September-October 2019

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019

VOLUME 18 • NUMBER 5

Comedian and actor Lenny Clarke will be appearing at Laugh In Comedy Cafe in Fort Myers on October 31. Call 479-5233 for information.

© Copyright September 2019 by FT MYERS MAGAZINE All rights reserved. FT MYERS MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly by And Pat, llc. No portion of FT MYERS MAGAZINE may be reproduced without permission. ftmyers@optonline.net 516-652-6072

Andrew Elias :DIRECTOR –DESIGNER Pat Simms-Elias : EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS : P aula Bolado, Julie Clay, Carol DeFrank, Cindy-jo Dietz, Philip Jason

NEXT ISSUE : March-April 2018

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ONTHECOVER: Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary

PREVIEWS

Songwriter FestivalReturns to SWFL

The sixth annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest returns to Southwest Florida, September 2029, with free shows at various small venues on Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach and in downtown Fort Myers.

Singer/songwriters will perform on Captiva from Sept 20-22, in Fort Myers Beach from September 23-26, and in Fort Myers’ Historic River District on September 27-29. Details about schedules are not available as we went to press. Featured songwriters at the Fest include:

Kristian Bush (one half of the country duo Sugarland), Ryan Hurd, and the band Gone West, all performing in Fort Myers.

The American Community Music Association will also host a songwriters showcase in downtown Fort Myers featuring Bill Metts, Kim Mayfield, Roy Schneider, Ray Cerbone, and Robert Bidney, all SWFL residents.

Some of the other songwriters performing at the Fest include local artists Sheena Brook, Ayla Lynn, Katie Lyon, Carlene Thissen, Tim McGreary, Gianna Minichiello, and Keefe Klug.

Some of the nationallyacclaimed songwriters scheduled to perform include:

Dave Pahanish, who co-wrote #1 country music singles

‘American Ride' by Toby Keith and 'Without You' by Keith Urban, as well as writing for Tim McGraw.

Dylan Altman, who wrote three #1 hits for Tim McGraw ('Watch the Wind Blow By'), Jason Aldean ('Take a Little Ride') and Jake Owen ('Barefoot Blue Jean Night').

Brandon Kinney, who has written songs for Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan

James Slater, who wrote 'In My Daughter's Eyes' for Martina McBride and 'High Cost of Living' for Jamey Johnson.

Jim McCormick, three-time Grammy-nominated songwriter who has written songs for Kelly Clarkson, Harry Connick Jr, Trisha Yearwood, and Randy Travis.

Sam James, a former contestant on The Voice.

Sam Williams, the grandson of Hank Williams, son of Hank Williams Jr., and younger halfbrother to musicians Holly

Sam

will be performing September 20 at ‘Tween the Waters and September 21 & 22 at Doc Ford’s and September 22 at Mucky Duck on Captiva as part of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest.

Williams and Hank Williams III.

Venues hosting Island Hopper Songwriter concerts in Fort Myers: City Tavern (2206 BAY ST.)

Florida Repertory Theatre's Historic Arcade Theatre (2268 BAY ST.)

Pinchers at the Marina at Edison Ford (2360 W 1ST ST.)

The Barrel Room & Twisted Vine Bistro (2214 BAY ST.)

Venues in Fort Myers Beach: Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille (2000 ESTERO BLVD.)

Lighthouse Island Resort Inn (1051 FIFTH ST.)

Matanzas on the Bay (416 CRESCENT ST.)

Nervous Nellie's (1131 1ST ST.)

Pierside Grill & Famous Blowfish Bar (1000 ESTERO BLVD.)

Pink Shell Beach Resort (275 ESTERO BLVD)

Yucatan Beach Stand Bar & Grill (250 OLD SAN CARLOS BLVD).

Venues on Captiva Island are: Cantina Captiva (14970 CAPTIVA DR.)

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille (5400 PLANTATION RD.)

Key Lime Bistro (11509 ANDY ROSSE LN. SW)

Mucky Duck (11546 ANDY ROSSE LN.)

RC Otter's ((11509 A NDY R OSSE L N .)

South Seas Island Resort (5400 PLANTATION RD.)

'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa (15951 CAPTIVA DR.)

Most Songwriter Fest shows are free, except for Kristian Bush’s performance with the Gulf Coast Symphony on September 22 at the Florida Reps’ Arcade Theatre, Gone West with Colbie Caillat & Ryan Hurd on September 25 at Pinchers at The Marina at Edison Ford, both in Fort Myers, and the Pool Party on September 29 at the Pink Shell Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach.

For information about the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, call the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau at 338-3500.

‘Ding” Darling DayCelebration

on Sanibel

The 31st annual 'Ding' Darling Day free birding and eco-festival will be celebrated at the J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel on Sunday, October 20.

Free activities during the celebration include refuge tram

Williams, grandson of Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr.’s son,

tours, live wildlife presentations, wildlife yoga, puppet shows, nature sketching and painting, photography walks, origami, archery and paddleboard clinics, yoga, a touch tank and butterfly house, and kids’ nature crafts. Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp winner presentations, plus conservation art award ceremonies, will take place throughout the day. Activities begin with birding with a biologist at 8am and end at 7pm with a sunset Rookery Kayak Tour.

The annual 'Ding' Darling Day celebrates the birthday of the refuge’s namesake, father of the Federal Duck Stamp program and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Jay N. 'Ding' Darling. The event will be part of the pre-celebration for the refuge’s 75th anniversary in 2020.

Celebrity Everglades python hunter and scientist, Dusty ‘Wildman’ Crum and biologist Mike Kirkland, who manages the python elimination program for the South Florida Water Management District, will copresent a free program about their work to save Everglades’ wildlife from total devastation at the appetite of exotic Burmese pythons at 11am in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium.

J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located at 1 Wildlife Drive on Sanibel. For information, call 472-1100.

Tarpon Bay Explorers will offer free paddleboarding clinics in the morning of October 20 as part of the ‘Ding’ Darling Day Celebration at the ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.

A Day of Steampunk in Fort Myers

Experience the World of Steampunk on September 14 at SWFL SteamCon. Attendees are encouraged (but not required) to dress in their steampunk finery as they enter a world where the Victorian Era, the Industrial revolution, and their own fantasies collide.

The event features acclaimed authors, famous cosplay performers, and popular artists and musicians, as well as likeminded steampunk enthusiasts. Musicians Bernwell & DeGraff, and bands For Love or Money and Mark Rossmore's Escape the Clouds will perform.

The day will be filled with a

Toxiquetrone will be appearing at SWFL SteamCon on September 14 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers.

variety of steampunk themed activities and contests, including a Costume Contest, Hamster Wars, Parasol Duelling, Tea Duelling, and The Splendid Teapot Race.

SteamCon will also feature vendors and crafters selling Steampunk art, objects and fashions.

SWFL SteamCon will be held at Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers from 10am-7:30pm. Visit swflsteamcon.com for more information.

works by Debussy, Bizet and Berlioz in the first half of the performance. In the second half of the program, Florida Grand Opera tenor Chad Johnson joins Ms. Ortiz and Ms. Kay to perform highlights of West Side Story, including ‘Something’s Coming,’ ‘I Feel Pretty’ and ‘Tonight.’ In both portions of the program, Gulfshore Ballet dancers provide visual accompaniment to the pieces. The performance is October 24 at 7pm in the Gulfshore Ballet

GulfshoreOpera & Gulfshore Ballet Perform ‘West Side Story’

Singers of Gulfshore Opera will join the studio of Gulfshore Ballet to present an evening of ‘Song & Dance,’ an interpretation of songs of French Impressionists and selections from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story

Gulfshore Opera soprano Camille Ortiz and mezzosoprano Lauryn Kay will perform

Gulfshore Opera & Gulfshore Ballet perform an evening of ‘Song & Dance’ on October 24 at the Gulfshore Ballet Studio in Naples.

studio. Tickets are also available for premium seating and cocktails and hors d’oeuvres reception beginning at 6pm.

Gulfshore Ballet is located at 5636 Youngquist Rd. in Fort Myers. For information or questions, call 529-3925.

Edison & Ford Winter Estates Host Electric Car Show

In celebration of National Drive Electric Week, Edison & Ford Winter Estates is hosting a free electric car show on September 14, from 10am4pm. Owners of electric vehicles will be on hand to answer questions and give rides to visitors. The event will take place in the Estates’ parking lots on Larchmont Ave.

National Drive Electric Week (September 14-22) is presented by Plug in America, Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association to

raise awareness of plug-in vehicles and highlight the benefits, such as reduced emissions with less impact on the environment than gasoline-powered vehicles.

More than 100 years ago, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford worked together to design an electric vehicle. That project faltered due to the creation of an electric starter for gasoline vehicles, along with inexpensive, reliable gas-driven internal combustion engines. In addition, Edison's batteries had a limited range, were expensive and unlike today, drivers did not have access to charging stations.

Of the 1,093 patents Edison held, several related to the electric car. In 1890, he patented the means for propelling electric cars and his driving mechanism for cars was patented in 1892. In 1889, Edison produced an electric vehicle. The Alkaline battery was initially designed for powering an electric vehicle and became Edison's most profitable invention. He received a patent for his automobile electric system in 1916.

The event is free, but does not include admission to the museum, laboratory or tours of the homes.

Edison & Ford Winter Estates, located at 2350 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers, is open daily, 9am5:30pm. For information, call 334-7419.

Gulfshore Playhouse Presents New Works Festival

Gulfshore Playhouse has announced the finalists for its Seventh Annual New Works Festival, which brings together playwrights, actors and directors from across the country for a week-long workshop culminating in a series of staged readings.

Hosted at The Norris Center from September 13-15, the New Works Festival offers audiences a weekend of new works and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the process of creating a new play. Audiences will have the opportunity to take part in staged readings and live postshow Q&A sessions with the playwrights. There will be a free panel discussion with the winning playwrights on September 12. This year’s finalists are:

‘Wonderland’ by Michael Scanlan. Directed by Gulfshore Playhouse Founder & Artistic Director Kristen Coury, will be presented September 13 at 8pm.

‘Near Nellie Bly’ by Mark Loewenstern: A staged reading directed by Gulfshore Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Jeffrey Binde will be presented September 14 at 8pm.

‘Picasso in Paris’ by Rich Rubin and directed by Kristin Clippard, will be presented September 15 at 3pm.

Norris Center is located at 755 8th Ave. S, in downtown Naples. For information about Gulfshore Playhouse, call 261-7529.

Artis–Naples Presents 11th Naples International Film Festival

ow a part of Artis–Naples, the Naples International Film Festival hosts more than 60 screenings over four days — October 25-27 — introducing new films and talented filmmakers to the community. Named to MovieMaker magazine’s 2019 list of the 25 Coolest Festivals in the World, the Naples International Film Festival

(NIFF) presents a program of domestic and international narrative, documentary and short films from established and emerging filmmakers. The opening night film and party will take place on the Artis–Naples Cultural Campus. Competition films will be screened at the Silverspot Cinema, a theater with state-of-the-art digital projection and sound.

NIFF fosters a spirit of camaraderie among visiting filmmakers, whether relaxing in the filmmaker lounge, attending each other’s screenings or sitting on a panel together.

Films have been submitted in two juried competitions: Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature. Audience Awards will also be given in the Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature categories, as well as the Audience Award winner in the Best Short Film category.

A Focus on the Arts Award will be given to a narrative or documentary film with an emphasis on one or more of the visual and performing arts.

This year’s festival kicks off October 24 with the NIFF Opening Night Film & Party at which attendees will walk the red carpet, enjoy the opening night film, and mingle with filmmakers and film buffs. Party starts at 6pm, film at 7pm.

The Film Festival will end October 27 with a Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert, and Wrap Party. The event starts at 5:30pm, film at 7pm.

The Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert features a screening of

the film classic accompanied by a performance by the Naples Philharmonic.

Silverspot Cinema is located at The Mercato, 9118 Strada Place in Naples.

Artis–Naples is located at 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd. in Naples. For information, call 597-1900.

Absurdist Theatre in LangfordKingston Home

The Ghostbird Theatre will perform four short plays concurrently and continuously, October 31-November 2 and November 6-8, at the LangfordKingston Home in Fort Myers’ Historic River District.

The short masterworks of Theatre of Cruelty and Absurdist Theatre are ‘Jet of Blood’ by Antonin Artaud and ‘Rockaby,’ ‘Not I,’ and ‘Breath’ by Samuel Beckett.

Each play will run continuously in a separate room of the historic home, and audiences will be free to stay as long as they wish. The plays will start at 7pm and will close at 10pm each night. Audience members will not be admitted after 9:15pm. The plays, running from about one minute in length to about 15 minutes long, are for adult audiences.

The Langford-Kingston Home is located at 2500 First St. in Fort Myers. For information, call 691-4128.

Love Your Rebellion Hosts First Fort Myers Zine Fest

L

ove Your Rebellion brings artists, writers and musicians to Neenie’s House for the inaugural Fort Myers Zine Fest on October 19, 12-5pm.

Attendees can peruse and purchase zines, art and food, enjoy DJ sets and zine readings, and witness the unveiling of Zine Library murals, as they celebrate

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers Kicks off National Drive Electric Week on September 14 with an Electric Car Show.

the grand opening of Love Your Rebellion’s Zine Library, a collection of small press and handmade books and magazines. The Zine Library will also feature three new murals by Southwest Florida artists.

Fort Myers Zine Fest and Love Your Rebellion’s Zine Library are sponsored by Neenie’s House. Neenie’s House is committed to providing more access to the arts in the East Palm neighborhood of Fort Myers.

Love Your Rebellion's mission is to empower marginalized groups through the arts, through music events and ongoing outreach programming.

Neenie’s House is located at 481 Marsh Ave. in Fort Myers. Call 678-4901 for information.

Photographs of Florida’s Cowboys at PioneerMuseum

Stumbling unexpectedly upon Roberts Ranch three years ago, photographer Don Columbus was fascinated by the long-time depth of Florida’s cattle industry and the cultural roots of today’s cattle men and women, and the ranches they work. He has strived to capture details of this hard working ‘Real Florida’ lifestyle through the lens of his camera; details that are often missed in the moment. His photographs give the viewer the opportunity not only to experience those moments in time, but to discover a richer present in them.

An exhibition of his photographs, ‘Cowboy Roots’ is on view at Collier County Museums’ Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch from October 15-December 28.

The Pioneer Museum is located at 1215 Roberts Ave. in Immokalee. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-4pm. Call 252-2611 for information.

WANTED photographs

The deadline for submissions for the 27th annual ‘Ding’ Darling Day Amateur Nature Photography Contest is September 15. Entries must be submitted electronically. Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place.

The contest, sponsored by the 'Ding' Darling Wildlife Society –Friends of the Refuge (DDWS), is held in conjunction with 'Ding' Darling Day, October 20. DDWS will announce winners and award prizes at ‘Ding’ Darling Day.

Only amateur photographers (all ages) are eligible to enter.

Photos must be taken at the J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge and have been taken within two years of entry date. For information, call 472-1100.

actors

The Naples Players are having open auditions for ‘She Loves Me’ on September 14, 12-4pm at The Naples Players Sugden

Community Theatre, located at 701 5th Ave. S. in Naples.

‘She Loves Me’ rehearsals begin September 29 at 7pm and performances run WednesdaysSundays, November 26December 22 in Blackburn Hall. There is no performance on Thanksgiving.

The Naples Players is casting two women (ages 20s-30s), two men (ages 25-30), one male (age 45-55), one male (age 55-65), and one boy (age 14-17) as well as the ensemble with additional dancing, and non-speaking featured roles available.

