been part of SWFL for over 50 years. Our mission, inspiring people to connect with nature, is accomplished through their educational program encompassing everything from ecology to astronomy. Their 105-acres are home to rescue animals, aviaries, butterfly-house, nature trails and SWFL’s only planetarium theater.

Charlotte Players

Langdon Playhouse

1182 Market Circle • Port Charlotte

Charlotte Harbour Event & Conference Center 175 Taylor St. • Punta Gorda

941-255-1022

charlotteplayers.org

mon-fri 10am-4pm & sat 10am-1pm

& one hour before performances

Charlotte Players is one of Charlotte County’s oldest Performing Arts Organizations. They 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.’

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

375 Sanctuary Rd. W. • Naples

239-348-9151

corkscrew.audubon.org

daily, 8am-3pm (last admission 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 wetlands and other habitats. Find souvenirs and gifts in the Nature Store. Online tickets are recommended.

CREW Land & Water Trust

Bird Rookery Swamp Trail: 1295 Shady Hollow Blvd. • Naples

Marsh Trail: 4600 CR 850 (Corkscrew Rd.) • Immokalee

Cypress Dome Trails & Caracara Prairie Preserve: 3980 CR 850 (Corkscrew Rd.) •Immokalee

Flint Pen Strand Trails: 15970 Bonita Beach Rd.

Bonita Springs

239-657-2253

CREWtrust.org

sunrise to sunset

CREW (Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed) offers hiking, biking, equestrian trails and camping. 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.

CROW

Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

3883 Sanibel Captiva Rd. • Sanibel 239-472-3644

crowclinic.org

Jan 2-July 31 mon-sat 10am-4pm aug 1-dec 31 mon-fri 10am-4pm

CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) is a wildlife and teaching hospital serving southwest Florida’s native and migratory wildlife for over 50 years. CROW treats over 6,000 patients each year of over 200 different species! Their mission is to save wildlife through state-of-the-art veterinary care, education, research, and conservation medicine. CROW educates future wildlife professionals through student programs in the hospital and the public through their Visitor Education Center’s interactive exhibits, daily presentations, kid-friendly activities, and Wildlife Walk Guided Hospital Tours.

Cultural Park Theatre Company

528 Cultural Park Blvd. • Cape Coral 239-772-5862

culturalparktheater.com

box office: tue-fri 11am-4pm shows: thu-sat 7pm & sun 3pm

Cultural Park Theatre Company is the area’s oldest Community Theater, celebrating their 60th Anniversary. 2022-23 offers 8 Broadway Shows and 10 concerts. Performances Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7pm, and Sunday at 3pm. New lobby and online tickets coming soon.

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

2350 McGregor Blvd. • Fort Myers 239-334-7419

edisonford.org

daily 9am-5:30pm, 9am-9pm during holiday nights

Visitors can step back in time and stroll through more than 20 acres of botanical gardens, see the historic homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, a 15,000-square-foot inventions museum, and botanic research laboratory. The Holiday Nights light display runs from November 25 through the end of the year.

Florida Everblades

11000 Everblades Pkwy. • Estero

239-948-7825

floridaeverblades.com

games wed, fri & sat 7pm

Originally founded in 1998, the Everblades will be celebrating the organization’s 25th season in 2022-23. Owned by David Hoffmann and the Hoffmann Family of Companies, the Everblades won the 2022 Kelly Cup Championship after posting a 42-20-64 regular-season record and then winning 16 of 20 games in the playoffs. The Everblades home opener is on October 29. Visit the Everblades website for season schedule.

Florida Repertory Theatre

2268 Bay St. • Fort Myers

239-332-4488

floridarep.org

box office: mon-fri 9am-5pm & 2 hours before shows Florida Repertory Theatre is a professional regional theatre company performing in the Historic Arcade and the ArtStage Studio Theatres. Florida Rep produces nationally recognized comedies, dramas, new plays, and musicals. Florida Rep’s 25th Anniversary Season runs September 2022 through May 2023. Visit FloridaRep.Org to see their full season line-up.

Gulf Coast Symphony

239-277-1700

gulfcoastsymphony.org

Gulf Coast Symphony, the Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra, and the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective offer over 100 performances and events, presenting the best in classical music, jazz, dance, opera, and musical theater at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall and the Music & Arts Community Center.

Hertz Arena

11000 Everblades Pkwy. • Estero

239-948-7825

hertzarena.com

open for events year round

Hertz Arena is a 7,181-seat multi-purpose arena in Estero, Florida, which is located between Miromar Lakes and Bonita Springs. The arena opened in November 1998 and serves as the home of the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. Hertz Arena also hosts concerts by national and international artists.

Holocaust Museum

& Janet G. & Harvey D. Cohen Education Center

975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd. • Ste 108 • Naples

239-263-9200

hmcec.org

wed, thu, sat, sun 1pm-4pm

The Museum offers a variety of special exhibits, events and programs. Docent and self-guided tours available – check website for details. School and group tours available by appointment. Wheelchair-accessible and expanded parking. Pre-purchase of timed-entry tickets encouraged; last admission 3pm. Multi-year recognition awards: ‘Best of the Gulfshore’tripadvisor & yelp.

IMAG History & Science Center

2000 Cranford Ave. • Fort Myers

239-234-0043

theimag.org

mon-sat 10am-5pm & sun 12-5pm

Bringing inspiration to life, the IMAG History & Science Center is a family-friendly destination featuring interactive exhibits, activities, aquariums, touch tanks, animal encounters, history displays, live science and animal shows, 3D movies, and other attractions for guests to discover and explore the wonders of science, technology, engineering, math, history, humanities, and the arts.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Downtown Sarasota campus

1534 Mound St. • Sarasota

Historic Spanish Point campus

401 North Tamiami Trail • Osprey

941-366-5731

selby.org

daily 10am-5pm

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Selby Gardens is composed of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida.

Music & Arts Community Center

13411 Shire Lane • Fort Myers

239-277-1700

macctickets.org

box office open one hour prior to performances

The Music & Arts Community Center (MACC) is Fort Myer’s newest professional live music venue. This year over 100 events will present the best in classical music, jazz, dance, and musical theater. The MACC is located on the campus of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers.

Naples Historical Society’s Historic Palm Cottage

Educational HQ: 137 12th Ave. S. • Naples 239-261-8164

napleshistoricalsociety.org

tours of historic palm cottage: tue-sat 12pm-4pm

walking tour of naples historic district: wed 9:30am

Naples Historical Society is the Central Voice of Naples. The Society provides both tours and events year-round. They are committed to inform, inspire and involve all in their local history. Please call to reserve.

The Naples Players

701 5th Ave. S. • Naples 239-263-7990

naplesplayers.org

box office open daily

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.

New Phoenix Theatre

13211 McGregor Blvd. • Ste 1,2 • Fort Myers 239-284-5214

newphoenixtheatrefortmyers.org

box office: mon-fri 10am-4pm

Creating entertainment to enlighten the community, celebrate diversity, and inspire imagination.

Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens

5827 Riverside Dr. • Punta Gorda 941-621-8299

peacerivergardens.org

tue-sun 9am-4pm

Abutting the Peace River, our 30-acre waterfront oasis encompasses the diversity of five ecosystems including marshlands, wetlands, mangroves, uplands, and tidal basin. Over 4500 flowering trees and plants bloom throughout the year, and more than 15,000 square feet of boardwalks and docks provide optimum viewing of the Garden’s vast permanent sculpture collection and native wildlife.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

300 Tower Rd. • Naples 239-530-5972

rookerybay.org

mon-sat 9am-4pm

The two-story nature center features aquariums, touch tank, interactive exhibits, nature trails, picnic areas, butterfly garden, art gallery, gift shop, adult and youth education programs, volunteer opportunities and special events. The provider of their boat and kayak eco-tours was voted #1 in the country twice recently by USA Today.

Sarasota Opera

61 N. Pineapple Ave. • Sarasota 941-328-1300

sarasotaopera.org

box office: 10am-4pm

Sarasota Opera, the only company in the world to have performed every work of Giuseppe Verdi, enters its 64th consecutive season of bringing world class opera to the southwest gulf coast. Consistently garnering international attention as one of the few places to experience rarely performed operatic works, Sarasota Opera continues to distinguish itself as one of the premiere opera companies in the United States by finding innovation through tradition.

Seminole Casino Hotel

506 South 1st St. • Immokalee 239-658-1313

moreinparadise.com

open 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Welcome to Southwest Florida’s #1 entertainment destination, offering an experience unique to the paradise coast. Win big in our high-energy casino, indulge in culinary delights, or relax in one of their beautifully designed hotel rooms. Experience live table games including blackjack, pai gow, 3 card poker and 1400 of the newest slots.

Venice Theatre

140 Tampa Ave. W. • Venice 941-488-1115

venicetheatre.org

box office: open one hour before showtime

Located just an hour north of Fort Myers, Venice Theatre is the second largest community theatre in the country. Its 73rd Season features a variety of musicals, comedies, hard-hitting dramas and concert acts. Highlights include the area premiere of Kinky Boots, The Cemetery Club, Gypsy, Death of a Salesman, and its annual musical version of A Christmas Carol

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

THURSDAY 1

•Completey Unchained: Van Halen tribute band. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 4828565.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•FGCU Woodwind Quartet: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

•Jazz Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Jessimae Peloso & Carly

Aquilino: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Open Mic Bonita!: Comedy. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

FRIDAY 2

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

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

What Goes On

52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 11a-4p. Free. 6952428.

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

•Hardwired: Concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

•Jessimae Peloso & Carly Aquilino: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

•Marty Stokes Band: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. Free. 333-2225.

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

•Waterlily Weekend: Special exhibition, guided tours, talks, demos, family activities. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9a-4p. 643-7275.

SUNDAY 4

•Americana Community Music Association: SingerSongwriter Circle. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Clyde Butcher’s 80th Birthday Celebration: Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 11a-4p. Free. 6952428.

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Max Troublefield: Live music. Coastal Dayz Brewery, 2161 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers. 4-7p. Free. 204-9665.

•Michael Mack: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Waterlily Weekend: Special exhibition, guided tours, talks, demos, family activities. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9a-4p. 643-7275.

MONDAY 5

•Independent Film Screening & Discussion: Hosted by Fort Myers Film Festival. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, film 7p. talk after film. 810-6323.

TUESDAY 6

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond

Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 768-4210.

WEDNESDAY 7

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 768-4210.

•Joe Hill: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

THURSDAY 8

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 768-4210.

•Irish Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Matt McClowry: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.

•Mo Mandel: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

FRIDAY 9

•Davin Rosen Blatt: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.

•Exhibition Reception:  Museum of the Everglades,  105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 5-8p. Free. 695-0008.

•Int’l Fly Fishing Film Festival: Nine films. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 9392787.

•Jessimae Peloso & Carly Aquilino: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Nightrain: Guns & Roses tribute band. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 482-8565.

•Nostaljah: Reggae band. Coastal Dayz Brewery, 2161 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers. 7-10p. Free.204-9665.

SATURDAY 3

•Clyde Butcher’s 80th

Birthday Celebration: Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery,

•FGCU Chamber & University Choirs, Bel Canto & Cantabile: Concert. Naples United Church of Christ, 5200 Crayton Rd, Naples. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.

•Funny Shorts Live: Concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 4958989.

•Lavell Crawford: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Matt McClowry: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.

•Memphis Lightning: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. 333-2225.

•Yappy Hour: Happy hour w dogs, live entertainment. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.

Nexus, the FGCU Art Faculty exhibition is on view thru September 29 in the Wasmer Gallery in FGCU’s Arts Complex. Call 590-7199 for information.

TUESDAY 13

•Aaron Weber: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

•Garden Tea Party: Q&A about tea plants. Shangri-La Springs, 27750 Old US 41, Bonita Springs. 10a-12p. 949-0749.

•Lecture: Henry Ford in Florida. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 2p. Free. 252-8476.

•The Fixx: Concert. Calusa Sound Amphitheater, Luminary Hotel, 2200 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 833-918-1512.

WEDNESDAY 14

•Aaron Weber: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

SATURDAY 10

•Exhibition Reception: Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. 5-7p. Free. 262-6525.

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.

•FST Improv: Thank You for Being a Friend. Comedy Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-366-9000.

•Garden Talk: Butterfly gardening. Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a. 334-7419.

•Ghosts of Murders Past: Florida true crime tales w author Christopher Balzano. Lakes Library, 15290 Bass Rd, Ft Myers. 2p. rsvp. Free. 479-4636.

•Jaded, American Idiot: Aerosmith & Green Day tribute bands. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 482-8565.

•Lavell Crawford: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

•Marty Stokes Band: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. Free. 333-2225.

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

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

•Punta Gorda Symphony: Flute Trio concert. FSW State College, Charlotte Campus, bldg. on lawn, 26300 Airport Rd, Punta Gorda. 7p. Free. 941-2055996.

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

SUNDAY 11

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs St Lucie Mets: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile  Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 12p. 768-4210.

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

•Lavell Crawford: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Jon Reep: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•JP Soars & The Red Hots: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. 333-2225.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.

•New Works Festival:  Compromised. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 866-811-4111.

•Sheena Brook: Live music. Riptide Brewing, 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd, Bonita Springs. 7-10p. Free. 9499945.

SATURDAY 17

•Christopher Dean Band: Live music. South Street City Oven & Grill,1410 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. 8-11p. Free. 435-9333.

perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. 338-3500..

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Jon Reep: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•New Works Festival: James of Nazareth. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 3p. 866811-4111.

MONDAY 19

•FGCU Wind Orchestra: Concert. 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.

