Musical interludes
From Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda and pretty much every other business along Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach to Mercato in Naples and Stan’s Idle Hour on Marco Island, shopping centers, restaurants and bars throughout the area offer free concerts and live entertainment performed alfresco practically every day of the week.
We’re especially fond of the intimate venues of Cheers at Waterside Shops in Naples and The Center Bar at the Promenade in Bonita Springs, where it seems everybody knows your name.
Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County also serves up a hometown version of “American Bandstand” with Friday evening performances by Southwest Florida favorites. Babcock Bandstand concerts, which begin at 6 p.m. under the downtown bandshell, feature the Punta Gorda Symphony, rock ’n’ roll by Tiger Blue and rock, folk, grass and roots by brother Kevin and Nick Yablonowski, aka the Yabo Brothers.
Festival freebies
Southwest Florida loves a good festival and celebrates just about anything — music, movies, nature, art and otherwise — without a cover charge. Sure, the area hosts well-known and well-attended events like national art shows (see Arts for All), but it’s the Everglades City Seafood Festival (Feb. 11-13), Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival (March 12), Veg Fests throughout the region, and those falling into the “otherwise” category that truly provide local flavor.
Where else but LaBelle could pull off a celebration of the sabal palm and an ode to agriculture? The city’s 56th annual Swamp Cabbage Festival — tagline: “Red, White and Moo” — is Feb. 26-27 and features a rodeo, armadillo races, a swamp queen and more.
And of course, nowhere other than Sanibel Island could host the world’s largest and longest running celebration of the seashell. This year, the 85th annual Sanibel Shell Festival takes place March 3-5 at the Sanibel Community House. Expert and novice artists compete in craft competitions, and local experts help explain live shells. You can watch shell artists at work, and purchase shells and shell crafts. General admission to the grounds is free; a $5 donation is suggested for entrance to the artistic and scientific exhibition halls.
For the granddaddy of all free festivals, head to Immokalee where Florida Weekly and the Seminole Casino Hotel present 20 musical acts, classic car and vintage bike shows, and mustache, pin-up and tattoo contests honoring all things mid-century Americana during the second-annual Rockabillaque Florida Feb. 19-20.
To market, to market
Florida is one of the nation’s top states for agriculture, which you’ll soon discover while browsing the kaleidoscopic colors of just-harvested fruits and veggies at a local farmers market. From the Atlanta Braves market at CoolToday Park (the Spring Training home of the World Series champions in Wellen Park) to the organic garden at Shangri-La Springs in Bonita and the cobblestoned sidewalks of Third Street South in Naples, plus island markets on Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, Southwest Florida offers a bounty of seasonal and year-round markets that are a veritable feast for the senses.
Equal parts shopping and social event, many markets also host live entertainment. The events attract homespun vendors selling kitschy crafts, handmade soaps, jewelry and more, so visiting is always a treasure hunt.
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Mystical and borderline exotic, there’s something about a drum circle that sings to the spirit, the soul, spontaneity and self-expression. Perhaps, it’s the freedom to play — or dance — to your own beat or the shared connection to community and culture over a methodical almost monotonal primal pulse. Hand drummers, hula hoopers and spectators are always welcome to experience these magical moments offered by the Southwest Florida Community Drum Circle biweekly at Cambier Park in Naples and the Fort Myers Drum Circle in downtown locales, including Centennial Park and the patio of the Fort Myers Regional Library.
Drum circles are even better when accompanied by water and setting sun. The Englewood Drum Circle meets every Sunday on Englewood Beach an hour before sunset.
Check Facebook for regularly scheduled events as well as pop-up locations.
Get on your bike and ride
See the sights on a bike with dozens of new friends. Southwest Florida Critical Mass, a cycling club for all ages, takes to the streets for monthly rides in Fort Myers, Sanibel, Estero, Cape Coral and Naples. With 3,400 followers on Facebook, some outings are akin to a Tour de France field — minus the mountains.
For those who prefer solo excursions or bicycle rides for two, Team Punta Gorda offers a fleet of 36 bright yellow bikes, including three trikes and a hand-pedaled cycle, all perfect for exploring the city’s quiet streets and historic homes, downtown restaurants and boutiques, waterfront parks and Fisherman’s Village. The free loaners are available at Laishley Marina, Four Points Sheraton, the Bayfront Wellness Center, and Springhill Suites. Simply check in with the host site, and provide ID and a credit card as a deposit (no charge when bike is returned). A helmet, lock, cable, and a map are provided.