The Naples Players auditions are open to all interested persons and walk-ins are welcome. For information, call 434-7340 x125.

fashionistas

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society is hosting a fundraiser, Project Refuge - A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash, on March 10, to benefit conservation efforts at the ‘Ding’ Darling Refuge. The Project Refuge Committee is seeking artists, designers and fashionistas to submit wearable fashion created from materials that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill or recycling facility. Entry deadline is October 1.

All designs must be made from at least 75% of materials that have been previously used or rescued from the trash or recycling bin. Materials used must be considered junk.

All designs must be able to be safely worn and easily removed. All designs must be completed and ready to be photographed by February 10.

Juried designs will be showcased at a fashion show and ‘Twist Tie Optional’ luncheon on March 12 at the Sanctuary Golf Club, located at 2801 Wulfert Rd. on Sanibel. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three designs. Call 472-1100 for information.

child actors

The Naples Players’ KidzAct will hold open auditions for the Disney musical sensation ‘Frozen Jr.’ September 7, 12-4pm at The Naples Players at The Sugden Community Theatre, located at 701 5th Ave. S. in Naples. KidzAct is seeking to cast 16 principal roles (8 male, 8 female)

and a large singing/dancing ensemble with multiple featured roles. Cast members must be available for all four performances. Auditions for Frozen Jr. are open to students of all abilities ages 918 years old, who are currently enrolled in 3rd-12th grades. Auditions are by appointment only. Students can register online. Auditions are free and walk-ins are welcome.

Students need to prepare 32 bars (about a minute in length) of a song with sheet music or a non-vocal CD/track. Singing will be followed by learning a dance combination.

Rehearsals for ‘Frozen Jr.’ begin September 24, 4:30-6:30pm. Performances run December 7-9 in The Sugden Community Theatre. For information, call 434-7340.

actors

The Naples Players is holding open auditions on September 14, 12-4pm for ‘She Love Me.’ Auditions are free and walk-ins are welcome. For information, call 434-7340.

Auditions for ‘Making God Laugh,’ ‘Silent Sky’ and ‘As You Like It’ are being held on November 9, 12-4pm. All three productions are auditioning on the same day and actors may audition for one or all of them. Auditions are free and walk-ins are welcome. Call 434-7340 for information.

actors & theatre staff

Lehigh Publick Theatre, which will also present free productions of Shakespeare and the classics, is holding auditions for its inaugural production, ‘The Comedy of Errors’, on September 11, 4-9pm; September 13, 1:305:30pm; and September 14, 10am-4pm at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, located at 215 Richmond Ave. N. in Lehigh Acres. The Shakespeare play will be presented on the outdoor stage of Veterans Park, 55 Homestead Rd. in Lehigh Acres, November 11-17 & 19-23. The production is all-volunteer and all roles are open. Previous acting experience is preferred but not a requirement.

Lehigh Publick Theatre is also seeking a stage manager, costumer, light and sound techs, carpenter, social-media coordinator, and anyone else who would like to get in on the ground floor of this organization. Call 646-207-2926 for information.

The Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch in Immoaklee hosts the photography exhibition, ‘Cowboy Roots,’ October 15-December 28.

They were the two most famous men in America, and in a sense they were the only ones whocould truly understand each other.

The Vagabonds

by Andrew Elias

IN ‘THE VAGABONDS: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year RoadTrip, bestselling author Jeff Guinn recounts the annual summer road trips taken by two ofthe most iconic Americans of all-time, automobile magnate Henry Ford and inventor of theincandescent light bulb, phonograph and motion pictures, Thomas Edison. Together with friends Harvey Firestone, the rubber tire tycoon, and famed naturalist and conservationist, John Burroughs, they dubbedthemselves ‘The Vagabonds’ as they explored the country between 1914 and 1925 withan entourage of chefs, butlers, and handlers, as well as journalists documenting their escapades for throngs of fans. These ‘road trips’ not only provided incalculable publicity forFord and Edison, but also introduced a growing middle-class to the possibilities ofautomobile travel and the concept of summer vacations.

The very first road trip undertaken by Ford and Edison, in 1914, ventured into theEverglades from their homes in Fort Myers, a journey into swamps with no real roads.

I asked the author about his new book, and about Ford and Edison.

•

ANDREW: The book is much more than just a recounting of The Vagabonds’ automobile road trips. It

illuminates thepersonalities of these important and influential characters, and paints a picture of America at the start of anew and fast-changing century. What about these icons and those times inspired you to write this book?

GUINN:All of my books are about different eras in American history. In this case, it’s how American transitioned soquickly into a car culture in approximately a 30-year-period. That Edison and Ford were in the middle of it wasa tremendous bonus.

Why did Edison, Ford, Burroughs, and Firestone call themselves The Vagabonds?

It was originally meant as a private joke between friends. In almost every sense, they were anything butvagabonds. Routes were chosen in advance, staff provided all sorts of camp comforts, and they could breakoff trips and go home anytime that they wished. But one thing was always authentic – they were open towhatever adventures happened to occur. There was always a sense of freedom and fun.

Can you describe the relationships and friendships of the ‘members’ of The Vagabonds had? What about Edison attracted Ford?

Edison was simply Ford’s hero, a man who did great things without compromising

“I was helped by exceptional historians and staffs, including the very fine people at Fort Myers’ Edison-Ford Winter Estates.”

himself in the process.Ford worshiped Edison from afar, and after they became friends admired him even more.

What about Ford did Edison appreciate?

Edison understood Ford’s insatiable drive for additional achievements, and the pressure of ongoing publicexpectation. They were the two most famous men in America, and in a sense they were the only ones whocould truly understand each other.

What did Ford & Edison enjoy about Burroughs and Firestone?

They admired Burroughs’ appreciation of nature and eagerness to share what he knew. Firestone was a greatman based on his own achievements, but he was willing to sublimate his ego to accommodate the wishes oftwo even greater individuals on the Vagabonds’ trips.

The Ford-Edison relationship and escapades were publicized in the nation’s newspapers and magazines,and followed by millions.What about Edison & Ford so intrigued the ‘ordinary’ American?

Between them, Ford and Edison over the course of 45 years changed the lives of almost all Americans forthe better, from amenities at home (electric light, phonographs) to entertainment (movies) to disposableincome (the $5 workday!) to the ability to travel where and when they liked (the Model T). They were essentially considered wizards who might concoct miracles at any moment, and so they became theKardashians of their day. The public was obsessed with them. Today they’d be given some catchy nickname,perhaps “Fordison.”

How and why did they foster their celebrity?

Both men knew that personal publicity was also free publicity for the products their companies made available for sale. Every newspaper in the country ran stories about their trips –it was the ultimate free advertising.They deliberately put themselves in position to gain maximum public attention. Ford often did it by expressing controversial personal opinions. Edison constantly stayed in the spotlight by pretending he didn’t want to be init.

The first road trip, in 1914, began as a birding excursion into the Everglades, at a time when there were fewdriveable roads in all of America and even fewer in South Florida. It originated as a planned ‘getaway’

for themen, but Mina Edison, a strong advocate for women’s equality, put an end to that and turned it into a familyaffair. How did that trip go?

The Vagabonds’ excursion to the Everglades quickly turned into a semi-slapstick disaster thanks to anunexpected monsoon. It many respects it taught them what not to do on their future trips – from then on they planned their routes carefully and never again found themselves on uncertain, dangerous ground. But it’s alsotrue that they looked back on their Everglades experience with some fondness. It had been a real adventure,after all.

How did World War I affect Edison & Ford’s relationship and The Vagabonds’ road trips?

Edison was an advocate of ‘preparedness’ and, if and when necessary, military engagement. Ford was anunabashed pacifist. They each devoted themselves to their opposing causes, and because of the war therewas no Vagabonds trip in 1917 – Edison served on a navy advisory board and Ford, once America enteredthe conflict, turned his factories over to military-related manufacturing. But after-

ward, as always, the twomaintained their close friendship. No issue was so divisive that it could split them apart.

I found the chapter about the 1918 trip through the South the most interesting, with plenty of drama andseveral humorous stories. Which year’s trip is your favorite?

I have to say that, like the Vagabonds themselves, I maintain fondness for the 1914 disaster in the Everglades. I also especially enjoyed writing about the 1921 and 1924 trips, when presidents Harding and Coolidge respectively taught Ford and Edison a thing or two about dominating press coverage.

Both Ford and Edison were complicated and conflicted personalties; at once revolutionary and ultra-conservative, adventurous and staid, often witty and sometimes humorless. What did you learn about them that surprised you?

Ford offered relatively few surprises. I was already aware he was a driven man with certain well-documentedpersonal flaws. I had no idea that Edison was equally complex. Yet, between them, their combinedcontributions to the furtherance of our culture are even more astonishing than most of us realize. They werekey factors in shaping us into what we are today, for both admirable and regrettable reasons.

The book is filled with fascinating details about the trips, insightful anecdotes about the characters, andwonderful quotes (Ford said, “Edison is easily the world’s greatest scientist. I am not sure that he is also notthe world’s worst businessman.”). Your research must have been exhaustive. What kind of research did you do and for how long?

I spent two years on research, going everywhere the Vagabonds did and doing my best to peruse everyexisting document that had any pertinent information to offer. I was helped every step of the way byexceptional historians and staffs at key locations, including the very fine people at Fort Myers’ EdisonFordWinter Estates.

If you could befriend one of The Vagabonds, who would it be (Edison, Ford, Burroughs, or Firestone) andwhy?

Edison intrigues me because there were so many dimensions to him beyond the amiable persona he alwayspresented to the public. Ford and Burroughs were too cranky for me to want to spend much personal timewith; Firestone, by all accounts, was a bright, friendly person. I think he’s the one whose company I’d mostenjoy on a road trip. •

“Between them, their combined contributions to the furtherance of our culture are even more astonishing than most of us realize.”

Fresh Perspectives at FGCU A

Ran Adler’s exhibition, using organic materials, features new large-scale installations that show his draw to nature’s roughness, randomness, and disorder.

S FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY’S Gallery Director, John Loscuito plans installations over a year out, incorporating local, regional, and national artists. Each year he embarks on studio visits with Anica Sturdivant, Gallery Coordinator, to meet artists and view their exhibitions. He recently returned from a trip to Asheville with Andy Owens, Associate Professor of Art, Drawing & Printmaking. They met with Carol Littleton, widow of Harvey Littleton, the father of the studio glass movement in the United States, about the late artist’s collection and developing a future exhibition for 2021. “As the collection is growing, I’m finding more exciting ideas on how to activate it, so it’s not just me, but I can work with the students, faculty, and the community to tell a greater variety of stories with the permanent collection,” shares Loscuito.

As the new school year begins, there is so much to celebrate about the 2019-2020 season at the Wasmer Art Gallery and ArtLab Gallery with an incredible line up of artists, lectures, workshops, and music and poetry collaborations.

by Paula Michele Bolado

This is the first time they are using the collection for a different purpose by having a student, Farah Alkhadra, guest curate; she will engage with the collection by researching what she’s interested in from the collection, reach out to the artists who are in the collection, interview them, or talk to them.

Loscuito says, “She is choosing a lot of textile pieces which we’ve never shown. Having a student engage with the collection is really interesting to me because it offers another vantage point and it gets the student to understand what is involved with curating.

Her selections are pulled from the collection of ASG, a company who gifted the work to FGCU. Initially, some of the pieces had the wrong artist listed, so it has been an ‘ongoing process’ according to Alkhadra. She also makes sure the art is correctly displayed. “Honoring the artist is a necessary task,” she says. “Getting this experience to exhibit is really exciting as a student.”

John Loscuito’s mentorship has helped her face any challenges along the way. As she installs one part of the gallery, John is working on the other side, and sometimes working in the middle on large ceramic installations, about a hundred pieces, that require puzzle-piecing and geometry skills. He says, “Another aspect to this installation features one of FGCU’s Gallery donors, Bob Fier, who will be showing pieces from his private collection. They are glimpses into how he lives with the work. This exhibit is a way to engage the public and talk about why he collects and why these pieces are meaningful to him. Then we will show some new acquisitions, some new gifts that have come to the gallery,” says Loscuito.

Enrique Chagoya’s paintings express his political and social activism through prints and paintings that depict historical images with pop culture icons and current events.

This year, several of the shows are curated by students at FGCU, including the 22nd Annual Student Juried Exhibition, The Digital Media Worship, Senior Projects Exhibition, and a special guest student curatorial debut exhibit in the first exhibition at the Wasmer Art Gallery. Entitled ‘Open to Interpretation,’ this exhibition includes selections from the permanent collection, which is a young collection built up over the past four years.

Florida Gulf Coast University

Art Galleries

WASMER GALLERY

THRU OCTOBER 3

Open to Interpretation

OCTOBER 17-NOVEMBER 14

Everyone is an Alienígeno

Enrique Chagoya

DECEMBER 5-13

Senior Projects

JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 27

Presence

Ran Adler

MARCH 19-APRIL 2

22nd Annual Student Juried Exhibition

APRIL 16-MAY 1

Senior Projects

ARTLAB GALLERY

THRU SEPTEMBER 5

Global Sustainable Design

SEPTEMBER 26-NOVEMBER 7

Nosotros

Andriana Flores & Felipe Maldonado

JANUARY 16-FEB 13

Experiments

Digital Media Workshop

FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 26

Juxtaposition

Hevelyn Villar

This season celebrates Latin-American works more heavily than previous seasons. In the Artlab, an exciting show, ‘Nosotros,’ will feature two American artists of Latino descent and FGCU alumni, Adriana Flores and Felipe Maldonado, who both explore their heritage through sculpture and painting. “Flores deals a lot with visual storytelling of family members. Maldonado does more ceramic work that includes patterns representative of his heritage,” says Loscuito. These culturally diverse artists celebrate their lives as US citizens while acknowledging the histories and traditions of their familiar roots.

The most exciting exhibits of this season in Wasmer Gallery include Enrique Chagoya and Ran Adler.

“Enrique Chagoya is a really important contemporary artist today.” For example, in his painting, ‘Road Map,’ he points out what is visually more important by the way he is depicting the world view of Central and South America versus the scale of North America. His work covers his political and social activism through his innovative prints and paintings that depict historical images with pop culture icons and current events. His work literally explodes with turquoise and corals across maps and paintings like in the piece, ‘Everyone

is an Alienígeno,’ where according to Loscuito, “The explosion represents a lack of being recognized, being smeared over, or just reduced to a color – whatever the case, but that idea of reducing people to nothing,” and shows Chagoya’s interest in ‘cultural appropriation.’ In addition to the exhibition, Chayoya will host an artist talk opening night.

Ran Adler’s work uses organic materials, such as weaving mahogany pods in wire installations where the piece almost looks like folded fabric upon driftwood. His three-dimensional exhibition will feature new large-scale installations that show his draw to nature’s roughness, randomness, and disorder, and his ability to meditatively sew together something harmonious through rhythm, color, mood, and repetition.

This opening reception January 30, 5-7pm, will feature FGCU’s Jazz instructor, Brandon Robertson, who will be talking with Ran about his process, and then compose music with his students as a response to his sculptural work. •

Florida Gulf Coast University’s Wasmer Art Gallery is located in the Art Complex and the ArtLab gallery is located on the west end of the Library on the FGCU Campus,located at 10501 FGCU Blvd. S. in south Fort Myers. Galleries are open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm. For information, call 590-7199.