•Art Reception: Live music, wine, hors d’oevres. Coco Art Gallery, Coastland Center, 1900 Tamiami Tr S, Naples. Wed-Sun 5-7p. Free. 4363530.

THURSDAY 15

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Eric Grady & Carmen Vallone: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Jazz Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Jon Reep: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Muscadine Bloodline: Concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

•New Works Festival: The Refugees. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p Free. 866-811-4111.

FRIDAY 16

•Eric Grady & Carmen Vallone: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 479-5233.

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

•Coastal Cleanup SanibelCaptiva Conservation Foundation. Sanibel Sea School, 455 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 9a. Free. 472-8585.

•Daughtry: Concert w Pop Evil opening. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 9859839.

•Eric Grady & Carmen Vallone: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6 & 8:30p. 479-5233.

•Ghosts of Murders Past: Florida true crime tales w author Christopher Balzano. Ft Myers Library, 2450 1st St, Ft Myers. 2p. rsvp. Free. 479-4636.

•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker Arielle Haughee. Word of Life Church, 6111 South Points Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. 770-906-7885.

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

•Jon Reep: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

•New Works Festival: A Danger to Yourself and Others. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 2p. 866-811-4111.

•New Works Festival: The Story of Abe Price. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 866-811-4111.

SUNDAY 18

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters

•Island Hoppers Songwriter Dinner & Wine Pairing: Songwriters TBA. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 6-10. Reserve. 333-2225.

TUESDAY 20

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

•Island Hoppers Songwriter Fest: Songwriters TBA. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 12-11p. Free. 333-2225.

WEDNESDAY 21

•Ghostly Folklore: & the Arts: Folklorist & author Christopher Balzano. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 939-2787.

•Heather Land: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

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

•Island Hoppers Songwriter Fest: Songwriters TBA. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 12-11p. Free. 333-2225.

THURSDAY 22

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro,

Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography is on view at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota thru September 25. For information, call 941-366-5731.

What Goes On

2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Earth, Wind & Fire: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4814849.

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

•Heather Land Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Island Hopper Songwriter

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

•Mike Herlihy: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.

•Sanibel Duo: Violinist

Renata Arado & pianist Erik Entwistle concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.

FRIDAY 23

•Fred Sunwalk: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. 333-2225.

•Island Hopper Songwriter

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

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

•Matt Rife: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Mike Herlihy: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.

•Reckless Saints: Live music. Riptide Brewing, 987 3rd Ave N, Naples. 7-10p. Free. 228-6533.

SATURDAY 24

•Americana Community Music Association: Jon Shain concert, Mike McMillan opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. 3383500.

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

•Marty Stokes Band: Blues

band. Cape Cabaret. 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. 7-9:30p. 549-3000.

•Matt Rife: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

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

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

•SWFL SteamCon: Steampunk & fantasy conference. Speakers, panels, celebrity guests, entertainment, music, costume contests, vendors. German American Social Club, 2101 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral. 10a-6p.

•Trey Lewis: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 9859839.

SUNDAY 25

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

•Gary LeVox: Island Hopper Songwriter Fest poolside concert. Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina, 275 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 5p. 338-3500.

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

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Matt Rife: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Peace Day in the Park: Music, entertainment, kids activities, vendors, food trucks. Wa-Ke-Hatchee park, 16760 Bass Rd., Ft Myers. 10a-5p. Free. 560-5224.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474.

TUESDAY 27

•Brandon T Jackson: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

WEDNESDAY 28

•Brandon T Jackson: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Give ‘Em Hell, Harry: Biographical play w Jack Rabito as President Harry S. Truman. Cape Coral Library, 921 SW 39th Ter, Cape Coral. 1p. Free. 479-4636.

THURSDAY 29

•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Jimmie JJ Walker: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.

•Luke Bryan: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 9487825.

FRIDAY 30

•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Jimmie JJ Walker: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.

•Marty Stokes: Blues band. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 8p-12a. Free. 3332225.

•Yabo Brothers: Live music. Riptide Brewing, 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd, Bonita Springs. 7-10p. Free. 9499945.

Oct

SATURDAY 1

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

•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 389-6901.

•FGCU Voice Faculty: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall,

Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

•Free Outdoor Concert: The Lineup Band. Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. 4-7p. Free. 772-5657.

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

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

•Open House: & Darkroom Tours: Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio, 237 Warfield Ave S, Venice. 9a-3p. 941-486-0811.

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

•Sarasota Orchestra: Mozart & Tchaikovsky concert. Sarasota Opera House. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.

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

SUNDAY 2

•BBQ & Bluegrass: Lonesome Rangers. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 4-7p. Free. 603-6535.

•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Orchid Sale & Symposium: Edison & Ford Winter Estates,

2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. 334-7419.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474.

•The Del Prados: Doo wop music. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-8p. 482-8565.

MONDAY 3

•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.

•Cindy Kaza: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Independent Film Screening & Discussion: Hosted by Fort Myers Film Festival. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, film 7p. talk after film. 810-6323.

TUESDAY 4

•Cindy Kaza: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Il Vovo Sings Morrricone and more!: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•Isaac Hernandez - Colors in Rhythm: Concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 2p. 415-5667.

WEDNESDAY 5

•Jen Fulwiler: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500

The Americana Community Music Association presents Violet Bell in concert October 8 at the All Faiths Unitarian Congregation in Fort Myers. For information, call 691-4069.

Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Lady A: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.

THURSDAY 6

•Art Reception: Wine & cheese. Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Blvd, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 7725657.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Jazz Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

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

FRIDAY 7

•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 Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.

•Artists Workshop:  Gulfshore Opera concert & reception. St. Leo Parish Life Center, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 4p. 529-3925.

•Call Me Karizma, Faangs, Astrus: Rap & hip hop music. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 482-8565.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Jodi White: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 479-5233.

•Sheena Brook: Live music. Riptide Brewing, 987 3rd Ave N, Naples. 7-10p. Free. 228-6533.

•Staged Reading: Theatre. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•Violet Bell: Concert. Norris Center, 755  8th Ave S, Naples. 7p. 213-3058.

•Wine & Cheese Pairing: Sunset tasting, presentation, music. Edison & Ford Winter Estates river pavilion, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-7p. rsvp. 334-7419.

•Art Reception: BIG ARTS Center, 900 Dunlop Rd,

Sanibel. 5:30-7p. Free. 3950900.

SATURDAY 8

•Americana Community Music Association: Violet Bell concert, Glenn Sabatka opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

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

•Naples Fall Comedy Festival: 20 comedians. Concert. Norris Center, 755  8th Ave S, Naples. 7p. 213-3058.

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

SUNDAY 9

•Florida’s Funniest Comedian: Comic competition. Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Naples Philharmonic: Dvorak String Quintet. Wang Chamber Music Series concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.

•Pink Floyd Tribute & Light Show: Live music. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. 4828565.

•Readers Theater: Takes Two to Tango. One-act plays. Naples Players Etc... Readers’ Theatre. Tobye Studio, Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 263-7990.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474. 887-1428.

