On The Gulf
New Concert Series on Sanibel
The Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ launches its new concert series, Music@ SCUCC on April 27 with the Florida Early Music Baroque Orchestra performing ‘Johan Sebastian Bach in Song and Dance’.
“Distinguished organist Dr. Ronald Dorian will open the concert playing major compositions by J. S. Bach with guests Janet Ortenzo and Ariane Schoellner performing Bach’s most lyrical vocal pieces,” said Mackenzie Albert, SCCUC Music Director and Artistic Director of the new concert series.
Star dancers Katalina Bustamante, Violet Schwartz, and Anabelle Troyer from Southwest Florida Ballet will join the Orchestra for Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3.
The Music@SCUCC series continues on May 18 with ‘An Afternoon of American Opera’, featuring music of Gian-Carlo Menotti, Carlisle Floyd, George Gershwin, and Leonard Bernstein, with excerpts from Bernstein’s West Side Story and Candide. The concert features vocal stars from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Bower School of Music.
“The concert highlights both classics and new work,”
Del McCoury performs April 6 at Seminole Casino & Hotel Immokalee’s Southland Bluegrass Music Festival.
explained Albert. “There will be arias and duets from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, scenes from Menotti’s The Medium and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and an aria from the new opera The Hours, as well as Bernstein favorites.”
Both concerts are free, with donations accepted at the door. Performances begin at 2pm, followed by a reception with the artists.
Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ is located at 2050 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel. For information, call 203-517-5427.
Bluegrass Festival in Immokalee
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee hosts its fourth annual Southland Bluegrass
The Naples Fine Art Show returns to the grounds of the Italian-American Foundation, April 12 & 13.
Music Festival on Sunday, April 6.The free festival will feature outdoor concerts starting at noon and ending at 8pm. There will also be concerts in the Zig Zag Lounge both before and after the festival, as well as a variety of food trucks. music schedule
12pm: Alligator Alley
1:30pm: The Travelin’ McCourys 3pm: The Infamous Stringdusters 4:30pm: Del McCoury
6:30pm: Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
All concerts are free. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs. Coolers, backpacks and pets will not be permitted.
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is located at 506 S 1st St. in Immokalee. Call 800-2180007 for information.
Fine Art Show Returns to Naples
H
ot Works’ Naples Fine Art Show returns to Naples the weekend of April 12 & 13. The outdoor art fair will be held at the Naples Italian-American Foundation
The Art Show features fine art and fine crafts created by awardwinning artists from around the world with all disciplines for sale: paintings, clay, glass, sculpture, fiber, wood, jewelry, and more. All artwork is original and personally handmade by the
artist present at the show. There will also be food and music.
The Naples Fine Art Show is located at 7035 Airport Pulling Rd., at the corner of Orange Blossom Rd. The Art Show is open 10am-5pm Sat & Sun. Admission is free. Ample free parking is available. Call 941755-3088 for information.
9am-4pm. Lake Morton is located in downtown Lakeland, Florida. Parking is available at the corner of Lime St. & Massachusetts Ave. Lakeland Public Library is located at 100 Lake Morton Dr. Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum at Florida Southern College is located at 800 E. Palmetto St. Call 863-688-7743 for information.
Lakeland’s Mother’s Day Weekend Art Festival
The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art Fine Art Festival, Mayfaire by-the-Lake, will be held May 10 & 11, Mother’s Day weekend, on the shores of Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland.
The free, 2-day event features more than 150 artists showcasing their work across a variety of different media, from jewelry and ceramics to paintings and photography. In addition to art displays, families can visit the Mayfaire Kids Zone on the corner of E. Walnut St. & Indiana Ave. for free art activities for children of all ages and abilities.
The weekend also features free live musical performances on the lawn in front of the Lakeland Library and food trucks along Lake Morton Drive. The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum will be open throughout the weekend.
One of the oldest arts festivals in Central Florida, Mayfaire by-the-Lake was launched in 1971 as a small crafts fair on the lawn of the Lakeland Public Library, and has grown into one of Florida’s largest and most celebrated annual outdoor art festivals. Presented on Mother’s Day weekend each year, it is consistently ranked among the best art shows in the nation.
Mayfaire by-the-Lake will be held Sat & Sun, May 10 & 11,
Mayfaire by-the-Lake, one of Florida’s oldest outdoor art festivals, is May 10 & 11 along Lake Morton in Lakeland.
‘Ding’ Darling Day Returns to Lakes Park
The ‘Ding’ Darling Day Conservation Carnival will be held again in Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers on April 26. The annual free family-centric event celebrates ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge and Earth Day with nature-themed games, music, walks, crafts, workshops, wildlife presentations, face-painting, food, and more, as well as painting demonstrations by ‘Ding’ Darling’s Artist -in-Residence, Jacqui Roch. carnival schedule
10am-2pm: carnival games, live music, face-painting, rock-climbing, dunk tank, live painting demos, wildlife presentations
10am: Check in at Welcome Table in Main Pavilion
10:30am: Nature Photography
11am: Kids Nature Hunt
11:30am: Bilingual Birding with Ranger Yvette
12:30pm: Sketch & Stroll Nature
Journaling
1pm: Yoga
Pre-registering for 45-minute special programs is recommended.
Lakes Park is located at 7330 Gladiolus Dr. in Fort Myers. The
‘Ding’ Darling Day Conservation Carnival is open 10am-2pm. Admission is free. Call 472-1100 for information.
SWFL SpaceCon Comic Book & Sci Con is June 14 at the German American Social Club in Cape Coral.
Gulf Coast Writers Contest
The Gulf Coast Writers Association is accepting submissions for its annual writing contest through June 30.
The writing contest includes three genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. The contest is open to all aspiring writers worldwide. Last year’s winners included writers from Southwest Florida to Wales, U.K.
Each category offers cash prizes for first, second, and third-place prizes. Winners will be notified by August 15, with a celebration scheduled at the Gulf Coast Writers Association meeting on September 20.
Now entering its 30th year in Southwest Florida, Gulf Coast Writers Association provides a forum for fellowship, education, and information for writers, editors, and associates. With approximately 200 members, they have meetings the third Saturday morning of each month, featuring special guest speakers. With approximately 200 members, meetings are usually attended by 50 members or more. They are currently looking for locations to hold their upcoming meetings.
For information, visit GulfWriters.org.
SpaceCon in Cape Coral
S
WFL SpaceCon, an all day celebration of comic book, sci-fi, anime, gaming, and pop
culture superheroes, returns to the grounds of the German American Social Club in Cape Coral on June 14.
SWFL SpaceCon 2025 features special guests from film & TV, cosplay guests, show cars, vendors, game demos, gaming, tournaments, photo & autograph ops, panel discussions, costume contests, and non-stop entertainment.
SWFL SpaceCon Comic Book & Sci-Fi Con is open 10m-6pm. The German American Social Club is located at 2101 SW Pine Island Rd. in Cape Coral. For information, visit swflspacecon.com.
Rauschenberg Gallery Hosts Final Show Before Move
The exhibition, ‘David Bradshaw & William S. Burroughs: Propagation’, on view through April 12, will be the final exhibition at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College until major Humanities Hall/Building L renovations are completed in two years.. The gallery’s exhibition programming will relocate at the new Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Annex space in to the Library Lobby in Building J.
The exhibition features previously unseen original artworks by Burroughs, the legendary, influential, and late Beat Generation author, paired with his longtime friend and frequent collaborator, artist and sharpshooter, David Bradshaw.
Works in the exhibition demonstrate how these artists utilized unconventional tools (including firearms, dynamite and a bowling-ball canon) and chance-based operations to generate new artistic forms.
The Bob Rauschenberg Gallery is in Humanities Hall on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College, located at 8099 College Pkwy. SW in Fort Myers. The gallery is open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm & Sat 11am-3pm. Admission is free. Call 489-9313 for information.
‘America at The Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation’ is on view at The Bishop Museum of Science & Nature in Bradenton.
Guitar Exhibition at Bradenton’s Bishop Museum
The National Guitar Museum’s touring exhibition, ‘America at The Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation’, will be on view through May 18 at The Bishop Museum of Science & Nature in Bradenton.
The exhibition examines the guitar, one of the most enduring icons in American history, as a metaphor for the nation’s ongoing cultural upheaval and looks at American history through its most popular instrument.
Andrew Sandall, Chief Executive Officer of The Bishop Museum of Science & Nature, explained “This exhibit does a fantastic job
Lee County Sports Complex • HAMMOND STADIUM
Apr 8: vs Tampa Tarpons
Apr 9: vs Tampa Tarpons
Apr 10: vs Tampa Tarpons
Apr 11: vs Tampa Tarpons
Apr 12: vs Tampa Tarpons **
Apr 13: vs Tampa Tarpons *
Apr 15: vs Bradenton Marauders
Apr 16: vs Bradenton Marauders
Apr 17: vs Bradenton Marauders
Apr 18: vs Bradenton Marauders
Apr 19: vs Bradenton Marauders **
Apr 20: vs Bradenton Marauders *
Apr 29: vs Jupiter Hammerheads
Apr 30: vs Jupiter Hammerheads
May 01: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
May 6: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
May 7: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
May 8: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
May 9: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
May 10: vs Dunedin Blue Jays **
May 11: vs Dunedin Blue Jays *
May 27: vs Bradenton Marauders
May 28: vs Bradenton Marauders
May 29: vs Bradenton Marauders
Jun 3: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
Jun 4: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
Jun 5: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
Jun 6: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
Jun 7: vs Palm Beach Cardinals **
Jun 8: vs Palm Beach Cardinals *
Jun 17: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
Jun 18: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
Jun 19: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
of placing guitars in their historical context, showing us how every era of American social history came with its own soundtrack.”
“Guitar enthusiasts like myself will find some real rarities and oddballs in the guitars on display to gaze in wonder at,” Sandall continued.
Using 40 instruments, from the vihuela of the 1500s to a modern steampunk guitar, ‘America at the Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation’ provides insight into significant periods in American history: European colonialism, the Great Migration, opening up of the West, the introduction of electricity across the nation, the Cold War, teenage rebellion, the rise of videogames.
The largest natural history museum on Florida’s Gulf Coast, The Bishop Museum of Science & Nature also includes an all-
Jun 20: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
Jun 21: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers **
Jun 22: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
Jul 4: vs Bradenton Marauders
Jul 5: vs Bradenton Marauders **
Jul 6: vs Bradenton Marauders *
Jul 18: vs Daytona Tortugas
Jul 19: vs Daytona Tortugas **
Jul 20: vs Daytona Tortugas *
Jul 25: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers
Jul 26: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers **
Jul 27: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
Aug 1: vs Dunedin Blue Jays
Aug 2: vs Dunedin Blue Jays **
Aug 3: vs Dunedin Blue Jays *
Aug 5: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 6: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 7: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 8: vs Clearwater Threshers
Aug 9: vs Clearwater Threshers **
Aug 10: vs Clearwater Threshers *
Aug 19: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 20: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 21: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 22: vs Tampa Tarpons
Aug 23: vs Tampa Tarpons **
Aug 24: vs Tampa Tarpons *
Sep 2: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 3: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 4: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 5: vs St Lucie Mets
Sep 6: vs St Lucie Mets **
Sep 7: vs St Lucie Mets *
digital Planetarium, a Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat, and the Mosaic Backyard Universe for young children.
The Bishop Museum of Science & Nature, located at 201 10th St. W.in Bradenton, is open Tue-Sat 10am-5pm & Sun 12-5pm. For information, call 941-746-4131.
New Sculpture Trail at The Baker Museum
The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail, an outdoor exhibition along Pelican Bay Boulevard showcases a selection of sculptures from The Baker Museum’s permanent collection and on loans.
Spanning the scenic walking path adjacent to the Kimberly
Querrey & Louis Simpson Cultural Campus, the trail features significant works by renowned artists, including kinetic sculptures by George Rickey and a monumental Corten Steel sculpture by Albert Paley. Artworks are displayed in a natural setting, fostering a deeper connection between art and the Southwest Florida community. The installation is enhanced by beautiful landscaping and lighting design.
“The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail exemplifies the enduring partnership between Artis—Naples and the Pelican Bay Foundation, celebrating our shared commitment to making art visible, accessible and inspiring for all,” said Artis—Naples CEO & President Kathleen van Bergen.
“Pelican Bay Foundation is proud to partner with Artis— Naples—a world-class institution— and it is an absolute privilege to collaborate with them on The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail,” said Tony D’Errico, Pelican Bay Foundation president.
The Baker Museum Director & Chief Curator, Courtney McNeil highlighted the artistic impact of the trail: “By situating these remarkable sculptures along the walking path, we create a space where art and environment enhance one another, inviting reflection and discovery outside of the traditional gallery setting.”
Visitors can access the trail for a self-guided tour at any time. The Baker Museum’s trained docents offer weekly outdoor sculpture tours on Thursdays at 10am from November through May.
Artis—Naples and The Baker Museum are located at 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd. in Naples. The museum is open Tue-Sat 10am-4pm & Sun 12-4pm. For information, call 597-1900.
The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail is along Pelican Bay Blvd. in Naples.
A New Coach for a New Team
AS HE LEADS FC NAPLES IN ITS INAUGURAL SEASON, Head Coach Matt ‘Gaffa’ Poland never remembers a time “when I was not playing soccer. I was on my first team when I was three years old and played or coached on one ever since. I love the relationships, friendships and bonds you develop with your teammates, as those are different from the ones you have outside of sports. As I got older, I dreamed about playing professional soccer and that became my driving force. I was never the best player, however, so I made up for that by working extremely hard. I was an excellent communicator and organizer and those traits help me now as a coach. When I played, nobody worked harder or gave more effort than me.”
the
man
“Players
over the years will come and go, but the culture you create carries over from team to team.”
Poland was playing college soccer when he first thought of coaching as a profession. “I found I really enjoyed the human side of soc cer because being in a team sport teaches us so many of life’s les sons; it has success and failure, compromise and happiness, joy and frustration, as everything you deal with in sports is what you deal with in life, only in sports you learn your lessons in a safe environment because losing a game is not the end of the world. As a coach, nothing pleases me more than seeing my team learn, grow, develop and come together. I love that unique challenge and gain great satisfaction when those bonds form.”
“I am from Rochester, Minnesota,’ says Poland. “I discovered Southwest Florida through my grandparents. They bought a house on Marco Island in the 1960s so my Mom spent her entire life vacationing here and eventually so did I.” He continues,
by Gary Mooney
“Fourteen years ago, I began my own Marco Island journey, during my off-seasons, as a player then a coach. Once I moved here, I started coaching the boys and girls Marco Island Academy soccer teams, as well as some youth clubs, to give back to my local community. I love Southwest Florida.”
In January 2024, FC Naples formally announced its new franchise in the United Soccer League and threw a community ‘Welcome Party.’ “I was in Marco Island for the off-season so I attended,” he recalls. “I met FC Naples CEO Roberto Moreno and told him how excited I was about FC Naples. We stayed in contact, speaking by telephone and Zoom for the next five months, and the more we spoke, the more we realized we were a good fit so it was the most organic job interview ever. FC Naples offered me the job at the end of May and I started two weeks later.”
“Being in a team sport teaches us so many of life’s lessons.”
the team
Beginning a new sports franchise is daunting. “I actually had a previous experience in building a brand-new soccer club from the ground up and that gives me a terrific perspective,” Poland says. “The biggest element is to create an environment that allows a group of players from different nations and backgrounds to build a common culture. Everything changes when you start a completely new program where everything is new, from the team to the community to the players to the coach to the ownership, so you must build a strong foundation. Players over the years will come and go, but the culture you create carries over from team to team, because once you have that identity, the players will buy in.”
“I was on my first team when I was three years old and played or coached on one ever since.”
He tells me his biggest takeaway from previously starting a new soccer franchise is “to be patient,” adding, “Before, it was stressful, but now I have a game plan, and I know that comes in layers, and you cannot force things overnight. You cannot expect your players to understand everything the first day, as it is a process, so you lay out your basic foundation, then add one or two percent more to that every day. I now have the calmness necessary to allow that process to naturally flow.”
The FC Naples roster includes 23 players from 12 nations. “I see that as a huge asset,” emphasizes the Coach. “Such a diverse and multinational group can only broaden our players socially and culturally through their shared experiences, as the more you grow as a person off the field, the more you grow on it. Each country and nationality have their own flavor and experiences, so those cultural exchanges not only unite you as a group, but can lead to exciting things on the field.”
Describing FC Naples, he says “Our calling card is hard work and effort; it is nonnegotiable that our effort is top-notch.” He adds, “Our fans are paying their hard-earned money to watch us so we owe it to them to give them their money’s worth.”
He explains, “Defensively, we are structured with discipline, while offensively we play with our front foot forward, in a dynamic attack that is exciting to play and watch. We take risks when possible, to elicit ‘ooohs & ahhhs’ from the crowd.” He adds, “The USL League One is deep and talented, with each team having its own style of play. League One is known for its physical play, so we must dig
down and fight for every point. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs and we plan to be one of those.”
When contemplating how FC Naples will do in the oppressive Southwest Florida summer, he opines, “Some of our players are from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina so they will adapt well,” adding “As for the rest of the squad, we have practiced since January so by the time July and August rolls around, we will have slowly increased their capacity to deal with the heat. It can also rain hard in the summer, but we hope our start times of 7pm will mitigate much of that issue, as our summer rains usually end by then. If it does rain during a match, we play through it unless there is lightning in the vicinity.”
the matches
Family Section for the kids and, of course, the Supporter Section is essential.”
“There are Southwest Floridians who passionately love soccer,” says the Coach, “and now they can watch professional soccer right in their own backyard. For others to whom soccer is relatively new, they can join us on a Saturday night and revel in the entire entertainment experience.” He adds, “Most importantly, we are your community team. For a city like Naples to fully realize its potential, it needs a professional sports franchise to pull everyone together, in a prideful way of boasting from where you are from. Now we have a professional team of which we can all be proud; that represents where we live and that we can all rally around.”