‘Nosotros’ will feature two American artists of Latino descent and FGCU alumni, Adriana Flores and Felipe Maldonado.

A Life of Ballet

by Phil Jason

THIS MARVELOUS STORY of nearly two decades of perseverance is filled with colorful vignettes and valuable life lessons. The author takes her readers through a highly creative period of her life, running from her early 30s through her early 50s.

What is success as a ballet teacher? How does one manage to turn craft and teaching skills into a successful business? Most of the book details Barbara’s struggle to answer these questions.

As a young woman Barbara File Marangon had prepared for a career in ballet. We meet her during a time when the ex-New Yorker is dancing and training others in Los Angeles. But something is luring her in another geographic and cultural direction. She has fond memories of friendships made in Europe, of refinement of her skills there, and of European performances in which she participated. Ready to live in a kind of exile, and hardly speaking any Italian, she is determined to live and work there. Another motive is the need to withdraw from her doomed, painful relationship with her father.

Venice is the first stop.

What she didn’t realize was that she would be a victim of a deeply-rooted European prejudice against foreigners. This affected where she could live, what amenities she could obtain, work opportunities, and many other areas of life. Her Venice experience of feeling like an outsider was offset somewhat by the romance that ended in a marriage to her first husband and her gradual, hardwon successes in developing a career as a ballet teacher.

More opportunities arose outside of Venice – in small towns in which ballet education was well established and in which she was able to make her mark even while dealing with the

resentment for an outsider to flourish. Barbara made at least two of those small towns her home.

A successful ballet teaching venture is one in which the students not only perform well but win recognition for the caliber of their performances. This means that the person running the school needs access to performance space that is much more than teaching space.

Barbara had to work her way into a system by which her ballet productions could be witnessed at popular, prestigious venues. It’s essentially a patronage system; influential people and businesses would sponsor ballet schools’ performance opportunities.

Chasing Castles: Nineteen Years Living & Teaching Ballet in Italy

BY Barbara File Marangon OGHAM BOOKS

The best musical recordings for the ballets had to be selected, and professional sound and light companies were hired to produce high quality registration for the theaters. Skillful casting is essential to success. Costumes and sets were a whole other crucial world of concern. Who designs and builds them? Where does one store them?

Barbara handled it all.

The life of Barbara’s book is in the author’s detailed descriptions of the many, many ballet programs that she brought to the public and the many young people she taught. The castles in the memoir’s title are important symbols representing steps along Barbara’s path to self-discovery. Following that path vicariously will bring readers excitement, elation, some disappointments, and a share of Barbara’s sense of accomplishment. With intensity and honesty, she opens the doors to a world unfamiliar to most people.

Barbara File Marangon is a writer, teacher, choreographer, and painter. She holds a BA from Empire State College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Oklahoma, where she received a Ballets Russes

The castles in the memoir’s title are important symbols representing steps along Barbara’s path to selfdiscovery.

“I can’t resist revising as I am drafting. This is the perfectionist in me!

I usually reread what I wrote the day before, make changes, and then continue with the draft.”

Fellowship. Her previous book is Detour on an Elephant: A Year Dancing with the Greatest Show on Earth.

Now Barbara and her second husband Gianni, along with two dogs, enjoy life in Port Charlotte, Florida.

•

PHIL: What led you to commit yourself to this memoir project?

BARBARA: As with Detour on an Elephant, friends encouraged me to write about the experiences I had in Italy. I felt the urgency that comes with age to write my memoir.

Aside from your memory, what other sources did you need to engage?

I used photos to remember some visual details, and ballet programs and newspaper articles for dates.

Are you an outliner?

Yes. I outlined the shows first. I built the memoir around the memories of that particular year and show.

How do you mix drafting and revising?

I can’t resist revising as I am drafting. This is the perfectionist in me! I usually reread what I wrote the day before, make changes, and then continue with the draft.

What was the most difficult or unpleasant part of the endeavor?

Deleting an event that I wrote about after coming to terms with the fact that it no longer had importance for me. It was difficult to remember painful episodes in my life, like the death of my dogs and saying goodbye to my students.

What gave you the most enjoyment?

Reliving on paper some wonderful and funny experiences. The ballet dressmaker comes to my mind. When she wasn’t killing chickens, she made costumes for the show. Her final project was making my wedding dress from silk curtains. The curtains were my idea from reading Gone with the Wind! What kind of assistance did you need during the writing and publishing process?

I have the greatest editor, Nancy Whalen, for editing and proofreading. A company in Australia does my formatting and a designer in Oregon produced the cover from my painting.

What kind of person do you imagine as your ideal reader?

Readers who fantasize about living in Italy. I wrote about the Italy that most people don’t imagine. Also, readers interested in the making of musical theater and ballet productions in a small Italian village are another audience for the book. How did this endeavor enhance your self-knowledge?

I searched for famous quotes that helped me to clarify what I learned from my life experiences in each chapter. Also, I feel that sometimes we don’t appreciate people or places that had a profound impact on us until we begin writing a memoir. Everything becomes clearer. Of the experiences you write about in the book, which were the most traumatic? Which gave you the most pleasure or sense of accomplishment? Which were most surprising?

Being beaten and almost killed by my first

husband was the most traumatic experience. I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment when I sailed on the Grand Canal in a banana boat filled with scenery, after performing the ‘Nutcracker’ at the Teatro Goldoni in Venice. The most surprising event was when my dancers won Best Ballet in Barcelona, Spain. What are the main things you hope your readers come away with?

Pursue your dreams and never give up. Follow the road less traveled and you will find the rewards are great. •

The most surprising event was when my dancers won Best Ballet in Barcelona, Spain.

Now 45 years into their highly respected body of work, Cheap Trick continue to work and tour as if the foursome’s very lives depended on it. The band led by singer Robin Zander were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2016, but have no plans of being a legacy act.

“We finished up a record and it should be coming out later this year,” Zander says down the line before a California stop on their summer tour.

The band, supporting ZZ Top during the Texas trio’s 50th anniversary tour — with a stop at the Hertz Arena in Estero on October 18 — will have released four studio albums with the forthcoming, as-yet untitled effort next year. Zander says it follows the standard Cheap Trick template of efforts like 1979’s Dream Police, 1988’s Lap Of Luxury and 2006’s Rockford

“It’s a diverse record, it’s got all kinds of cool rock and roll bizarre things,” he says. “Plus there are some other things on it that aren’t rock and roll. They are kind of laid back. There’s a cover song on it. It’s Cheap Trick.”

While the future looks anything but a trip down Memory Lane, Zander says he’s developed a deeper appreciation for the group’s rich history with each passing year.

“Forty-five years is a long time to be in a rock band and still have the core guys still there,” he says. “We were in opposing bands before we formed Cheap Trick. I had a band, Tom (bassist Tom Petersson) had a band, Rick (guitarist Rick Nielsen) had a band, Bun E. (drummer Bun E. Carlos) had a band. I used to go watch those guys perform all the time. Looking back on that, it’s just amazing that we’re together in a rock band after all that and have been together for 45 years. It’s crazy. We’re too dumb to quit!”

Cheap Trick has sold over 20 million albums worldwide and are best known for hits such as ‘Dream Police,’ ‘I Want You To Want Me’ and ‘The Flame.’ But they also crafted a string of solid cover versions including rock staples such as ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ and ‘Ain’t That A Shame.’ Zander says a few things go into deciding what songs to cover.

“Well, first of all, I think you have to like the song,” he says. “Usually our covers are from experiences or special things that happened in our lives. ‘Ain’t That A Shame,’ that came about because Lennon covered it. We thought, ‘We could do that!’ If Lennon hadn’t covered that song we probably wouldn’t have covered it ourselves.

“This time I think it [cover song on new studio album] has to do with the way that our world is right now. It’s reflecting our political system and the way we live now in fear. I think that’s what this song is about. I’m not going to tell you the name of the song. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Cheap Trick is also known as road warriors with well over 5,000 shows to their credit. Zander says despite all those dates, there are still a few places they’ve yet to perform in, namely China and Russia. They also recently returned to Tokyo’s historic Budokan, the venue where their career-altering live album Cheap Trick At Budokan was recorded in 1978.

Zander says the band’s work ethic has served them well despite the changes in the music industry over the decades. He feels younger bands have a tougher time to make a career from music as opposed to when Cheap Trick began in the early ‘70s.

“Things have changed quite a bit,” he says. “Some people go on to do these TV shows and become stars overnight and some people just believe that’s the way to go. There’s not as many bands that like to get out there and kick around the country and try to make a go of it from the bottom up. So I miss that part of it.

“I’ve seen my son in a band and Rick’s kids are in bands. I see that and I just think that they’re used to the old school so they put their bands together and they go out and play. They’re not the type of guys to sit around and write a bunch of songs and hope they become stars so they don’t have to go out and play. That’s what I think anyway. There’s a lot to be said for going out and performing live. And that’s my favorite part.”

Thus far the 2019 tour has gone great according to Zander.

“We’ve developed a big fan base over the years and they come to see us play still,” he says. “We’ve got new material so they’re anxious to hear that live as well as the older stuff. We see a lot of families come out. It’s pretty cool.”

The trek with ZZ Top also sees them as the new boys on the block Zander jokingly adds.

“It’s our 45th year and their 50th, so they’re five years older than us. We’re still the youngest guys on the tour. We’re not projecting the old age guy persona out there.”

While Cheap Trick will be touring in support of their new

album in 2020, Zander has also thought of pursuing some side projects including a possible solo album. It’s a pursuit that has a distinct Fort Myers connection.

“Actually I stole a bunch of guys from Fort Myers to form the Robin Zander Band years ago,” he says. “That was a lot of fun. We never did make a record, but there’s stuff online that you can listen to. We were basically a covers band.

“I’ve done two of them and one of them didn’t get released because... I don’t know why. It wasn’t good enough I guess, but I thought it was great. But anyway, I’m thinking about it. I would like to do an acoustic record.”

Another avenue very near and dear to his heart was the debut in 2018 of the Zander Family Band, a concert Robin played with his two children, daughter Robin-Sailor Zander and son Robin Taylor Zander.

“I like to take my kids out and that’s a lot of fun for me,” he says. “Maybe that should be the new record for me, like The Partridge Family. I’ve learned that they’re a lot better than I ever was at their age. In fact you’ll see my son. He’ll be on stage with us in Fort Myers.”

Zander, who lives in Tampa, says he’s spent a lot of time in Fort Myers just ‘hanging’ with friends such as AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams, as well as fellow musician Steve Luongo, who has worked with Todd Rundgren and Joe Walsh among others.

“I love Fort Myers,” he says. “We’ve enjoyed playing there over the years and I live close by.”

But for now there’s still a lot of road left for Cheap Trick. Zander says the band has been able to persevere because they still love what they do.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, we’ve had success a couple of times in our career. Nowadays, we make records for ourselves. I think that what really keeps us glued together is the music and being able to write fresh material that stands up over the test of time.” •

“Looking back, it’s amazing that we’re together in a rock band after all and have been together for 45 years. It’s crazy. We’re too dumb to quit!”

It was the summer of 1970 when some Florida Fish & Game agents found an abandoned trailer at the center of a Punta Gorda pinewood clearing. Slash pines and melaleuca trees cast prickly shadows over the decrepit storage container. The air was stinging with mosquitoes and black flies. The agents wiped Florida’s humidity from their faces with the back of their arms.

They opened the door slowly, carefully, unsure what was inside the trailer’s maw. Light flooded through the door’s entrance, illuminating the figures of two black bears panting in the trailer’s metallic dark. They closed the door shut, and looked at each other.

The Fish & Game agents started making calls, looking for a place to relocate the bears. They didn’t know how long the bears had been inside, only that the rickety trailer was falling apart and soon the bears would be roaming free.

There were rumors all over town that the bears were not just civilians but famous television stars; that they were once understudies for the eponymous role of Gentle Ben in the CBS television series. There were theories: that the bears had been abandoned after the show’s finale because the producers weren’t able to find a zoo to take them, that the bears had been accidentally left behind after filming, that the bears weren’t even television stars at all.

The talk about the bears spread through Punta Gorda like a strangler fig vine, eventually reaching the ears of Pete Caron, a sandy-haired part-time volunteer who had just moved to Florida from New Hampshire and was in possession of ten acres of scrubby pine flatwood. For weeks, Pete had been debating what to put on the land, how to make it feel like his own.

The news that the bears needed a home settled the matter of what to do with his ten acres of open land. In three days, with help from his father, Omar, Pete built an enclosure suitable for the rumored starlets, who became the first residents of Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary. And, like that, Octagon was born.

In photographs, Pete was always wearing dark sunglasses and a brown leather hat with a tribal patterned ribbon tied around its base. He had a gun tucked into a hip holster. Pete had a wild side, a movie star’s charisma, but he was also gentle and kind. In pictures where a young panther suckles his thumb and a lioness presses her face into his stomach, Pete’s joy was almost tangible.

Over the course of two years, hundreds of animals were transported to Octagon. Pete, with help from his father and friends, worked around the clock to wire cages and provide for tigers, a baboon, lions, and other abused exotics. Pete and his team dug a lake and filled it with a hippopotamus who would, years later, take a ‘walk’ to a nearby swimming pool, resulting in a homeowner’s frantic call to Pete in the sunset-stricken evening.

At night, the sounds of roosters and horses from nearby farms were drowned out by liger roars. Farmers who live near Octagon woke in the night to the sound of a hyena howling. These noises, against the backdrop of pine flatwoods, transformed Florida into someplace more jurassic.

As the years passed on, Octagon became the go-to retirement village for older zoo animals whose health problems had become too much of a burden on their owners. Most Florida nursing homes are filled with aging war veterans and white-haired women who remember a time when gas cost a quarter; this nursing home was filled with tigers with dental problems, bears with dementia, and ligers with hip arthritis.

Billed as ‘the wildest retirement home around,’ Pete Caron, with his cowboy hat and dark eyes hiding behind sunglasses, spent his days repairing holes in cages and finding ways to provide for the animals under his care.

Then, in 2003, he married Lauri Caron, one of his volunteers, who had moved to Florida from Rockford, Illinois. She loved animals, and wanted to spend her life surrounded by them. She walked through Octagon’s gates and never went back.

Two years after Lauri and Pete married, shortly after category four Hurricane Charlie battered Punta Gorda, Pete died after suffering a massive heart attack, leaving Lauri as Octagon’s sole caretaker, its mother.

Hurricane Charlie’s destruction is still evident in a field I pass on my way to Octagon, where dozens of palm trees are growing parallel to the ground, as though still being pushed down by some invisible wind. Pete’s presence, too, is an invisible wind that sweeps through Octagon.

“This place made me grow up beyond what any place could have done for my being,” Lauri says, waving at one of the volunteers as he prepares food for Harley, the red-green macaw. “I love it here. It’s my home, you know? The animals feel like my children, them and my volunteers. God love them all. I’m very blessed.”

Lauri, Octagon’s director, has blond hair tied away from her face in a ponytail and fuels herself with Diet Mountain Dew. She wears blue eyeliner and a grey rancher hat that casts a shadow over her face. She walks with a slightly stooped posture, like someone who is used to carrying a lot of responsibility.

It took a year for Lauri to correct the backlog of taxes and clerical errors that Pete left in his stead. During that time, she almost lost Octagon due to stickler Fish & Wildlife agents and problems with funding. This, on top of struggling to be in a world where Pete wasn’t. But today, fourteen years later, Octagon feels steady and strong, here for the long haul. Lauri, with her straight forward way of speaking and clear blue eyes, isn’t one to dwell in the past when Octagon’s present needs more of her attention. She tours me around, introducing me to each of the animals. Lauri tells me when each enclosure was built, how long it took, when each animal came. “It’s really grown up,” she says, with a mother’s mix of pride and nostalgia.