•Sarasota String Quartet: Sarasota Orchestra concert. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 2:30p. 941-953-3434.

MONDAY 10

•Ensemble New SRQ: First Voices. Concert. First Congregational Church, 1031 S Euclid Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p.

TUESDAY 11

•Freddy Rubino: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Garden Tea Party: Q&A about tea plants. Shangri-La Springs, 27750 Old US 41, Bonita Springs. 10a-12p. 949-0749.

•Lecture: Research & Removal of Burmese Pythons in SWFL. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 2p. Free. 252-8476.

•Songwriters on the Plaza: Free acoustic concert w Mary Dahl, Carolyn Stanley, Smokey Dayton & The Floridians. Downtown Ft Myers Library amphitheater, S Cornog Plaza, 1651 Lee

St, Ft Myers. 6-7:30p. Free. 691-4069.

WEDNESDAY 12

•Art Reception: Live music, wine, hors d’oevres. Coco Art Gallery, Coastland Center, 1900 Tamiami Tr S, Naples. Wed-Sun 5-7p. Free. 4363530.

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

•Flaw, Vallion: Live music. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9p-12a. 482-8565.

•Freddy Rubino: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Jimmy Greene: All That Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 8:30p. 597-1900.

•Lecture: Florida Panther. Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 275-3435.

•Sarasota Orchestra: A Night at the Movies concert. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p p. 941953-3434.

THURSDAY 13

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Desi Banks: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Exhibition Reception:  Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. 4:30-6p. Free. 6421440.

•Irish Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Mike Stanley: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.

•Paul & Ralph Votapek: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

•Poetry & Music Open Mic: Open to all & all ages. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-9p. Free. 939-2787.

•Sarasota Orchestra: A Night at the Movies concert. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N

Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p p. 941953-3434.

•Slam Glam Metal Jam: Live metal & glam music - Enuff Z Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd, Midnight Devils. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 482-8565.

•SWFL String Quartet: Concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.

•SWFL Symphony: MiniMasterworks concert. Shell Point, Village Church 15100 Shell Pt Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 418-1500.

•Voices - Rising Choreographers: Sarasota Contemporary Dance. Jane B Cook Theater, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7p. 941-260-8485.

FRIDAY 14

•Desi Banks: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Eddie Montgomery: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical: Theater. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 4958989.

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

•Rocktoberfest: Outdoor family-friendly music festival, food, crafts. J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Dr, Sarasota. 4-10p. Free. 941-487-8061.

•Sarasota Orchestra: A Night at the Movies concert. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p p. 941953-3434.

•Scarecrows in the Park: Opening night. Lakes Park Fall Festival. Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr, 5-6p. Ft Myers. 533-7575.

•Trace Adkins: Concert. Seminole Casino Hotel, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 8p. 800218-0007.

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

•Voices - Rising Choreographers: Sarasota Contemporary Dance. Jane B Cook Theater, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7p. 941-260-8485.

Laurie Morvan is performing October 1 at the Backyard Blues Fest at Buckingham Blues Bar in Fort Myers. For information, call 693-7111.

What Goes On

•Yappy Hour: Happy hour w dogs, live entertainment. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.

SATURDAY 15

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

•Carbanaro: Magician. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.

•Desi Banks: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker. Word of Life Church, 6111 South Points Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. 770906-7885.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical: Theater. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2 & 7p. 495-8989.

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

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

•Rocktoberfest: Outdoor family-friendly music festival, food, crafts. J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Dr, Sarasota. 11a-10p. Free. 941-487-8061.

•Rocky Horror Picture

Show: Outdoor screening. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6p. Register. Bring blankets & chairs. 939-2787.

•Sarasota Orchestra: A Night at the Movies concert. Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p p. 941953-3434

•SWFL Symphony: MiniMasterworks concert. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pky & US 41 Ft Myers. 7p. 418-1500.

•The Impresario & Bastien and Bastienna: FGCU concert. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 7p. Free. 745-4268.

•Voices - Rising

Choreographers: Sarasota Contemporary Dance. Jane B Cook Theater, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7p. 941-260-8485.

SUNDAY 16

•Desi Banks: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

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

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical: Theater. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2p. 4958989.

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

•Naples Philharmonic:  Mendelssohn String Quartet. Sypert Salon Series concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474.

•Rocktoberfest: Outdoor family-friendly music festival, food, crafts. J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Dr, Sarasota. 11a-10p. Free. 941-487-8061.

•The Impresario & Bastien and Bastienna: FGCU concert. Wang Opera Center, 2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 2p. 745-4268.

•Voices - Rising Choreographers: Sarasota Contemporary Dance. Jane B Cook Theater, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 3p. 941-260-8485.

TUESDAY 18

•Ben Rosenblum Trio: Jazz concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.

•Michael Colyar: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Naples Philharmonic:  Mendelssohn String Quartet. Sypert Salon Series concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.

WEDNESDAY 19

•FGCU Wind Orchestra: Concert. Cape Coral HS, 2300

Santa Barbara Blvd, Cape Coral. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.

•Michale Colyar: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

THURSDAY 20

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

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Jazz Jam: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

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

•Michale Colyar: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Naples Philharmonic:  Tchaikovsky & Sibelius. Masterworks Series concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 8p. 597-1900.

FRIDAY 21

•An Enemy of the People: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Andrew Dice Clay: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-4p. Free. 4724557.

•Halloween Spooktacular: Games, activities, trick-ortreating. Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. 514-0084.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Kevin Lee: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 479-5233.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.

•Naples Philharmonic:  Tchaikovsky & Sibelius. Masterworks Series concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 8p. 597-1900.

•Tracy Lawrence: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

SATURDAY 22

•24-Hour Playwriting

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

•An Enemy of the People: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Andrew Dice Clay: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-4p. Free. 4724557.

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

•Estero Fine Art Show: Outdoor art fair. JetBlue Park, 11500 Fenway South Dr, Ft Myers. Free. 10a-5p. 941-7553088.

•Greta Van Fleet: Concert, Durand Jones & The Indications opens. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•Halloween Spooktacular: Games, activities, trick-ortreating. Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. 514-0084.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

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

•Marty Stokes Band: Blues band. Cape Cabaret. 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. 6-10p. 549-3000.

•Song & Dance: Gulfshore Opera concert w Gulfshore Ballet. Gulfshore ballet Studio, 5636 Youngquist Rd, #1, Ft Myers. Reception 6:30p, concert 7p. 529-3925.

•Swamp Celebration: Exhibit, guided swamp walk, meet Clyde Butcher. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 10a-5p. Free. Fee for Swamp Walks. 695-2428.

SUNDAY 23

•An Enemy of the People: Theater w post-show discussion. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2p. 590-7268.

•Andrew Dice Clay: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

•Art From the Attic: Art sale. Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Rd. 10a-4p. Free. 472-4557.

