October 2020 What’s Happening Southwest Florida

October 14, 2020 | EventsUncategorized

In this issue of What’s Happening in Southwest Florida, we’ll have you “fall”ing in love.

Fandom Fest
A month-long virtual celebration of fandoms and geek culture for all ages, brought to you by the Lee County Library System. Celebrate a new fandom theme each week with special activities, events and challenges. Click HERE for more info!

Broadway Palm Dinner Theater presents Mamma Mia! | October 1 ~ November 14
Back by popular demand is Mamma Mia! Told through Abba’s greatest hits is a comical story of Sophie, a bride-to-be, and her search for her birth father on a beautiful Greek island. After reading her mom’s diary, Sophie secretly invites the three men her mom wrote about to her wedding. This enchanting and unforgettable tale of love, laughter, family and friendship is set to ABBA classics including Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me, SOS and the title song Mamma Mia! Buy Tickets

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
New art exhibit every month from local to world-renowned artists. Exhibits are open from October 2 – 20th. Call ahead for gallery hours for other times, 239.333.1933. $1 Donation Entry Fee. This month’s exhibits feature:

• Syzygy Presents: Dark Art | This show features the very finest and most notorious collection of juried artwork in SWFL, all dedicated to the spirit of horror, macabre, and the darkness during the Halloween season.
• The Divine End | Introducing a new collection of works that pertain to the life we are currently living with connected collaboration pieces based on the dark & excitable.

Frightmare on 78
Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get ANY scarier, Gator Mike’s has you covered with its Frightmare Haunted House, Open Air Scare Zones, Zombie Paint Ball and more! Multiple dates throughout the month. Click here for more information.

Cape Coral Chamber Golf Tournament
The Annual Chamber Golf Tournament will be happening Friday, October 2, 2020. To reserve your single, foursome or sponsorship – or for more information, click here!

Fall Craft Fair | October 3 & 10 from 11 am – 7 pm
Miromar Outlets is the place to shop an array of items from local artisans, crafts, artists, vendors and more. Hosted by Local Ladies Social Network, Inc.

Blessing of the Pets | October 4 from 4 – 6 pm
Bring your pets to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis, the patron of animals, at the First Annual Blessing of the Pets. This will be an outdoor event at the Cape Coral Animal Shelter located at 325 SW 2nd Avenue in Cape Coral. This event is open to people and pets of all faiths. Dogs must be on a leash at all times (no retractable leashes). Cats, critters and other pets must be in a carrier. Each participant will receive a prayer card and St. Franics medallion. A pet boutique (including people swag) will be on site, as well as a photo station. RSVP by emailing info@capecoralanimalshelter.com with number of guests and pets.

Suzanne Vega Live Stream Event: “Suzanne Vega Live from the Blue Note”| An Evening of New York Songs and Stories October 7 at 9 pm
Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega released her latest album, An Evening of New York Songs and Stories, on September 11, 2020 (Amanuensis/Cooking Vinyl). Read More… Ticket sales and the live stream event will take place on Seated (www.seated.com). The stream will be available at this link for up to 72 hours.

Yappy Hour Returns to Bell Tower Shops | October 23 from 6 – 8 pm
The area’s largest pet-friendly social hour, providing an evening of fun for pet lovers and their four-legged friends. Yappy Hour runs from 6 – 8 PM the second Friday of every month (weather permitting) in center court of Bell Tower Shops.

Greek Fest Drive Thru | October  9 & 10 from 11 am – 6  pm
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Myers on Cypress Lake Drive is planning a drive-through event to comply with social distancing guidelines. Guests will be able to pre-order their favorites, like: ** Gyro Sandwiches ** Cheese Pies ** Greek Fries ** and so much more, by calling 239.481.2099. The church is also working on an online ordering system.

Rocktoberfest 10k & 5k | October 10
Are you ready to rock and run a LIVE race? This 10k and 5k course features several rock stations throughout the closed park route. You’ll hear a variety of old and new rock songs blasting as you race past your competition. All finishers receive a rockin’ medal! This is not a virtual race! Sign up here.

Mission 2244 GALA | October 16 from 6 – 10 pm
A night “To Remember Our Fallen Heroes Sacrifices, Honor Their Families, Unite and to Celebrate Law Enforcement”. This event will be held at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, and will feature a VIP hour, cocktail hour, gourmet dinner, special guest speakers, and so much more. Mission 2244 Gala symbolizes what the Robert L Zore Foundation and the Fallen Officers is about.