We visit Harley, the profane macaw who lived in a dentist office waiting room until he started to repeat curse words patients had taught him while waiting for their routine cleanings and root canals. Harley shrieks at Lauri, fearing that she’s come to give him his medicine, a routine he protests with sharp-pitched

We visit Harley, thepro repeatcursewordspa

The staff feeds five hundred pounds of meat and one hundredfift of produce to canines, birds, bears, and primates every day.

edfifty pounds

squawks. Meanwhile Lily, a black leopard, looks up lazily from her resting shelf and purrs.

We pause for a moment to watch Laverne and Shirley, sister brown bears, wrestle in their cage during their afternoon romp. Then I turn around and see Cinnamon, a brown bear rescued from a Moscow circus, hugging the rubber tire in the center of her enclosure, her eyes dark as spring mud.

alligator wrestling shows and drivethrough zoos were a Floridian’s main source of entertainment.

“Octagon is Old Florida,” Lindsay Gleason, a volunteer cage cleaner born and raised in Fort Myers, says. “It’s someplace completely unique.”

Banana trees and areca palms line the walkways that wind through the animal enclosures. Families with young children eat sandwiches at white plastic tables and chairs that are interspersed underneath the shade of banana and foxtail trees. Throughout Octagon, there are hand painted signs that say things like “We Three Kings” underneath a portrait of three lions and “Are We A Zoo? No! Octagon is a Retirement Home.”

times where it breaks your heart, there’s time where it lifts your heart like you wouldn’t believe.”

Most days, Lauri’s daily routine begins before the sun rises. She wakes in her on-site trailer, showers, chugs a Diet Mountain Dew and drives a box truck to Target and Winn-Dixie to pick up pallets of fruit pies (she makes sure there’s some apple pies on board because they are Cinnamon’s favorite), meat, and vegetables, loading all of the food into the truck herself. After she unloads the truck at Octagon, it takes another four hours to prepare the individual animal diets and administer medicine. The staff feeds five hundred pounds of meat and one hundred fifty pounds of produce to canines, birds, bears, and primates every day.

Lauri’s presence is threaded into Octagon’s bones. Her careful work and attention to detail is evident in the way the cages are set up, the landscaping, and the walkways. Octagon’s personality, its conglomerate voice of liger roars and macaw screeches, is reminiscent of the kind of Florida attractions that existed before Disney World metropolized Orlando, when roadside

“I don’t know if it’s the proximity you are to the animals, the jungle setting, the ambiance about it, the history behind it. It all ties in,” Art Lavoie, a volunteer at Octagon, says, cracking open a peanut. “Lauri could have sold Octagon, she could have let it go, but she wanted to carry on the tradition. I like coming here because it feels good in my soul.”

Lauri and I stand in front of Dharma, a white tiger. Dharma looks at us through the cage wire, her blue eyes bright and out of place, like she belongs someplace much colder. “She just had food so she’s getting ready for a nap,” Lauri says.

Lauri, who has been up since 4am, seems like she would need a nap too, but instead she’s wide awake. “I take a shower and drink lots and lots of Diet Mountain Dew to wake up,” Lauri says. She laughs and looks at Dharma, who is sniffing the hamburger patties and cubed meat she still has left to eat.

Dharma noses her food and eats a few pieces of the Winn Dixie hamburger patties, which Lauri says she prefers to the meat from Cheney Brothers, another Octagon food service provider.

“I can’t think of doing anything else. There’s

Jake, a female hyena who was living in a Miami apartment before being taken away by Florida Wildlife Commission, interrupts our conversation with slow, soft woofs. Lauri smiles at Jake and gently shakes her head. I can almost see Lauri’s heart lifting from her chest.

Lauri turns back to me. “I have to go check on some animals in our nursery,” she says. “Will you be okay here?”

I tell her I will be. I head back to the reception desk and walk past Kondo, a golden lion who lies on his back in the original cage built by Pete Caron and his father for the Gentle Ben bears when Octagon was still an infant. Standing at the front, it’s hard to imagine Octagon’s childhood, when it was just an open clearing with a few cages. Now in its forties, Octagon is a village of sturdy cages surrounded by the untamed pinewood flats of its youth. Volunteers work on building new cages for the two ligers, and it feels like Octagon is growing up before my eyes. In the distance, Lauri walks, always at a fast pace, to where she is needed. Like any mother, her work is never done. •

The Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 41660 Horseshoe Rd. in Punta Gorda. It is open Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm and Saturday & Sunday, 11am-4pm. Call 543-1130 for information.

heprofane macaw who lived in a dentist office waiting room until he started to patients had taught him while waiting for their routine cleanings and root canals.

Asolo Repertory Theatre

5555 N Tamiami Trail • Sarasota

941-351-8000

asolorep.org

Asolo Repertory Theatre is one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern U nited States. One of the few theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep presents up to 10 world class productions each season including contemporary and classic

works and provocative musical theatre experiences.

BOX OFFICE: MON 10AM-5PM, TUE-THU 10AM-7:30PM, FRI & SAT 10AM-8PM, SUN 10AM-2PM

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

1380 Colonial Blvd • Fort Myers 248-4422

broadwaypalm.com

Broadway Palm is Southwest Florida's

Premier Dinner Theatre currently in their 27th Season. The theatre features the best of Broadway, combining your favorite sh ows of the past along with the most re cent musical hit sensations. Broadway Palm features nationally selected performers, dazzling sets and costumes and a live orchestra. Also check out the Off Broadway Palm, Broadway Palm Children's Theatre, Special Engagements and the Annual Concert Series.

BOX OFFICEOPENDAILY SHOWS TUE-SUNEVES & SELECTEDMATINEES

Asolo Repertory Theatre

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

Cape Coral Historical Museum

Cape Coral Historical Museum

544 Cultural Park Blvd • Cape Coral 772-7037

capecoralhistoricalmuseum.org

The Cape Coral Historical Museum began operations in 1987 as an arm of the Cape Coral Historical Society. The museum, located in Cultural Park, provides a fun and enriching experience for all and helps tourists and residents alike look back at how we became who we are.

WED-FRI 11AM-4PM & SAT 10AM-2PM

Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs

26100 Old 41 Rd • Bonita Springs 10150 Bonita Beach Rd • Bonita Springs

495-8989

artcenterbonita.org

Two Centers – One Mission -- Arts for All. The Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs provides art, music, theater, dance and film for all ages throughout the year. The Center for Visual Arts campus features beautiful exhibition galleries and studios for classes in glass, painting, pottery, drawing, sculpture, metal, and printmaking. The Center for Performing Arts campus features classes, lectures, films, and performances in music, dance, comedy, film and theater.

MON-SAT 9AM-5PM

Children's Museum of Naples

15080 Livingston Rd • Naples

514-0084

cmon.org

The mission of C’mon is to provide an

ex citing, inspiring environment where children and their families play, learn and dream together. C'mon celebrates the natural curiosity of children by offering an educational dynamic space encouraging ex pl oration and discovery. This safe and wonderful place inspires children and families to have fun while learning together.

SUN 11AM-4PM & MON-SAT 10AM-5PM

Collier Museum at Government Center

3331 Tamiami Trail E • Naples 252-8476

colliermuseums.com

Collier Museum at Government Center offers exhibits and galleries that capture the f ull panorama of local history. The main gallery offers over 10,000 square feet of displays, plus a traveling exhibit room, lecture

Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs

Children’s Museum of Naples

Collier Museum at Government Center

hall, native gardens, restored Naples cottages, archaeology lab, Seminole village, Calusa Indian camp, and more!

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

375 Sanctuary Rd • Naples 348-9151

corkscrew.audubon.org

Description: Meander through the swamp and historic old-growth bald cypress forest on the 2.25-mile boardwalk (shorter 1mile loop available). Birders paradise. N ature Store & Café. Seasonal events, tours and talks. Visit website for listings and to see if the legendary “Super” Ghost Orchid is in bloom. Last admission to the boardwalk at 4:30pm.

DAILY 7AM-5:30PM

Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife CROW

3883 Sanibel Captiva Rd • Sanibel 472-3644 crowclinic.org

CROW welcomes the public to its Visitor Education Center where visitors of all ages learn about protecting wildlife, watch recovering patients via live camera feeds, and see live invasive and native reptiles. Daily presentations at 11am included with admission. Guided hospital tours available for an additional charge with advanced registration.

JAN 1-APR 30: MON-SAT 10A-3PM

MAY 1- DEC 31: MON-FRI 10AM-4PM MON-FRI 10AM-4PM

JAN-APRIL SAT 10AM-4PM

J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge

1 Wildlife Drive • Sanibel Island, 472-1100 fws.gov/refuge/jn_ding_darling dingdarlingsociety.org

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020, 'Ding' Darling continues to welcome nearly one million visitors each year with wildlife watching, hiking, biking, paddling, nature boating excursions, free interpretive programs, and its free-admissions Visitor & Education Center, featuring hands-on activities and the Refuge Nature Store.

VISITOR & EDUCATION CENTER

OPENDAILY 9AM-4PM WILDLIFE DRIVEOPEN SAT-THU 7AM-HALFHOURBEFORESUNSET

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Everglades Day Safari

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

2350 McGregor Blvd • Fort Myers 334-7419

edisonford.org

The historic home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford includes the winter homes, ca re taker’s houses, Edison’s study, the national Historic Chemical Landmark botanic research laboratory, and the 15,000square-foot museum – all on more than 20 acres of botanical gardens full of tropical trees, shrubs and plants.

DAILY 9AM-5:30PM

(9AM-9PMDURING HOLIDAY NIGHTS)

Everglades Day Safari

Departs from Hampton Inn

11281 Summerlin Square Drive

Fort Myers

472-1559

ecosafari.com

N aturalist-guided safari through the Ev erglades. Includes an airboat ride in the Western Everglades, a nature walk in an ancient cypress forest, a wildlife drive in Big Cypress National Preserve, mangrove wilderness boat cruise and lunch. Alligators, dolphins and so much more!

DAILY 7AM-5PM

Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers

6900 Daniels Parkway • Fort Myers 288-2535

mastersingersfm.com

The three ensembles singing under the Mastersingers brand, the 80-plus voice adult chorus, the Chamber Choir, and the City of Palms Youth Choir, enter their 19th season with a full lineup of concerts at a variety of venues throughout Southwest

Florida. Under the leadership of new Artistic Director Shannon Arnold, the entire organization is dedicated to the pursuit of musical excellence in the choral arts form.

Gulfshore Opera

529-3925

gulfshoreopera.org

Gulfshore Opera is a professional opera production company serving Collier, Lee and Charlotte Counties. GO seeks to enrich the community by presenting high quality opera theater and classical vocal music while maximizing accessibility for diverse audiences of all ages. It promotes community well-being through musical education programs such as the Harmony Choir program. Gulfshore Opera, your regional opera company.

OFFICE: MON-FRI 10AM-3PM

Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers

Gulfshore Opera

Gulfshore Playhouse

755 8th Ave S • Naples 261-7529

gulfshoreplayhouse.org

Naples’ premiere professional theatre is committed to enriching Southwest Florida’s cultural landscape with world-class productions that expand the imagination, challenge the senses, provoke discussion, and revitalize an understanding of our common humanity. It has engaged more than 250,000 theatre patrons and served thousands of students through its education programming.

BOX OFFICE: MON-SUNTIMESVARY

Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center

975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd • Naples, 263-9200

holocaustmuseumswfl.org

The Museum has moved to a new, larger loca-

tion in Naples. The new Museum features an award-winning design, brand new exhibits and updated technology. Wheelchair-accessible. Expanded parking area. All are welcome to attend the official Dedication ceremony on Sunday, November 10, 2019 from 3pm-5pm. Please visit website for more details.

JAN 1-APR 30:

TUE-FRI 12:30-5PM, SAT & SUN 1-4PM

MAY 1-JUN 30 & OCT 1-DEC 31: TUE-SUN 1-4PM

JULY 1-SEPT 30: TUE-SAT 1-4PM

IMAG History & Science Center

2000 Cranford Avenue • Fort Myers 243-0043

theimag.org

The IMAG History and Science Center is a family-friendly destination featuring interactive exhibits, activities, aquariums, and history

displays for all ages. Bringing our mission to life, we use the lenses of history and science to help people explore and understand the rich culture and habitat of Southwest Florida.

TUE-SAT 10AM-5PM & SUN 12PM-5PM

Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch

1215 Roberts Avenue W • Immokalee 252-2611

colliermuseums.com

Originally home to cattleman Robert Roberts and his family, this 13-acre historic site and museum features exhibits, programs, and fifteen original buildings that tell the story of cow hunters, ranchers, and pioneer-spirited families who struggled to tame this vast wilderness prairie on the edge of the Big Cypress Swamp.

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Gulfshore Playhouse

Holocaust Museum

IMAG History & Science Center

Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch

Marco Island Historical Museum

180 South Heathwood Dr. • Marco Island 252-1440 colliermuseums.com

Marco Island Historical Museum explores Southwest Florida’s Calusa Indians and brings this vanished civilization to life with displays and a recreated village scene. Temporary exhibits trace this island paradise from its early pioneer roots as a fishing village, pineapple plantation and clam cannery, through its explosive growth in the 1960s.

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Murder Mystery Dinner Train

2805 Colonial Blvd • Fort Myers 275-8487 semgulf.com

All aboard the Murder Mystery Dinner Train for a Unique Dining Experience. Enjoy a freshly prepared five course dinner as a murder mystery play unfolds during a 3 1/2 hour train ride. Hotel Package Deals and Holiday Events throughout the year. Wednesday through Sunday all year, plus holidays.

WED-SUNALLYEAR

PLUSHOLIDAYS & SPECIALEVENTS

Museum of the Everglades

105 W Broadway • Everglades City 252-5026 colliermuseums.com

Opened in 1927 as a commercial laundry, Museum of the Everglades dates to a time when construction of the Tamiami Trail was underway and the settlement of Everglades served as the first County seat.

Permanent and temporary exhibits feature an in-depth look at over 2,000 years of area history.

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Naples Art

585 Park St • Naples 262-6517 naplesart.org

For 65 years Naples Art has been the cent er of arts and cultural in downtown Nap les. We provide the community with inspiration and opportunity, through production space and the amplification and exhibition of these creative voices to cultivate a lifelong appreciation of art. Secure your tickets for this season’s events today at NaplesArt.org.

MON-SUN 10AM-4PM

(EVENINGHOURSON THU)

Marco Island Historical Museum

Murder Mystery Train

Naples Depot Museum

Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary

Naples Depot Museum

1051 Fifth Avenue S • Naples 252-8419

colliermuseums.com

Set in Naples’ first passenger train station, the restored museum takes visitors back to Florida’s railroading heyday and t ells how technology and transportation helped Naples grow from a village of 300 souls to today’s glittering Gulf Coast resort.

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Octagon

Wildlife Sanctuary

41660 Horseshoe Rd • Punta Gorda octagonwildlife.org

Visit 'The Wildest Retirement Home in Punta Gorda'! Get up front and personal with tigers, bears, lions even ligers and

hy enas! As you wander through our s anctuary and learn about our residents, your heart will be touched by how their lives have been enriched since Octagon became their 'forever home.'