•Estero Fine Art Show: Outdoor art fair. JetBlue Park, 11500 Fenway South Dr, Ft Myers. Free. 10a-5p. 941-7553088.

Trevor Noah performs October 14 at the Hertz Arena in Estero. Call 948-7825 for information.

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

•Halloween Costume Party: The Big Bad Wolves concert. Buddha Bar & Grill, 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-8p. 482-8565.

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Naples Jazzmasters

Dixieland Jazz Band: Free indoor concert. Cambier Park, 6th Ave S & 8th St S, Naples. 2-4p. Free. 612-327-3835.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474. ???887-1428???

•Swamp Celebration: Exhibit, guided swamp walk, meet Clyde Butcher. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 10a-5p. Free. Fee for Swamp Walks. 695-2428.

TUESDAY 25

•Beethoven Fest: Grand Piano Series chamber music concert with Colburn Artists. St Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 3p. 646734-8179.

•Musical Interludes with a Latin Twist: Classical guitar concert. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. 394-4221.

•Walt Willey: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

WEDNESDAY 26

•Beethoven Fest: Grand Piano Series chamber music concert with Colburn Artists. St Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 646734-8179.

•Walt Willey: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

THURSDAY 27

•Beethoven Fest: Grand Piano Series chamber music concert with Colburn Artists. St Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 3p. 646-7348179.

•Crystal Powell: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College

Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 4795233.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto

Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 333-2225.

•Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival

Opening Night Film & Party:  Artis-Naples, Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Red carpet arrival 6p, film 7p, afterparty 9p. 7753456.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival:  Film screenings. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 10:30a-8:30p. 775-3456.

•Preacher Lawson: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.

FRIDAY 28

•An Enemy of the People: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Beethoven Fest: Grand Piano Series chamber music concert with Colburn Artists. St Leo Church, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 646734-8179.

•Christopher Dean Band: Live music. South Street City Oven & Grill,1410 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. 8-11p. Free. 435-9333.

•Crystal Powell: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4795233.

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Int’l Chalk Festival: Art performance & exhibits, live music, kids activities, pumpkin carving contest. Venice Airport, 675 Airport Ave E & Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival:  Film screenings. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 10:30a-8:30p. 775-3456.

•Pavement Music Festival: Outdoor live music. Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Preacher Lawson: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9p. 389-6901.

•Sheena Brook: Live music. Riptide Brewing, 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd, Bonita

Springs. 7-10p. Free. 9499945.

•The Secret Marriage: Sarasota Opera. Sarasota Opera House. 61 Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941328-1300.

•Art Reception: BIG ARTS Center, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 5:30-7p. Free. 3950900.

SATURDAY 29

•Americana Community Music Association: The Black Feathers concert, Chuck Williams opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•An Enemy of the People: Theater w discussion after 2pm show. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2 & 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Art in the Wild Day: Guided birding walk, plein-air art demos, carnival games, crafts, Duck Stamp winner presentation. Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Fort Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 4721100.

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

•El Condor Pasa: Short opera in spanish. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.

•Fall Festival: Live music, educational activities, carfts,food trucks. Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. 334-7419.

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

•Haunted Walk: Guided walk Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 275-3435.

•Honky Tonk Halloween: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

•Int’l Chalk Festival: Art performance & exhibits, live music, kids activities, pumpkin carving contest. Venice Airport, 675 Airport Ave E & Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival:  Film screenings. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 11a-6:30p. 775-3456.

•Pavement Music Festival:

Outdoor live music. Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Preacher Lawson: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 3896901.

•Smash Mouth: Outdoor concert. Seminole Casino Hotel, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 8p. 800-2180007.

•Travis Tritt: Concert, Chris Janson, War Hippies opens. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero.

7:30p. 948-7825.

SUNDAY 30

•Halloween Celebration: Shell Factory & Nature Park, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Ft Myers.

7:15p. 995-2141.

•Haunted Halloween Symphonic Family Concert: Gulf Coast Symphony concert & costume contest. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. Kids activities & costume contest 1p, concert 2p. 277-1700.

•Int’l Chalk Festival: Art performance & exhibits, live music, kids activities, pumpkin carving contest. Venice Airport, 675 Airport Ave E & Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Jazz Brunch: Roy Gerson & Don Mopsic. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers.

10a-1:30p. Free. 333-2225.

•Jurassic Park in Concert: Film w Naples Philharmonic. Naples Int’l Film Festival. Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 775-3456.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival Closing Awards Ceremony, Film, Concert & Wrap Party: Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Awards in Daniels Pavilion 5:30, film in Hayes Hall 7:30p, party in Daniels Pavilion 9:30p. 597-1900.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival: Panel discussion. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 10a. Free. Reserve. 775-3456.

•Pablo Cruise: Concert. Calusa Sound Amphitheater, Luminary Hotel, 2200 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 833-918-1512.

•Pavement Music Festival: Outdoor live music. Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Preacher Lawson: Off the

Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30p. 389-6901.

•Rock the Stage Auditions: Bands, solo artists, musicians, singers, choirs, groups, all ages. School of Rock Fort Myers, 6900 Daniels Pkwy, #C-15. Ft Myers. 10a-4p. Free. 513-2474.

•Selby Spooktacular: Arts & crafts, trick-or-treating, storytelling. Marie Selby Botanical Garden, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. 6p. 941366-5731.

•The Secret Marriage: Sarasota Opera. Sarasota Opera House. 61 Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 1:30p. 941328-1300.

MONDAY 31

•Int’l Chalk Festival: Art performance & exhibits, live music, kids activities, pumpkin carving contest. Venice Airport, 675 Airport Ave E & Venice Airport Fairgrounds, 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

•Pavement Music Festival: Outdoor live music. 900 Airport Ave, Venice. 10a-6p. Free. 941-488-8877.

ongoing

Theater

•26 Miles: Oct 13-30. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•A Chorus Line: Oct 7-Nov 12. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•A Lovely Day to Kill Yor Spouse: Oct 20-30. Center for the Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 495-8989.

•A Rocky Murder: Sep 30-Nov 20: Wed-Sun. Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•An Enemy of the People: Oct 21-29. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-7268.

•Apartment 3A: Oct 26-Nov 13. Marco Players. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 6427270.

•Arabian Nights: Oct 7-16. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•August Wilson’s The Piano

What Goes On

Lesson: Oct 20-29. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•Beer for Breakfast: Sep

23-Oct 9. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.

•Blithe Spirit: Oct 7-9 & 13-16. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941255-1022.

•Blithe Spirit: Sep 28-Oct 23. The Naples Players. Blackburn Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•Broadway Palm Thru the Decades: thru Oct 1. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•By the Way, Meet Vera Stark: Oct 19-Nov 6. The Naples Players. Tobye Studio, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•Chicago, Teen Edition: Oct 7-16. 2708 Santa Barbara Blvd, #135, Cape Coral. 323-5533.

•Dead Man’s Cell Phone: Sep 7-25. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood. 941-475-6756.