A day with the dog
Sometimes, a dog just needs to run with the pack. Dog parks throughout Southwest Florida give Fido freedom to roam. Charlotte County offers Katherine Ariens Dog Park in Charlotte Harbor and Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Paw Park in Englewood. You’ll find dog parks in Lee County at Buckingham Park, the Estero Park and Recreation Center, Judd Park in North Fort Myers, Veterans Park in Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs Dog Park, and Wa-Ke Hatchee Park off Bass Road in Fort Myers. Collier County offers Rover Run at Veterans Community Park, Naples Dog Park on Riverside Circle and Canine Cove Dog Park on Marco Island.
Even better? Spend a day at the beach with your furry friend. Dog Beach next to Lovers Key State Park in Bonita Springs is Southwest Florida’s only Gulf of Mexico beach where dogs can run free, frolic in the sand and splash in the surf. Parking is free. Cue the wet-dog smell on the car ride home.
Many shopping centers have also gone to the dogs, offering dog-friendly destinations and outdoor dining.
The power of observation
Brush up on the latest fashion trends without spending a dime. Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South — Naples’ premier shopping districts — offer prime people-watching and window-shopping destinations beloved by the 1%. Covet worthy couture is always on display, worn by passersby and shown in shops. Be sure to study the streetscape and parking areas, where Lamborghinis. Ferraris, Bentleys, Aston Martins, and other exotic cars seem more prolific than any domestic make or model.
Down on the farm
You don’t have to put a lot of miles on the car or even venture east of the interstate to visit an honest-to-goodness working farm. Surrounded by upscale communities on Penzance Boulevard in Fort Myers, Southern Fresh Farms carries on a nearly 50-year family tradition, growing hydroponic produce and flowers and tending to rescued barnyard animals, including cows, goats, a mini donkey, chickens, and a turkey. Its park-like setting offers a large playground, a swing facing a waterfall and even a microbrewery. Raw honey, produce, and cut flowers are available seasonally.
Visitors to 31 Produce in Alva can roam the 80-acre farm, check out the butterfly garden and catfish pond, pan for precious stones and fossils, and pet a menagerie of mini donkeys, Nigerian dwarf goats, as well as a pot belly pig, rabbits, and guinea pigs. The petting zoo also has not-so-cuddly chickens and an African spur tortoise. While there, dine at the Cracker Shack Café, which specializes in farm-to-table dishes and country cooking, and consider reaping your own harvest. 31 Produce offers a cornucopia of seasonally available you-pick options at a fraction of grocery store prices, including beefsteak tomatoes, greens, squash, herbs, melons, strawberries, and dragon fruit.
Farmer Mike’s U-Pick in Bonita Springs is also a great adventure that shows the kids where their food comes from.
Arts for all
Southwest Florida is home to many community arts centers and galleries of national renown, and most offer free admission to view original works by local and international artists. True to its namesake, the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery on the campus of Florida South Western State College in Fort Myers celebrates contemporary art with exhibits by major artists (no admission; however, donations are accepted). Florida Gulf Coast University offers three galleries and free artists’ talks. The Visual Arts Center in downtown Punta Gorda features new exhibits every month. Shows by members, faculty and local student artists, plus national and international traveling exhibitions at the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs are always free. The Bonita center is also hosting Arts Worldwide, a free family day event April 9 featuring music and dance performances, art stations and painting, pottery and drawing demonstrations.
Explore the working studios and enjoy demos from over 80 local arts during Art Alive, offered the first Wednesday, first Thursday and third Saturday of each month through April in the Naples Art District, tucked away in plain sight along Shirley Street between J&C Boulevard and Pine Ridge Road.
Some of the country’s top-rated juried art shows happen right here, including the No. 2 Bonita Springs National Art Festivals (Feb. 12-13 and March 5-6, a donation is suggested). ArtFest Fort Myers returns downtown Feb. 5-6. The Seminole Hotel Casino’s Artflo Music & Arts Festival in Immokalee April 9 features nine full concerts, interactive art displays and art merchants.
Explore your artistic side by joining a complimentary art journaling walk with Friends of Lovers Key artist-in-residence Jenny Morley Licht (Feb. 10, 11 and 19, a free journal and pencil are provided) and a plein air session on the beach (Feb. 11).
Pier one
Fishing piers in Naples and Fort Myers Beach offer prime venues for people-watching and picturesque sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. Here, you’ll see avid anglers reeling in grouper, Spanish mackerel and other saltwater species; an international contingency of fellow sightseers; and nature lovers enjoying Nat Geo moments — pelicans diving for dinner, even dolphins and stingrays making an occasional appearance. Both piers have bulk fishing licenses, meaning you can fish for free. The Naples Pier is offering a free fishing clinic for kids March 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For a serene setting and serious fishing, the El Jobean Fishing Pier (en route from Port Charlotte to Englewood) provides opportunities to snag snappers, speckled trout, and snook and to see a sunset over the Myakka River.
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