Mon-Fri 9am-12pm, Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm Nov-May

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

300 Tower Rd • Naples 530-5340 rookerybay.org

Touch, see and explore Southwest Florida’s coastal environment with Ro okery Bay! Experience hands-on, interactive exhibits including marine-life t ouch tanks and habitat displays. Enjoy trails, nature programs, observation

bridge and more! Kids and adults alike c an explore the Center and discover the plants, fish and wildlife that call Rookery Bay Research Reserve home.

MON-SAT 9AM-4PM

Sanibel Historical Museum & Village

950 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, FL 33957 472-4648

sanibelmuseum.org

Nine authentic, historically restored buildings, moved from their original locations, comprise the Sanibel Historical Mu seum & Village. Visitors can glimpse the past from the 1880s through the 1940s.

AUG - MID-OCTOBER: CLOSED MID-OCTOBER -APRIL: 10AM-4PM

MAY - JULY: 10AM-1PM

Museum of the Everglades

Naples Art

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

Sanibel Historical Museum & Village

The Shell Factory

16554 N Cleveland Ave (US 41)

North Fort Myers

995-2141

shellfactory.com

Vo te d Best Family Amusement Center in Fort Myers! The Shell Factory (the kitschiest, coolest, wildest, wettest, tastiest, craziest place in Southwest Florida) offers all-day fun like rides and games, shopping, restaurants, an outdoor bar and live entertainment. Over 400 critters, many rescued, call The Nature Park home. Donations to the park’s 501(c)(3) charity sustain their care.

NATURE & FUN PARKS: MON-SUN 10AM-5PM

RESTAURANT: MON-THU & SAT 11AM-8PM, FRI 11AM-9PM, SUN 11AM-7PM

TheatreZone

PERFORMANCESAT

G&L Theatre

Community School of Naples

13275 Livingston Road, Naples 888-966-4452 theatre.zone

TheatreZone is an Equity professional theatre presenting timeless, award-winning Broadway musicals featuring professional cast members from across the country, international concert acts, a Br oadway & Happy Hour cabaret series, and AllStars of TheatreZone signature f undraising event.

True Tours

2200 First St • downtown Fort Myers 945-0405

truetours.net

Downtown History Tour: Thu & Saturday

10:30am Haunted History Tour: Wed, Thu & Sat 8pm and 2nd & 4th Sat of month. Fort Myers' Fabulous Females Then & Now Tour: Tue 10:30pm (groups). New Trolley Tour for groups. Reservations Required.

Venice Theatre

140 Tampa Ave W • Venice 941-488-1115

venicetheatre.org

Located just an hour north of Fort Myers, Venice Theatre is the second largest community theatre in the country and host of aactWORLDFEST, scheduled this season for June 22-27, 2020! Venice Theatre's 70th Anniversary Season features a variety of musicals, comedies, dramas, and concerts, including 'Mamma Mia!,' 'A Christmas Ca rol,' 'Guys and Dolls,' 'Menopause The Musical,' 'Hamlet,' and more!

BOX OFFICE: MON-FRI 10AM-5PM & HOURBEFORESHOWS

Shell Factory & Nature Park

TheatreZone

True Tours

Venice Theatre

New Orleans ’ Finest

by Andrew Elias

Jon Batiste Anatomy of Angels

Live at the Village Vanguard (VERVE)

Jon Batiste, best known as the bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, comes from a distinguished family of New Orleans musicians and has released several excellent albums on his own and with his band, Stay Human. Last year’s Hollywood Africans, produced by T Bone Burnett, showcased his talents as a pianist, composer and singer, while exploring his musical roots and inspirations, featuring everything from the classic blues of ‘St. James Infirmary Blues’ to Chopin’s ‘Nocturne No. 1 in D Minor.’

The new release is more succinct, featuring a trio on three tracks, including a gorgeous version of ‘The Very Thought of You’ featuring guest vocalist, Rachael Price, of the band Lake Street Drive. Batiste leads an octet on two tracks; a rousing arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight’ and his own expansive ‘Anatomy of Angels.’

Anatomy of Angels proves that Batiste is so much more than the good-humored sidekick and playful pianist on The Late Show. Recorded over a six-night stint, the live recording captures the special atmosphere in the small jazz club as Batiste displays all his musical skills and charms. At just 36 minutes long, the album leaves the listener questioning why it is so stingy and yearning for more from what must have been a wonderful week of outstanding jazz.

Ellis Marsalis Trio

On the First Occasion (ELM)

Ellis Marsalis Quartet An Open Letter to Thelonious

(ELM)

Ellis Marsalis is one of the Deans of New Orleans: father to Wynton, Branford, Delfaeyo and Jason, as well as mentoring the likes of Harry Connick Jr., Terence Blanchard, Nicholas Payton, and many others. He has released many albums over the past 40 years, as a solo artist and with bands of varying sizes, but none better than his new album, On the First Occasion, recorded in 1998 with a trio that includes son, Jason on drums.

It couldn’t be easier to listen to to these

renditions of jazz standards such as ‘I Cover the Waterfront,’ ‘Like Someone in Love,’ ‘The Man I Love’ and ‘The Very Thought of You,’ as well as the classic, ‘People.’ When I say that the album is easy to listen to, I do not mean ‘easy-listening’ by any means. Although the tunes are familiar they do not sound quite like what you’ve heard before. Marsalis plays piano with a sophistication and class few can match. When the last track, ‘Goodbye’ sadly comes to an end you find yourself wishing the album would continue on and on.

An Open Letter to Thelonious, Ellis’ album with a quartet, is another matter. It is a careful performance of some of Monk’s most well-known compositions, respectful of his soul and whimsy, but comfortably adding his own ‘voice’ to each track. Ellis, at age 85, is on fire throughout the set, as is saxophonist Derek Douget, who provides several daring solos.

This is beautiful music and people have their favorite‘s among Monk’s work. Here mine are a playful ‘Epistrophy, a swinging ‘Straight, No Chaser’ and a sorrowful ‘Ruby, My Dear.’ There are dozens of recordings paying tribute to Monk. An Open Letter to Thelonious is among the finest.

New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Songs – The Music of Allen Toussaint (STORYVILLE)

An album celebrating the music and legacy of the late Allen Toussaint, royalty among New Orleans musicians, should be a raucous affair. Sounding more like they were playing in a street parade than a symphony hall, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, provides just that; from the album’s opening track, Toussaint’s classic hit ‘Southern Nights’ you can feel that NOLA energy and hear that special Big Easy music, full of life with all it’s highs and lows.

Each track explodes with lively arrangements, irresistible grooves and wild solos. Guest vocalist Dee Bridgewater adds her magic to ‘It’s Raining’ and ‘With You in Mind.’ Additional highlights are the hit ‘Working in a Coal Mine’ and a song he did not write but performed regularly, ‘Tequila.’

Toussaint was an American treasure. This is a fantastic tribute to his genius and heart – and lots of fun. •

Ellis Marsalis recently released two new albums, one with a trio and onewith a quartet.

Jon Batiste’s ‘Anatomy of Angels’ was recorded over six nights at the famous Village Vanguard in New York City.

Sept

1 SUNDAY

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Clearwater Threshers: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 11a. 768-4210.

•James Prather: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 2-6p. Free. 313-6576.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Musical Moments - Back to the Future: Concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 3p. 495-8989.

2 MONDAY

•Independent Film Screening & Discussion: Hosted by Fort Myers Film Festival. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, film 7p. talk after film. 810-6323.

3 TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p.Free. 5405789.

4

WEDNESDAY

•Claire Liparulo: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•FSW String Chamber Music: Recital. Rush

Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

6

FRIDAY

•Art Reception: Art League of Fort Myers, 1451 Monroe St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 275-3970.

•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Free. 3375050.

•Art Reception: Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Live music. Free. 333-1933.

•Art Reception: Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Basch, Smith, Stulberg, Thompson Galleries. 6-8. Free. 941-474-5548.

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at severalgalleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p.Free. 3375050.

Library Atrium, FSW, 8099 College Pkwy Pkwy, FtMyers. 2:30p. Free. 4814849.

•RC Smith: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

5

THURSDAY

•Bob DiBuono: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Clare Liparulo: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos

•Bob DiBuono: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Jerry Seinfeld: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7 & 9:30p. 481-4849.

•Soulixer: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941235-6906.

•Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Furious 5: Rap music concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 7p-12a. 985-9839.

•The Alarm, Modern English, Gene Loves Jezebel: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•The Freecoasters: Live music. Big Blue Brewing,

4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-11:30p. Free. 4712777.

•The Goldtones: Doo wop concert. Venice Theatre, 140 W Tampa Ave, Venice. 8p. 941-488-1115.

•The Steepwater Band: Concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.

7 SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: The 502s,Carlene Thisse concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Art Reception & Family Activity Day: Center for the Visual Arts Bonita Springs, 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs.12-2p. Free. 495-8989.

•Bob DiBuono: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Brother Love: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Dueling Pianos: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Easy Pickins: Bluegrass music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-8p. Free. 603-6535.

•Fort Myers Derby Girls vs Miami Vice: Female roller derby. Ft Myers Skatium, 2250 Bwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 482-7789.

•Gallery Walk & Talk: With artists Carve Stone & Pat Zalisko. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6p. Free. 939-2787.

•SAP Trio: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-

11:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•State of Flux: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

8 SUNDAY

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

11 WEDNESDAY

•Bobby James: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•Sheena Regan: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Ft Myers Library, 1651 Lee St, meeting rm CD, Ft Myers. 6-8p. 5334636.

12

THURSDAY

•Acoustic Fire: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Art Reception: Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. 5-7p. Free. 941639-8810.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos &exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free.692-8436.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Jamie & Kim: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Lecture: Non-Native Wildlife in SWFL. Cape Coral Library, 921 SW 39th Ter, Cape Coral. 2p. Free. 479-4636.

•Magician Kevin Lee: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

FRIDAY

•Bill Buonanno: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•BoDeans: Concert. SWFL

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers presents ‘Once’ thru September 28. Call 278-4422 for information.

Jerry Seinfeld is performing at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers on September 6. For information, call 481-4849.

what Goes on

Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Damon Fowler: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.

•Funny Shorts Live!: Five 10-minute plays. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2p. 495-8989.

•Magician Kevin Lee: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Marty Stokes: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Mike Imbasciani & The Bluez Rockerz: Blues. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7:30p. Free. 282-3232.

•New Works Festival: Wonderland. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5thAve S, Ft Myers. 8p. 866-811-4111.

•Tom Beckman: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

14 SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Grant Peeples, David Hintz concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Amy Grant: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Art Reception: Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Mitchell Gallery. 6-8. Free. 941474-5548.

•Comedy Night: Stage 2

Improv. Trivia Theme Night. Tobye Studio, Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 8p. 263-7990.

•Electric Car Show: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-4p. 334-7419.

•Funny Shorts Live!: Five 10-minute plays. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•High Tide Band: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Magician Kevin Lee: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Matt Lee & The Kidd: Live music.Bert’s Bar & Grill, 4271 Pine Island Rd,

Matlacha. 7p. Free. 2823232.

•Mike Ibasciani: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•New Works Festival: Near Nellie Bly. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5thAve S, Ft Myers. 8p. 866-811-4111.

•Show Off!: Youth Performance Showcase. Staged performances, gallery scavenger hunt. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-1p. Free. 9392787.

•Soulixer: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941235-6906.

•Stand Up Comedy Night: Larry Venturino, John Charles, Chrsitopher Cowles.Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 5701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 8p. 389-9192.

•SummerJazz on the Gulf: Ari & The Alibis. Free waterfront concert on Watkins Lawn. Naples Beach Hotel, 851 Gulf Shore Blvd N, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 2612222.

•SWFL SteamCon: Steampunk & fantasy conference. Speakers, panels, celebrity guests, entertainment. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 130501 Bell Tower Dr, Ft Myers. 10a7:30p. 15

SUNDAY

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Music Open Mic: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-10p. 939-2787.

•Open Mic: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•RC Smith: Comedy fundraiser. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7:30-9:30p. 471-2777.

19

THURSDAY

•Alex Hooper: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Audubon of SWFL Meeting: Guest speakerFlorida EagleWatch. Collaboratory, 2031 Jackson St, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 410-6971.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 3332225.

•Disturbed: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 9487825.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. 6036535.

•Kyle Duggan: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Lecture: Florida PiratesFact & Fiction. Museum of the Everglades,105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 2p. Free. 695-0008.

•Tiffany: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

20

historic River District. 610p. Free. 855-732-3836.

•Preacher Lawson: Comedy. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Ricky Reinoso: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Soulixer: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

21 SATURDAY

•Alex Hooper: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker. Zion Lutheran Church, 7401 Winkler Rd, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. 770-906-7885.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Preacher Lawson: Comedy. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Riverside: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Sensi Trails: Reggae music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 7:3010:30p. 603-6535.

•State of Flux: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

FRIDAY

2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Peace Day Celebration: Entratinemnt, yoga & mediation, crafts, speakers, workshops, food.Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a-6p. Free. 939-2787.

23 MONDAY

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. Free. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

24 TUESDAY

Fest concert. Pinchers at the marina at Edison Ford, 23607 West 1st St, Ft Myers. 7p.277-1700.

•Hypnotist Gary Conrad: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Tom Beckman: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

26 THURSDAY

•New Works Festival: Picasso in Paris. Gulfshore Playhouse. Norris Center, 755 5thAve S, Ft Myers. 3p. 866-811-4111. 18

•Alex Hooper: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

WEDNESDAY

•Bobby James: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•Lecture: African-American Communities in Collier County. Collier Museum at Government Center,3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. 6p. Free. 252-8476.

•Lecture: Your Florida Panther. Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Reception 5:30p, lecture 6p. Free. Register. 5305977.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Jenny Ve: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•JP Soars & The Red Hots: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.

•Julio Englesias: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 8p. 948-7825.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs &galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’

•Terry Sylvester of The Hollies: Concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 4958989.

•The New Vinyls: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

22

SUNDAY

•Gary & Kerri: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 3p. Free. 282-3232.

•Kristian Bush with Gulf Coast Symphony: Island Hopper Songwriter Fest concert. Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 7p.277-1700.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Captiva. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro,

• Island Hopper Songwriter Fest - Americana Community Music Association Showcase: Kim Mayfield, Ray Cerbone, Robert Bidney, Bill Metts, Roy Schneider. The Barrel Room, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. 691-4069.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Jason Baker: Marimba recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

25

WEDNESDAY

•FSW Woodwind Ensemble Recital. Rush Library Atrium, FSW, 8099 College Pkwy Pkwy, Ft Myers. 2:30p. Free. 4814849.

•Gone West with Colbie Caillat & Ryan Hurd: Island Hopper Songwriter

•Art Reception & Artist’s Talk: ArtLab, FGCU Library, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 3332225.

•Dane Cook: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues in historic downtown Ft Myers River District. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Jamie & Kim: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Rich Lancaster: Live music. Big Blue Brewing,

Sugarland’s Kristian Bush performs with the Gulf Coast Symphony on September 22 at Florida Rep’s Historic Arcade Theatre in Fort Myers. For information, call 272-1700.

4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Steve Lazlow: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

27 FRIDAY

•A Hogwarts Halloween: Gulf Coast Symphony family concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 1p.277-1700.

•BarTunes: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Brother Love: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Jory Lyle Trio: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Matt Freed: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Mike Imbasciani & The Bluez Rockerz: Blues. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7:30p. Free. 282-3232.

•Steve Lazlow: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

28

SATURDAY

•Alabama, Don Mclean: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•Island Hopper Songwriter Fest: Singer/Songwriters perform at various venues on Ft Myers Beach. All afternoon & night. Free. 338-3500.