•God’s Country: Sep 9-25.

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

•Grace for President: Oct

15-Nov 12, selected matinees. Broadway Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 980-5674.

•Guys and Dolls: Oct 5-Nov

20. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota. 941-366-1505

•Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Oct 28Nov 13. Florida Repertory

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

•Into the Woods: Sep 16-25. 2708 Santa Barbara Blvd, #135, Cape Coral. 323-5533.

•Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical: Oct 14-16. Center for the Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 495-8989.

•Jekyll & Hyde: Oct 13-30. New Phoenix Theatre, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 284-5214.

•Kinky Boots: Oct 21-Nov 20. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill: Sep 23-Oct

30. Florida Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.

•Lady Killer: thru Sep 11: WedSun. Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway,

2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Little Shop of Horrors: Oct 6-16. The Players Centre. The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 S Tamiami Tr, #1130, Sarasota. 941-365-2494.

•Lost in Yonkers: Sep 9-18. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 323-6570.

•Mr. Yunioshi: Sep 7-11. Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St, Sarasota. 941-321-1397.

•Murder at the Howard Johnson’s: Oct 25-Nov 13. Players Circle Theatre. Shell Factory, 16554 N Cleveland Ave, N Fort Myers. 800-3292.

•New Works Festival: Sep 15-18. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Not Now, Darling: Sep 22-Nov 5. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Rocky Horror Picture Show: Oct 10-20. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 323-6570.

•School of Rock - The Musical: Sep 22-Oct 2. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•Side by Side by Sondheim: Sep 8-18. The Players Centre. The Crossings at Siesta Key, 3501 S Tamiami Tr, #1130, Sarasota. 941-365-2494.

•The 39 Steps: Sep 9-11 & 16-18. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941-255-1022.

•The Burdens: Oct 21-Dec 4.

Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St, Sarasota. 941-321-1397.

•The Odd Couple - Female Version: Sep 2-11. 2708 Santa Barbara Blvd, #135, Cape Coral. 323-5533.

•The Play That Goes Wrong: Sep 14-Oct 2. Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•The Revolutionists:  Sep 16-Oct 2. Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•The Women: Oct 13-23.

Cultural Park Theatre, 528

Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water is Running: Oct 19-Nov 6. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood. 941-475-6756.

Art Galleries

•Aldo Castillo Gallery: Miromar Design Center, 10800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 312375-8887.

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

•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Sep 2-Oct 2: Creating Inside OutIan Summers; Oct 7-.30: Joan Sonnenberg. 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.

•ArtBeat Studios: 1400 Colonial Blvd, #35, Fort Myers. Wed & Sun 11a-5p. Free. 225-9770.

•Art Center Sarasota: 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Sep 1-30: Alissa Silvers, Jesse Clark, I Am the Clay, Pop!; Oct 20-Nov 26: The Figure. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 941-3652032.

•Arts for ACT Gallery: 2265 First St, Ft Myers. Sep 2- Oct 3: Jolie Black; Oct 7- Nov 1: Barbara Gage Mulford. MonSun 11a-4:30p, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Fri 11a-10p. Free. 337-5050.

•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. thru Sep 25: True Likeness; thru Nov: Helen Frankenthaler - Late Works 1990-2003; Sep-Feb: Envisioning Evil - The Nazi Drawings by Mauricio Lasansky; Oct-Jan: Ran Hwang - Becoming Again; Oct-Jul: Florida Contemporary; Dec-Oct 2023: Naples Collects; thru Jan 8: Recent Acquisitions; ongoing: Chihuly Collection; 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 10a7p. Free. 283-1335.

•BIG ARTS: Sep 16-Oct 23: Annual Juried Show; Oct 28-Dec 11: Petticoat Painters. 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. MonSat 9a-4p & Sat 9a-1p. Free. 395-0900.

•Bob Rauschenberg

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

•Bokeelia Art Gallery: 8315 Main St, Bokeelia. Tue-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 738-5280.

•Cape Coral Art Center:  Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 5740802.

•Cape Coral Art League: 516 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape

Coral. Oct 6-Nov 6: Florida

Life. Open painting Wed

1-4p. Mon-Th 11a-4p. Free. 772-5657.

•Center for the Visual Arts

Bonita Springs: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. MonFri 10a-4p & Sat 1-5p. Free. 495-8989.

•Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs: 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 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 10a-8p. Free. 281-8180.

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

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

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

•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL Gallery. Coastland Center, 1900 Tamiami Tr S, Naples. Wed-Sun 12-6p. Free. 436-3530.

•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Inside Butterfly Estates, 18153 Fowler St, Ft Myers. WedSun 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.

•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. Apr 5-26: Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. 489-5216.

•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Wasmer Gallery–Thru Sep 29: Nexus - FGCU Art Faculty show; Oct 14-Nov 17: Citrus Flux. Wasmer Gallery in Arts Complex, ArtLab in Library. Mon-Fri, 10a-4p & Thu 10a-7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Fort Myers Beach Art Association & Gallery: 3030 Shell Mound, Ft Myers Beach. Main Gallery– Thru Oct 14: Summer Show; Oct 15-Nov 10: Members show. Studio 2 Gallery– thru Oct 14: Summer show; Oct 15-27: Summer Gallery Painters Group; Oct 29-Nov 10: Board members show. Sep: Wed & Thu 9a-12p, Oct: Mon-Sat 10a-3p. Free. 463-3909.

•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 4037787.

•Guess-Fisher Gallery:  Crayton Cove, 810 12th Ave S, Naples. Mon-Thu 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 Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sat 12-4p. Free. 261-2637.

•Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery: 2490 Library Way, Sanibel. Opens Oct 3. 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.

•LaBelle Gallery & Cultural Center: 471 N Lee St, LaBelle. Fri-Sun 1-5p. Free. 863-8432929

•Lovegrove Gallery &

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel presents the exhibition, Nocturnal Photography of Open-Ocean Mollusks, thru October 15. For information, call 395-2233.

Garden: 4637 Pine Island Rd NW, Matlacha. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 11a-5p. Free. 203-8332.

•Marco Island Center for the Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Thru Sep 7: Terry Carter; Sep 8-Oct 4: Skelfish Metals; Oct 10-Nov 1: Ann Vreeland; Oct 10-Nov 22: Moods. Mon-Fri 9a-4p. Free. 394-4221.

•Method & Concept: 26 10th St. S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p. 529-2633.

•Naples Art Studios: North Line Plaza, 2172 J & C Blvd, Naples. Thru Nov 1: Gallery Group Show. By appt. 8211061.

•Naples Art: 585 Park St, Naples. Thru Oct 30: The Artist’s Hand. 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 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Sarasota); Thompson Gallery (Keating Center, 2700 N. Tamiami Tr, Sarasota)— thru Aug 12: Valetta. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. Free. 941-359-7563.

