Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte, FL · Local Life
englewoodreview.com
Where Englewood Gets Its Irish On: St. Patrick’s Day at Spinnaker Café
Spinnaker Café has been a local favorite in Englewood, Florida, for over 30 years. It’s a family-run place, and you feel that the second you walk in. “Our doors open early at 6 a.m. sharp, and we keep serving breakfast and lunch right up to 3 p.m. every day,” says Sue, mother of Lisa, the owner of Spinnaker Café.
visitevergladescity.com
Locals Share Smuggling Stories in New Everglades Documentary
For decades, the smuggling era of Everglades City and Chokoloskee has mostly lived in quiet conversations and local lore. Now, some of the people who lived through it are speaking publicly. A new documentary, Outlaws of the Everglades, features firsthand accounts from local fishermen, families, and journalists who witnessed the...
The News-Press
Hollywood stars shine in Fort Myers, Naples: Movies shot in SW Florida
Zombies shuffle through downtown Fort Myers. A group of kids fight to save Cape Coral’s burrowing owls. Dakota Fanning kisses a boy on a Captiva Island beach. And the cameras are rolling to capture it all. Film crews have visited Southwest Florida many times over the years, and so have some of Hollywood's biggest stars: Denzel Washington. Jayne Mansfield. Reese Witherspoon. Sean Connery. Drew Barrymore. Joe Pesci. Jessica Lange. Woody Harrelson. And many more. To celebrate the upcoming Academy Awards on March 15 , we're taking a look at some of the biggest movies shot over the last seven decades in Fort Myers, Naples and other parts of Southwest Florida. One of them even won an Oscar for Best Actor (Jessica Lange in "Blue Sky"). 'NIGHT MOVES' (starring Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, Edward Binns and Melanie Griffith) The film: Film noir about a Los Angeles private investigator ( Gene Hackman ) hired to find a client’s runaway daughter. His search takes him to the Florida Keys. Year released: 1975 Director: Arthur Penn Production: Some scenes were shot on Sanibel Island. The rest were filmed in California and Wakulla Springs, Florida. "Night Moves" was directed by Arthur Penn, who also directed
WINKNEWS.com
Authors and readers connect at Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — More than 50 writers gathered in Fort Myers for the 27th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, a beloved event drawing thousands of book lovers each year. Books were stacked high, and downtown Fort Myers transformed into a celebration of stories. "Just coming out and...
gulfshorebusiness.com
Tim Aten Knows: New casual restaurants open in downtown Naples
Some new eateries on Fifth Avenue South have created more approachable spots to get a quality meal without reservations and white tablecloths. They offer counter service instead of full service, but they are owned and operated by seasoned hospitality professionals who bring a lot to the table. . Until recently, most...
lehighacrescitizen.com
Builders Care’s BBQ, Bands & Brew returns to Caloosa Sound Amphitheater on March 28
Lee BIA Builders Care’s popular BBQ, Bands & Brew fundraising event is returning Saturday, March 28, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers. During the 15th annual event, Southwest Florida’s top pit masters will compete for the title of “Best BBQ in...
The News-Press
Fort Myers Beach shrimp parade: See photos of floats, costumes, more
The floats, the costumes, the cheering fans. It was all to celebrate Fort Myers Beach’s most famous food — the tiny, tasty shrimp. The Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade did just that the morning of March 7 on Estero Boulevard. The approximately two-hour parade featured floats from island businesses, Queens Pageant “princesses,” law-enforcement vehicles and lots of people dressed in shrimp hats, shrimp shirts and shrimp costumes. The annual parade shines a spotlight on the island’s enduring shrimp industry, still recovering after taking a major hit from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Many parade organizers refer to the island’s delicious shrimp as “pink gold.” That juicy, delicious seafood gets pulled from the nearby Gulf and served on plates across Southwest Florida and the rest of the country, too. Thousands of people lined Estero Boulevard for parade, part of the 68 th annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival. Proceeds from the festival benefit the Fort Myers Beach Lions Club's various charities. For more details, visit fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com or facebook.com/ShrimpFestFMB . Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7),
The Daily Sun
Englewood artist wins an award at the 15th Biennial National Art Exhibition
Englewood artist Kathleen Hartman is celebrating a remarkable achievement after receiving an award for her acrylic painting “Virescence” at the 15th Biennial National Art Exhibition at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda.
breakingandentering.net
VIDEO: Ethan Tucker – Full Set (Live Music) Sugarshack Sessions
Ethan Tucker – Full Set (Live Music) | Sugarshack Sessions. 🔔 Subscribe to Sugarshack’s Channel: https://bit.ly/4hNw3OT. Ethan Tucker from Olympia, WA performing live at the Sugarshack in Bonita Springs, FL. More episodes from Ethan Tucker:. Number – https://youtu.be/_Bvwy2aKwP4. Bad Man – https://youtu.be/b1IFdk1cGGc. Midnight Moonlight –...