•Mike Imbasciani: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-11:30p. Free. 4712777.

•National Estuaries Day Celebration: 40th anniversary celebration, guided boat tours, films, presentations, demos, kayaking, art exhibit, food trucks, etc. Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd, Naples. 9a-2p. Free. 5305977.

•Ricky Reinoso: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Stage 2 Improv: Comedy. Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 5701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 8p. 3899192.

•Steve Lazlow: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Them Hamilton Boys: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing

Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

29 SUNDAY

•Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers: Music in Times of Transition concert. FGCU, U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 3p. 560-9512.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Rodney Atkins & Jerrod Nieman: Island Hopper Songwriter Fest pool party & concert. Arcade Theatre, 275 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 4:30p.277-1700.

Oct

1 TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p.Free. 5405789. 2

WEDNESDAY

•Art Alive: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at dozens of galleries & studios. Naples Art

District, Pine Ridge Industrial Park, Pine Ridge Rd, west of Airport Rd, Naples. 5-8p. Free. 2895070.

•Claire Liparulo: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•Godsmack, Halestorm: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•RC Smith: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Red Carpet Opening Night: The Great Gatsby pre-show party, music, cocktails, food. The Naples Players. Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:307:30p. 263-7990.

3 THURSDAY

•Chris Workman: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Sonya White: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

4 FRIDAY

•Art Reception: Art League of Fort Myers, 1451 Monroe St, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 275-3970.

•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Free. 3375050.

•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 severalgalleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 6-10p.Free. 3375050.

•Chris Duarte: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.

•Rusty & Laurie Wright: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Sonya White: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Soulixer: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811

Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•The Freecoasters: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-11:30p. Free. 4712777.

5 SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Cliff Everhardt, Lousie Mosrie concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 939-2787.

•Ben Allen Band: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Comedy Night: Stage 2 Improv. October Fest. Tobye Studio,Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 8p. 263-7990.

•Easy Pickins: Bluegrass music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 5-8p. Free. 603-6535.

•Electric Mud: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Fort Myers Derby Girls vs Molly Roger: Female roller derby. Ft Myers Skatium, 2250 Bwy, Ft Myers. 6p. 482-7789.

•Once: Musical. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 8p. 481-4849.

•Pride Fest: Live entertainment.Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-6p. Free. 939-2787.

•Ricky Reinoso: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Sonya White: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

6 SUNDAY

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Musical MomentsSpanish Inspirations: Concert. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 3p. 495-8989.

7 MONDAY

•Independent Film Screening & Discussion: Hosted by Fort Myers Film

Festival. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. Cocktails 6:30p, film 7p. talk after film. 810-6323.

8 TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30-7p. Free. 394-4221.

•Cape Coral Historical Museum: Monthly meeting w guest speaker (archaeologist). Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 2:30p. Free. 772-7037.

9 WEDNESDAY

•Bobby James: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•Jimmy Keys: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Sierra Club Calusa Group Meeting: Ft Myers Library, 1651 Lee St, meeting rm CD, Ft Myers. 6-8p. 5334636.

10 THURSDAY

•Art Reception: Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Basch & Stulberg galleries. 5-7:30p. Free. 941-474-5548.

•Art Reception: Live music, wine, hors d’oevres.Coco Art Gallery, Coconut Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, FtMyers. 5-7p. Free. 9493073.

•Art Reception: Wine & cheese. Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Blvd, Cape Coral.5-7p. Free. 772-5657.

•Clare Liparulo: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•ETC Readers Theater: ‘Til Death Do Us Part. Naples Players Etc... Readers’ Theatre. Tobye Studio,Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 7p. 263-7990.

•Evening on Fifth: Live music, dancing, art demos &exhibits, dining, shopping along 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:30-9:30p. Free.692-8436.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Phil Johnson: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College

Chris Duarte plays at Buckingham Blues Bar in Fort Myers on October 4. Call 693-7111 for information

what Goes on

Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Roar Offshore: Power boat races off Diamondhead Beach Resort, Ft Myers Beach. Race Village at Salty Sam’s, 2500 Main St, Ft Myers Beach. Boat parade under Matanzas Bridge, Ft Myers Beach. 10a-11p.

11 FRIDAY

•DJ Memphis on Air: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:309:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Just for Laughs: Comedy variety show. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7:30p. 495-8989.

•Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Mike Imbasciani & The Bluez Rockerz: Blues. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7:30p. Free. 282-3232.

•Phil Johnson: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Ricky Reinoso: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Roar Offshore: Power boat races off Diamondhead Beach Resort, 2000 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Race Village at Salty Sam’s, 2500 Main St. Live entertainment. 9a-11p.

•Soulixer: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Friction Farm, Paul Philips concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Bert Kreischer: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4814849.

•Brother Love: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Gator Nate: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•High Tide: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Jeanie Darnell: Soprano recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

•Mike Imbasciani: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-11:30p. Free. 4712777.

•Orchid Sale & Symposium: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-5p. 334-7419.

•Phil Johnson: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Roar Offshore: Power boat races off Diamondhead Beach Resort, 2000 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Race Village at Salty Sam’s, 2500 Main St. Live entertainment. 9a-11p.

•The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Film. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.

13

SUNDAY

•Bluegrass Concert: Bands tba. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 2p. 939-2787.

•FGCU Symphony Orchestra Concert: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg,

FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers.3p. Free. 7454268.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Orchid Sale & Symposium: Edison & Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 9a-5p. 334-7419.

•Naples Philharmonic Chamber Musicians: An Afternoon of Quintets. Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 5971900.

•Roar Offshore: Power boat races awards ceremonies at Diamondhead Resort, 2000 Estero Bkvd, Ft Myers Beach. 11a.

14 MONDAY

•Naples Concert Band: Free outdoor concert w guests. Cambier Park bandshell, Park St, downtown Naples.2p. Free. 270-1221.

16

WEDNESDAY

•Bobby James: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•Film Screening: Invisible Hands. Hosted by Holocaust Museum.

Paragon Pavilion Theatre, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. 6:30p. 263-9200.

•FSW Faculty Recital: Rush Library Atrium, FSW, 8099 College Pkwy Pkwy, FtMyers. 7p. Free. 4814849.

•Keith Lenart: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Poetry Open Mic: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. 939-2787.

17

THURSDAY

•Art Reception: Wasmer Gallery, FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. 5-7p. Free. 590-7199.

•Brian Glowacki: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Chris Workman: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Composition Concert: FGCU students. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 7:30p. Free. 7454268.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Lecture: From Collier Laundry to Collier Museum. Museum of the Everglades,105 W Bwy, Everglades City. 2p. Free. 695-0008.

•Naples Philharmonic: Beethoven & Tchaikovsky. Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 5971900.

•Randy Rainbow Live: Concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.

18 FRIDAY

•Anjelah Johnson: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 4814849.

•Art Reception: Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Basch & Stulberg galleries. 4-8p. Free. 941-474-5548.

•Art Walk: Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. All galleries. 5-8p. Free. 941-474-5548.

•Australian Bee Gees Show: Tribute concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Brian Lowacki: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•DVS Trio: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Jeff Lyons: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Music Walk: Live music & dancing at several cafes, clubs &galleries. Downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 610p. Free. 855-732-3836.

•Naples Philharmonic: Beethoven & Tchaikovsky. Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 5971900.

•The Freecoasters: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-2356906.

•The Hobbit: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 495-8989.

•ZZ Top, Cheap Trick: Concert. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.

19 SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Mike Laureanno, Mindy Simmons concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•Brian Lowacki: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Dueling Pianos: Concert. Davis Art Center, 2301 1st St, Ft Myers. 8p. 333-1933.

•Faded Roots: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 313-6576.

•Fine Arts & Crafts Show: Naples Artcrafters. Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave S, Naples. 10a-4p. Free.

•Florida Everblades vs Norfolk Admirals: Ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 948-7825.

•Fort Myers Zine Fest: And Love Yoor Rebellion’s Zine Library Grand Opening. Neenie’s House, 481 Marsh Ave, Ft Myers. 12-5p. Free.

•Gulf Coast Writers Association Meeting: Guest speaker. Zion Lutheran Church, 7401 Winkler Rd, Ft Myers. 10a-12p. Free. 770-906-7885.

•Propaganjal: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE

10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•T&T Rhythm: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•The Hobbit: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2 & 7p. 4958989.

20 SUNDAY

•‘Ding’ Darling Days: Eco-activities for all ages, tram tours, wildlife presentations, crafts, puppet shows, birding, kayaking, etc. ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 1Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. 8a-6p. Free. 472-1100.

•Cat & Nat#MOMTRUTHS Live: Comedy. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•FGCU Chamber & Women’s Choir Concert: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•I talian Fest: Entertainment, food, kid’s activities. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 8p. 939-2787.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•The Hobbit: Play. Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 2p. 4958989.

22 TUESDAY

•Miami City Ballet: With Naples Philharmonic. Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 5971900.

•Rumours of Fleetwood Mac: Tribute concert. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 481-4849.

23 WEDNESDAY

•Film Screening: A Place at the Table. Hosted by Holocaust Museum. Paragon Pavilion Theatre, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. 6:30p. 263-9200.

•Kyle Anne: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 3136576.

•Red Carpet Opening Night: Escanaba in Da Moonlight pre-show party, music, cocktails, food. The

Randy Rainbow performs at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on October 17. For information, call 481-4849.

Naples Players. Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 6:307:30p. 263-7990.

24

THURSDAY

•Chloe Agnew: Concert. Marco Island Center for the Arts, 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. 5:30p. 394-4221.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Kyle Duggan: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 7-10p. Free. 471-2777.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival Opening Night Film & Party: Arts-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. VIP red carpet 6p, film 7p, post-film, afterparty 9p.775-3456.

•Ron Feingold: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Sesame Street Live! - Let’s Party: Kids show. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 2 & 6p. 481-4849.

•Song & Dance: West Side Story and French Impressionists.Gulfshore Opera & Gulfshore Ballet. Gulfshore Ballet, 5636 Youngquist Rd, Ft Myers. 7p. 529-3925.

•Squirrel Nut Zippers: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

25 FRIDAY

•Albert Castiglia: Blues band. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 8-11p. 693-7111.

•JD Souther: Concert. SWFL Event Center, 11515 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7p. 245-9910.

•Mike Imbasciani & The Bluez Rockerz: Blues. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7:30p. Free. 282-3232.

•Mystery Cycles: FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival: Film screenings & panel discussions. Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 775-3456.

•Rhythm on the River: Outdoor Journey tribute concert, cocktails,

appetizers. Edison & Ford Winter Estates River Pavilion, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6p. 3347419.

•Ron Feingold: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Sheena Brook: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•The Freecoasters: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-2356906.

•Zach Bartholomew Quartet: recital. U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 745-4268.

26

SATURDAY

•Americana Community Music Association: Violet Bell/Omar Ruiz-Lopez, Mary Dahl & Carolyn Stanley concert. All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 7-9:30p. 691-4069.

•BarTunes: Live music. Table & Tap, Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. 6-9p. 941-235-6906.

•Brother Love: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7p. Free. 282-3232.

•Fall Festival & Family Swamp Walk: Exhibit, guided tours, meet Clyde Butcher. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 10a-5p. Free. Fee for Swamp Walks. 695-2428.

•Florida Everblades vs Orlando Solar Bear: Ice hockey. Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7p. 948-7825.

•Mystery Cycles: FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 590-7268.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival: Film screenings & panel discussions.Silverspot Cinemas, Mercato, 9118 Strada Pl, Naples. 7753456.

•Psycho: Film with SWFL Symphony. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 418-1500.

•Riverside: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:3011:30p. Free. 471-2777.

•Ron Feingold: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Shenanigan’s Wake: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing

Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6:30-9:30p. Free. 3136576.

•Stage 2 Improv: Comedy. Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 5701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 8p. 3899192.

•Wynonna & The Big Noise: Concert. Seminole Casino Resort, 506 S 1st St, Immokalee. 8p. 800218-0007.

27 SUNDAY

•Fall Festival & Family Swamp Walk: Exhibit, guided tours, meet Clyde Butcher. Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Tr, MM 54, Ochopee. 10a-5p. Free. Fee for Swamp Walks. 695-2428.

•FGCU Jazz Ensemble Concert: U Tobe Recital Hall, Music Bldg, FGCU, 1051 FGCU BlvdS, Ft Myers. 3p. Free. 745-4268.

•Gary & Kerri: Live music. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 3p. Free. 282-3232.

•Jazz Brunch: Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 10a-2p. Free. 333-2225.

•Mystery Cycles: FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 2p. 5907268.

•Naples Int’l Film Festival Closing Awards Ceremony & Wrap Party: Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 5:30p. 597-1900.

•Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert: Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 7p. 597-1900.

•The Alter Eagles: Eagles tribute concert. Venice Theatre, 140 W Tampa Ave, Venice. 8p. 941-4881115.

28 MONDAY

•The Alter Eagles: Eagles tribute concert. Venice Theatre, 140 W Tampa Ave, Venice. 2 & 8p. 941488-1115.

29 TUESDAY

•History Live - A Voice for The Everglades: Janina Birtolo one woman one act play. Tobye Studio,Sugden Community Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 7:30p. 263-7990.

•Naples Philharmonic Chamber Musicians: Beginning with Beethoven. Artis-Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 3p. 5971900.

30 WEDNESDAY

•An Evening with Deepak Chopra - The Nature of Reality: Lecture. BB Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 481-4849.

•Film Screening: Heroin(e). Hosted by Holocaust Museum. Paragon Pavilion Theatre, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. 6:30p. 263-9200.

•Halloween Ghost Train & Murder Mystery: Dinner, show & costume contest. Murder Mystery Dinner Train Theater, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 275-8487.

•James Prather: Live music. Ft Myers Brewing Co, 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, # 27, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 313-6576.

•JJ Walker & Artie Fletcher: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Michael Dease: Jazz concert with Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchetsra. ArtisNaples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. 6 & 8:30p. 597-1900.

31 THURSDAY

•Audubon of SWFL Meeting: Guest speakerCalusa Waterkeeper. Riverside Community Center, Ft Myers. 7p. Free. 410-6971.

•Chris Workman: Live music. Big Blue Brewing, 4721 SE 10 Pl, Cape Coral. 8:30-11:30p. Free. 4712777.

•Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet: Jazz. The Barrel Room, Twisted Vine Bistro, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. 7-10:30p. 333-2225.

•Deb & The Dynamics: Blues band. Bert’s Bar & Grill,4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 7:30p. Free. 282-3232.

•Halloween Ghost Train & Murder Mystery: Dinner, show & costume contest. Murder Mystery Dinner Train Theater, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 6:30p. 275-8487.

•Hunter Dahlen & Friends: Jazz music. Point Ybel Brewing, 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-9p. Free. 603-6535.

•Lenny Clarke Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233

ongoing theater

•5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche: Oct 24-Nov 3. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•Always Patsy Cline: Sep 24-Nov 24. Florida Repertory Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 3324488.

•Annual New Works Festival: Playwright panel: Sep 12; Wonderland: Sep 13; Near Nellie Bly: Sep 14; Picasso in Paris: Sep 15. Staged readings followed by Q & A with playwrights. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Bedlam’s Saint Joan: Oct 19-Nov 3. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Born Yesterday: Sep 20Oct 6. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Charlotte’s Web: Oct 11Nov 15. Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 980-5674.

•Church & State: Oct 4-27. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.