Matt confesses the best part of being the FC Naples coach is, “The overwhelmingly positive reaction I receive from the Southwest Florida community. Everyday someone tells me how excited they are that FC Naples is here. He adds, “I feel extraordinarily blessed at how the community is welcoming and supporting us.”
“Watching a soccer match on television does not do justice to the live experience. You must be in the stands to feel our unique energy,” he urges, “Come see what FC Naples is all about and I guarantee you will return.”
PARADISE COAST SPORTS COMPLEX
3940 City Gate Blvd. N. • Naples 933-5335
Apr 12: vs Richmond Kickers
Apr 19: vs One Knoxville
Apr 26: vs Charleston Battery
May 25: vs Union Omaha
Jun 14: vs Chattanooga Red Wolves
Jul 4: vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
Jul 12: vs Westchester
Aug 6: vs South Georgia Tormenta
Aug 9: vs Texoma
“The Paradise Coast Sports Complex is an amazing stadium,” gushes Poland, “and it was extraordinarily beneficial in recruiting our players. The game day environment is incredible, with fans on all four sides of the field. The Beer Garden is fantastic, with food trucks on-site and music after the game, so it is a great place to hang out before, during and after our matches. People love our
Aug 30: vs Westchester
Sep 6: vs Greenville Triumph
Sep 27: vs AV Alta
Oct 18: vs Spokane Velocity
Oct 25: vs Charlotte Independence game start 7pm
the name
As for Poland’s ‘Gaffa’ nickname, he says “I was coaching in Scandinavia and we had several English players. In England, they call their coaches ‘Gaffer’ and it got shortened to ‘Gaffa.’ I’ve had it for roughly seven years now and I wear it like a badge of honor.” •
United Soccer League One’s FC Naples’ season runs through October 25, with hopefully the playoffs to follow. Games are played at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, located at 3940 City Gate Blvd. N., 15 minutes from downtown Naples.
The 5,000-seat stadium features family entertainment zones, VIP zones, and a gigantic video board. Most matches are on Saturday evenings.
For information about FC Naples, call 4271854. For information about Paradise Coast Sports Complex, call 933-5335.
“One
of the best things about the festival is that filmgoers get to talk directly to the filmmakers, and the filmmakers get immediate feedback from the audience.”
Film Fun in Fort Myers
FOR FIVE DAYS IN MAY DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS will be transformed into our own Hollywood Walk of Fame. Taking place at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center and other venues around town, May 14-18, this year’s festival has a lot in store, from the star-studded opeing night red carpet reception to the closing night awards ceremony, and screenings of more than fifty films for cinephiles from the casual fan to passionate professional.
Eric Raddatz, Founder and Executive Director of the Fort Myers Film Festival, says, “The Film Festival is a multi-day event where we screen independent films at four or five different venues. The films we screen range from full length features to shorts and documentary films. We are screening awesome films, from both international and local filmmakers.” Now in its 15th year, the film festival gets bigger and better every year.
Although the main venue is the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, films will also be shown at Alliance for the Arts, IMAG, Broadway Palm, BIG ARTS, Babcock Ranch, and Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium. More than 50 to 70 films will be shown, films that can only be seen at a film festival as they are not usually in distribution yet.
Film screenings are often followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers, and a Q&A with the audience. For attendees, it is a unique opportunity to hear directly the ‘how and why’ of a film. Raddatz says, “One of the best things about the film festival is that filmgoers get to talk directly to the filmmakers, and the filmmakers get immediate feedback from the audience.”
15 years
From paperboy for the Chicago Tribune to film festival Executive Director, Eric Raddatz has spent many years in the field of media and publishing as the award-winning presentation editor of Florida Weekly, a regular contributor for ABC-7 and NBC-2 in Fort Myers, as well as the host of Fort Myers Film Festival’s indie film show, T.G.I.M.
When asked why he started a film festival he answered, “I first explored the idea by going to the Edinburgh Film Festival, where I saw films I had not seen
by Cindy Reid
anywhere else, films that explored ideas and topics such as Sudan, nature, sexual gender. The biggest thing I realized after doing my own films was that I didn’t have anything like that here in Southwest Florida. I would go to journalism conventions where I would spend time with my own people, and I wanted to create something like that for filmmakers.” He says, “People who are creative in this medium, which is a technical and creative craft, are my people. I started it to help the community. You know the saying, ‘find what you like to do, and you will never work a day in your life’ That’s what I did with the film festival.”
After 15 years, Raddatz says the consistent highlight is the “fresh batch of interesting films every year and seeing people moved in a positive way by the films and the discussions.” He adds, ‘Some other really good moments are the opening ceremonies, when everyone is all dressed up and walking up on the red carpet. It’s a fun party, with great food and music. Another highlight is our ability to raise money and awareness for local nonprofits.”
He says as the festival grows it has attracted its own share of Hollywood folks. “It’s been fun to know people who are kind of famous in the room. They like our film fest. Our fest has the allure of not being star focused.” Among other well-known names, Olympia Dukakis’s daughter, filmmaker Christina Zorich screened her film, 8 Days, about human trafficking at a previous Fort Myers Film Festival. “Essentially, we are the next tier under the big film festivals. That’s what participants are saying and that’s what we are seeing from people all over the world. And that’s a good thing because being smaller gives us a relaxed quality that filmmakers like, “says Raddatz, “Our film festival has personality, and we care about filmmakers.”
New this year is the addition of ‘dome films’ to the festival agenda. A dome film is projected onto a dome-shaped screen, creating an immersive experience for the viewer.
genres
Many film categories are screened at the film festival, including documentaries. “Freedom of speech and press has informed this generation as to what’s going on in the world,” says Raddatz, “Filmmakers are doing visual journalism.” Marginalized voices are the subject of many documentaries. “When we view a film, we, as
“Being smaller gives us a relaxed quality that filmmakers like.”
illustration by Andrew Elias
a community, can feel good about understanding what it can be like to go through something,” says Raddatz, “Films let us engage with people who are there, whether it be autism, dementia, or human trafficking.”
He says that the film festival has “become a curative voice in the community. People will take a good look at a documentary and ask if they are passionate? Are they telling the truth? Audiences then say ‘OK, let’s take a look and give it real thought.” Raddatz says there is no political mission and that films are chosen based on their merit. “Develop critical thinking and find your own passion. Of course, we also love rom-coms and pure entertainment!”
dome films
Raddatz says “Year by year we find ways to improve. We look for what’s important to think and talk about today, which keeps us fresh.” One new facet is the addition of ‘dome films’ to the festival agenda. A dome film is a video that is projected onto a dome-shaped screen, creating an immersive experience for the viewer. The Fort Myers Film Festival is able to include dome films in their programming due to their collaboration with the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium. Dome films have been described as the
pinnacle of immersive storytelling. Utilizing 360-degree cinematography, the video and sound go all the way around viewers in every direction, so it’s as close to being at the actual location as you can come.
“We have very strong and fresh dome films in this year’s festival. Most places can’t contain them or play them, but we are happy to screen them this year at the Planetarium,” says Raddatz (who is also the Executive Director of the Calusa Nature Center).
community
The Film Festival brings newcomers and locals to Fort Myers, making it an economic boon for the area, especially the lodging and restaurant industries. Raddatz notes, “Clearly, when people come in from all over the world and focus on downtown for five days straight it’s a good thing economically for Fort Myers. Attendees, filmmakers, actors, film production and other industry people stay and dine downtown.”
Support goes both ways, as the community has gathered to support the Film Festival for many years. “We appreciate the support of the community, “says Raddatz, “it has been an incredible partnership that just gets better every
year. Our sponsors are the real VIPs.Together, with our partners and volunteers, we continue to make something the city can be proud of.”
thank god it’s monday
Each year, the Film Festival really starts with the ongoing ‘Thank God It’s Monday’ program, an indie film screening series hosted by Raddatz at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Once a month, October through March, local celebrity judges and attendees get a chance to watch and then weigh in on short indie films. The program often includes special guests, musical acts and interviews.
“Screenings help films in consideration, and the filmmakers are happy for their film to be seen,” says Raddatz. “They want the feedback from our panels and the audience question-and-answer sessions.”
The big news this year is T.G.I.M. is stepping into the world of streaming with Raddatz’s own new channel, The Eric Raddatz Show. Eric will be filming his monthly T.G.I.M. series for this new platform, enabling viewers from all over the world to join in the fun. •
The Fort Myers Film Festival is May 14-18 at venues throughout Lee County. For information, call 333-1933.
TKeeping History Alive
by Kara Moyer
Naples Historical Society is a non-profit that operates fully on private donations and charitable contribitions.
HE NAPLES HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS WIDELY recognized for keeping the history of Naples and Collier County alive and relevant, but with newly appointed Executive Director, Nancy Dagher, these days the organization has their sights set on the future. Smith Exhibit Hall, a 1000-square foot multimedia interactive history museum hosted its grand-opening in February 2025, and every inch of it is captivating.
Until the opening of the new museum, Historic Palm Cottage was the hub and focal point of the organization. Originally built in 1895 by Walter Haldeman, founder of the Louisville, KY Courier, on an adventure with friends looking for undeveloped land, it served as a guest house/annex for the now demolished Old Naples Hotel. The home has quite literally withstood the test of time, in great part due to its rare tabby mortar foundation. Sometimes referred to as ‘coastal concrete,’ it’s made from burning oyster shells to create lime, then mixed with water, ash, and more shells. It was commonly used by Spanish settlers in Florida, and later British colonists up north, but has since been replaced by more cost-effective concrete block in southern states.
Historic Palm Cottage, listed on the Landmark National Registry since 1982, is the only building constructed of it that’s still standing in Collier County. A chunk of it is displayed on the mantle inside the library.
Stepping onto the grounds of Historic Palm Cottage feels like entering a time machine. With its white picket fence surrounding the front yard and wide wooden entryway steps leading to an oversized, woodplanked sun porch, it immediately feels other-worldly, even with the crowded beach parking lot across the street. Time stands still just off Gulf Shore Blvd. as you open the door into the dimly lit foyer.
Almost all the furniture, décor, and artifacts are original to the period, from wrinkled
books on built-in bookcases to rusted fishing hooks and fraying line inside a glass display case. What has been replaced due to hurricane damage or otherwise is as identical and true to the period as possible.
Naples was struck by Hurricane Ian in 2022, and while the tabby mortar foundation held its ground, the home flooded on the first floor. Each damaged floorboard was single-handedly removed, dried, repaired, and reinstalled. What couldn’t be salvaged was exchanged with floorboards from closets upstairs.
While the first floor is more of a staged capsule of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the second floor is more of an educational museum. Black & white photographs line the walls in the hallway and above the bedroom furniture with captions full of historical facts to map a timeline of the development of Collier County and especially Naples.
Collier County was officially partitioned from Lee County in 1923. Ground broke on the construction of the Tamiami Trail that same year when Barron Collier agreed to finance it in exchange for the new county’s namesake, a full 28 years after Historic Palm Cottage was built. Prior to Tamiami Trail, there weren’t many options to access the area. The common choice was by boat, often on the BonTemps, but it was costlier and time-consuming to sail from Tampa to Naples.
Almost all the furniture, décor, and artifacts are original to the period, from wrinkled books on bookcases to rusted fishing hooks inside a glass display case.
Another was by braving one of only a handful of sandgraded roads from Fort Myers, a mere nine feet wide at best, through what was largely still swamp. These were often referred to as ‘Wish to the Gods’ trips because at some point along the journey motorists would wish they had taken another route. Haldeman, who built Historic Palm Cottage and is sometimes referred to as the ‘founder’ of Naples, also constructed the Naples Pier in 1888 so guests could more
Historic Palm Cottage has withstood the test of time in great part to its rare ‘coastal concrete’ foundation, made from burning oyster shells to create lime, then mixed with water, ash and more shells.
Historic Palm Cottage
easily visit by sea, specifically the Old Naples Hotel.
Founded in 1962 and originally a division of the Collier County Historical Society, Naples Historical Society is now an independent nonprofit that operates fully on private donations and charitable contributions. This makes Smith Exhibit Hall’s existence especially extraordinary, as it wouldn’t have been possible without the community’s support and confidence in the organization’s mission to preserve Naples history. Named after Mary & Byron Smith, (long-time Naples residents and renowned philanthropists in education, arts, and history), the new museum was originally a mid-century modern single-family residence conveniently situated next door to Historic Palm Cottage. Acquiring the home not only protected another original building in Naples from being leveled, but allowed the organization to further preserve Historic Palm Cottage by creating a more conducive space to share the city’s history with large amounts of foot traffic, especially children.
and draining the wetlands through manmade canals.
In addition to the timeline murals, there are numerous sensory stations throughout the museum, perfect for all ages to immerse themselves in the experience. A projection screen allows you to see yourself in formal clothing from the 1920s with the wave of an arm, then email it to keep as a memento.
Nancy Dagher couldn’t be prouder of Smith Exhibit Hall and the ongoing work Naples Historical Society does to keep its stories significant. It’s also not lost on her how fundamental it is to inspire younger generations to learn the city’s history to, in turn, protect the organization’s future. “I want to find out what the people of Naples want from their local historical society,” she explains, “and build a relationship with the community and our neighbors so that the mindset is ‘we’re all in this together.’”
Smith Exhibit Hall is an absolute contrast to Historic Palm Cottage. The museum is bright, and it guides you with ease through a detailed historical timeline. Oversized photographs of particularly monumental moments cover the walls, not just in what is now Naples, but beginning with Hamilton Disston, a real-estate developer, industrialist, and steel factory owner who purchased four million acres of Florida land in 1881 (for a measly 25¢ per acre) after visiting the area on a fishing trip. Disston realized the enormous development potential despite its mostly desolate and swampy state. Years of political battles ensued, but eventually he prevailed. His proposition was accepted to purchase the land to simultaneously bail out an almost bankrupt Florida government and develop it by dredging
If you haven’t experienced it firsthand or just want to satisfy your curiosity, a narrow booth the size of a coat closet lets you feel the immense power of hurricane-force winds with a video of past storms in the area. And, in what feels like a perfect homage to Smith Exhibit Hall’s lineage of sorts, the original crystal bell from the front desk of the Old Naples Hotel is on display in a glass case along with an interactive guide to read the original guest book, including Rose Cleveland’s signature, sister of President Grover Cleveland and the first to ever sign in to the hotel.
The guest book itself is a cherished piece of history, as it recorded more than just signatures. Hotel employees documented the weather, birthdays of prominent guests, and even the types and amounts of fish caught that day on excursions (although it’s
speculated that the sizes of said fish were slightly exaggerated).
The addition of Smith Exhibit Hall is the perfect complement to Historic Palm Cottage at Naples Historical Society in that it offers all that Historic Palm Cottage is unable, or should be expected, to provide. Historic Palm Cottage is a immaculately curated three-dimensional snapshot of history for us to view but not disturb. Smith Exhibit Hall is a modern, synergistic, historical hands-on adventure that is sure to excite and spark the interests of even the youngest of visitors.
And, if two exceptional museums weren’t enough, they’re flanked by Norris Gardens, a half-acre of land made up of four separate historic gardens. Acquired in 2004 and named after Laverne Norris Gaynor, one of the most recognized philanthropists in Naples history, the gardens are used for elementary field trips, lectures and events. The Chickee Pavillion, a palmetto thatched roof over a log frame, is nestled between two gardens, a nod to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, who once inhabited much of the land we now call home.
Dagher recently started hosting weekly focus groups in the Gardens for Naples residents to share their opinions on the organization and thoughts of what could be improved upon to encourage interest. There are also monthly ‘Chickee Chats’ with lectures from various historical experts.
The Oval Lawn, with meticulously cut, emerald green grass, is situated in the center of the Gardens and available to rent for private parties and receptions. A sign states, ‘The intent of The Oval Lawn is to create a unique and significant orienting green space that brings the four historic gardens together in a contented sense of harmony.’
Naples, in comparison, is a relatively young city. The centennial anniversary was just celebrated in 2023. But its history, from inception to evolution into the modern-day international destination that it is today, is fascinatingly compact with extraordinary stories of innovation, resilience, and sometimes just a little bit of luck. Naples Historical Society epitomizes their mission statement in every detail of the remarkable museums and gardens. The future of Naples history is in good hands. • Naples Historical Society is located at 137 12th Ave. S. in Naples. Historic Palm Cottage, Norris Gardens and Smith Exhibit Hall are open Tue-Sat 12-4pm. For information, call 261-8164.
Smith Exhibit Hall
The Oval Lawn
photograph by Will Lopez
A Puppet’s Dark Night of the Soul
by Nancy Stetson
PABLO PASTORAL, A ONE-FOOT TALL WOODEN puppet with blue luminescent eyes, lives a life of perpetual struggle.
The marionette’s story is told in seven episodes— or chapters—in El Tormento de Pablo Pastoral [ The Torment of Pablo Pastoral ], a film series that can be viewed on YouTube or at PabloPastoral.com.
“His face needs to convey everything and nothing at the same time. You’re looking at his face for hours, and it never changes. As he experiences all these different emotions and feelings, that expression has to work.”
“With Pablo, I really wanted to create an iconic character very relevant to these times,” says director Logan Crannell, who created the lead character and wrote the story. “I wanted him to be like Charlie Chaplin’s tramp, or Cantinflas, who is a Mexican version of Charlie Chaplin.
“I wanted to create an iconic character that was always put into really hard situations and difficult times and all the odds are stacked against them, but it never breaks their spirit. They keep fighting.
“That’s the story of my life,” he adds. “I’ve projected a lot of my life onto his. I never expected it to be so personal, I just wanted to make a puppet show. How did it get so intense and so personal? I wasn’t planning that, but that’s what happened.”