•Sanibel Captiva Art League: JoAnn LaPadula & Julia Tamblyn; Oct: Jaye Boswell & Anita Force Marshall. Meetings 3rd Thu. Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 1-3p. Free. 322-8593.

•Sanibel Community House: Sep: JoAnn LaPadula & Julia Tamblyn; Oct: Jaye Boswell & Anita Force Marshall. 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 9a3p. Free. 472-2155.

•Sanibel Public Library: Sanibel Captiva Art League exhibits. Oct 3-Dec 5: Welcome Back; Dec 5-Jan

2: Itty Bittys. 770 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 9a-3p. Free. 472-2155.

•Sarasota Art Museum: Ringling College, 1001 S Tamiami T, Sarasota. Thru

Sep 11: Constructs; thru Oct

2: Threads of the Maternal Figure; thru Nov: Xaviera

Simmons; Sep 4-Feb 5: Steven & William Ladd; Oct

2-Jan 15: Moving Images by Janet Biggs & Peter Campus. Tue-Sun 11a-5p. 941-3094300.

•Sheldon Fine Art: 460 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Sun-Thu 10a-6p, Fri-Sat 10a-9p. Free. 649-6255.

•Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. Grand Atrium— Sep 2-28: A Place Beyond the Subconscious; Oct 7-14: Dark Art. Capital Gallery— Fractasia - Sacred Space in a Sacred Age; Oct 7-14: Eternity - Amanda Zirzow. Mon, Tue & Thu 10a-5p, Wed & Fri 10a-10p. Free. 337-1933.

•Sweet Art Gallery: 2100-A Trade Center Way, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat by appt. Free. 597-2110.

•The Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru Sep 25: Ballroom Florida - Deco & Desire in Japan’s Jazz Age; thru Sep 25: Marvelous Marbling of Matsui Kosei; thru Oct 23: Works on paper from Ringling Collection of Modern & Contemporary Art; thru Feb 12: Highlights of Kaplan Collection of Photography; Oct 15-Jan 22: A Decade of Collecting. Bayfront Gardens. Gardens of Ringling Guided Tour: Thu 10:30a. 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.

•Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point: 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 10a-3p. Free. 415-5667.

•Union Artists Studios: Alliance of the Arts, 10051 McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Sat 10a-2p & by appt. Free. 980-1394.

•Venice Art Center: 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. Mon-Fri 9a-4p. Free. 941485-7136.

•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Thru Sep 25: Members Showcase. Mon & Fri 9a-4p, Tue-Thu 10a-7p, Sat 10a-2p. Free. 941-6398810.

•Watson MacRae Gallery: 2340 Periwinkle Way, #G1, Sanibel. Mon-Fri 11a-5p. Free. 472-3386.

Attractions

•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum: Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 30290 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston. Daily

9a-5p (entry to boardwalk closes at 4pm). 877-902-1113.

•America’s Museum of the Military & First Responders: Naples Airport, North Road Terminal, 500 Terminal Dr, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-4p & Sun 12-3p. Free. 614-2050357.

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

•Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum: 3075 SanibelCaptiva Rd, Sanibel. Thru Oct 15: Nocturnal Photography of Open-Ocean Mollusks; thru Nov 28: Adorned by the Sea

- Shells in Fashion, Mollusk Hospital - A Shell Folk Art Journey in 20 Rooms. Daily

10a-5p. 395-2233.

•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Tours Tue-Thu 11a. rsvp 337-9505

•Butterfly Estates: 1815 Fowler St, Ft Myers. Tue-Sun 9a-2p. 690-2359.

•Calusa Heritage Trail: Randall Research Center, 13810 Waterfront Dr, Pineland. JAN-APR Wed, Fri & Sat 10a & 1p. Mon-Sat 10a4p. 283-2062.

•Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. Museum, butterfly aviary, walking trails, animal talks, butterfly talks, planetarium shows daily. Guided walks select Tue, Thu, Sat 10a; Full moon night hikes & haunted Walks select nites 8p. Planetarium shows Mon-Sat 12 & 2p & Sun 12, 2, 3:30p. Holiday Lights Dec 9-30. Tue-Sun 10a-4p. 275-3435.

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

•Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. Sun-Tue & Thu-Sat 10a-5p. Closed Sep 10-16. 514-0084.

•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. MonSat 9a-4p. Free. 252-8476.

•Conservancy of SWFL: 1495 Smith Preserve Way, off Goodlette Frank Rd. Nature center, exhibits, kayaking, nature walks, electric boat eco-tours. Tue-Sat 9:30a-4p. Free. 262-0304.

•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd. Visitor center, boardwalk, exhibits, guided walks, swamp walks, night events. Daily 8a-1p. 348-9151.

•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Guided wildlife walks &

hospital tours, presentations

11a daily Oct, 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. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. Free. 472-3644.

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Wildlife viewing, education Center. Exhibtions–Sep 1-Oct 31: Artist-inResidence Jacqui Roch. Visitor Center-– Mon-Sat

9a-4p; Wildlife drive– SatThu sunrise-sunset. 472-1100.

•ECHO Global Farm & Research Center: 17391 Durrance Rd, N Ft Myers. Farm tours Tue-Sat 9:30a. Technology Village tours: Tue, Fri, Sat 11:30a. Tue-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 9a-3p. 543-3246.

•Edison & Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Exhibits. Guided homes tours daily; Automotive Tour Mon 10:30a; Inside homes tour: Tue & Thu 10a; Garden tour by appt; Yoga in the Moonlight Garden Wed 10a; piano concert every other Wed 9:30a. Daily 9a-5:30p. 334-7419.

•Estero Historic Cottage Museum: One-room schoolhouse & historic cottage. Estero Park, 9285 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Sat 1-4p. Free. 2721911.

•Historic Palm Cottage Museum & Norris Gardens:  Naples Historical Society, 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Walking tours of Naples historic district: Wed 9:30a; Guided garden tours: 1st & 3rd Thu of month 10a; House tours. Holiday tours: Dec 1-31 Tue & Wed 12-4 & Sat 12-7p. TueSat 12-4p & Sat 1-4p. Free. 261-8164.

•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. Guided tours. Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 1-4p. 263-9200.

•IMAG History & Science Center: Exhibits, activities, live sea life touch-tank & feedings, films. Oct 1- : Tutankhamun. 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. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2522611.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Thru Oct 1: Birds of Paradise - Birds of South Florida and the

Eternity, and exhibition paintings by Amanda Zirzow, is on view Oct 7-14 at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers’ Historic River District. Call 337-1933 for information.

What Goes On

Everglades by Inez Hudson; Oct 13- : Art of the Dig. TueSat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.

•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. Thru Sep 25: Flora Imaginaria – The Flower in Contemporary Photography; Oct 15-Dec 4: The Orchid Show. 10a-5p daily. 941-3665731.

•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Historic Spanish Point, 337 N Tamiami Tr, Osprey. Butterfly House. Oct 1- 31: Lights at Spooky Point.