•Dames at Sea: Sep 19-Nov

2. Off Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Engagement Rules: Sep 20-Oct 6. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•Escanaba in Da Moonlight: Oct 23-Nov 17. The Naples Players. Tobye Studio, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•Finding Neverland: Oct 3Nov 16. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•For Whom the Siren Wails: Thru Sep 7: Fri & Sat.Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Mamma Mia!: Oct 25-Dec

1. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941488-1115.

•Murder Wrap: Oct 16-Nov

28: Sun, Wed, Thu.Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Mystery Cycles: Oct 25Nov 3. FGCU TheatreLab. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-7268.

•October House: Oct 31-Nov

8. Four short plays (Jet of Blood, Rockaby, Not I, Breath) running concurrently & continuously. Ghostbird Theatre Company. Langford-Kingston Home, 2500 1st St, Ft Myers. 710p. 691-4128.

•Old Ringers: Oct 16-Nov 3. Marco Players. Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 642-7270.

•On Golden Pond: Oct 25Nov 3. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 7725862.

•Once: Thru Sep 28. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man: Oct 25-Nov 16. Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•The Bikinis: Sep 27-Oct

20. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941488-1115.

•The Crucible: Sep 20-Oct

The Americana Community Music Association presents Violet Bell on October 26 at the All Faiths Unitarian Church in Fort Myers. Call 691-4069 for information.

what Goes on

12. Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•The Fox on the Fairway: Oct 29-Nov 20. Florida

Repertory Theatre,Arcade Theatre, 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.

•The Ghost in the Meadow: Sep 27-Oct 6. Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•The Great Gatsby: Oct 227. The Naples Players. Blackburn Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•The Jungle Book: Sep 615. Kid’s play. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•The Murderer as Red as Blood: Thru Oct 13: Sun, Wed, Thu.Murder Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Oct 10-Nov 3. New Phoenix Theatre,13211 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 284-5214.

•Venus in Fur: Thru Sep

8.The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.

•Viva Las Killer: Sep 13Nov 23: Fri & Sat.Murder

Mystery Dinner Train. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

THEATERS

•Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre: Thru Sep 28: Once; Oct 3-Nov 16: Finding Neverland.1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers.278-4422.

•Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre: Oct 11-Nov 15: Charlotte’s Web. 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•FGCU TheatreLab: Oct 25Nov 3: Mystery Cycles. FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-7268.

•Gulfshore Playhouse: Sep 13-15: New Works Festival; Oct 19-Nov 3: Bedlam’s Saint Joan. Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Murder Mystery Dinner Train: Thru Sep 7: For Whom the Siren Wails; Thru Oct 13: The Murderer as Red as Blood; Sep 13Nov 23: Viva Las Killer; Oct 16-Nov 28: Murder Wrap. Seminole Gulf Railway, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Off Broadway Palm Theatre: Sep 19-Nov 2: Dames at Seas. 1380

Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•The Naples Players: Oct 227: The Great Gatsby; Oct 23-Nov 17: Escanaba in Da Moonlight. Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•The Studio Players: Thru Sep 8: Venus in Fur; Oct 427: Church & State. The Studio Players, Joan Jenks Auditorium, Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 389-9192.

•Venice Theatre: Sep 6-15: The Jungle Book; Sep 20Oct 6: Born Yesterday; Sep 27-Oct 20: The Bikinis; Oct 25-Dec 1: Mamma Mia. 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-488-1115.

art galleries

•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Sep 6-28: The Shape of ThingsCarve Stone & Pat Zalisko; Oct 4-Nov 2: Dia de los Muertos. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-1p. Free. 939-2787.

•Aldo Castillo Gallery: Miromar Design Center, 10800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Mon-Fri 9:30a5:30p & Sat 10a-5p. Free. 312-375-8887.

•Another Time: 1414 Dean St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. Free. 672-4607.

•Artis-Naples: Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Sep 3-Oct 8: Student Photography Institute; Sep 3-Dec 8: ReTooled; Sep 3-Dec 8: 30 Years - Building a Naples Icon. 597-1900.

•Arsenault Studio & Banyan Arts Gallery: 1199

3rd St, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-1214.

•Artwork by Michaela Studio & Gallery: 6240 Shirley St, #103, Naples. Mon-Thu 10a-4p. Free. 272-6383.

•Art Center Sarasota: 707 N Tamiami Tr, Sarasota. Sep

5-Oct 4: Florida’s Finest. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 941-3652032.

•Art League of Fort Myers: 1451 Monroe St, Ft Myers. Sep: Fall Shadings; Oct: Happy Hauntings. Free open painting Wed 9:3012p. Tue-Sat 11a-3p & 6-9p 1st Fri of month. Free. 2753970.

•Arts For ACT Gallery: 2265 First St, Ft Myers. Sep: Del Holt, Pam Trent; Oct: Uri Berger, Sam Frazer. Mon-Sun11a-4:30p, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Fri 11a-10p. Free. 337-5050.

•Baker Museum: Artis-

Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Opening in December. 597-1900.

•Bert’s Pine Bay Gallery: 4332 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Sun & Mon 10a5p, Tue-Sat 10a-7p. Free. 283-1335.

•BIG ARTS: 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Mon-Sat 9a4p & Sat 9a-1p. Free. 3950900.

•Bob Rauschenberg Gallery: FSW State College, Humanities Hall, 8099 College Pkwy SW, Ft Myers. Thru Dec 14: Rauschenberg 40 Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 11a-3p. Free. 489-9313.

•Bonnie Hawley Studio/Gallery: 2371 Linwood Ave, #108, Naples. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 649-1389.

•Cape Coral Art League: 516 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Oct: Cape Coral Life. Meetings 1st Mon 9am. Open painting Wed 1-4p. Sun 1-4p, MonThu 10a-4p, Fri 1-9p, Sat 9a-1p. Free. 772-5657.

•Cape Coral Arts Studio: 4533 Coronado Pkwy in Rubicond Park, Cape Coral. Thru Sep 27: Aquarium; Oct 4-24: Abstracted Reality. MonFri 9a-4:30p. Free. 5740802.

•Center for the Visual Arts Bonita Springs: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Sep 3-Oct 19: Small WondersInsects in Focus. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 1-5p. Free. 495-8989.

•Center for the Performing Arts Bonita Springs: 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru Dec 7: Karen Seide. Mon-Fri 10a4p & Sat 1-5p. Free. 4958989.

•Clark Art Studio: 1035

10a-7p & Sun 12-6p. Free. 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. Free. 777-3283

•Englewood Art Center: Ringling College of Art & Design, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood. Basch Gallery

– Sep 6-Oct 4: Staff & Faculty Show; Oct 8-12: Learning Innovations by Design; Oct 18-Dec 6: Hugh Davies. Mitchell Gallery – Sep 7-Oct 4: Without Words. Selby Gallery – thru Sep 27: Sketches. Smith Gallery –Staff & Faculty Show.

Stulberg Gallery – Sep 6Oct 4: Faculty Show; Oct 18-Dec 6: Jack Davis -

Drawing American Pop Culture. Thompson Gallery

– Sep 6-Oct 4: Flamingo Inn; Oct 18-Dec 6: Virginia

Sanibel. Oct Mon-Sat 10a5p. Free. 395-0027.

•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. TueFri 12:30-5p, Sat 7 Sun 14p. Guided Tours. Free. 263-9200.

•HW Gallery: 1305 Third St S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 263-6640.

•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. Oct 15-Dec 28: Cowboy Roots - Don Columbus Photographs. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2522611.

•Island Conclave: 5101 Pine Island Rd, Bokeelia. TueSat 11a-5p. Free. 2828488.

•Island Visions: 4643 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 282-0452.

Collier Center Way, Naples. Mon-Sat 11a-9p & Sun 1-9p. Free. 616-2601533.

•Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery: 52388 Tamiami Tr, Ochopee. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 6952428.

•Clyde Butcher’s St Armands Gallery: 55 S Blvd of the Presidents, Sarasota. Thru Sep 2: Aquatic Preserves of Florida. Mon-Sat 10a8:30p & Sun 12-5p. Free. 941-702-8818.

•Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio: 237 Warfield Ave, Venice. TueFri 10a-4:30p. Free. 4860811.

•Coco Art Gallery: Art Council of SWFL Gallery. Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. Oct Tue-Sat 11a-5p & Sun 12-5p. Free. 949-3073.

•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2528476.

•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. Thru Sep 30: Audubon Photography Awards. 7a-5:30p. 2489151.

•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Inside Butterfly Estates, 1815 Fowler St, #3, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 10a-6p. Free. 590-8645.

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Education Center. Nov 10-Feb 5: Clyde Butcher Photography 75th Anniversary Exhibition. Sep 7a-7:30p, Oct 7:30a-6:30p. 472-1100.

•East West Fine Art: Mercato, 9115 Strada Pl, #5130, Naples. Oct 28-Nov 11: Formula One. Mon-Sat

Hoffman - Vanishing Old Florida. Tue 9a-9p & WedSat 9a-4p. Free. 941-4745548.

•Estero Art League: Estero Community Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Rd, Estero.489-5216.

•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Wasmer Gallery

–Thru Oct 3: Open to Interpretation; Everyone is an Alienigeno. ArtLab –Thru Sep 5: Global Sustainable Design; Sep 26-Nov 7: Nosotros. Wasmer Gallery in Arts Complex, ArtLab in Library. Mon-Fri, 10a-4p & Thu 10a-7p. Free. 5907199.

•Fort Myers Beach Art Association: 3030 Shell Mound, Ft Myers Beach. Thru Oct 15: Summer Show; Oct 17-Nov 7: Members Show, Summer Painting Group Show. Sep Wed & Thu 9a-12p, Oct Mon-Sat 10a-3p. Free. 4633909.

•Gallery Vibe: 851 Vanderbilt Beach Rd, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. Free. 417-3450.

•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. Free. 403-7787.

•Guess-Fisher Gallery: Crayton Cove, 810 12th Ave S, Naples. Mon-Thu 11a-5p, Fri & Sat 11a-9p. Free. 403-8393.

•Harbour View Gallery: 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. Daily 11a-8p. Free. 540-5789.

•Harmon-Meek Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Oct Tue-Sat 12-5p. Free. 261-2637.

•Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery: 2490 Library Way,

•Lovegrove Gallery & Garden: 4637 Pine Island Rd NW, Matlacha. Sep Mon & Thu-Sat 11-5p, Sun 12-4p; Oct Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 11a-4p. Free. 2836453.

•Marc Harris Wildlife Photography Gallery: inside Everglades Wonder Gardens,27180 Old 41 Rd, BonitaSprings. Daily 9a5p. 283-3354.

•Marco Island Center for the Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Sep 324: Tall Tale Titles, Rob Eder. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 394-4221.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Oct 7Nov 5: Opposites Attract. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 6421440.

•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota. 10a-5p daily. 941-366-5731.

•Method & Concept: 26 10th St. S, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a5p. 529-2633.

•Museum of the Everglades: 105 W Bwy,Everglades City. Thru Aug 2: Naturally Artistic. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.

•Naples Art Association: 585 Park St, Naples. Thru Sep 25: Your Choice; Oct 4-30: Touchable Art. Thru Oct 20 Mon-Fri 10a-4p, Oct 20-31 Mon-Sat 10a-4p; Jun 1-Oct 16:. Free. 2626517.

•Naples Botanical Garden: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Thru Sep 2: Natural Oasis - The Art of Mally Khorasantchi. Sep daily 8a-3p, closed Sep 3-30, Oct daily 9a-5p & Tue8a5p. 643-7275.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2626525.

JD Souther performs at the Southwest Florida Event Center in Bonita Springs on October 25. For information, call 245-9910.

•Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery: 375 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-7p & Sun 11a-5p. 261-4300.

•Rene Miville Gallery: Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, 2nd fl, Ft Myers. MonSat 10a-8p & Sun 12-7p. Free. 333-3130.

•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Thru Aug 8: Seacrest School Student Show. Free. Mon-Sat 9a4p. 530-5940.

•Rosen Gallery & Studios: North Line Plaza, 2172 J&C Blvd, Naples. Thru Oct 1: Resident Artists’ Group Show. By appt or chance. 821-1061.

•Sheldon Fine Art: 460 Fifth Ave S, Naples. 10a10p. Free. 649-6255.

•Sidney & Berne Davis Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. Sep 6-26: Motus en Tempus, Through Their Eyes; Oct 4-18: Dark Art; Oct 4-18: Shock RockedPunk Subculture. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & 6-9p & 1st Fri of month. Free. 337-1933.

•SmallWalls: 6240 Shirley St, #202 upstairs, Naples. Wed 3-5p, Oct 1st Wed 58p & 3rd Sat 11a-4p. Free. 402-201-6160.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 5:30-close. Free. 2049949.

•Sweet Art Gallery: 2100-A Trade Center Way, Naples. Oct Mon-Fri 10a-5p & Sat by appt. Free. 597-2110.

•The Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru Sep 8: Interpolations; thru Sep 29: Natasha Mazurka Thru Oct 13: The Fabric of India; thru Feb 16: Sun XunTime Spy. Circus Museum — thru Oct 7: Hippos - A Truly Big Show; Oct 13Jan 13: Tour du Monde. Bayfront Gardens. Gardens of Ringling Guided Tour: Thu 10:30a. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-3595700.

•Timeless: 2218 First St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. 332-8463.

•Tower Gallery: 751 Tarpon Bay Rd, Sanibel. Daily 10a-6p. Free. 340-6467.

•Union Artists Studios: Alliance of the Arts, 10051 McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Free. 980-1394.

•Unit A - Marcus Jansen Studio & Residency: 2633 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Ft Myers. Mon-Wed 11a-3p & by appt & special events. 240-1053.

•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. Main Gallery – Sep 10-Oct

3: Color!; Oct 7-31: Harvest of Art. Goff Gallery – Sep 10-Oct 3: Black & White; Oct 5-Nov 8: The Art Guys. Mon-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 10a-2p. Free. 951-6398810.

•Watson MacRae Gallery: 2340 Periwinkle Way, #G1, Sanibel. Mon-Sat 10:30a5p. Free. 472-3386.

attractions

•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum: Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 30290 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston. Daily 9a-5p. 877-902-1113.

•Artis-Naples: Hayes Hall, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Sep 3-Oct 8: Student Photography Institute; Sep 3-Dec 8: ReTooled; Sep 3-Dec 8: 30 Years - Building a Naples Icon. 597-1900.

• B a i l e y - M a t t h e w s N a t i o n a l Shell Museum: 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Ongoing: Journey to the Center of a Shell, Raymond Burr Memorial Exhibit,DeepSea Mollusks, Henry Domke - Nature Photographer. World re cord-sized Shells. Daily 10a-5p. 395-2233.

•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Opening in December. 597-1900.

•Berne Davis Botanical Garden: 2166 Virginia Ave, Ft Myers. Dec-May Tue 10a-1p. Guided tours. 3324942..

•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Living history tours daily 11a & 1p, 5-9p. 3370706.

•Butterfly Estates: 1815 Fowler St, Ft Myers. Butterfly release daily 10:30a; tours daily 11a & 1p. Tue-Sun 10a-3p. 6902359.

•Calusa Heritage Trail: 13810 Waterfront Dr, Pineland. Guided tours Jan-Apr Wed, Fri & Sat 10a,& 1p. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 283-2062.

•Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. Museum, butterfly aviary, trails, live reptile shows daily. Solar observing thru telescope Fri 11a. 10a-5p & Sun, 11a5p. 275-3435.

•Cape Coral Historical Museum: 544 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Wed-Fri 11a-4p & Sat 10a2p (closed Jul). 772-7037.