Pablo Pastoral just showed up in his life one day, Crannell says.
“I was at a low point in my life. I had a house party, and the next morning I woke up and there was
a marionette puppet on my porch. I don’t know how it got there.”
Crannell sat down and started talking to the puppet as if it were his therapist. He began doing this regularly.
“I started wondering about him, and he became alive to me in a way. The first name that popped into my head was Pablo Pastoral, and that stuck.”
When the puppet was attacked by his neighbor’s dog, Crannell pieced Pablo back together. But when he became serious about making a movie using marionette puppets, he decided to build Pablo from scratch.
“He needed to be literally my creation,” he says. “It took a lot of time.”
One challenge: the puppet’s face needed to express various emotions, although it doesn’t move.
“That was the key,” Crannell says.
“We projected our pain in our lives onto him, and through telling the story, as Pablo heals we heal.”
“If it didn’t sell, it wouldn’t work right. I knew I had to get it right.
“I probably repainted the expression on his face 50 or 60 times. His face needs to convey everything and nothing at the same time.
You’re looking at this puppet’s face for three and a half hours and it never changes. As he experiences all these different emotions and feelings, that expression has to work. It was difficult to make him look happy, sad, all at the same time.”
“I wanted him to be like Charlie Chaplin’s tramp, or Cantinflas, who is a Mexican version of Charlie Chaplin.”
Pablo has a rakish thin mustache, a slash of red paint for a mouth, and sports a head of wild thick, black hair.
“His hair was influenced by Joan Jett’s,” Crannell says. “I loved her look. I thought: I gotta give Pablo some Joan Jett punk rock hair!”
He also painted the outside of Pablo’s eyes blue, instead of white.
“I thought, ‘Wait, what if I painted his entire eye blue, divorced from reality?’ That’s it! That’s what finally made me realize I found the right look. His eyes are very piercing, luminescent.”
Crannell began collecting vintage marionettes made in Mexico in the 1940s and 1950s. These antique puppets fill out the rest of the cast.
“A lot of them were super damaged, so I had to repaint something, make new clothes or [restore] missing arms or legs,” he says. “I brought them back to looking good. They just have so much personality and their character is so defined. Whoever made these things, 80 or 90 years ago, they were telling their own story. It was fun to continue what they created and give them a new life.”
composing the soundtrack
He tapped his friend and long-time collaborator, Wallace Mecham, to compose the music.
“We really wanted to do something different musically in each chapter,” says Crannell. “So we pushed really hard to change the musical style and influences for each story.
“We wanted each story to be completely different from the one before it: a character study, a western, a family drama, an action movie.”
Mecham and Crannell have a long history of collaborating together.
“We’re so creatively hooked at the hip, it’s insane,” says Mecham. “Logan said, ‘It’s our story, like addiction and substance abuse and suffering. We need to write ourselves into this as a success story.’”
But Crannell wouldn’t tell him the plot or how the movie ends.
“I literally watched every scene and listened to the vocal actors, all these talented people, and figured out how not to get in their way. I watched the puppets, and asked myself: are they feeling hope, pain, happiness, despair? And I played to that and tried to match those frequencies.”
The puppets, he says, can’t express emotion on their faces, so his music needed to do that.
He wrote the soundtrack in a year.
The project pushed him to write some of his best work, Mecham says.
“Wallace and I were both in a bad space in our lives then,” says Crannell, “and we needed to project all of that onto an object, a puppet,
in order to heal ourselves and become better artists and happier people, in general.
“We projected all of our pain we’ve been through in our lives onto him, and through telling the story, as Pablo heals we heal. It was a very therapeutic process for both of us.”
But he knew the visuals and the music could only take the story so far.
“Without the right voice actors, it would fail,” he says. “It took me about eight years to find [the voice of] Pablo, but when I heard the work of Valentin Angel Fernandez, who’s based in Argentina, I knew I had him. He gave Pablo his soul.”
a labor of love
The movie took Crannell 16 years to complete.
“It wasn’t expected to take this long, it just ended up that way,” he says.
He began Pablo Pastoral in 2009.
In 2017, he moved to Fort Myers to be closer to his family.
It was bad timing; Hurricane Irma hit two weeks later. He was without power and water for 28 days.
Then Hurricane Ian destroyed all his sets in 2022, which he’d spent six years building. “I lost everything, except the puppets,” he says.
He finished shooting the movie in a hotel room, flipping the bed up against the wall to give himself more space.
“I was too pissed off to give up,” he says. “I thought: ‘You destroyed all my sets, my house. I’ll show you!’”
The sets, he says, were by far the hardest thing about the movie. He created 32 different sets, all 8 feet long and 4 feet high—a scale model set of all the locations.
He created 32 different sets, all 8 feet long and 4 feet high— a scale model set of all the locations.
“I had to build the entire town the characters live in,” he says. “I had to make it real.”
Crannell now works on the campus of the Alliance for the Arts in the Union Artist Studios.
going public
“One of the hardest things is when you make it public, and it’s not your world anymore, it’s everyone’s,” Crannell says. “You ask yourself: Was it worth it? Are people going to enjoy this? Should I have kept it for myself?
“When you put so much heart into everything and you put it out there, it’s the point where you’re the most unsure. You have to see what happens.”
The movie’s finding its audience, and the feedback has been vindicating, Crannell says.
“I’ve had people call me up crying and saying, ‘Thank you, because you helped me come to terms with a loved one that I lost, and it made me feel better.’ That was huge for me. Wow, the story is connecting with people. We did something right.”
“All that matters to me and Wallace is that it finds its audience.
“Pablo is a dreamer. He has all this love in his heart. And he wants to share the best parts of himself with someone. He doesn’t have much luck finding that. He lives in a very violent and uncaring place.
“It’s a story that I think a lot of people can really connect with,” Crannell says. “It’s about transcending a negative place you’re in physically or emotionally.
“It’s about transcending your pain.” •
T’S BEEN 62 YEARS SINCE THE LEGENDARY Patsy Cline died in a plane crash outside of Camden, Tennessee. The tragedy robbed Cline, only 30 at the time of the March 5, 1963 accident, of what was sure to be a legendary and lengthy career while robbing the world over of a once-in-a-generational talent. Fortunately, her music has lived on, thanks in part to the stellar styling of Tennessee native and vocalist Mandy Barnett. The result is ‘Sweet Dreams: Mandy Barnett Sings Patsy Cline,’ a beautiful night of music paying tribute to the late singer as Barnett delivers Cline’s classics (and some of Cline’s contemporaries) with love and perfection.
For Barnett, performing Cline’s material is probably second nature to her as she’s been singing her material most of her life. “I was eight years old when I first became a fan of Patsy Cline’s and aware of her music,” Barnett says on the telephone during a January conversation. “Then, at 18, I auditioned for a brand new musical called Always...Patsy Cline and portrayed her for many years at the Ryman Auditorium. She
She has always been one of my favorite singers. And, of course, it’s long been the standard in Nashville for singers to reach that standard of singing.”
‘Sweet Dreams: Mandy Barnett Sings Patsy Cline’ is different than the performances Barnett gave when she portrayed Cline 30 years ago when Always... Patsy Cline debuted in Nashville. Whereas the musical told the story of Cline’s life and career, ‘Sweet Dreams’ is all about the music.
“You’re going to hear all the songs that you know and love and expect to hear,” Barnett says. “The hits and maybe some obscure songs are thrown in from that era; songs from some of her peers that fit nicely into the set. Patsy was a ballad singer, so there’s just so many great ballads to choose from.”
Barnett says her attraction to Cline at such an impressionable age stemmed from many reasons. “If you had to sum it up, it was her tone, her pitch, her technique, and her emotion,” Barnett says. “She doesn’t sound to me like she was trained in any way; it was just a god-given talent. And couple that with someone who wasn’t afraid to show their vulnerability when they were singing. You could get a glimpse of who she was on the inside by her beautiful voice. Just the way she phrased songs.”
Almost as integral to Cline’s voice was the stylish production behind her biggest hits. Owen Bradley, who along with his brother Harold, created the first Nashville studio with echo, worked with Brenda Lee, Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb, and Red Foley, among others. Owen Bradley died in 1998. However, before his death, the producer worked with Barnett on what would become her 1999 studio album I’ve Got A Right To Cry. “Owen Bradley started Music Row in Nashville,” Barnett says. “He
was from Tennessee, so naturally, he already had the hillbilly thing down. But he was a big band leader, and he loved the sophistication of the Great American Songbook and the Big Band Era. He was able to combine the greatness of country music and the greatness of pop to create the Nashville Sound. It was a style of country music in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s that was palatable to a pop audience.”
Barnett says she, like everyone else, would’ve loved to see what twists and turns Cline’s career would’ve taken. The incredible quality of material she left behind has endured, although some have a harder time capturing or approaching Cline’s vocal prowess. For Barnett, she doesn’t need to do much vocal preparation when covering Cline’s work.
“I just think it’s luck that I’m an alto,” she says. “So I had the tone. And, as it would turn out, I unknowingly had some of the same inspiration she did. I loved Kate Smith and Kay Starr. I found out later Patsy also loved Kate Smith and Kay Starr. So, in addition to Patsy, I was into some of the people she loved as well.
“I’m an only child, so I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. They introduced me to big band, the Great American Songbook, country, bluegrass, gospel; that kind of thing you could hear everywhere around Tennessee. It was big band and pop that sealed the deal for me.”
Perhaps the silver lining in Barnett’s career is performing Cline’s songs and having both the support and approval of Cline’s family. “Oh yes! I know them all,” Barnett says. “It’s interesting, for someone that I’ve never met, Patsy Cline has had such a huge impact on my life. I know all of her family. I’ve worked with many of her peers. I’m also a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I also made a record with Owen Bradley. And, of course, working at the Ryman Auditorium where
Patsy Cline became a member of the Grand Ole Opry and where she performed many times.”
In 2021, Barnett was officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. She says she was quite surprised by being included despite performing there over 500 times over three decades at the hallowed country music mecca.
“I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen because the majority of my career I haven’t really chased mainstream country success,” she says. “I have been more of someone who has been into it for the creative outlet. I’m more of a preservationist. I like the old songs; that’s my favorite. I love classics, and I don’t want to see that kind of music die. So I think it’s really important to sing those songs. The majority of people that had those hits are gone. They can’t sing them anymore.”
“The Great American Songbook needs to be treasured, they need to be recorded, and they need to be sung. That’s why I do what I do.”
It’s been quite a career for Barnett, beginning when she won a talent competition at Dollywood when she was just 10 and using the winnings to help create a demo tape for herself. The tape, thanks to her mom, reached the ears of Nashville radio station WSM, which led to her performing on the station. As a teen, she spent time heading to Nashville to record, eventually catching the ears of Jimmy Bowen. Bowen, who worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Garth Brooks, signed her to a Capitol Records recording contract.
Unlike several young talents today who feel pressure to make music their career or seek out celebrity at the expense of a relatively normal childhood, Barnett says she never felt that anxiety to be a star.
“I went to school, so I had all the experiences of going to the prom and that kind of thing,” she says. “I wasn’t really a child star because
even though I was signed to a major label, we weren’t releasing anything. But from that experience, by the time I was doing Always... Patsy Cline —when I was 18—I was already seasoned in the studio and at performing. So it was a good background.
She adds, “Jimmy Bowen did me a good service by signing me and letting me figure out what I really wanted to do. After trying out the more modern country music, the more pop country music, I found out that’s not what I wanted to do. That’s not who I am.”
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of her debut single, ‘An Unforgettable Voice,’ while next year is the 30th anniversary of her debut self-titled album. Barnett says she’s always looking forward, but is pleased with how things panned out.
“Thirty years seems like such a long time; it kind of blows my mind,” admits Barnett. “A lot of people were introduced to me through that album. It got a lot of great press, and I’m very, very proud of it.”
Also in 2021, Barnett received another meaningful honor when she had a marker by the Tennessee Music Pathways placed in her name. The marker, located in her hometown of Crossville, has extra personal significance for its location in the town.
“That was amazing,” she admits. “It was just an honor to be recognized by the state. But what was really cool about it was they put it in the courthouse lawn near where my mother (Betty) had worked for almost 50 years (as a bookkeeper at the Cumberland County Courthouse). They should’ve put a Tennessee marker for her because of all the years she spent at that courthouse. But it made her very proud.” •
‘Sweet Dreams: Mandy Barnett Sings Patsy Cline’ will be performed April 5 in the Daniels Pavilion at Artis—Naples.
The Most Famous Unknown Artist
JOHN LENNON ONCE CALLED HIS WIFE “THE world’s most famous unknown artist.” But now, more than 45 years after his death, most people know who Yoko Ono is—or think they do. Some know her—mistakenly—as the woman who broke up The Beatles, or John’s partner in bed protesting for peace, or the singer screeching vocals at Plastic Ono Band concerts and on recordings. What they don’t know is the groundbreaking artist, the loving wife and devoted mother, the savvy businesswoman, the tireless peace and feminist activist, the lonely child, and the traumatized World War II survivor. It turns out that they really don’t know her at all.
by Andrew Elias
building in which they lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. That’s when I met her the first time. Though it was indoors, she wore dark wraparound sunglasses. She chain smoked cigarettes. We talked for a while. She asked me questions about my concept of the interview, and she told me about the album she and John were working on. She finally agreed to go forward.
She read my horoscope and numbers. She told me I had strong numbers that aligned with John’s. Based on that, she agreed to meet me.
David Sheff’s new book, Yoko: A Biography (Simon & SchuS ter) is an intimate profile of a strong, intelligent, creative, and misunderstood woman—an acclaimed avant-garde artist at the time she met John (Yoko’s first performance of her famous installation/performance of ‘Cut Piece’ was two weeks after the premiere of the A Hard Day’s Night film).
Sheff befriended John & Yoko decades ago when interviewing the couple for Playboy magazine, and has remained a friend to this day. I asked Sheff about Yoko, the book, the artist, and the woman.
•
You have written several articles and published a number of interviews with John & Yoko over decades. How did you first meet them?
A day later I met with her and John at a coffee shop to begin the interview. Over the next three weeks, I completed the interview. On December 6, my editor sent Yoko and John a copy of the magazine. They called the next day and we talked for a while. They were pleased with the interview and excited about the reception of the album they just released, Double Fantasy.
The next day, December 8, John was murdered. Like the rest of the world, I was stunned and horrified. I immediately tried to reach Yoko, but I couldn’t get her on the phone. I went to the airport and caught a red eye to New York and immediately went to the Dakota, but I couldn’t get near the building. Thousands of fans of John’s had gathered there. I got out of the taxi and mourned with them.
“Yoko experienced the horrific bombing of Tokyo. From bed, she watched the bombs fall and Tokyo burn.”
I was 24 in 1980, working as a freelance writer. I got an amazing assignment: to interview Yoko Ono and John Lennon. I just had to find them and get them to agree. They hadn’t been recording or granting interviews for almost five years and had no publicist or record company to contact. I made calls and wrote letters to people in the music business with the hope that someone would know how to reach them.
A telegram I sent to a record producer was passed along to Yoko. Someone from her office contacted me and asked when and where I was born. Yoko made decisions based in part on astrology and numerology, and she read my horoscope and numbers. Later she told me I had strong numbers that aligned with John’s. Based on that, she agreed to meet me.
I went to her office in the Dakota, the apartment
illustration by Andrew Elias
Eventually, I went to see Yoko. She was devastated. We sat together and cried. I visited her frequently after that. Over time we became friends. Our friendship grew as she very slowly moved on in her life.
•
Yoko has been painted in the media as cold, calculating and manipulative. Tell us about the Yoko you know?
From the beginning, when she got together with John, she was viewed negatively by people who blamed her for breaking up John’s marriage and, after that, breaking up The Beatles. Part of the reaction came because she didn’t look like other rock & roll girlfriends or wives–and she didn’t act like them. There was blatant racism.
Part of the image of Yoko as cold also derived from the fact that she rarely smiled in public. As she’d told journalist Barbara Graustark, she’d been taught that “smiles are for shopkeepers” by her mother, who was herself cold and removed.
Instead of blaming Yoko for breaking up the band, maybe she should be thanked for keeping them together during the productive period they made the Abbey Road and Let It Be albums.
But the Yoko I knew was very different. She laughed easily. She was open and excited about ideas and life. She suffered—she was sometimes depressed and paranoid—but in spite of what she’d been through, including her husband’s murder, she was also optimistic and joyful.
•
How did Yoko’s childhood experiences during and after World War II mold her world view and inspire her art?
Yoko had been isolated as a child. She was raised mostly by nannies and maids. She lived a life of extreme privilege; her family was one of the most prominent and wealthiest in Japan. But war changed everything. Yoko experienced the horrific bombing of Tokyo. She hid with her mother and siblings in a bomb shelter. One night she was ill and couldn’t be moved to the shelter. From bed, she watched the bombs fall, watched Tokyo burn.
The family was evacuated from Tokyo to the countryside, where there were food shortages and people from the city were treated poorly. Yoko, at only 12 years old, had to barter family possessions for rice. She was malnourished and got pleurisy. Once she was abused by a doctor.
Yoko later talked about surviving those terrible years by retreating into her imagination, staring at the sky. Much of the conceptual art she made later was based on the same idea: imagining—creating experiences in the mind. She wrote ‘instruction poems’ that sought to teach people to appreciate life in new ways and imagine a better world.
The war left an indelible mark on her and led to a lifetime of work for peace. She asked the world to imagine peace.
•
Her famous performance/installation, ‘Cut Piece’ has been cited as one of the most influential works of art of its time. What was it?
Yoko, wearing all black, sat on a stage. There were a pair of scissors on the floor in front of her. Following her instructions, audience members came onto the stage and, one by one, snipped off pieces of her clothing. In one performance of ‘Cut Piece,’ she was immediately stripped naked. At another, a man mimed stabbing her.
