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Events in Southwest Florida

What’s Happening in Southwest Florida

Every public event we track in one place — this weekend’s 9 live listings from the official city and ballpark calendars, the 38 annual festivals residents plan the year around, and the weekly regulars. Filter by area, category or type. The live feed is Lee County only for now; the annual calendar covers Lee, Collier and Charlotte. Every listing links its organizer. Nothing here is for sale.

58 events This weekend’s live listings + 38 annual festivals + weekly regulars · organizer-linked · nothing for sale

Monthly Art Walk

Fri, Oct 2 · 5:00 PM

Fort Myers · Lee County

Island Hopper Songwriter Fest

Sep 18–27, 2026

Captiva, Fort Myers, Cape Coral & Fort Myers Beach · Lee County

Free songwriter showcases that move from Captiva to downtown Fort Myers to the beach across ten days — Nashville writers in small rooms.

Naples Stone Crab Festival

Oct 23–25, 2026

Naples · Collier County

Tin City and Bayfront's three-day celebration of the stone crab season opener — claws, music and a boat parade.

Naples International Film Festival

Late October

Naples · Collier County

Artis—Naples' film festival — opening night at Hayes Hall and four days of features and shorts.

Florida Everblades home opener

Mid-October (season runs to April)

Estero · Lee County

ECHL hockey at Hertz Arena — multiple Kelly Cup titles, family-priced tickets, 36 home games a season.

Fair at Fenway South

Nov 6–22, 2026

Fort Myers · Lee County

Carnival midway, food and shows in the JetBlue Park lots each November.

Cape Coral Veterans Day Parade

Veterans Day weekend

Cape Coral · Lee County

One of the larger Veterans Day parades in the state, down Cape Coral Parkway.

Night Lights in the Garden

Late November through early January

Naples · Collier County

Naples Botanical Garden lit up after dark on select evenings through the holidays.

Festival of Trees

Thanksgiving week

Fort Myers · Lee County

Decorated-tree exhibition and auction at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, opening the downtown holiday season.

Christmas Boat Parade on Naples Bay

Second Saturday of December

Naples · Collier County

The Marine Industries Association of Collier County's parade of decorated boats down Naples Bay, past Tin City and Bayfront.

City of Naples Christmas Parade

Second Tuesday of December, evening

Naples · Collier County

Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South close for the evening parade — floats, bands, Santa.

Cape Coral Holiday Boat-a-Long

Dec 19, 2026

Cape Coral · Lee County

City-run boat parade on the Bimini Basin canals with a festival at Four Freedoms Park.

Sanibel-Captiva Luminary

First weekend of December

Sanibel · Lee County

Two nights of luminaria lining Periwinkle Way (Sanibel Friday) and Captiva (Saturday), with shops and restaurants open late.

New Year's Eve fireworks

Dec 31, 2026

Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral & Naples · Lee County

Midnight fireworks off the Fort Myers Beach pier and at Cape Coral's Four Freedoms Park; Naples Pier runs a family-hour show.

Cape Coral Art Festival

Jan 9–10, 2027

Cape Coral · Lee County

Two-day juried fine-art street festival along Cape Coral Parkway — 300-plus artists, free admission.

Bonita Springs National Art Festival

Jan 9–10, Feb 6–7 and Mar 6–7, 2027

Bonita Springs · Lee County

Nationally ranked juried art festival at Riverside Park in Old Bonita, run by the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs.

Naples Winter Wine Festival

Jan 29–31, 2027

Naples · Collier County

The Naples Children & Education Foundation's charity auction weekend — one of the largest in the country.

Swamp Buggy Races

Three race weekends a year: January, March and October/November

Naples · Collier County

Florida Sports Park's mud-track races, a Collier tradition since 1949.

ArtFest Fort Myers

First full weekend of February

Fort Myers · Lee County

Downtown Fort Myers' riverfront art festival — about 200 juried artists on Edwards Drive and the River District streets.

Edison Festival of Light

Throughout February; Grand Parade of Light mid-to-late February

Fort Myers · Lee County

Fort Myers' month-long tribute to Thomas Edison — 5K, junior parade, crafts on the river, car shows and the night-time Grand Parade of Light downtown.

Everglades Seafood Festival

Feb 19–21, 2027

Everglades City · Collier County

Three days of stone crab, gator, mullet and live music in Everglades City's McLeod Park.