•Collier County Museum at Government Center: 3331 Tamiami Tr E, Naples.

Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2528476.

•Conservancy of SWFL: 1495 Smith Preserve Way, off Goodlette Frank Rd. Mon-Sat 10a-4:30p. Free. 262-0304.

•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd, Naples. Thru Sep 30: Audubon Photography Awards. 7a-5:30p. Guided walks, swamp walks, night events. Free. 248-9151.

•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Guided walks: Tue 9a Nov-Mar. Trails open 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-Fri 10a-4p. 472-3644.

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Education Center. ‘Ding’ Darling Days: Oct 20. Sep 7a7:30p, Oct 7:30a-6:30p. 472-1100.

•ECHO Global Farm: 17391 Durrance Rd, N Ft Myers. Farm tours. Tue, Fri, Sat 9:30a. Tech tours Tue, Fri, Sat 11:30a. 543-3246.

•Edison & Ford Winter Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Daily 9a5:30p. 334-7419.

•Everglades Day Safari: Pickups throughout SWFL. Daily 7:30a-5p. 472-1559.

•Everglades Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd,

BonitaSprings.Botanical gardens, animals, alligator feedings, Marc Harris Wildlife photography gallery. Daily 9a-5p. 992-2591.

•Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. Sep 21-Jan 5: Race to Space. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 11a4p. 514-0084.

•Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center: 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd, # 108, Naples. Sep 9Nov 30: Holodomor. Sep: Tue-Sat 1-4p, Oct Tue-Sun 1-4p. Guided Tours. Free. 263-9200.

•IMAG History & Science Center: 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 321-7420.

•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. Oct 15-Dec 28: Cowboy Roots - Don Columbus Photographs. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2522611.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. Thru Sep 26: Building a Dream - 25 Year History of Marco Island Historical Society. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 6421440.

•Marie Selby Botanical Gardens: 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota. Oct 12-Dec 1: The Orchid Show - Blossoms of Asia. 10a-5p daily. 941366-5731.

•Mound House: 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. Guided tours Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-3p; programs Tue, Wed, Sat

10a; free guided beach walks Tue 9a, Newton Park, 4650 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-4p. 765-0865.

•MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota. Daily 10a-5p. 941-3884441.

•Museum of the Everglades: 105 W Bwy,Everglades City. Thru Nov 1: Edison & Ford in SWFL. Mon-Sat

9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.

•Museum of the Islands: 5728 Sesame, Pine Island Center. Free. 283-1525.

•Naples Botanical Garden: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Thru Sep 2: Natural Oasis - The Art of Mally Khorasantchi. Ongoing: New Waterlily Competition. Sep daily 8a-3p, closed Sep 3-30, Oct daily 9a-5p & Tue8a-5p. 643-7275.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. Thru Nov 30: Motors & Mud - 70 Years of Swamp Buggy Culture. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 2626525.

•Naples Museum of Military History: Naples Airport, 500 Terminal Dr, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-4p & Sun 124p. Free. 450-0073.

•Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: 1590 GoodletteFrank Rd, Naples. Daily 9a-5p. 262-5409.

•Ostego Bay Foundation Marine Science Center: 718 Fisherman’s Wharf, Ft Myers Beach. Mon-Sat 10a-4p. 765-8101.

•Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary: 41660 Horseshoe Rd, Punta

Gorda. Mon-Fri 9a-12p, Sat & Sun 11a-4p. 543-1130.

•Palm Cottage Museum & Norris Gardens: Naples Historical Society, 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Walking tours of Naples historic district: Wed 9:30a; Guided garden tours: 1st & 3rd Thu of month 10a. Tours: Tue-Fri 12-4p & Sat 1-4p. Free. 261-8164.

•Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. Thru Aug 8: Seacrest School Student Show. Daily programs: 11a & 2p. Guided boat & kayak tours. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. 5305940.

•Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Nature Center: 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Exhibits, programs, guided tours. Oct Mon-Fri 8:30a-3p. 472-2329.

•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Closed Sep, Oct 16- Tue-Sat 10a-4p. Tours 10:30a. 472-4648.

•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. 949-0749.

•Shell Factory & Nature Park: 2787 N Tamiami Trail, N, Ft Myers. Shell exhibits, Animal exhibits, petting farm, Christmas House, Natural History Exhibit, Money Museum, water games, video arcade, miniature golf, playgrounds, zip line. Jan xx: Gumbo Fest. Wed: Live music & dancing 6-9p. Daily 10a-5p. 995-2141.

•SWFL Military Museum & Library: 4820 Leonard St, Cape Coral. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-4p. Free. 5418704.

•The Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. Thru Sep 8: Interpolations; thru Sep 29: Natasha Mazurka Thru Oct 13: The Fabric of India; thru Feb 16: Sun XunTime Spy. Circus Museum — thru Oct 7: Hippos - A Truly Big Show; Oct 13Jan 13: Tour du Monde. Bayfront Gardens. Gardens of Ringling Guided Tour: Thu 10:30a. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-3595700.

•True Tours: River District History Tours Sat 10:30a; Haunted History Tours Wed & Sat 8p; Flavors of Matlacha Tor Sat 10a JanApr. Tours begin & end at 2200 1st St, Ft Myers. Reserve. 945-0405.

•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 12-4p. Free. 332-8778.

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in Fort Myers hosts the exhibition ‘Motus En Tempus,’ September 6-26. Call 337-1933 for information.

what Goes on

parks

•Bonita Beach Park: 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs. 533-7444.

•Bowditch Point Regional Park: 50 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 463-3764.

•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. 7076794.

•Caloosahatchee Regional Park: 18500 North River Rd, Alva. Guided walk: 1st Sat & 3rd Tue of month 9a. 693-2690.

•Collier-Seminole State Park: US 41 (Tamiami Trail), S Naples. Guided walks: Sat 10a. Hiking trail, self-guided boardwalk nature trail, exhibits, camping, fishing, boating canoeing. 394-3397.

•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: 11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach, fishing, picnic areas. 597-6196.

•Estero Park: 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. 248-1609.

•Everglades National Park: Gulf Coast Visitor Center,815 Oyster Bar Ln.Everglades City. 9a4:30p. 695-3311.

•Four Freedoms Park: 4818 Tarpon Ct, Cape Coral. 7a7p. 574-0804.

•Hickeys Creek Mitigation Park: 17980 Palm Beach Blvd, Alva. Guided walks: 1st Tue 9a. 693-2690.

•Koreshan State Historic Site State Park: US Hwy 41 & Corkscrew Rd, Estero. 992-0311.

•Lakes Regional Park: 7330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. Halloween Festival: Oct 1731, weekends 10a-9p, weekdays 6-9p. Guided walks: 1st Sat 8:30a,

Garden tour: 2nd Sat. 5337575.

•Lovers Key State Park: South of Ft Myers Beach. 463-4588.

•Lynn Hall Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. 229-7356.

•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. 8adusk. 690-5030.

•Matanzas Pass Preserve: 119 Bay Rd, Ft Myers Beach. 707-3015.

•Myakka River State Park: 13207 SR 72, Sarasota. Canoeing, camping, wildlife tours by air-boat & tram, scenic drive, guided walks. 361-6511.

•Naples Preserve: Ecocenter. 1690 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. Free. Dawndusk. 261-4290.

•North Collier Regional Park: 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples. 252-4060.

•North Ft Myers Park: 2021

N Tamiami Tr, N Ft Myers.

Yoga: Wed 6p. 652-4512.

•Six Mile Cypress Slough

Preserve: 7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Free. 5337550.

•Veterans Park: 55 Homestead Rd, Lehigh Acres. 369-1521.

•Wa-Ke-Hatchee Park: 16730 Bass Rd, Ft Myers.

Flow Yoga & Mat Pilates:

Mon-Thu 9a; Yoga & Meditation: Tue 4:30p; Tai

chi: Wed 1p; Laughter Yoga: Wed 6:30p. Classes free. 432-2154.

live music & comedy

•Americana Community Music Association Listening Room: All Faiths

Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Select Fri, Sat, Sun 7p. 691-4069.

•Beach Records: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. Free. 878-7806.

•Bert’s Bar & Grill: 4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha.Live music nightly. Tue 7:30p: Matt Lee; Wed 6:30p: Scotty Bryan; Thu 7p: Jamie & Kim; Wed & Thu 12-3:30p & Fri-Sun 12-6p: Calypso Magic. 282-3232.

•Big Blue Brewing: 4721 SE 10th Pl, Cape Coral. Live music Thu-Sat nites. 4712777.

•Bubba’s Roadhouse & Saloon: 2121 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral. Wed 7-10p: The Hipnauticals. 282-5520.

•Buckingham Blues Bar: 5641 Buckingham Rd., Ft Myers. Live music select nites. Free open blues jam Wed 8-11p & Sun 3-6p. 693-7111.

•Buddha Bar & Grill: 12701 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music Wed-Sun. 4828565.

•City Tavern: 2206 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live music ThuSat. 226-1133.

•Cottage Bar: 1270 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nightly. 765-5440.

•Downtown Social House: 1406 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Live music Mon-Thu 410p. Fri 4p-2a, Sat 12p-2a, Sun 12-10p. 337-7646.

•Fathoms Restaurant & Bar: 5785 Cape Harbour Dr, #106, Cape Coral. Live music Tue & Fri-Sun nites. 542-0123.

•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers.

The Ringling’s Circus Museum in Sarasota hosts ‘Hippos: A Truly Big Show,’ an exhibition of posters, thru October 7. For information, call 941-359-5700.

Live music Wed, Fri & Sat nites. 313-6576.

•Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Thu-Sat: comics 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Matanzas on the Bay: 414 Crescent St, Ft Myers Beach. Live music Mon-Sat 5-9p & Sun 12-5p. 4633838.

•Naples Beach Brewery: 4120 Enterprise Ave, #116, Naples. Live music Wed & Sat nites. 304-8795.

•Point Ybel Brewing Company: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music: Thu 6-10p Jazz w Hunter Dahlen & Friends. Free. 603-6535.

•Red Rock Saloon: 2278 First St, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat nites. 689-8667.

•Reserve Cigar & Wine Bar: 10950 S. Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat nites. 210-0300.

•RJ’s Bar & Grill: 1475 N. Tamiami Tr, N. Ft Myers. Live music nightly. 9979600.

•Roadhouse Café: 15660 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live jazz Tue-Sun. Wed: Danny Sinoff Trio 710p; Thu: The JazzMatics w Lynn Richardson 7-10p; Fri: Tony Boffa & Friends 710p; Sat: Danny Sinoff Quartet 7:30-10:30p, Sun: Jazz Jam 7-10p; Tue: Dan Miller Quartet 7-10p (Nov-Mar). 415-4375.

•Shark Bar: 17979 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music most nites. 313-6012.

•Smokin’ Oyster Brewery: 340 Old San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely 6-10p. Mon & Sat: Will Kaiser; Tue & Fri: Anthony Wayne; Wed: Frank Thomson; Thu: Shawn Russell; Sun: Lee Hagen. Free. 463-3474.

•Sneaky Pete’s: 3465 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Live music Wed & Thu, Sat & Sun. 498-8887.

•Society’s Treehouse: Bell Tower Shops, 13499 Bell Tower Dr, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 3340900.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Martini Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Live music Wed-Sat nites. 2049949.

•Table & Tap: Babcock Ranch, 42860 Crescent Loop, Punta Gorda. Live music Fri 6-9p, Sat 1-4p & 6-9p. Sun 12-3p. 941-2356906.

•The Barrel Room: Twisted Vine, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live jazz/blues.

Thu 7-10p: Dan Miller & Lew Del Gatto Quartet; Fri

Eats & Drinks

SOUTHWESTFLORIDADININGGUIDE

BERT'S BAR & SEAFOOD GRILL : 4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. 282-3232. Dockside dining with a million dollar view and quality food at reasonable prices. Waterfront restaurant offering delicious and fresh local seafood, certified angus burgers, refreshing brews, and live entertainment Tue-Sun. 'All-You-Can-Eat' Fish Fry Tue & Fri 4-9pm. ‘All-Yiou-Can-Eat’ Shrimp’ Wed 4-9pm. Open 7 days a week from 11am.

BROADWAY PALM DINNER THEATRE: 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422. Southwest Florida’s premier dinner theatre features the best of Broadway, favorite shows of the past and the most recent musical hits. with nationally selected performers and a live orchestra. Featuring a delicious buffet. Tue-Sun: dinner 5:30pm, Matinees: lunch 11:45am.

CAPT’N FISHBONE’SSEAFOOD GRILL &DOLPHIN

ROOM: The Shell Factory, 2787 N Tamiami Tr, N Ft Myers. 995-3999. Full service restaurant serving lunch & dinner. Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, steaks, ribs, pasta. All-you-can-eat Fish Fry Tue & Fri, Live music daily. Mon-Thu & Sat 11am8pm, Fri 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm.

FORT MYERS BREWING COMPANY: 12811 Commerce Lakes Dr, unit 28, Ft Myers. 239-313-6576. 25 beers on tap, many award-winning. Atmosphere is very laid back and has a cool local vibe to it. Familyand pet-friendly. Always has at least one food truck on site. Open Mon 3-9pm, Tue & Wed 3-10pm, Thu & Fri 3-11pm, Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12-8pm.

LAUGH IN COMEDY CAFE: 8595 College Pkwy, # 270, Ft Myers. 479-5233. Laugh In's menu has everything from clams, mussels, crab cakes, and cod to house favorite chicken parmesan & Shrimp Orleans to strip steak. Late night menu features 4-cheese fried rigatoni, pulled pork nachos, hot wings, hot apple pie. Shows:Thu7:30pm,Fri&Sat7:30&9:30pm.

MOMENTUM BREWHOUSE: 28120 Hunters Ridge Blvd, units 1-3, Bonita Springs. 949-9949. Award winning local craft beers and comfortable tasting room. Food trucks on site every day. Choices include pizza, tacos, gourmet burgers, seafood, Jewish/Cuban and Argentinean to name a few. Also, order or carry in from local restaurants. Snacks available at the bar. Open 7 days a week.pointybelbrew.com

POINT YBEL BREWING COMPANY: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, unit 4, Fort Myers. 603-6535. Point Ybel's award-winning beer is as much art as it is science. Point Ybel has been known for brewing East Coast Style IPAs, traditional beers brewed to style, and also introducing Sour Ales to Southwest Florida. Mon & Tue 2-7pm, Wed & Thu 2-10pm, Fri 2-11pm, Sat 1211pm, Sun 12-7pm.

THE VERANDA : 2122 Second St. (at Bwy), Ft Myers. 332-2065. Romantic setting in two turn-of-the-century homes, combined with their Southern Regional Cuisine, an extensive wine list, and first class service staff, provide a unique dining experience. Celebrating excellence since 1978 and consistently honored as one of the most award-winning restaurants in Fort Myers. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-2pm, Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:30-9pm.

& Sat 9p-12a: blues bands; Sun 10a-2p: Jazz Brunch w Don Mopsick & Roy Gerson. 333-225.

•The Cigar Bar: 1508 Hendry St, Ft Myers. Free. 337-4662.

•The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon: 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Fri & Sat nites. 9859839.

•The Rhythm House:

16440 S Tamiami Tr, Ft Myers. Live music select Tue-Sat 6:30-9:30p. 4668326.

•The Veranda: 2122 Second St, Ft Myers. Piano Bar Wed-Sat 6:30-9p. 3322065.

•Whiskey Park: 3300 Mercantile Ave, Naples. Open Mic Wed nites; live music Fri & Sat nites. 2636777.