Yoko said the piece was inspired by a story about the Buddha, who gave away his possessions and became enlightened. It was about letting go of ego. It was also about trust and peace. Although Yoko said the piece could be performed by men, it’s mainly seen as a feminist work about the treatment of women by society. A woman is passive, being stripped a small piece at a time. She’s completely vulnerable to others’ whims.
Initially, the piece was received poorly and
her parents in Japan were appalled. However, later performances were lauded and ‘Cut Piece’ has been cited as one of the most influential works of political art of its time.
•
What drew Yoko to John and John to Yoko?
When they met, Yoko and John were both unhappy in their marriages. They came from very different backgrounds. Yoko’s wealthy, elite family in Tokyo contrasted with John’s lower-middle-class upbringing in Liverpool. But in spite of the differences, they both suffered and were lonely.
John came to an exhibition of Yoko’s work in London in 1966. It was a meeting that changed both of their lives. Yoko didn’t know much about The Beatles, but she was attracted to John and he was attracted to her. He appreciated her work— the humor, pathos and positive message. She felt they were on the same wavelength.
Over the next year and a half, they got to know each other, and they became friends and fell in love.
John said Yoko was the girl with kaleidoscope eyes he’d been looking for his entire life. She understood him and he could be himself with her. It was similar for Yoko. He understood her in a way she never had been understood. They connected more when they made art together. John felt freed of the constraints of The Beatles, and she inspired him to try new artforms and radically different styles of music.
An interviewer asked Yoko how meeting John changed her life, and she said, “He’s changed
everything in a sense that I was a very lonely person before I met him. . . . When I met John I started to open up a little, through love, you know, and that’s the greatest thing that happened to me yet.”
•
Yoko is often blamed for breaking up The Beatles (although never by Paul, George or Ringo), but she actually may have been responsible for the group staying together as long as they did. Why is that something to consider?
John broke up The Beatles. As he said, “I started the band, and I disbanded it.” But yes, Yoko was blamed—people still blame her more than 50 years later. John was miserable at that time and, as he told me when I interviewed him, he was looking for a way out. He found it when he got together with Yoko.
Yoko accompanied John to the studio during the recording of the last two Beatles studio albums—literally holding his hand sometimes, as is shown in the movie, Get Back. It’s unknown if he would have shown up if she hadn’t been there to support him. John had a foot out the door. Without Yoko, maybe the other foot would have followed sooner than it did. It’s why I suggest that instead of blaming Yoko for breaking up the band, maybe she should be thanked for keeping them together during the productive period they made the Abbey Road and Let It Be albums.
•
John & Yoko were possibly the world’s most famous loving couple for many years, but Yoko sent him away for a time, which he referred to as his ‘lost weekend’ (although it lasted from mid-1973 to early-1975). Why did she send him away? And why did she finally allow him back?
Yoko and John were in love—theirs is one of the great love stories of our time—but John was a Beatle, and Yoko was hated when she got together with him. The vilification got to her. Also, being Mrs. Lennon meant often being ignored. She had been a fiercely independent person who’d done what she wanted before she was with John, but she became subsumed in his world. She was treated as an appendage. Also, her work was ignored or attacked by people who came to it by way of The Beatles.
It didn’t help that one night, at a party, John slept with another woman. Yoko was hurt and angry and wanted a break. She decided John should leave. Yoko asked an assistant, May Pang to have a relationship with John and go with him to Los Angeles. Yoko needed to be on her own, but she worried about John and felt that he needed to be taken care of.
He was miserable, drinking heavily. He was desperate to get back together with Yoko, but
she said he couldn’t come home—she wasn’t ready and she felt he wasn’t ready. They were separated for a year and a half. During that time, she faced herself and evaluated what had happened with John. Yoko worked as a solo artist again, and she felt empowered. She finally became convinced that John wanted to change and realized that their relationship was salvageable. She loved John, he loved her, and they both committed to making their relationship work.
•
John’s escapades and misadventures during his ‘lost weekend’ in Los Angeles (with cohorts Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, Mickey Dolenz, Phil Specter and Ringo) are infamous: stories of wild parties, excessive drinking and crazed recording sessions. He was a mess—unhappy and uninspired. But how did Yoko handle this time separated from him?
While John was partying in Los Angeles, Yoko lived a relatively quiet life in New York. She spent time reflecting on her life—what had gone wrong in her relationship with John. She had a small group of friends in New York with whom she spent time. She went to the theater, to movies, she read. She saw psychics. It was a time of introspection. And she worked. She wrote music, performed with a new band and toured Japan. The work itself and the positive reception were exhilarating. She regained a sense of independence and freedom.
• What do you think was Yoko’s biggest influence on John—as a person, as a man and as an artist?
Both Yoko and John had been lonely and felt misunderstood before they were together. John was extremely unhappy, often depressed. He said that Yoko healed him with her love. He learned from Yoko. When I interviewed him, he said, “I’m the famous one, but she taught me everything I fucking know.” She helped him
“Part of the image of Yoko as cold derived from the fact that she rarely smiled in public. She’d been taught that ‘smiles are for shopkeepers’ by her mother.”
look at himself—his sadness—and his loneliness. He’d been macho “pig,” he said. “The pressures of being a pig were enormous. They were killing me.”
Yoko made him want to change, and he slowly did change. Also, Yoko inspired him as an artist. It’s impossible to overstate this. She encouraged him to express himself in ways he’d never done before. She gave him confidence. He made remarkable visual and conceptual art because of her influence. He also made deeply personal music and experimented in new forms of art and music. He’d felt boxed in, as he put it, and she freed him.
•
As a very private person and yet a very public celebrity, how did she cope with the grief of John’s sensational death and her concern for her son, Sean’s safety?
John’s death devastated her. She almost didn’t survive it; in truth, she never fully recovered. Initially, she retreated, but she soon began processing her grief in the way she processed every trauma in her life, through her work. Soon after John died, she returned to the recording studio to complete a record she’d worked on with him, ‘Walking
on Thin Ice.’ Soon after that, she made an album called Season of Glass , which was an expression of her grief. The album was her mourning.
The murder terrified her. It’s impossible to imagine the trauma: she was by John’s side when he was shot. She became terrified and paranoid and had reason to be fearful: after John’s death, her life was threatened. People broke into her apartment building. She was a peacenik, but she hired gun-carrying bodyguards who patrolled the apartment 24 hours a day and were with her when she traveled— whenever she left the Dakota.
•
Yoko is nothing if not a survivor: watching the bombing and burning of Tokyo during World War II, the kidnapping of her daughter Kyoko, Beatles fans’ hatred, John being hounded by Nixon’s FBI, a miscarriage with John’s child, being at his side when John was murdered. Yet she created and still makes art that is uplifting and positive, and is one of the world’s great peace activists. What inside her makes that possible?
It’s a great question and sums up who she is: She is resilient, ardent, upbeat in spite of everything, and an artist who uses her work to express her deepest and often her darkest feelings as well as her elation, hopes and dreams. Despite what she’s been through, and despite the violence in the world, she believes in humanity. She believes in the dream of peace. For that she’s been attacked as naïve.
I once asked her son, Sean, about the charge that his mother is naïve. He said, “I think her naivete was hard won. She survived World War II and the assassination of her husband. So the truth is she wasn’t naive. In spite of that, she chose to remain hopeful and optimistic and childlike in her appreciation of the beauty of the universe.” •
April
TUESDAY 1
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
•FGCU Chamber Strings: Concert. Sanibel Congregational Church, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Indigo Roots Band: Progressive bluegrass concert. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 939-2787.
•Storytelling: Diane Macklin - Mining Story gems. Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 590-7199.
WEDNESDAY 2
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Branford Marsalis Quartet: xxxxxx concert. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3368.
•Dailey & Vincent: Bluegrass band. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Film Screening & Discussion: Independent filmLift, filmmaker Q&A. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6p. 939-2787.
•Lucy Yeghiazaryan: All That Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
•Project Refuge - Castoffs to Couture: ‘Ding’ Darling Refuge fundraiser luncheon & runway show. Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 11:30a-2pp. rsvp. 472-1100.
•Storytelling: Diane MacklinBringing Hearts Together. Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 590-7199.
•Yaya Diamond & Dream Chasers: Concert. Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 7p. 941485-7136.
THURSDAY 3
•Art Reception: Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery, 340 Central Ave, Sarasota. 4-7p. Free. 941-799-6634.
•Art Reception: Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Galleries, 901-B Apricot Ave & 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. 4-7p. 941-799-6634.
•FGCU Wind Chamber Ensembles: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Free Outdoor Concert: Band tba, food trucks. Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. 5-8p. Free. 772-5657.
•Glenn Roth: Jazz concert. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. 642-7270.
•Leonid & Friends: Chicago tribute band. Seminole Casino Hotel Seminole Center, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 8p. 800-218-0007.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Strauss &
The Americana Community Music Association presents Rebecca Folsom, April 12 at All Faiths Unitarian Congregation in Fort Myers.
Storytelling. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries.
Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Rascal Flatts: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary & middle school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
FRIDAY 4
•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 Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. Free. 590-8645.
•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 11a-4p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Cadence Dobson: Vocal recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Cinnamon Crows: Live music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-8p. Free. 603-6535.
•Comedy Zone: Stand-up comic Ron Feingold. Florida Repertory Theatre. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
•Guided Forest Meditation: Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon
•Guided Forest Bathing: Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 9:30a. Register. 530-5972.
•Kevin Nealon: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
•Live Band: Charlie Pace Band. The Cove, Paradise Coast Sports Complex outdoor bar. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 252-4386.
•Mandy Barnett Sings Patsy Cline: Tribute concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
•Mostly Mozart: Gulf Coast Symphony members concert. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 277-1700.
•Naples Jazzmasters: Concert. River Park Community Center, 301 11th St N, Naples. 2-4p. Free. 612-327-3835.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Piper Kemmerer: Double Bass Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 9a. Register. 348-9151.
•Kevin Nealon: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 389-6901.
•Legends Concert Series: Billy Joel & Elton John tribute concert. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 6-10p. Free. 252-4386.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Strauss & Storytelling. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Open Mic Night: Snappers Comedy Club, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 9:30p. 479-5233.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Grand Treasures. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Uri Gurvich: Jazz concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.
•Venturino’s Comedy Club: Larry Venturino, Bear Webb, Angela Nacca, Chris Cowles. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 7:30p. 941-255-1022.
SATURDAY 5
•Art in the Park: Outdoor art & craft fair. Fleischmann Park, 1600 Fleischmann Blvd, 10a-5p. Free. 262-6517.
•Backyard Bluesfest: Selwyn Birchwood, Terry Hanck opens. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-7p. 693-7111.
•Cars as Art: Outdoor vintage car show. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 9a-2p. Free. 394-4221.
•Choral Artists of Sarasota: Concert - Considering Matthew Shepard. Harvest House, 3650 17 St, Sarasota. 4p. 941-387-4900.
•Feast for the Senses: Dining, wine, live, entertainment – 5 senses, 5 chefs, 5 courses. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6:30p. rsvp. 939-2787.
•Remedy Tree: Bluegrass concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, concert 7:30p. 333-1933.
•Sailor Circus: Gold Troupe Fall Show – Jukebox Hero. Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 1 & 5p. 941-355-9805.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Grand Treasures. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Science Saturdays: Earth Day. Demos & activities. IMAG History & Science Center, 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. 321-7420.
•Selwyn Birchwood: Blues concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
SUNDAY 6
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Classic Car Show & Beer, Wine & Mimosa Garden: Benefit, Brown Campbell Blues Band concert. Venice Cultural Campus, 326 & 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 9a-2p. Free. 941-485-7136.
•Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers: Spring concertChoral Greatest Hits. New Hope Church, 10051 Plantation Rd, Ft Myers. 4p. Free. 288-2535.
•Kevin Nealon: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6p & 8. 389-6901.
•Mostly Mozart: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 3p. 277-1700.
•Naples Big Band: Concert Cambier Park, 755 Park St S, Naples. 2p. Free. 777-0416.
•Piano Quintet: Classical music concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 3p. 745-4268.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Grand
EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
What Goes On
APRIL-MAY JUNE
What Goes On
Treasures. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 2:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Southland Bluegrass & Wilderness Festival: Outdoor concert – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringbusters, The Travelin’ McCourys, Alligator. RV show, food trucks. Seminole Casino Hotel, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 11a-9p. Free. 800-218-0007.
•SWFL Concert Band: Concert w Jodi Keogan. S Ft Myers High School, 14020 Plantation Rd, Ft Myers. 2p. Free. 666-5970.
•The Rowdy Bards: Irish pub music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 4-7p. Free. 603-6535.
•Uncle Kracker: Rock concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Village People: Concert. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
MONDAY 7
•Chefs & Clefs: Key Chorale concert. Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 5:30p. 941552-8768.
•Mariafe Soto: Double Bass Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•The Simon & Garfunkel Story: Tribute concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
TUESDAY 8
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.
•Early Birding Walk: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. Register. 348-9151.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•FSW TBD: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 481-4849.
•Lecture: A Painting a Panther and a Passion. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 2p. Free. 252-8476.
•Robert Law: Percussion Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Songwriters on the Plaza: Free acoustic concert w Steve Waterbury, Boz Nabozny, BillVeach. Downtown Ft Myers Library amphitheater, S Cornog Plaza, 1651 Lee St, Ft Myers. 6-7:30p. Free. 691-4069.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary
& middle school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
WEDNESDAY 9
•Art Reception: Live music, wine, hors d’oevres. Coco Art Gallery, Coconut Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. 5-7p. Free. 949-3073.
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Eaglemania: Eagles tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Florida Everblades vs Atlanta
Gladiators: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Guided Birding Walk: CREW Flint
Pen Strand Trails, 15970 Bonita Beach Rd SW, Bonita Springs. 9a. Register. 657-2253.
•Natalia Rosen: Violin Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
THURSDAY 10
•Ancient Forest Tour: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 9a. Register. 348-9151.
•Art Reception: Wine & cheese. Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Blvd, Cape Coral. 5-6:30p. Free. 772-5657.
•Beginnings: Chicago tribute band. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Brandon Robertson Quartet: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 603-6535.
•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 692-8436.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Lunch & Learn Lecture: Burmese Pythons. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 12p. 530-5940.
•Mark Sanders: Celebrating Broadway concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Timothy Chooi: Violin concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary & middle school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
•What ‘Art’ Your Chances?: Art show, food, drinks, music. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. rsvp. 394-4221.
FRIDAY 11
•Art Reception: Cape Coral Art Center, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 5-7p. Free. 574-0802.
•Art Reception: Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 5-7p. Free. 941-485-7136.
•Comedy Zone: Stand-up comic Carl Guerra, Mariza Brussolo opens. Florida Repertory Theatre.
Off Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers presents Savannah Sipping Society thru April 13.
Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
•Curtis Salgado: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•FGCU Bel Canto & Cantabiles: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Florida Everblades vs Atlanta Gladiators: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Rave & Rock Circus: Concert. Davis Art Center back parking lot, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 7-11p. 333-1933.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•Spring Concert: BIG ARTS Community Chorus & Concert Band BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 7p. 395-0900.
•The Wolves: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.
SATURDAY 12
•75th Anniversary Bash: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band & special guests. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-7p. 693-7111
•Easter Ranch Roundup: Egg hunt, kids activities. Immokalee Pioneer Museum, 1215 Roberts Ave, Immokalee. 10a-2p. Free. 252-2611.
•Family Day: Crafts, games, activities. Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. 11a-2p. Free. 2528476.
•Family Day: Wild world of Animals. Entertainment, exhibitions, art demos, food, etc. BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 4-6:30p. Free. 395-0900.
•FC Naples vs Richmond Kickers: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335.
•Fine Arts & Crafts Show: Naples Artcrafters. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 10a-4p. Free. 304-5258.
•Florida Everblades vs Atlanta Gladiators: Minor league ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Jimmy Failla: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Lecture: Estero Historical SocietyRise of the Florida Cattle Industry. Country Creek Country Club, 21180 Country Club Dr, Estero. 9:30a. Free. 272-1911.
•Live Band: The Earworms. The Cove, Paradise Coast Sports Complex outdoor bar. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 252-4386.
•Mary Ellen Depetrillo: Comedy. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood. 7:30p. 941-475-6756.
•Micky Dolenz: Concert. Seminole Casino Hotel Seminole Center, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 8p. 800218-0007.
•Music in the Garden: Moonstone Riders. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 2-4p. 643-7275.
•Naples Community Orchestra: Mystic Masterpiece concert. Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Dr, Naples. 3p. 676-0077.
•Naples Fine Art Show: Outdoor art fair. Naples Italian-American Foundation, 7035 Airport Pulling Rd, Naples. Free. 10a-5p. 941755-3088.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free.
•Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941-363-1724.
•Open Studio: Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery, 340 Central Ave; Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Gallery, 901-B Apricot Ave; Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy, 927 N Lime Ave; Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free. 941-7996634.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Outdoor Art & Craft Show: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 10a4p. Free. 394-4221.
•Rare Plant Sale & Orchid Symposium: Workshops, demos, vendors. Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. Free. 334-7419.
•Rebecca Folsom: Americana concert, Carolyn & David Stanley opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•The Wolves: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.
•World Art Day Celebration: Naples Art District. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
SUNDAY 13
•Andrew Lloyd Webber & Friends: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 277-1700.
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Bonita Springs Concert Band: Aubrey Rogers High School, 15100 Patriot Pl, Naples. 2-3:30p. Free. 405-3320.
•Choral Artistry Concert: Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem. First Presbyterian Church, 9751 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs. Lecture 3p, concert 4p. 560-5695.
•Chorsal Artistry and FGCU Chamber & University Choirs & Symphony Orchestra: Concert. Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Op 45 concert. First Presbyterian
What Goes On
Church, 9751 Bonita Springs. Lecture 3p, concert 4p. 560-5695..