Red Carpet Opening Night – Fort Myers Film Festival at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center | Wednesday, October 21
The festival, which has been on hold, will feature in person and virtual activities. Participants and attendees safety will be prioritized with organizers implementing reduced capacity with spaced seating, extra sanitization measures, strongly encouraging the use of masks and social distancing.  Learn more here.

Brick & Sticks Golf Tournament | Friday, October 23
Fundraiser for Lee BIA Builders Care | Only 25 Teams Available ~ Spots Will Go Fast! | Sponsorships are available! Pelican Preserve Golf Club located at 9802 Pelican Preserve Boulevard in Fort Myers. https://www.bia.net/events/details/bricks-sticks-golf-tournament-2644

Hallowine 2020 | October 28 from 6 – 9 pm
Let the Ghoul Times Roll! Naples Gulf Shore Rotary Club is excited to announce their annual Hallowine Winewalk event at Mercato. Dress up in your favorite Halloween costume and enjoy a drink and bite walking to several of your favorite Mercato restaurants. There will be a costume contest, raffle drawings, photo booth, and more! All net proceeds go to charities, both domestic and international, that support community needs and global calamities. Stay in the know on their Facebook Page.

Tour Sanibel Island with Tarpon Bay Explorers
Kayak & Standup Paddleboard tours along with Nature & Sealife Cruises have resumed at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Rentals such as kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards and bikes are on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations are recommended for guided kayak, paddleboard and boat tours.  Call 239.472.8900 and visit them online.

Farmers’ Markets & Social Distancing Events

Cape Coral Downtown Farmers’ Market – Open Saturdays from 8 am – 1 pm in Club Square, where it will remain through the summer!

Surfside Sunshine Farmers’ Market – Located in the Shops at Surfside, NW corner of Veterans Parkway & Surfside Boulevard will be open every Tuesday from 1 – 6 pm beginning October 6, 2020 through April, 2021.

• Vendors  at the above locations will offer produce, foods, soaps & pet foods.  Visitors are asked to wear face masks and maintain social distancing recommendations.  Additional staff will be stationed at the markets to encourage people to follow social distancing guidelines.​

Alliance Market – The Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket is open to the public from 9 am – 1 pm every Saturday, with added precautions & following CDC guidelines. The Wednesday drive-thru pickup service initiated in response to COVID-19 will also remain in operation. Located at 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.

Local Roots Online Farmers’ Market – Offering curbside pick-up or delivery from vendors.  Go to www.localrootsonlinefarmersmarket.com to order.

Museums & Zoos

IMAG – Did You Know That? The IMAG is now offering Zoom Birthday Parties! Let them help you create a fun and unique virtual birthday party experience for your birthday child! Click HERE for more info!

Edison and Ford Winter Estates – For children ages 18 months – 5 years, we are offering a Preschool Program: Emerging Inventors the First and Third Tuesday of each month, October through April | 10 – 11 am.

Naples Zoo is open for full outdoor experiences at a limited capacity. Click HERE before you go.

Naples Botanical Garden – come tour the Gardens and as a bonus, see the art exhibition on display beginning October 1 of Steve Tobin: Nature Underground. Plein Air Paintings by Paul Arsenault are on display through the month. Get your timed tickets here.

Shell Factory Nature Park – Come check out their new carousel ~ just $1/ride! You can also purchase special fun park packages online.

Recreation at Home

Lee County Library System – Will host 2nd Annual Fandom Fest as a free virtual celebration of fandoms and geek culture throughout the month of October. Participants of all ages will have the opportunity to participate in cosplay, crafts, escape rooms, and so much more. There will also be an online costume contest for all ages and pets, plus a virtual fandom art exhibition featuring local artists’ work in anime, manga and comic book styles. For more information, including the schedule of events, click here.

Virtual Game Night – Make every game night an EPIC game night! Let’s Roam has taken their mission virtual, helping people explore, discover, and connect through a one-of-a-kind video platform. Combining crazy-fun games with embedded video chat software for a game night experience that will level up your joy! Five rounds of fun will take you through: Trivia, Charades, Let’s Draw, Trivia About You, and Drinking Games. And what’s even better, is it’s FREE! Learn More

Alliance for the Arts – In person classes are now available ~ but if you’re not ready, they still have some fun online entertainment and education happening! Check out their calendar of events!

Stay At Home Storytime – Lee County Library System will post new story times every Wednesday at 10 am on YouTube, be sure to check it out!