Page 6 The Sun Bay Paper March 2, 2026 What’s New around Fort Myers 2026 annual festivals and events Free weekly programs at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island Through April 6 dingdarlingsociety.org Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium Shelling and beach walks Feb. 1, March 1, April 12 Sundial Beach Resort & Spa, Sanibel Island shellmuseum.org Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife 8th Annual Ground Owl Day Feb. 2 Pelican Baseball Complex ccfriendsofwildlife.org/events/2026/groundowl-day ArtFest Fort Myers, downtown Fort Myers Feb. 6-8 artfestfortmyers.com Edison and Ford Winter Estates annual Antique Ford Car Show Feb. 7 EdisonFord.org Bonita Springs National Art Festivals series Feb. 7-8, March 14-15 Riverside Park, downtown Bonita Springs artsbonita.org/artfest 21st annual “Ding” Darling Winter Lecture Series Through April 16 dingdarlingsociety.org Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Third Thursdays Feb. 19, March 19, April 16 shellmuseum.org Spring training Boston Red Sox Feb. 20-March 23 mlb.com/redsox/spring-training JetBlue Park, Fort Myers Minnesota Twins mlb.com/twins/spring-training Feb. 20-March 24 Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers 88th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade, Fort Myers Feb. 21 Downtown Fort Myers edisonfestival.org Southwest Florida Ag Expo Feb. 26-March 8 “Roots ‘n’ Rides: A Celebration of Tradition” Mike Greenwell Regional Park swflagexpo.com 24th annual Burrowing Owl Festival, Cape Coral Feb. 28 Rotary Park Environmental Center ccfriendsofwildlife.org/burrowing-owl-festival-2 Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium Sunrise Shell and Mollusk Strolls March 1 Lighthouse Beach, Sanibel Island shellmuseum.org 89th annual Sanibel Shell Festival, Sanibel Island March 5-7 Sanibel Community House sanibelcommunityhouse.net/shell-festival 27th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, Fort Myers March 7 Fort Myers Regional Library, downtown Fort Myers readfest.org Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival March 7-8 fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com Little River Band March 13 Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, downtown Fort Myers caloosasoundamp.com CROW Taste of the Islands, Sanibel Island March 13-20 tasteoftheislands.org Fort Myers Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 14 fortmyersbeach.org ECHO Global Food and Farm Festival, North Fort Myers March 15-21 echonet.org 4th annual SWFL Mural Fest, Fort Myers March tba artsembleunderground.com/swfl-muralfest Get The Led Out March 19 Caloosa Sound Amphitheater, downtown Fort Myers caloosasoundamp.com 11th annual Bonita Springs Film Festival April tba Prado Stadium bonitaspringsfilmfestival.org World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, Boca Grande May 13-14 bocagrandechamber.com/worlds-richest-tarpon-tournament 16th annual Fort Myers Film Festival May 14-18 fortmyersfilmfestival.com 14th annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, Sanibel Island May 15 dingdarlingsociety.org/tarpon-tournament National Seashell Day June 20 visitfortmyers.com/national-seashell-day 30th annual MangoMania July 11 pineislandchamber.org/chamber-events/ mangomania Island Hopper Songwriter Fest Sept. 18-27 island-hopperfest.com 41st Cape Coral Oktoberfest Oct. 17-19 & 24-26 German-American Social Club capecoraloktoberfest.com Sanibel Island Writers Conference November tba FGCU fgcu.edu/siwc 36th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship, Fort Myers Beach Nov. 19-23 fmbsandsculpting.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA2ODE3