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Tampa Tarpons: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Lee County Community Band: Mariner High School, 701 Chiquita Blvd N, Cape Coral. 3p. Free. 600-9052.
•Naples Fine Art Show: Outdoor art fair. Naples Italian-American Foundation, 7035 Airport Pulling Rd, Naples. Free. 10a-5p. 941755-3088.
•Outdoor Art & Craft Show: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 10a4p. Free. 394-4221.
•Rare Plant Sale & Orchid Symposium: Workshops, demos, vendors. Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-4p. Free. 334-7419.
•Sarasota Film Festival: Independent film screenings. Regal Hollywood Sarasota cinemas, 1993 Main St, Sarasota. 10a-10p. 941364-9514.
•The Wolves: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2p. 590-7268.
MONDAY 14
•Alter Eagles: Eagles tribute band. Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 7:30p. 941-488-1115.
•Author Lecture & Lunch: Scott Eyman. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 12p. 333-1933.
•Roberto Reyes: Double Bass Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
TUESDAY 15
•Earth Day Celebration: Live performances, plant workshops, NASA presentations, crafts, food. Seminole Tribe of Florida. AhTah-Thi-Ki Museum, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, 34725 W Boundary Rd, Clewiston. 10a-5p. Free. 863-902-1113.
•FGCU Symphonic Band: Green Band concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Naples Philharmonic Pops: The Music of the Beatles. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Rebecca Richardson & Dan Heck: Jazz concert. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. 642-7270.
•Taking Flight: Gulf Coast Symphony concert for people with autism & other disabilities. Wine & food. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 7p. rsvp. 277-1700.
•Tomorrow’s Voices Today: Key Chorale students concert. Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941552-8768.
WEDNESDAY 16
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues
Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Celebrating Celine: Jenene Caramielo’s Celine Dion tribute concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Frank Sanders: Double Bass Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Lecture: Neuroscience & the Visual Arts - Parkinson’s Disease Treatment in SWFL. Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Reception & lunch 12p, lecture 1p. 941-639-8810.
•Mickela Mallozzi: LectureInspirational Travel in Bare Feet. BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 4p. 395-0900.
•Naples Philharmonic Pops: The Music of the Beatles. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
•Storytelling: Student Showcase
– Storytelling as Healing. FGCU Library Lawn, Veterans; Pavilion, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 590-7199.
•Taste of Opera: Gulfshore Opera concert. The Colony Golf & Country Club, 4101 Pelican Colony Blvd, Bonita Springs, 7p. 529-3925.
THURSDAY 17
•Art Reception & Artists’ Presentation: Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 590-7199.
•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-639-8810.
•Audubon of SWFL Meeting: The Collaboratory,10868 Metro Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 410-6971.
•Earth Day Celebration: Live performances, workshops, demos, wildlife presentations, crafts, food. Seminole Tribe of Florida. AhTah-Thi-Ki Museum, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, 34725 W Boundary Rd, Clewiston. 10a-4p. Free. 863-902-1113.
•FGCU Symphonic Band: Blue Band concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 745-4268.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Lecture: Brief History of the Everglades City Airport. Museum of the Everglades, 105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 2p. Free. 6950008.
•Naples Philharmonic Pops: The Music of the Beatles. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Outdoor Movie: Wicked. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. Free. 252-4386.
•Piano Talks: All Chopin w
Jodie DeSalvo. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
•Reggae Sunset Jam: Live music. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Sailor Circus: Red Troupe Spring Show - Victorious!. Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 7p. 941-355-9805.
•Sanibel Captiva Art League Meeting: Guest speaker Elise Sewall. Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel11a1p. Free. 322-8593.
•Tommy Dorsey Orchestra: Big band swing concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
FRIDAY 18
•An Evening of Pirates & Swashbuckling: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math. IMAG History & Science Center, 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Register. 321-7420.
•Comedy Zone: Stand-up comic Mark Evans. Florida Repertory Theatre. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 3135129.
•Naples Philharmonic Pops: The Music of the Beatles. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 2 & 7:30p. 597-1900.
•New Jazz Underground: Jazz concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, concert 7:30p. 333-1933.
•Sailor Circus: Red Troupe Spring Show - Victorious!. Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 7p. 941-355-9805.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Celebrate John Williams. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
SATURDAY 19
•Blooms & Brews: Live music, craft beers. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 6-10p. 643-7275.
•Earth Day Celebration: Educational programs & outdoor activities for families, hikes, live animal shows, arts & crafts, vendors. Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 6p. 275-3435.
•Family Day: Crafts, games, activities. Collier Museum at Government Center, 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 11a-2p. Free. 2528476.
•FC Naples vs One Knoxville: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker - Writing Murder Mysteries. Location tba, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. executives@ gulfwriters.org.
•John Tuff: Country folk concert. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W
Comedian Wanda Sykes performs May 17 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers.
Dearborn St, Englewood. 7:30p. 941-475-6756.
•Live Band: Duo Sonics. The Cove, Paradise Coast Sports Complex outdoor bar. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 252-4386.
•Memphis Lightening: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•Naples Concert Band: Free outdoor concert - Cabaret Cambier Park bandshell, Park St, downtown Naples. 7-9p. 270-1221.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Sailor Circus: Red Troupe Spring Show - Victorious!. Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 2 & 7p. 41-355-9805.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Celebrate John Williams. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 2:30 & 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
•SWFL Fine Craft Guild: Member meeting. Cape Coral Art Center, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 11a-1p. Free. 574-0802.
•Tamiami Trail Anniversary & Museum Birthday Party: Live music, games, walking tours, classic cars, free hot dogs & cake. Museum of the Everglades, 105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 9a-2p. Free. 695-0008.
SUNDAY 20
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Earth Day Celebration: Activities. Lovers Key State Park Discovery Center, 8700 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 10a-2p. Register. 463-4588.
•Earth Day Celebration: Presentations, live animal shows, activities. Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 10a-2pp. 992-2591.
•Easter Eggstravaganza: Egg hunt, kids activities & games, food. Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 12-3p. Free. 252-4386.
•Easter Sunday & Murder Mystery: Dinner & show. Murder Mystery Dinner Train Theater, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30p. 275-8487.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Naples Dixieland Jazz Band: Free outdoor concert. Cambier Park, 6th Ave S & 8th St S, Naples. 2-4p. Free. 612-327-3835.
MONDAY 21
•James Tsang: Double Bass Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268. •Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
•Simply Clapton: tribute concert w Mike Imbasciani. Venice Performing Arts Center, Venice High School, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 7:30p. 941-488-1115.
TUESDAY 22
•Early Birding Walk: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. Register. 348-9151.
•FGCU Jazz Ensemble: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•FSW TBD: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 481-4849.
•Storytelling: Tell Your StoryKindness & Compassion. Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5p. Free. 590-7199.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary & middle school students. Historic
Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
WEDNESDAY 23
•ABBAFab: Abba tribute concert. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Lunch
11:30a, show 1p & dinner 5:30p, show 7p. 278-4422.
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Canyon Wind Music: Classic pop & country hits. Cape Coral Library, 921 SW 39th Ter, Cape Coral. 2p. Free. 479-4636.
•FSW TBD: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 481-4849.
•Houston Person: All That Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
•Music Matinee: Free concertJazz singer Synia Carroll. First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St, Sarasota. 2p. Reserve. 941966-6161.
THURSDAY 24
•ABBAFab: Abba tribute concert. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Lunch 11:30a, show 1p & dinner 5:30p, show 7p. 278-4422.
•Art Reception: Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 6-8p. Free. 495-8989.
•Brandon Robertson Quartet: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 603-6535.
•Family Fun Night: Live music, dance demos, crafts, games, mini zoo w exotic animals. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 318-8560.
•FGCU Chamber Choir: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 4p. Free. 745-4268.
•FGCU Wind Orchestra: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Foreigner’s Journey: Tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Indie Music Night: Live music - band tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Schubert The Great. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Open Mic: Live music, comedy, poetry, storytelling. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Some Enchanted Evening: Rodgers & Hammerstiein musical revue. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Venice Art Walk: Nine art galleries & shops in downtown Venice. Trolley available at Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S,
Venice. 5-8p. Free. 941-485-7136.
•Zach Bartholomew: Evolutions & Revolutions in Latin jazz. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Zoso: Led Zeppelin tribute band. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
FRIDAY 25
•Chase Padgett: Music & comedy. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 939-2787.
•Comedy Zone: Stand-up comic Tim Boyd. Florida Repertory Theatre. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
•Cosmic Worlds: Key Chorale concert w Venice Symphony. Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-552-8768.
•Cosmic Worlds: Venice Symphony. Venice Performing Arts Center, Venice High School, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 7:30p. 941-2180658.
•Improv Comedy Arts Show: Arts Bonita Actor Theatre. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•John Crist: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.
•Lecture: The Return of the Florida Black Bear. Naples Zoo, 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples. 6p. Pre-register. 262-5409.
•Locash: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Nicole Henry: Whitney Houston tribute concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center,
10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Some Enchanted Evening: Rodgers & Hammerstein musical revue. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Student Showcase: Arts
Bonita Actor Theatre. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 5:30p. 495-8989.
•The Wolves: Theater. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.
•Trios of Mozart & Franciax: Chamber music concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, concert 7:30p. 333-1933.
SATURDAY 26
•Backyard Bluesfest: Blood Brothers, Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-7p. 693-7111
•‘Ding’ Darling Conservation
Carnival: Guided birding walk, mindfulness walk, bike tours, plein-air art demos, carnival games, crafts, live music. Lakes Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Fort Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 472-1100.
•American Beauty: SWFL Symphony concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 418-1500.
•Chase Padgett: Music & comedy. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 939-2787.
•Comedy Night: Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 323-6570.
•Cosmic Worlds: Venice Symphony w Key Chorale. Venice Performing Arts Center, Venice High School, 1
EnsembleNewSRQ presents Jagden und Forman on May 12 at the Sarasota Opera House.
Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 3:30 & 7:30p. 941-218-0658.
•Earth Day Workshop: Kids activities, games, crafts. Immokalee Pioneer Museum, 1215 Roberts Ave, Immokalee. 10a-12p. Free. 252-2611.
•Family Art Day: Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy, 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. 9:30a-12p. Free. 941-799-6634.
•FC Naples vs Charleston Battery: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335.
•Hymn 4 Her: Americana concert, Mike McMillan opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Marlow Rosado: Encore Fiesta Latin Season Highlights. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Schubert The Great. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Open Studios: Naples Art District Studios & Galleries. Receptions, exhibits, demos. Shirley St & J&C Blvd, Naples. 1-5p. Free. 249-1977.
•Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble: The Art of Acceptance. SCDE studio. 1400 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota. 7p. 941-260-8485.
•The Wolves: Theater. Discussion after.FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2 & 7:30p. 590-7268.
•Travis Tritt: Country concert. Brian Kelley opens Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.
SUNDAY 27
•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-639-8810.
•Barnatan & Ottensamer: Naples Philharmonic members concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Chase Padgett: Music & comedy. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 939-2787.
•FGCU Piano Ensembles: Concert. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 3p. Free. 745-4268.
•Florida Early Music Series - JS Bach in Song & Dance: Bach orchestral & organ music, w SWFL Ballet. Sanibel Congregational Church, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 2p. Free. 472-0497.
•Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers: Fundraising concert. Peace Lutheran Church, 9850 Immokalee Rd, Naples. 3p. 288-2535.
•Music in the Garde: Ravon Rhoden outdoor concert. Marie Selby Botanical Garden, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. 1-3p. 941-366-5731.
•Readers Theatre: Out on a Limb. One-act play reading. Glass Theatre, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 263-7990.
•Sensory-Friendly Concert: Gulf Coast Symphony. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 3p. rsvp. 277-1700.
•The Venice Chorale: Black & Blue concert. Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave, Venice. 7p. 941-218-3779.
•The Wolves: Theater. FGCU
TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2p. 590-7268.
•Yom HaShoah Holocaust Remembrance Service: Film screening. Hosted by Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center. Temple Shalom, 4630 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples. 4p. Free, register. 263-9200.
MONDAY 28
•Juan Baquero: Piano Recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 745-4268.
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
TUESDAY 29
•Early Birding Walk: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. Register. 348-9151.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Jupiter Hammerheads: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210. •Lucia di Lammermoor: Gulfshore Opera concert with Naples Philharmonic. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 529-3925.
•Sanibel Duo: Violinist Renata Arado & pianist Erik Entswistle. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
WEDNESDAY 30
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111. •Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Jupiter Hammerheads: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210. •Ikebana Meeting: Demo & Workshop. Naples Botanical Garden, Buehler Auditorium, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9:30a. Free. •Science Night: Dig Into SWFL History. Food, drinks, science demos, panels. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 5:30-7p. Register. 530-5977.
May
THURSDAY 1
•Eric Lu: Piano concert. Grand Piano Series concert. Arts— Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 469-333-3231. •Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Jazz at the MACC: John Coltrane’s
What Goes On
A Love Supreme concert. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 7p. 277-1700.
•Lunch & Learn Lecture: Preserving Archaeological Sites. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 12p. 530-5940.
•Music Under the Stars: Andy Wahlberg concert, Doug Shemenski opens. Calusa Nature Center Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. 7p. 275-3435.
•PlayLab Festival: Reading of new play. Florida Repertory Theatre. ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
FRIDAY 2
•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-7a. Free. 939-2787.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery, Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. Free. 590-8645.
•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 11a-4p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Benatar & Giraldo: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Free Community Day: Music & art activities for kids & adults. Baker Museum, Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 12-4p. Free. 597-1900.
•Guided Forest Meditation: Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 9a. Register. 348-9151.
•Jamie Kennedy: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6:30 & 8:30p. 389-6901.
•Legends Concert Series: Journey & Bon Jovi tribute concert. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 6-10p. Free. 252-4386.
•Lucia di Lammermoor: Gulfshore Opera & Naples Philharmonic. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
•PlayLab Festival: Reading of new play. Florida Repertory Theatre. ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
05/02Art Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 337-5050.
•Art Reception: Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery, 340 Central Ave, Sarasota. 4-7p. Free. 941-799-6634.
SATURDAY 3
•Community Day: Demos, kayaking, science & art activities, wildlife exhibits, touch tanks, boat tours, art exhibit. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 9a-3p. Free. 530-5977.
•Coppelia: Gulfshore Ballet. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 4155667.
•Jamie Kennedy: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
•Marlon Wayans: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Meet Clyde & Niki Butcher: Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio, 237 Warfield Ave S, Venice. 10a-3p. Free. 941-486-0811.
•PlayLab Festival: Reading of new play. Florida Repertory Theatre. ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 2p. 332-4488.
•Science Saturdays: Cinco de Mayo. Demos & activities. IMAG History & Science Center, 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. 321-7420.
SUNDAY 4
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Dance performance w Naples Philharmonic. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
•Jamie Kennedy: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6p. 389-6901.
•Let’s Hang On: Frankie Valli & Four Seasons tribute concert. Venice Performing Arts Center, Venice High School, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 7:30p. 941-4881115.
•PlayLab Festival: Reading of new play. Florida Repertory Theatre. ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. 7p. 332-4488.
•The Rowdy Bards: Irish pub music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 4-7p. Free. 603-6535.
TUESDAY 6
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
•Art Reception: Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 5-7p. Free. 941-485-7136.
•Early Birding Walk: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 8a. Register. 348-9151.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Javor Bracic: Piano concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
WEDNESDAY 7
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Islands in the Stream: Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW
Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Sarasota Orchestra: GOATs (Greatest of All Time). Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 5:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Sunset Stroll: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6p. Register. 348-9151.
THURSDAY 8
•Art Reception: Arts Bonita Visual Arts Center, 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 6-8p. Free. 4958989.
•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941-639-8810.
•Art Reception: Wine & cheese. Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Blvd, Cape Coral. 5-6:30p. Free. 772-5657.
•Brandon Robertson Quartet: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 603-6535.
•Diamond Rio: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 6928436.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Zachary Plays Barber. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Sarasota Orchestra: GOATs (Greatest of All Time). Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
FRIDAY 9
•Art Reception: BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 5:30-7p. Free. 395-0900.
•Danny Sinoff: Jazz concert w
Benny Benack III. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•JP Soars & The Red Hots: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•Naples Philharmonic Masterworks: Zachary Plays Barber. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Rave & Rock Circus: Concert. Davis Art Center back parking lot, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 7-11p. 333-1933.
•Sarasota Orchestra: GOATs (Greatest of All Time). Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 5:30p. 941-953-3434.
SATURDAY 10
•Backyard Bluesfest: Tullie Brae. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-7p. 693-7111.
•Beethoven’s Ode to Joy: Key Chorale concert. Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 4p. 941-552-8768.
•Donizetti’s Don Pasquale: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 2771700.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Karyn Oliver: Americana concert, Bill Veach opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Killers of Kill Tony: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.
•Music in the Garden: Briz Lady. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 2-4p. 6437275.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations
throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free.
•Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941-363-1724.
•Open Studio: Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery, 340 Central Ave; Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Gallery, 901-B Apricot Ave; Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy, 927 N Lime Ave; Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free. 941-7996634.
•Sarasota Orchestra: GOATs (Greatest of All Time). Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N Tamiami Tr. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Victor Wainwright & The Train: Blues band. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
SUNDAY 11
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Donizetti’s Don Pasquale: Gulf Coast Symphony concert. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Ln, Ft Myers. 3p. 277-1700.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Dunedin Blue Jays: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
•Mother’s Day Murder Mystery: Dinner & show. Seminole Gulf Railway Murder Mystery Dinner Train, Colonial Station, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30p. 275-8487.
MONDAY 12
•EnsembleNewSRQ: Jagden und Formen. Classical music concert. Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 772-834-7173.
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
Duane Betts & Palmetto Hotel perform May 17 at Arts Bonita’s Performing Arts Center in Bonita Springs.