Thru Sep 2023: Seeing the Invisible. Daily 10a-5p daily. 941-366-5731

•Mound House: 451

Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. Guided tours Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-3p; programs

Tue, Wed, Sat 10a; Shell

Mound tours Tue-Sat 11a & 1p; Garden tours Tue & Fri 1p; Untold Stories tours Thu 2p; Free guided beach walks

Tue & Thu 9a at Newton Park, 4650 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. 765-0865.

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

•Museum of the Everglades:  105 W Bwy, Everglades City.

Thru Oct 1: Legendary Gladesmen. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.

•Museum of the Islands: 5728 Sesame Dr, Bokeelia. Tue, Thu & Sat 11a-3p. 283-1525.

•Naples Botanical Garden:  4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples.

Thru Sep 11: Christy Noonan - Meditations on Waterlilies; thru Nov 2023: Stickwork

interactive sculpture installation. Tours daily 10a1p on hour. OCT-MAY daily 9a-5p, Wed 9a-8p; JUN-SEP daily 9a-2p. 643-7275.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Sep 10- : Abandoned Vehicles of the Everglades. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 262-6525.

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

•Ostego Bay Foundation

Marine Science Center: 718

Fisherman’s Wharf, Ft Myers Beach. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 765-8101.

•Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens: 5827

Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda. Tue-Sun 9a-4p. 941-6218299.

•Randell Research Center: 7450 Pineland Rd, Pineland. Calusa Heritage Trail, South Florida archeology & ethnography exhibits. Sunrise-sunset. 283-2062.

•Revs Institute: 2500 Horseshoe Dr S, Naples. Tours & workshops. Tue, Thu, Sat 10a-4p. Tix in advance. 687-7387.

•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Thru Oct 28: The Land They Love - Rookery Bay Reserve Staff & Volunteer Art Show. Exhibits, daily programs, guided boat & kayak tours. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. 530-5940.

•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Nature Center: 3333

Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Exhibits, programs, guided tours. Sep: Mon-Fri 8:30a3p, Oct: Mon-Fri 8:30a-4p. 472-2329.

•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Landscapes & Garden Center: 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Exhibits, demonstration gardens, workshops. Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p & Sat 10a-3p Jan-Apr 4721932.

•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Exhibits. Sanibel Heritage Trail. Opens Oct 18. Oct: Tue-Sat 10a-4p. 472-4648.

•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Organic spa, garden & dining. 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. Live music Tue-Sun afternoons. Daily 10a-5p. 995-2141.

•True Tours: River District History Walking Tour: select Sat 10:30a; Haunted History Tours 8p; Tours begin & end at Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, Ft Myers. By appt. 9450405.

•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat by appt. Free. 332-8778.

•Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs.  Botanical gardens, animals, alligator feedings, Marc Harris Wildlife photography gallery. Daily 10a-4p. 9922591.

Parks

•Bailey Homestead Preserve: Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Walking tours

Mon 2p & Thu 10a. Free. 472-1932.

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

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

•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Guided beach walks Wed 9a. Free. 707-6794.

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

•Collier-Seminole State Park:  US 41, S Naples. Free. 3943397.

•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: 11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach. Free. 5976196.

•Estero Park: 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. 248-1609.

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

•Four Freedoms Park: 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. Free. 574-0804.

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

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

•Lakes Regional Park: Oct 1430: Scarecrows in the Park. 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. 533-7575.

•Lovers Key State Park: 8700 Estero Blvd. Ft Myers Beach. Guided walks select Fri & Sat 10:30a. rsvp. 463-4588.

•Lynn Hall Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 229-7356.

•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. Free butterfly garden tours Sun 9a. Free. 690-5030.

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

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

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

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

•Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve:  7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Boardwalk, interpretive center open Tue-Sun 10a-4p. Guided boardwalk walks Wed 9:30a. Guided ‘wet walks’ select Sat & Wed 9:30a & 1p. Register. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7550.

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

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

Live Music & Comedy

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

•Bert’s Bar & Grill: 4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Live music nitely, Wed & Thu 12:30-3:30p & Fri-Sun 12:306:30p: Calypso Magic. Free. 282-3232..

•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: 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Wed-Sun nites. 4828565.

•Cape Cabaret: 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. Live music Wed-Sat 7-10p & Marty Stokes Band select Sun

1:30-5:30p. 549-3000.

•Coastal Dayz Brewery: 2161 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers, Live music select nites. 2049665.

•Downtown Social House: 1406 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Live music nitely. 337-7646.

•Eight-Foot Brewing: 4417 SE 16th Pl, #11, Cape Coral. Live music select nites. 337-7646.

•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers. Live music Wed 6-9p, Thu 6:309:30p, Fri & Sat 7-10p, Sun 2-5p. 313-6576.

•Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Comedians Thu-Sat nites. 479-5233.

•Lobby Bar: Luminary Hotel, 2200 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. Wed nites thru Sep 28: Michael Dutra’s Frank Sinatra Tribute. Free. 314-3723.

•Matanzas on the Bay: 414 Crescent St, Ft Myers Beach.

Live music nitely 5-9p & Sun 12-4p; last Wed 7-9p Comedy Nite. Free. 463-3838.

•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: Thu 7-9p Bill Beck, Fri 6-9p Acoustic Road. 304-8795.

•Off the Hook Comedy Club: 2500 Vanderbilt Beach, Naples. Comedians Thu-Sun & select Tue & Wed nites. 540-7867.

•Ollie’s Pub: 1019 Cape Coral

Pkwy, Cape Coral. Tue: Open jam; live music select Fri & Sat nites. 540-7867.

•Oxbow Bar & Grill: 1300 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Live acoustic music Sun afternoons & select nites. Free. 314-3723.

•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. 1st Sun: BBQ & Bluegrass 4-7p; 1st & 3rd Thu: jazz jam 6-9p; 2nd Thu: Irish jam 6-9p; Sat: Jeff Lyons 1-5p. Free. 603-6535.

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

•Riptide Brewing: 987 3rd Ave N, Naples. Live music Fri & Sat nites 7-10p. 2286533.

•Riptide Brewing: 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd, Bonita Springs. Live music Fri & Sat 7-10p. 949-9945.

•Roadhouse Café: 15660 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live jazz 6:30-9:30p. Wed: Danny Sinoff Trio; Thu: Jazz-Matics; Fri: Tony Boffa & Friends; Sat: Danny Sinoff Quartet; Sun: Ricky Howard. 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.

•South Street City Oven & Grill: 1410 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. Live music select FriSun 8-11p. 435-9333.

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

•The Barrel Room: Twisted Vine, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live jazz & blues. Thu 7-10p: Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet; select Fri & Sat 8p-11p: 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 Stage: 9144 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs. Live tribute bands select nites. 405-8566.

•Whiskey Park: 3300 Mercantile Ave, Naples. Live music Fri & Sat nites. 2636777.

•Z’s Music Kitchen: 12655

Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Live music select Fri & Sat 6-9p. 304-9552.