Marconews.com
SWFLA To Do List: Events in Bonita, Estero, Naples and Marco Island
Top events of the week: 3 To Do: Shrimp Festival; Cat Food Drive and ‘The Buddy Holly Story’. Grammy Award–winning The Travelin’ McCoury are bringing a progressive, modern bluegrass sound that has reshaped the genre. Brothers Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Rob McCoury (banjo), sons of bluegrass icon Del McCoury, extend a lineage of bluegrass royalty with music that blends traditional acoustic power with the influence of rock, country, and jam bands such as the Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, and Led Zeppelin—all delivered with uncompromising musicianship and drive. At 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 6, at the Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center, Hinman Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs. Tickets: $64 Tier 1; $59 Tier 2; $54 Tier 3. More at ArtsBonita.com.
The News-Press
5 Southwest Florida restaurants that stand the test of time
The Southwest Florida dining scene is all over the foodie map. We pretty much have it all here — from fine dining waterfront wonders to hidden strip mall mom and pops. Some restaurants have been around for decades, while others suddenly spring up out of nowhere. Sifting through it all, we’re going to take a moment and look at the classics. We’ll define those as having been around for a bit and offering a unique Southwest Florida experience. Places you would bring visitors to for a taste of the area, and if they’re seasoned with history, all the better. With that in mind, here are five tried-and-true classics in Fort Myers, Captiva and Bonita Springs. Bubble Room Why not do dessert first? Especially if you’re at this quirkily iconic Captiva wonder. While the eclectic decor — a fascinating mix of Christmas and old Hollywood, plus, as if that weren’t enough, thousands of toys scattered about — grabs your attention, it’s the cake that steals our heart. We love, love, love the towering and colorful signature layer cakes. The orange crunch — yellow cake deliciously layered with an almond-brown sugar crunch and orange cream cheese icing — is our go-to. But
gulfshorebusiness.com
Dave’s Hot Chicken opens first Fort Myers location
Peter Ungerleider said nervous energy coursed through him as he waited for a colleague to unlock the doors and invite inside a line of people that had formed. Dave’s Hot Chicken officially opens March 6, but Ungerleider, General Manager Adam Campos and visiting team trainer Jeff Fuerst, who also is the managing partner of the Tampa Bay-area locations, opted for a quiet opening at 11 a.m. March 5 at 7925 Dani Drive, off Six Mile Cypress Parkway. The restaurant sits in the southwest quadrant of the Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 intersection in the same shopping center as Chicken Salad Chick and Crumbl Cookies.
englewoodreview.com
A Decade of Excellence: Lemon Bay High Symphonic Winds Earn 10th Consecutive Superior at MPA
At the FBA District 11 Concert Band Music Performance Assessment, Lemon Bay High School Symphonic Winds did it again: another set of straight superior ratings. That’s ten years in a row. A full decade. Ten years of Lemon Bay students stepping onto that stage, giving it everything, and making...
The News-Press
Cape Coral cafe, bakery closes after 11 years on Pine Island Road
After years of serving up coffee, cannolis, rock shows and theater, Chris Durso has pulled the plug on his quirky Cape Coral café. Durso’s Delite Bakery & Café had been closed since Jan. 6 while Durso decided what to do with the place, which had been struggling after a failed attempt at an in-house theater company. Now Durso has made it official: The café has permanently shut its doors on Pine Island Road, just across the street from Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park . Durso — who also owns the next-door Educators Music — compares closing Durso’s Delite and removing its theater stage, tables and kitchen equipment to a death in the family. He'd emptied the storefront over the last few weeks. “It was like a wake every day,” he says. “It was like if your mother died and you're cleaning out her house and her belongings, you know what I mean? It’s hard." In addition to the café, Durso is best known locally as the owner of Educator's Music , a musician and an actor who’s performed at Broadway Palm and elsewhere. His adjoining music store, by the way, is still going strong. And closing Durso’s Delite has an