TUESDAY 13
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.
•Jarrod Lawson: Jazz concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary & middle school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
WEDNESDAY 14
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Brit Floyd: Pink Floyd tribute concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 8p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival Opening Night Gala & Screening: Screening, live music, cocktails. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 5:30p, film 7p. 810-6323.
•Journey Through the Americas: Gulfshore Opera concert. Veteran’s Park, 901 Park Ave, Marco Island, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 529-3925.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
•The Music of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn: All That Jazz concert w Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.
THURSDAY 15
•Audubon of SWFL Meeting: The Collaboratory,10868 Metro Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 4106971.
•Butch Wax & The Hollywoods: Music of 60s & 70s. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 4155667.
•Dear Albert Einstein: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For middle & high school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
•Dylan Scott: Country concert, Brian Kelley opens. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival: Outdoor screening. Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Cocktails 5:30p, film 7p. 810-6323.
•Journey Through the Americas: Gulfshore Opera concert. St. Leo Auditorium, 28290 Beaumont Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 529-3925.
•Lecture: Florida’s Pythons. Naples Zoo, 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples. 6p. Pre-register. 2625409.
•Outdoor Movie: Moana 2. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. Free. 252-4386.
•Reggae Sunset Jam: Live music. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Sleeping Beauty: Naples Ballet w Naples Philharmonic. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
•Sudamerica Latin Groove: Latin music. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 4958989.
FRIDAY 16
•An Evening of Castles & Catapults: Medieval Mayhem & Fun. IMAG History & Science Center, 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Register. 321-7420.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival: Screenings & panel discussions. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 5-11p. 810-6323.
•Hauser: Rock Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.
•Journeyman: Eric Clapton tribute band. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 3135129.
SATURDAY 17
•Backyard Bluesfest: Betty Fox Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-7p. 693-7111.
•Comedy Night: Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 323-6570.
•Duane Betts & Palmetto Hotel: Rock concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival: Screenings & panel discussions. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 5-11p. 810-6323.
•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker - Avoiding Trademark Troubles. Location tba, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. executives@gulfwriters.org.
•Journey Through the Americas: Gulfshore Opera concert. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 7p. 529-3925.
•Sarasota Orchestra: Vivaldi Inspired. Sarasota Opera House. 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota. 7:30p. 941-953-3434.
•Wanda Sykes: Comedy, Keith Robinson opens. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
SUNDAY 18
•American Opera Scenes & Arias: FGCU Bower School students. Sanibel Congregational Church, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 2p. Free. 472-0497.
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 6937111.
•Can’t Get Next to You: Temptations tribute concert. Venice Performing
Arts Center, Venice High School, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 7:30p. 941-488-1115.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival Afterparty: Twisted Vine, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. Starts 11p. 8106323.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival Awards Ceremony: Champagne & dessert, screening, Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 810-6323.
•Fort Myers Int’l Film Festival: Screenings & panel discussions. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 5-11p. 810-6323.
•Journey Through the Americas: Gulfshore Opera concert. Gulf Theater, 900 W Marion Ave, Punta Gorda. 4p. 529-3925.
•Side-by-Side: Naples Philharmonic & Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra concert. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.
MONDAY 19
•Coheed & Cambria, Mastodon: Rock concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 6:30p. 948-7825.
•Sharon Owens: Barbra Streisand tribute concert. Venice Performing Arts Center, Venice High School, 1 Indian Ave, bldg. 5, Venice. 7:30p. 941-488-1115.
•Sunset Stroll: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6p. Register. 348-9151.
TUESDAY 20
•Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi: Piano duo concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For middle & high school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
FRIDAY 23
•Art Reception: Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 5-7p. Free. 941-485-7136.
•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7 & 9. 389-6901.
•Improv Comedy Arts Show: Arts Bonita Actor Theatre. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
•Patriotic Pops: Naples Philharmonic, Philharmonic Chorus & Youth Chorus concert Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Ron White: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Student Showcase: Arts Bonita Actor Theatre. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 5:30p. 495-8989.
WEDNESDAY 21
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Performances at the Point: Allie Sawicki. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Historic Spanish Point, 337 N Tamiami Tr Osprey. 5:30p. 941-366-5731.
THURSDAY 22
•Ancient Forest Tour: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 9a. Register. 348-9151.
•Art Reception: Art Center Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941-3652032.
•Art Reception: Arts Bonita Visual Arts Center, 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 6-8p. Free. 4958989.
•Brandon Robertson Quartet: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 603-6535.
•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 7p. 389-6901.
•Family Fun Night: Live music, dance demos, crafts, games, mini zoo w exotic animals. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 318-8560.
•Indie Music Night: Live music - band tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Jodie Deslvo & Tom Cimarusti: A Night at the Movies concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Patriotic Pops: Naples Philharmonic, Philharmonic Chorus & Youth Chorus concert Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
•Zach Bartholomew: Jazz concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts
SATURDAY 24
•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6 & 8p. 389-6901.
•Choral Artists of Sarasota: Concert – United We Stand. Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota. 4:30p. 941-387-4900.
•Family Art Day: Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy, 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. 9:30a-12p. Free. 941-799-6634.
•Family Wonder Days: Free admission for mothers & grandmothers. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9a-5p. 643-7275.
•Kenny Neal: Blues concert. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
SUNDAY 25
•Carlos Mencia: Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, #1100, Naples. 6p. 389-6901.
•Family Wonder Days: Free admission for mothers & grandmothers. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9a-5p. 643-7275.
•FC Naples vs Union Omaha: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335.
•Texas Hippie Coalition: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
TUESDAY 27
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Velveteen Rabbit: Florida Repertory Theatre’s Education Conservatory show. For elementary & middle school students. Historic Arcade Theatre, 2268 Bay St & 2267 First St, Ft Myers. Show 11a, workshop after show. Bring lunch. 332-4488.
Paige King Johnson performs a tribute to ‘Honky Tonk Sweethearts’ at the Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point in Fort Myers on June 10.
What Goes On
WEDNESDAY 28
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Naples Headquarters Library, 2385 Orange Blossom Dr, Naples. 4p. Free. 597-1900.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Trinity-by-the-Cove Church, 553 Galleon Dr, Naples. 7p. Free. 597-1900.
•Open Mic: Live music, comedy, poetry, storytelling. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
THURSDAY 29
•Comedy Hour: Comedian tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 7-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Bradenton Marauders: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Naples Library, 650 Central Ave, Naples. 2p. Free. 597-1900.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. South Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Pkwy, Naples. 4p. Free. 597-1900.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, 1225 Piper Blvd, Naples. 7p. Free. 597-1900.
•Fringe Fort Myers’ Flamingle with the Artists’ Reception: Meet artists, preview. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd. Reception 5p, preview 6:30p. Pre-register. Shows at Alliance for the Arts & Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 939-2787.
FRIDAY 30
•Danae Hays: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Naples United Church, 5200 Crayton Rd, Naples. 2p. Free. 597-1900.
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Norris Center, 755 8th Ave, Naples. 7p. Free. 597-1900.
•Fringe Fort Myers: Art exhibits, music. Ministry of Silly Walks competition, music starts 6p, bands tba. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd. Shows at Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd & Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 12p-10p. 939-2787.
SATURDAY 31
•Free Chamber Music Concert: Naples Philharmonic members. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. Free. 597-1900.
•Fringe Fort Myers: Art exhibits, music, dance, theater performances, films. Kids Fringe Festival, free family Art Labs, interactive Alice in Wonderland show, aerialists & acrobats. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd. Shows at Alliance for the Arts & Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-10a. 9392787.
•RB Stone: Americana concert, Bruce Gallant opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Restless Road: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
June
SUNDAY 1
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fringe Fort Myers: Art exhibits, music, dance, theater performances, films. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd & Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-5:30p. Closing ceremonies 5:30p Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 939-2787.
•The Rowdy Bards: Irish pub music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 4-7p. Free. 603-6535.
MONDAY 2
•STOMP: Dance & music. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
TUESDAY 3
•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p. Free. 540-5789.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•STOMP: Dance & music. ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7:30p. 597-1900.
WEDNESDAY 4
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Sunset Stroll: 3 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 6p. Register. 348-9151.
THURSDAY 5
•Art Reception: Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery, 340 Central Ave, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941-799-6634.
•Art Reception: Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Galleries, 901-B Apricot Ave & 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. 4-7p. 941-799-6634.
•Brandon Robertson Quartet: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9p. Free. 603-6535.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•The Four c Notes: Frankie Valli & Four Seasons tribute concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
FRIDAY 6
•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 Reception: Bayshore Art Gallery, 3954 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Tue-Sat 5-8p. Free. 778-4665.
•Art Reception: DAAS Co-op Gallery, Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30-9p. Free. 590-8645.
•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.
•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits,demos, live music at several galleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 11a-4p. Free. 313-5129.
•Art Walk: Receptions, music, food. Bayshore Arts District, Bayshore Dr, btwn US 41 & Linda Dr, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 293-2932.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
SATURDAY 7
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond
Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
•Whatt Easterling: Americana concert, Robert Bidney opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
SUNDAY 8
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
TUESDAY 10
•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.
•Paige King Johnson: Honky Tonk Sweethearts tribute concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
WEDNESDAY 11
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Tice Fire Station, 9351 Workmen Way, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 218-1354.
THURSDAY 12
•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos & exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 6928436.
•Leanne Morgan: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849. •Stardust Memories Big Band: Concert featuring Danny Sinoff. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
FRIDAY 13
•Leanne Morgan: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.
•Ryan Montgomery: Country music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 985-9839.
SATURDAY 14
•Art Reception: BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 5:30-7p. Free. 395-0900.
•Art Vibe: Entertainment, exhibitions, art demos, food, etc. BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 5-7p. Free. 395-0900.
•Comedy Night: Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 323-6570.
•FC Naples vs Chattanooga Red Wolves: USL soccer. Paradise Coast Sports Complex. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. 7p. 933-5335. •Music in the Garden: Little Eddie & the Fat Fingers. Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 12-2p. 643-7275.
•Open Artist Studios & Galleries: More than 30 galleries & studios in Sarasota Studio Artists Association. Various locations throughout Sarasota. 11a-3p. Free. •Open Artist Studios: Dozen artist studios. SRQ East Art Studios, 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. 5-7p. Free. 941-363-1724.
•SWFL SpaceCon: Comic Book & Sci Fi conference. Speakers, panels, movie, TV &comic book celebrity guests, entertainment, music, costume contests, vendors. German American Social Club, 2101 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral. 10a-6p.
SUNDAY 15
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111
•Father’s Day Murder Mystery: Dinner & show. Seminole Gulf Railway Murder Mystery Dinner Train, Colonial Station, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 5:30p. 275-8487.
•Festival of Great Organ Music: American Guild of Organists
‘George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life’ is on view thru June 29 at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota.
concert Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 597-1900.
MONDAY 16
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
TUESDAY 17
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
WEDNESDAY 18
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
THURSDAY 19
•Audubon of SWFL Meeting: The Collaboratory,10868 Metro Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 410-6971.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Paul Todd Jr: Michael Buble tribute concert. Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point, 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 415-5667.
•Reggae Sunset Jam: Live music. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
•Victor Wainwright & The Train: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.
•Zach Bartholomew: Jazz concert
- Music of Horace Silver. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.
FRIDAY 20
•Dueling Pianos: Pete Moran & Paul Nicodemi concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, concert 7:30p. 333-1933.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 768-4210.
•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs & galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p. Free. 313-5129.
SATURDAY 21
•Bear & Robert: Americana concert, Kim Mayfield opens. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p. 691-4069.
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 768-4210.
SUNDAY 22
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111
•Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Lakeland Flying Tigers: Minor league baseball. Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p. 768-4210.
MONDAY 23
•Night Tour: 2 hour guided boardwalk tour. Corkscrew Swamp Blair Audubon Center, 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. 7p. Register. 348-9151.
WEDNESDAY 25
•Blues Jam: Hosted by Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111.
•Heart: Rock concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.
•Open Mic: Live music, comedy, poetry, storytelling. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
THURSDAY 26
•Family Fun Night: Live music, dance demos, crafts, games, mini zoo w exotic animals. Bell Tower Shops, Daniels Pkwy & US 41, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 318-8560.
•Indie Music Night: Live music - band tba. Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8-11p. Free. 333-1933.
FRIDAY 27
•Albert Castiglia: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111
•Art Reception: Venice Art Center, 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. 5-7p. Free. 941-485-7136.
SATURDAY 28
•Comedy Night: Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 323-6570.
•Family Art Day: Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy, 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. 9:30a-12p. Free. 941-799-6634.
SUNDAY 29
•Blues Jam: Tommy Lee Cook & the Buckingham Blues Band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 3-6p. Musicians welcome. Free. 693-7111
ongoing Theater
•Alice in Wonderland: Apr 4-27. Venice Theatre, Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941488-1115.
•Annie: Jul 3-Aug 9. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•Beetlejuice: Apr 22-27. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-953-3368.
•Crazy for You: thru Apr 5. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•Dancing at Lughnasa: Thru Apr 19. Asolo Repertory Theatre, Mertz Theatre, Florida State Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-3518000.
•Death & Other People: Thru May
4: Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.
•Divas - Time After Time: Thru Jun 22. Florida Studio Theatre. Court Cabaret, 1239 N Palm Ave, Sarasota. 941-366-9000.
•Elephant & Piggies - We Are in a Play: Thru Apr 3, selected matinees. Broadway Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 980-5674.
•Escape to Margaritaville: May 22Jun 8. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 323-6570.
•Five Guys Names Moe: Thru Apr 6. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota. 941-366-1505.
•Flatlanders: Thru Apr 6. Players Circle Theater, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. 800-3292.
•Four Old Broads: Apr 2-13. Arts Center Theatre, Marco Island Center for the Arts, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 642-7270.
•Fringe Fort Myers: May 29-Jun 1. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.
•From 145th to 98th Street: May 30-Jun 30. Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St, Sarasota. 941-321-1397.
•Ghost: Jun 5-15. TheatreZone. G & L Theatre, Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Rd, Naples. 888-966-3352.
•Good Night Oscar: Apr 2-26. Asolo Repertory Theatre, Mertz Theatre, Florida State Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-351-8000.
•Grace and Glorie: Jun 4-22. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood. 941475-6756.
•Hadestown - teen edition: Apr 5-13. Academy of Dramatic Arts. The Naples Players. Glass Educational Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.
•Hairspray: May 16-25. Florida Rep Education Theatre Conservatory, Historic Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Half Baked: Apr 18-May 24. Off Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•Heathers - the Musical Teen Edition: Apr 10-13. Theatre Conspiracy Youth Theatre. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 939-2787.
•Into the Woods: Apr 10-20. Sarasota Players. Crossings at Siesta Key, 32501 S Tamiami Tr, # 1130, Sarasota. 941-365-2494.
•Jerry’s Girls: Apr 9-26. Music & Arts Community Center, 13411 Shire Lane, Ft Myers. 277-1700.
•Jersey Boys: Thru May 25. Florida Studio Theatre. Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St, Sarasota. 941-3669000.
•Jesus Christ Superstar: Apr 11 & 12, 18 & 19. Arts Bonita Actor Theatre. Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 495-8989.
•Jesus Christ Superstar: May 14-Jul 13. Asolo Repertory Theatre, Mertz Theatre, Florida State Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-351-8000.
•Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill: thru Apr 19. Gulfshore Playhouse. Baker Theatre & Education Center, 100 GoodletteFrank Rd S, Naples. 261-7529.
•Legally Blonde - the Musical: May 30-Jun 28. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•Lend Me a Tenor: Thru Apr 13. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.
•Les Miserables: Apr 15-20. BB
Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 481-4849.
•Les Miserables: Apr 8-23. Van Wezel Hall, 777 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-953-3368.
•Man of La Mancha: Thru Apr 13. The Naples Players. Kizzie Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.
•MJ - The Musical: Apr 1-6. BB Mann Performing Arts Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 481-4849.
•Mousetrap: Apr 2-13. Fort Myers Theatre, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, #5, Ft Myers. 323-6570.
•Nana Does Vegas!: May 15-25. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941-255-1022.
•No One is Forgotten: Thru Apr 27. Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St, Sarasota. 941-321-1397.
•Peter/Wendy: May 15-18. Theatre Conspiracy Youth Theatre. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 939-2787.
•Pinky’s Players: May 8-11. Venice Theatre, Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941-4881115.
•PlayLab: Festival of New Works: May 1-4. Florida Repertory Theatre, Historic Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Pretty Woman - the Musical: Apr 9-13. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 597-1900.
•Prodigal Son: May 16-Jun 1. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.
•Sailor Circus Spring ShowVictorious!: Apr 17-19. Sailor Circus Arena. 2075 Bahia St, Sarasota. 941-355-9805.
•Savannah Sipping Society: thru Apr 13. Off Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•Sex Please, We’re Sixty: The Musical: Apr 10-27. Charlotte Players, Langdon Playhouse, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte. 941-255-1022.
•Shout! - The Mod Musical: Thru Apr 13. Florida Repertory Theatre, Historic Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Something Rotten, Jr: May 16-18. Academy of Dramatic Arts. The Naples Players. Glass Educational Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990. •Summer Circus Spectacular: Jun14-Aug 17. Circus Arts Conservatory. Historic Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. 941-359-5700.
•Sweeney Todd: Jun 25-Jul 27. The Naples Players. Kizzie Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.
•Sweet Charity: Apr 6-May 4. Gulfshore Playhouse. Baker Theatre & Education Center, 100 Goodlette-Frank Rd S, Naples. 261-7529.
•Syncopated Avenue: Apr 16-May 25. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota. 941-366-1505.
•The Business of Murder: Apr 18-May 11. Players Circle Theater, 13211 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers. 800-3292.
•The Enemy of My Enemy is My Enemy: May 7-Jul 6: Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.