Swamp Cabbage Festival

Feb 27–28, 2027

LaBelle · Hendry County

LaBelle's old-Florida festival — parade, armadillo races, swamp cabbage (hearts of palm) cooked every way.

Burrowing Owl Festival

Late February

Cape Coral · Lee County

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife's celebration of the city's resident burrowing owls — guided bus tours, talks and vendors at Rotary Park.

Lee County Fair (SWFL Ag Expo)

Feb 25 – Mar 7, 2027

North Fort Myers · Lee County

The county fair at the Lee Civic Center — midway rides, livestock shows, 4-H exhibits and fair food.

Spring Training — Red Sox & Twins

Late February through late March

Fort Myers · Lee County

Grapefruit League baseball at JetBlue Park (Red Sox) and Hammond Stadium (Twins) — the game schedule appears in Coming Up once MLB publishes it.

Zoobilee

Early February

Naples · Collier County

Naples Zoo's evening fundraiser — local restaurants, wine and the animals after dark.

Sanibel Shell Show & Festival

Mar 4–6, 2027

Sanibel · Lee County

The Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club's juried scientific and artistic shell show, now past its 90th year, at the Sanibel Community House.

Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival

Mar 13–14, 2027

Fort Myers Beach · Lee County

Lions Club shrimp festival — the Saturday parade down Estero Boulevard, shrimp dinners and the crowning of the Shrimp Queen.

Collier County Fair

Mar 18–28, 2027

Naples · Collier County

Ten days of rides, livestock, exhibits and concerts at the Collier County Fairgrounds on Immokalee Road.

Naples Craft Beer Fest

March

Naples · Collier County

Bayfront's afternoon tasting festival for Florida breweries, benefiting local charities.

Naples Pride Fest

April (moved from June in 2026)

Naples · Collier County

Naples Pride's day-long festival at Cambier Park — vendors, music and family programming.

Fort Myers Film Festival

May 19–23, 2027

Fort Myers · Lee County

Independent film festival based at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center downtown — screenings, Q&As and the opening-night gala.

Punta Gorda Hibiscus Festival

Mother's Day weekend

Punta Gorda · Charlotte County

Downtown Punta Gorda's spring festival — hibiscus plant sales, a parade, music and a craft market.

Great Dock Canoe Race

Second Saturday of May

Naples · Collier County

Naples Bay's tongue-in-cheek canoe race off the Dock restaurant at Crayton Cove, running since 1977.

Red, White & BOOM

Jul 4, 2027

Cape Coral · Lee County

Cape Coral's Fourth of July street party and fireworks along Cape Coral Parkway — billed as the largest single-day event in Southwest Florida.

Fort Myers Art Walk

First Friday of every month, 6–10 p.m.

Fort Myers · Lee County

Galleries and shops open late across the River District; also appears in Coming Up from the city calendar.

Fort Myers Music Walk

Third Friday of every month, 6–10 p.m.

Fort Myers · Lee County

Live music on the River District's streets and patios.

Cape Coral Farmers Market

Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., mid-October through mid-May

Cape Coral · Lee County

Club Square, SE 47th Terrace at SE 10th Place. Seasonal — closes for the summer.

Punta Gorda farmers markets

Saturday downtown (Taylor Street) and Sunday at History Park, mornings

Punta Gorda · Charlotte County

Two markets, two days.

Bonita Springs Concert Band

Monthly Sunday concerts, November through April

Bonita Springs · Lee County

Free outdoor concerts at Riverside Park.

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (MiLB)

April through early September, Hammond Stadium

Fort Myers · Lee County

Single-A Twins affiliate; the home schedule appears in Coming Up.

FC Naples (USL League One)

March through October, Paradise Coast Sports Complex

Naples · Collier County

Pro soccer off Collier Boulevard near I-75.

Florida Everblades (ECHL)

October through April, Hertz Arena

Estero · Lee County

36 home games; tickets through the arena.

Live listings come straight from the cities’ and ballparks’ own published calendars; annual and recurring entries are editorial, each linked to its organizer and checked August 2026. We don’t add, rank or promote events — confirm details with the organizer.

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North Fort MyersLee County 3 guides Fort MyersLee County 26 guides Cape CoralLee County 8 guides Miromar LakesLee County 1 guide EsteroLee County 15 guides Bonita SpringsLee County 10 guides NaplesCollier County 17 guides
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