•The Flying Penguin & Other Winning Plays: Thru Apr 13.
‘Zimsculpt’ is on view at Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in Punta Gorda thru April 20.
What Goes On
Florida Studio Theatre Children’s Theatre. Keating Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota. 941-3669000.
•The Half-Life of Marie Curie: Apr 2-27. The Naples Players. Price Studio Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.
•The Hallelujah Girls: May 7-25. The Naples Players. Kizzie Theater, Sugden Theatre, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.
•The Learned Ladies: Apr 11-May 4. Venice Theatre, Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W, Venice. 941488-1115.
•The Puzzle with The Piazza: Apr 23-May 11. Lemon Bay Playhouse. 96 W Dearborn St, Englewood. 941-475-6756.
•The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition. Jun 12-27, selected matinees. Broadway Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 980-5674.
•The Winter’s Tale Apr 1-27. Asolo Repertory Theatre, Cook Theatre, Florida State Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. 941-351-8000.
•The Wolves: Apr 11-27. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-4268.
•Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3: Jun 11-Jul 3. Onewoman show. Florida Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Venus in Fur: Apr 15-May 18. Florida Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.
•Waitress: Apr 11-May 24. Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.
•When the Bullfrog Sings Opera: May 23-Jun 1. Cultural Park Theatre Company, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.
Art Galleries
•Aldo Castillo Gallery: Miromar Design Center, 10800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. 312375-8887.
•Aldo Castillo Gallery: 1634 5th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sun 11a-7p. 312-375-8887.
•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Main Gallery—Apr 4-26: Barbara Yeomans; May 2-31: Lee Arts Educator Association; Jun 6-28: 50th Anniversary Show. Theatre Gallery— Apr 4-26: Julia Patricia Torres/ Torreza; May 2-31: Julie Griffin; Jun 6-28: Member Show; Jul 11-26: Summer Camp; Aug 1-Sep 27: Julio Gonzalez Batista. Member Gallery—Apr 4-26: Marilyn Hedlund students; May 2-31: Homeschool Rocks; Jun 6-28: Summer Camp. Receptions 1st Fri 5-7p. Tue-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-1p. 939-2787.
•Arsenault Studio & Banyan Arts Gallery: Judith Liegeois Designs, 1199 3rd St, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a5p & Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-1214.
•Art Center Sarasota: 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Thru Apr 19: Footprints of Humanity; Apr 29-May 10: N Sarasota County Students; May 22-Aug 2: Vice & Virtue. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sar 125p. 941-365-2032.
•Art Lab: Naples Art District, 1819 J&C Blvd, Naples. Open studios Apr Thu & 2nd Sat 1-5p. 646-358-2531.
•Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center: 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru Apr 10: Beyond the Garden Gates; Apr 17-Jun 5: Culture Shock. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-2p. 495-8989.
•Arts Bonita Visual Arts Center: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru Apr 24: Susan AndersonThru Apr 24: Atelier Shown; May 1-8: High School Scholarship Showcase; May 15-22: Student Showcase of Recycled Art. MonSat 10a-5p. 495-8989.
•Arts for ACT Gallery: Thru Apr
1: John Rizza; Apr 4-29: Suzanne Mikulka; May 2-Jun 3: Jill Lindsay; Jun 6- Jul 1: Rose Jung, Ann McCarty Rose, Stephen Hill. 2265 First St, Ft Myers. Daily 128p. 337-5050.
•Arts of the Inland Gallery: LaBelle Gallery & Cultural Center, 471 N Lee St, LaBelle. Apr: Earth Wind & Fire, Cris Soto; May: Mind Body & Soul, Yshia Condezo. SEPMAY Fri-Sun 1-5p. 863-843-2929
•Baker Museum: Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Thru Jun 29: Florida Contemporary; thru Jun 15: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer; thru Fall 2025: Sketches, Studies & Maquettes; thru Sep 2025: Entangled in the Mangroves. Guided tours Tue-Sat 11a & Sun 1p. Art After Hours: Free last Wed 6-9plive music, food, drinks. Tue-Sat 10a-4p, Sun 12-4p. 597-1900.
•Bayshore Art Gallery: 3954
Bayshore Dr, Naples. Receptions 1st Fri, 5-8p. Tue-Sat 11a-5p. 778-4665.
•BIG ARTS: 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Thru Apr 21: Life is Alchemy; thru Jun 30: Cypress Lake High School Student Mural; thru Apr 27: Impediments & Byways to Love on the Road to Eternity; Apr 25-Jun 6: Annual Artists Collective - BIG ARTS Instructors; May 9-Jun 9: Art Therapy - Hope & Healing Through Art; Jun 13-Jul 25: FSW Student Exhibit. Mon-Fri 9a-4p, Sat & Sun 9a-1p. 395-0900.
•Bob Rauschenberg Gallery: FSW State College, Humanities Hall, 8099 College Pkwy SW, Ft Myers. Thru Apr 12: David Bradshaw & William S BurroughsPropagation. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 11a-3p. 489-9313.
•Bokeelia Art Gallery: 8315 Main St, Bokeelia. Wed-Sun 10a-5p. 738-5280.
•Cape Coral Art Center: Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape
Coral. Apr 4-24: Whispers and Screams; Apr 4-24: Ring of Fire; May 2-29: Kids These Days; May 2-Jun 26: Surreal Abstraction. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Receptions second Fri of month. 574-0802.
•Cape Coral Art League: 516 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Thru Apr 3: Class Act; Apr 10-May 1: Celebrating Color; Apr 10-May 1: Season Highlights; May 8-21: Florida Life; May 8-21: Members Show. Mon-Thu 11a-4p. Receptions 1st Thu. Open painting Wed 1-4p. Meetings 1st Mon 11a. Closed Aug. 772-5657.
•Clip Joint Barber Shop & Art Gallery: 7431 College Pkwy, unit 120, rm 136, Ft Myers. Mon & WedSat 10a-8p. 281-8180.
•Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery: 52388 Tamiami Tr, Ochopee. Daily 10a-4:30p. 6952428.
•Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio: 237 Warfield Ave, Venice. Tue-Fri 10a-4:30p. 486-0811.
•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL gallery. Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. Receptions 1st Wed 5-7p. Tue-Sun 11a-5p. 949-3073.
•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL gallery. Coastland Center, 1924 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Receptions 2nd Wed 5-7p. Wed-Sun 12-6p. 436-3530.
•Creative Liberties Artist Residencies at Gaze Modern Gallery: ARCOS Gallery, 340 Central Ave, Sarasota. Thru Apr 30: Beck Lane, artist-in-residence; May 1-31: Art 4 Change; Jun 1-30: Members show. Open studio: 2nd Sat 11a-3p. Thu-Sat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•Creative Liberties Artist Studios & Gallery: 901-B Apricot Ave, Sarasota. Open studio: 2nd Sat 11a-3p. Thu-Sat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Academy: 927 N Lime Ave, Sarasota. Thu-Sat 10a-3p, Sat & Sun by appt. 941-799-6634.
•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Dec: DAAS Bazaar; Apr 4-29: Angela Arroyo; May 2-Jun 3: Arnold Placencia. 10051 McGregor Blvd, #104, Ft Myers. Wed-Sun 10a-2p. Receptions 1st Fri 6-10p. 955-0422.
•East West Fine Art: Mercato, 9115
‘David Bradshaw & William Burroughs: Propagation’ is on view thru April 12 at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.
Strada Pl, #5130, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 12-6p. 821-9459.
•Emily James Art Gallery: 720 5th Ave S, # 111, Naples. Mon 3-7p, Tue & Wed 11a-7p, Sat 11a-8p, Sun 12-5p. 777-3283.
•Englewood Art Center: Ringling College of Art & Design, 350 S McCall Rd, Englewood. Tue & Thu 9a-9p, Wed-Sat 9a-4p. 941474-5548.
•Estero Art League: Estero Park Community Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Open paint Mon & Thu 9a-3p. Exhibits—Apr: Coco Art Gallery, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero.
•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Wasmer Gallery–thru Apr 3: Student Art Exhibition; Apr 18-May 2: Senior Projects. Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall— thru Nov 2025: Environmental Art & Language. Outside Arts Complex— thru Oct 2025: Paul Firmin Public Art Project. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 590-7199.
•Florida Gulf Coast University Wilson Bradshaw Library: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., 3rd fl, Ft Myers. Thru May 3: Sergei Isupov & Selections from Permanent Collection. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 590-7199.
•Fort Myers Beach Art Association & Gallery: Temporarily Closed. 3030 Shell Mound, Ft Myers Beach. Exhibits– May 17-Jul 19: Ripples (Tribby Arts Center, Shell Pt, Myers). 463-3909.
•Gallerie B: 5311 Shirley St, #3, Naples. Thu & Sat 11a-5p & by appt. 585-301-3601.
•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. 403-7787.
•Guess-Fisher Gallery: 985 Central Ave, Naples. Tue-Sat 1-6p. 6592787.
•Harbour View Gallery: 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. Apr: Suzanne Holt, Nancy Green; May: Lisbeth Ascanio, Ricj Aliperti; Jun: Jeff Kribersheck, Beverly Fox. Receptions 1st Tue 6-8p. Daily 11a-8p. 540-5789.
•Harmon-Meek Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sat 12-4p. 261-2637.
•High Tide Studio & Gallery: 995 Central Ave, Naples. Tue-Sat 10a4p & by appt. 228-6934.
•Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery: 2490 Library Way, Sanibel. Mon-Sat 10a5p & Sun 11a-4p. 395-0027.
•HW Gallery: 462 9th St N, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. 263-6640.
•Island Visions: 2224 First St, Ft Myers. Sun-Thu 11a-6p, Fri & Sat 11a-9p. 282-0452.
•Joel Shapses Gallery: Naples Art District, 6240 Shirley St, #102, Naples. Apr Thu & Sat 1-5p and by appt. 954-830-3156.
•Laurel Schmid Fine Art Gallery & Studio: 5760 Shirley St, #15, Naples. Tue-Fri 1-5p & 2nd Sat 1-5p. 789-3823.
•Lehigh Acres Art League: River Forest Assoc Clubhouse, 13506 Island Rd, Lehigh Acres. Meets Mon 10a-3p.
•Lovegrove Gallery & Garden: 1415 Dean St., #102 Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. 938-5655
•Marco Island Center for the Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Main Galleries— thru Apr 1: JoAnne Sanborn; Apr 7-29: Adult Student Show; May 5-Jul 1: Miami to Marco. La Petite Galerie—thru Apr 1: JoAnn Sanborn; Apr 7-29: Marco Island Academy; May 5-27: Thomas Keller; Jun 2-Jul 1: Matt Fazio. Mon-Fri 9a-4p. 394-4221.
•Method & Concept: 26 10th St. S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p. 529-2633.
•Naples Art District: Dozens of artists’ studios & galleries. Shirley
St & J&C. Jan xx, xx, xx: Artful Arrangements. Open studios Apr & May Thu & Sat 1-5p. 249-1977.
•Naples Art Institute: 585 Park St, Naples. Thru Apr 6: Matisse & His Illustrated Works. Mon-Fri 9a-5p. 262-6517.
•Naples Art Studios: Naples Art District, North Line Plaza, 2172 J & C Blvd, Naples. Thru Apr 30: Melissa Belz - Abstract Florals. By appt. 821-1061.
•Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens: 5827 Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda. Exhibits— thru Apr 20: ZimSculpt. Tue-Sun 9a-4p. 941-621-8299.
•Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery: 375 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 11a-5p. 261-4300.
•Rachel Pierce Art Gallery: 1571 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Daily 10a-3p. 292-3327.
•Rachel Pierce Art Gallery: Bell Tower Shops, 13499 Cleveland Ave SW, Ft Myers. Daily 10a-3p. 292-3327.
•Rene Miville Gallery: Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, 2nd fl, Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 10a-8p & Sun 12-7p. 333-3130.
•Ringling College of Art & Design: 2700 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Basch Gallery (Thompson Academic Center, 2363 Bradenton Rd; Cooley Photography Center (Bradenton Rd; Crossley Gallery (Hughes Studio Bldg, 2698 Bradenton Rd); Selby Gallery (2700 N Tamiami Tr); Skylight Gallery (Keating Center, Bradenton Rd);. Smith Gallery (2363 Bradenton Rd);.Stulberg Gallery (2700 N Tamiami Tr); Thompson Gallery (Keating Center, Bradenton Rd). Apr Mon-Sat 10a-4p; May & Jun Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 941-359-7563.
•Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru May 11: Radical Clay; thru Sep 21: Embodied; May 25-Jan 26; Skyway. Circus Museum— ongoing: The Greatest Show on Earth. Bayfront Gardens. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-359-5700. •Sanibel Captiva Art League: Meetings 3rd Thu 1-3p. Sanibel Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 322-8593.
•Sarasota Art Museum: Ringling College, 1001 S Tamiami T, Sarasota. Thru May 4: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks; May 4-Aug 10: Personal to Political; May 4-Aug 10: Chris Friday; thru Apr 2026: Molly Hatch. Mon-Sat 10a-5p, Sun 11a-5p. 941-309-4300. •Shaw Gallery: 761 5th Ave S, Naples. Mon-Thu 12-8p, Fri & Sat 10a-8p. 261-7828.
•Sea Grape Gallery: 113 Marion Ave, Punta Gorda. Grand Reopening Celebration: Apr 1-30: Lana Cease, Nancy VanTassell; May 1-30: Vicki Glynn; Jun 1-30: Beth Williams. Tue-Fri 10a-5p & Sat 10a-4p. 41-575-1718
•Sheldon Fine Art: 460th Ave S, Naples. Sun-Thu 10a-6p, Fri-Sat 10a-9p. 649-6255.
•Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. Apr 4-24: Int; Baccalaureate Visual Arts; Apr 4-24: The American Revolution - Experience Echoes of Independence; May 7-27: Emerging Talents; Apr 4-24: Baccalaureate Visual Arts; Apr 4-24: The American Revolution; May 2-29: A Drop of Poison; May 2-29: Illustrating Expanses; Jun 6-26: Icons & Idols - Art in Pop Culture; Jun 6-26: Art Teachers Visions. Mon, Tue & Thu 10a-5p, Wed & Fri 10a-10p. 337-1933.
•smallwalls: Naples Art District, 6240 Shirley St, #103, Naples. By appt. 402-201-6160.
•SPAACES Studio: 2051 Princeton St, Sarasota. Thru Apr 12: Anthony Mancuso & Bobby Aiosa; Apr 18May 31: Care - Givers & Receivers; Jun 6-Jul 5: Safe Children
Coalition Artists. Fri & Sat 11a-2p & by appt. 941-374-3492.
•SRQ East Art Studios: 8326 Consumer Ct, Sarasota. Dozen artist studios. Open studios 2nd Sat 5-7p. 941-363-1724.
•Sweet Art Gallery: 852 1st Ave S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat 11a-2p. 597-2110.
•Tammra Sigler Studio: 5760 Shirley St, # 11, Naples. By appt. 821-1017.
•The Vault by Shaw Gallery: 1040 Collier Center Way, Naples. By appt. 261-7828.
•Tower Gallery Artist Cooperative: 751 Tarpon Bay Rd, Sanibel. Daily 10a-4p. 579-0659.
•Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point: 17281 On Par Blvd, Ft Myers. Thru May 10: Artworks in Wood - Bill Schmigle & Bart Sharp; thru May 10: Art Council of SWFL show. May 17-Jul 19: Ripples - Ft Myers Beach Art Assoc. Tue-Sat 10a-3p. 415-5667.
•Union Artists Studios: Alliance for the Arts campus, 10051 McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Sat 10a-2p & by appt. 980-1394.
•Venice Art Center: 390 Nokomis Ave S, Venice. Thru Apr 3: Spring Members show; Apr 11-30: Worldly Wishes, Mary Jo Flory Janski; May 6-15: South. Sarasota County School Show; May 23-Jun19: Evoke & Provoke, Jill Krasner; Jun 27Jul 17: Point of View, Karen Weihs. Apr & May Mon-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 9am-1pm. 941-485-7136.
•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Apr 7-19: Charlotte Middle & High School Students; Apr 21-May 3: Charlotte Elementary Students; May 8-30: A Walk in Nature. Mon & Fri 10a-4p, Tu-Thu 10a-7p, Sat 10a-2p. 941-639-8810.
Attractions
•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum: Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 30290 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston. Exhibit— ongoing: Taweekaache -
Seminole Patchwork. Daily 9a-5p (entry to boardwalk closes at 4pm). 877-902-1113.
•Architecture Sarasota: McCullough Pavilion, 265 S Orange Ave, Sarasota. Thu-Sat 10a-4:30p & Sun 11a-4:30p. 941-364-2199.
•Artis-Naples: Baker Museum of Art, Daniels Pavilion, Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 597-1900.
•Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium: Great Hall of Shells, Living Gallery of Aquariums. Ongoing photo exhibits— Adorned by the Sea – Shells in fashion. Amy Tripp Photographs of Beach & Marine Life; 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Tue-Fri 11a-3p. 395-2233.
•Berne Davis Botanical Garden: 2166 Virginia Ave, Ft Myers. Apr & May Tue & Thu 10a-1p. Guided tours. Plein Air painting workshops: Tue & Thu 9a-1p. 332-4942.
•Bishop Museum of Science & Nature: 201 10th St W, Bradenton. Exhibits, manatee habitat, planetarium. Tue-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 941-746-4131.
•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Tours Tue-Thu 11a. Register. 337-9505
•Calusa Heritage Trail: Randall Research Center, 13810 Waterfront Dr, Pineland. Guided tours TueSat 10a; Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 1p. Sunrise-sunset. 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 select nites 8p. Planetarium shows Mon-Sat 12 & 2p & Sun 12, 2, 3:30p. Tue-Sun 10a-4p. 275-3435.
•Cape Coral Historical Museum: 544 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Museum buildings & gardens. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat 10a2p. 772-7037.
•Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. New exhibits: Publix Super Market, Ciao Bambini!. Sun-Tue & Thu-Sat 10a-4:30p. 514-0084.
•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Thru Apr
2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. MonSat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 321-7420.
•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. Thru May 31: Southwest Florida Ranch Life. Cattle Drive & Jamboree - Mar 8. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 252-2611.
•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Thru Jun 7: The Florida House - Marco Island’s Mackle-built Model Homes. TueSat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.
•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: 1534 Mound St, Sarasota. Thru Jun 29: George Harrison - A Gardener’s Life. 10a-5p daily. 941-366-5731.
•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: Historic Spanish Point, 337 N Tamiami Tr, Osprey. Thru Aug 31: Patti Smith - A Book of Days. Daily 10a-5p. 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 10a, 12 & 2p; 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. Wed-Sat 7:30a-6:30p. 765-0865.
30: Art of Phil Fisher. Mon-Sat 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. Guided walks MonSat. Register. 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-3p, visitor center 8a-1p. 3489151.
•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Guided wildlife walks select Wed, Thu, Sat 9a. Hospital tours, presentations 11a daily Apr, 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-Sat 10a-4p. Free. 472-3644.
•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Wildlife viewing, education Center. Apr 26: Conservation Carnival. Wildlife drive: Sat-Thu dawn-dusk; Visitor center: Sat-Thu 9a-5p. 472-1100.
•Edison & Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Historic homes, gardens, laboratory, museum. Exhibits— Ongoing: Rebirth & Renewal; ongoing: Fanatics - Edison, Mack & Baseball in Fort Myers. Guided homes tours daily. 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. 272-1911.
•Estero Historical Society: Estero Park, 9285 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Sat 1-4p. Free. 272-1911.
•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. Exhibits— Convincing the Masses - Propaganda Home & Abroad. Guided tours. Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 1-4p. 263-9200.
•IMAG History & Science Center: Exhibits, activities, live sea life touch-tank & feedings, films.
•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Landscapes & Garden Center: 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Exhibits, demonstration gardens, workshops. Tue-Thu 9a-3p. 472-1932.
•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Guided tours daily 10:30. Apr TueSat 10a-4p, May & Jun Tue-Sat 10a-4p. 472-4648.
•Sarasota Jungle Gardens: 3701 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Live animal shows, tours. Daily 10a-4p. 941-355-5305.
•Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee: 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. Gambling, entertainment, food. 24 hrs daily. 800-218-0007.
•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Organic spa, garden & dining. Garden tours Tue & Wed 10a. Daily 9a-4p. 949-0749.
•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Ongoing: 50 Years of Hip Hop, Anderson Avenue Economic Renaissance, MLK Corridor’s Revival. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat by appt. Free. 3328778.
•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 May 3: Randy Wayne White’s Everglades. 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. Exhibitions— Thru May 26: Frame & Flora; Apr 26-Jun 29: Tany Trinkaus Glass. Fogg Café exhibit— thru Jun 22: Nature Journaling. Music in the Garden: 2nd Sat 2-4p. Birding tours: Tue 8a. Tours daily 10a-2p. Apr Fri at 5: 5-8p live music & activities. Apr Sunset Wed 5-8p. Apr & May daily 9a-5p, Wed 9a-8p, Jun daily 9a-2p. 643-7275.
•Naples Depot Museum: Temporarily Closed. 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 262-6525.
•Naples Historical Society: Historic Palm Cottage, Norris Gardens & Smith Exhibit Hall. 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Tours: Tue-Sat 12-4p (register). Tue-Sat 12-4p. 261-8164.
•Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples. Wildlife & botanical exhibits. Daily 9a-4:30p. 2625409.
•Paradise Coast Sports Complex: 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. Live music Sat nites 5-8p NOVMAY at The Cove. Free. 252-4386.
•Peace River Wildlife Center: Ponce de Leon Park, 3400 Ponce de Leon Pkwy, Punta Gorda. Daily 11a-4p. 941-637-3830
•Randell Research Center: 7450
Pineland Rd, Pineland. Calusa Heritage Trail, South Florida archeology & ethnography exhibits. Guide Calusa Heritage Trail tours Tue-Sat 10a; Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 1p. Sunrise-sunset. 283-2062.
•Revs Institute: 2500 Horseshoe Dr S, Naples. Thru 2025: Roaring Twenties Rolling Art - French Automotive Mascots. Tours & workshops. Tue, Thu, Sat 10a-4p. Tix in advance. 687-7387.
•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Exhibits— thru Apr 25: Annual Photography Show. Exhibits, daily programs, guided boat & kayak eco-tours. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. 530-5940.
•Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Botanical gardens, animals, alligator feedings. Guided tours Thu-Mon 1p. Apr & May daily 10a-4p; Jun daily 10a-2p. 992-2591.
Parks & Beaches
•Alison Hagerup Beach: 14790 Captiva Dr, Captiva. Dawn-dusk. Parking fee. 472-2472.
•Alva Park: 21471 N River Rd, Alva. Dawn-dusk. Free. 694-0398.
•Bailey Homestead Preserve: Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. Walking tours Mon 2p & Thu 10a. Thru Apr 1: Natives in the Garden exhibit. Tue-Fri 9a-3p. Free. 472-1932.
•Bonita Beach Park: 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7444.
•Boca Grande Park: 131 1st St, Boca Grande. Dawn-dusk. Free. 839-6008.
•Bowditch Point Park: 50 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Dawn-dusk. Free. 463-3764.
•Bowman’s Beach Park: 1700 Bowman’s Beach Rd, Sanibel. Dawn-dusk. 533-7575.
•Brooks Park: 50 South Rd, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 3400397.
•Buckingham Park: 9800 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 237-9306.
•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Guided beach walks Wed 9a thru Apr. Dawn-dusk. Free. 707-6794.
•Caloosahatchee Park: 18500 North River Rd, Alva. Dawn-dusk. Free. 693-2690.
•Cayo Costa State Park: 4 nautical miles west of Pine Island. Accessible only by boat or kayak. Camping, boating, bicycling trails. 8a-sunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park: 12301 Burnt Store Rd, Punta Gorda. Environmental Center, hiking & bicycling trails, guided hikes. 8a-sunset daily. 941-5755816.
•Collier-Seminole State Park: US 41, S Naples. Hiking & bicycling trails, boating, camping, boardwalk. 8a-sunset. 394-3397.
•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park:
Lisbeth Ascanio is the featured artist in May at the Harbour View Gallery in Cape Coral
What Goes On APRIL-MAY-JUNE
11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach. Hiking trail, paddling, boating, boardwalk, restaurant. 8a-sunset. 597-6196.
•Dog Beach: 14436 Bonita Beach Causeway, Bonita Springs. Dogs can run free. Dawn-dusk. Free. 229-0632.
•Estero Bay Preserve State Park: 4940 Broadway W, Estero. Hiking trails, off-road bicycling trails, boating. 8a-sunset daily. 992-0311.
•Estero Park: 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Rec Center. 6a-9p. Free. 248-1609.
•Everglades National Park: Gulf Coast Visitor Center, 815 Oyster Bar Ln. Everglades City. 695-3311.
•Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: 8137 Coastline Dr, Copeland. Hiking & bicycling trails, boardwalk, paddling, historic site. 8a-sunset daily. 695-4593.
•Four Freedoms Park: 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. Dawn-dusk. Free. 574-0804.
•Gasparilla State Park: 880 Belcher Rd, Boca Grande. 8a-sunset daily. Bicycling & hiking trails, paddling, museum. 8amsunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Harlem Heights Park: 7340 Concourse Dr, Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 839-7062.
•Hickey Creek Park: 17980 Palm Beach Blvd, Alva. Dawn-dusk. Free. 693-2690.
•John Yarbrough Park: 14608 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, F Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 218-1032.
•Judd Park: 1297 Parkview Ct, N Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Koreshan State Historic Site State Park: US Hwy 41 & Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Access to Mound Key Archeological State Park. Historic settlement, hiking trials, boating, paddling, camping. 8a-sunset daily, historic site 8a-5p daily. 992-0311.
•Kurt Donaldson Park: 180 Hunter Blvd, Cape Coral. Dawn-dusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Lake Manatee State Park: 20007 State Rd 64 E, Bradenton. Hiking & bicycling trails, paddling, boating. 8a-sunset. 941-741-3028.
•Lakes Park: 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. 7a-dusk. 533-7575.
•Lehigh Acres Park: 1400 W 5th St, Lehigh Acres. Dawn-dusk. Free. 204-1165.
•Lehigh Acres Trailhead Park: 213 David Ave, Lehigh Acres. Dawndusk. Free. 204-1165.
•Lighthouse Beach Park: 110 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 7a-dusk. 472-0345.
•Lovers Key State Park: 8700 Estero Blvd. Ft Myers Beach. Bicycling & hiking trails, boating, paddling. Guided walks select Fri & Sat 10:30a; wildlife lectures Apr Wed 10:30a; Apr sunset meditations Mon 1.5 hrs before sunset; beach & estuary walk Apr 1st Fri 10:30a; seashell walk Apr 2nd Fri 10:30a; wildlife walk Apr 1st Sat 10:30a. 8a-sunset daily. 463-4588.
•Lynn Hall Beach Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Dawn-dusk. Free. 229-7356.
•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. 8a-dusk, 6905030.
•Matanzas Pass Preserve: Temporarily Closed. 119 Bay Rd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 707-3015.
•Matlacha Park: 4577 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Community Center. 7a-9p. Free. 771-1078.
•Myakka River State Park: 13207 SR 72, Sarasota. Canoeing, camping, paddling, hiking & bicycling horseback riding trails, wildlife tours by air-boat &
tram, scenic drive, guided walks. 8a-sunset daily. 941-361-6511.
•Nalle Grade Park: 8350 Nalle Grade Rd, N Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Naples Preserve: Eco-center. 1690 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Free. 261-4290.
•North Collier Park: 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples. Free. 652-4512.
•North Fort Myers Park: 2000 N Recreation Park Way, N Ft Myers. Rec Center. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7200
•North Shore Park: 13001 N Cleveland Ave, N Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 357-5443.
•Olga Park: 2325 S Olga Dr, Ft Myers. Community Center. Dawndusk. Free. 694-2291.
•Oscar Scherer State Park: 1843 S Tamiami Tr, Osprey. Hiking & bicycling trails, paddling, camping. 8a-sunset daily. 941-483-5956.
•Phillips Park: 5675 Sesame Dr, Bokeelia. Dawn-dusk. Free. 7711078.
•Pinewood Trails Park: 5901 Pine Island Rd NW, Bokeelia. Dawndusk. Free. 771-1078.
•Rotary Park: 5505 Rose Garden Rd, Cape Coral. Tom Allen Butterfly House, nature trails, environmental center. 8a-4p. Free. 549-4606.
•Rutenberg Park: 6500 South Pointe Blvd, Ft Myers. Dawn-dusk. Free. 340-0397.
•San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Free. 765-6794.
•Schandler Hall Park: 419 Royal Palm Park Rd, Ft Myers. Dawndusk. Free. 533-7200.
•Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: 7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Boardwalk, interpretive center open Tue-Sun 10a-4p.
Guided boardwalk walks Apr daily 9:30a, May & Jun Wed 9:30a. Dawn-dusk. Free. 533-7550.
•Stump Pass Beach State Park: 900 Gulf Blvd (south end of Manasota Key, Englewood). Hiking, paddling, guided tours. 8a-sunset daily. 941-964-0375.
•Three Oaks Park: 18251 Three Oaks Pkwy, Ft Myers. Dawn-9:15p. Free. 478-6998.
•Veterans Park: 55 Homestead Rd, Lehigh Acres. Rec Center. Dawndusk. Free. 369-1521.
•Wa-Ke-Hatchee Park: 16730 Bass Rd, Ft Myers. Rec Center. Dawndusk. Free. 533-7468.
Libraries
•Bonita Springs: 10560 Reynolds St, Bonita Springs. Mon, Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 12-8p, Fri & Sat 9a5p. 533-4860.
•Cape Coral-Lee County: 921 S.W. 39th Ter, Cape Coral. Mon-Wed 9a-8p. Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a5p. 533-4500.
•Captiva: 11560 Chapin Ln, Captiva. Mon, Wed, Fri 10a-4p. 533-4890.
•Collier County Library Headquarters: 2385 Orange Blossom Dr, Naples. Mon-Thu 9a8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7311.
•Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon: 3095 Blount St, Fort Myers. Tue 12-8p, Wed & Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a5p. 533-4150.
•East County: 881 Gunnery Rd N, Lehigh Acres. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4200.
•East Naples: 8787 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•Estates: 1266 Golden Gate Blvd W, Naples. Mon-Thu 10a-6p Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7109.
•Everglades City: 102 Copeland Ave N, Everglades City. Mon-Fri 9a-12p & 1-4:30p. 295-2511.
•Fort Myers: 2450 First St, Ft Myers. Min-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4600.
•Fort Myers Beach: Temporarily Closed. 2755 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Mon-Sat 9a-5p. 765-8162.
•Golden Gate: 2432 Lucerne Rd, Naples. Mon-Thu 10a-6p, Fri &Sat 9a-5p. 252-4542.
•Immokalee: 417 N First St, Immokalee. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7073.
•Johann Fust: 1040 W 10th St, Boca Grande. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 941-964-2488
•Lakes: 15290 Bass Rd, Ft Myers. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4000.
•Marco Island: 210 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Mon-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7064.
•Naples: 650 Central Ave, Naples. Mon-Thu 9a-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•North Fort Myers: 2001 N Tamiami Tr, N Ft Myers. Mon,
Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 12-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4320.
•Northwest: 519 Chiquita Blvd N, Cape Coral. Mon, Wed, Thu 10a-6p, Tue 12-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 5334700.
•Pine Island: 10701 Russell Rd, Bokeelia. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4350.
•Riverdale: 21471 N River Rd, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 10a-4p. 533-4370.
•Sanibel: 770 Dunlop Rd Sanibel. Mon & Thu 9a-8p; Tue, Wed, Fri 9a-5p; Sat 9a-1p. 472-2483.
•South: 8065 Lely Cultural Pkwy, Naples. Mon-Thu 9a-8p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p.
•South County: 21100 Three Oaks Pkwy, Estero. Mon-Wed 9a-8p, Thu 9a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 533-4400.
•Talking Books: 1651 Lee St, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 9a-5p. 533-4780.
•Vanderbilt Beach: 788 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. Tue-Thu 10a-6p, Fri & Sat 9a-5p. 252-7160.
Live Music & Comedy
•Americana Community Music Association Listening Room: All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Select Fri- Sun 7p. 691-4069.
•Bay Street Yard: 2136 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 270-5941.
•Bone Hook Brewery: 1514 Immokalee Rd, Naples. Live music select nites. 631-8522.
•Buckingham Blues Bar: 5641 Buckingham Rd., Ft Myers. Live music select nites. Free open blues jam Wed 8-11p & Sun 3-6p: Tommy Lee Cook & The Buckingham Blues Band w Rex Bongo & Harry Cassano. 693-7111.
•Buddha Bar: 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select WedSun nites. 482-8565.
•Cape Cabaret: 4725 Vincennes Blvd, Cape Coral. Tue nites: jazz & blues jams 7-9:30p; Comedy nites: Fri & select Sat nites 7p; live music select nites 7-10p. Tue. 549-3000.
•Coastal Dayz Brewery: 2161 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers, Live music select nites & Sat 2-5p. Free. 204-9665.
•Downtown Social House: 1406 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Live music— Mon 4-8p: Roy Schneider; Wed 4-8p: Eddie Bartley; Thu 4-8p: PJ Carroll; Fri 4-8p: Rich Lancaster; Sat 5-9p: Countryfied Duo, Sun 3-7p: The Beatless. Free. 3377646.
•Eight-Foot Brewing: 4417 SE 16th Pl, #11, Cape Coral. Live music select Sat 6-9p. Free. 337-7646.
•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers. Live music Wed 6-9p, Fri & Sat 7-10p, Sun 2-5p. Free. 313-6576.
•Lobby Bar: Luminary Hotel, 2200 Edwards Dr, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat 6-9p. 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. Free. 271-2255.
•Off the Hook Comedy Club: 2500 Vanderbilt Beach, Naples. Comedians Thu-Sat & select Sun, 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.
•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. Live music— jazz select Thu 7-9p: Brandon Robertson Quartet; Irish music 1st Sun 4-7p: The Rowdy Bards. Free. 603-6535.
•Rack ‘em Spirits & Times: 1011 SE 47th Ter, Cape Coral. Live music select Fri & Sat nites. Free. 540-7225.
•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.
•Snappers Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Comedians Thu-Sat nites. 479-5233.
•South Street City Oven & Grill: 1410 Pine Ridge Rd, # 4, Naples. Live music select Fri-Sun 8-11p. Free. 435-9333.
•South Street City Oven & Grill: 8845 Founders Square Dr, Naples. Live music select Fri-Sun 8-11p. Free. 435-9333.
•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Live music select Wed-Sat nites. 204-9949.
•Sugarshack Downtown: 27421 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Live music select nites. 301-4321.
•Ter-Tini’s Music & Event Hall: 1901 Crystal Dr, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 344-6147.
•The Cove: Paradise Coast Sports Complex outdoor bar. 3940 City Gate Blvd N, Naples. Live Sat & select Fri nites 5-8p. Free. 2524386
•The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon: 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Fri & Sat nites. 985-9839.
•The Rhythm House: 16440 S Tamiami Tr, Ft Myers. Tue & Sat 6:30-9:30p. 466-8326.
•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 9:30p-1a. 263-6777.
•Z’s Music Kitchen: 12655 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Live music select Fri & Sat 6-9p. 304-9552.
‘Entangled in the Mangroves’ is on view at The Baker Museum at Artis—Naples.
