What To Do the week of Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2022

Each Monday, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB) lets you know What To Do in Fort Myers and surrounding neighborhoods.

Let us know: Events, along with high-res images, can be submitted for consideration by emailing Miriam Dotson, VCB communications manager. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday before the week of publication. Thank you!

Monday, Sept. 26

BioBlitz Hike, Pine Lake Preserve, Bonita Springs
Join a guided hike along the preserve firelines through a variety of natural plant communities and the hydrologic restoration project area to learn about local flora, fauna and the Imperial River watershed. This hike will be an intermediate level and is a 1-mile loop. 8:30-10 a.m. Pine Lake Preserve, 27225 Kent Road, Bonita Springs, to register, call 239-533-5313, leegov.com

Tuesday, Sept. 27

Calusa Pottery, Mound House, Fort Myers Beach
Get your hands dirty as you make your own pot to take home and learn about the history of ceramics in this family friendly class. 2 p.m. Tuesday. $5 nonmembers, free for members. Mound House, 451 Connecticut St., Fort Myers Beach, 239-765-0865, moundhouse.org

Wednesday, Sept. 28

Yoga by the River, Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers
Every Wednesday morning an hourlong yoga class allows you to step away from all of the 21st-century gadgets and focus on the moment. Class taught by Bonnie D'Angelo, a certified yoga instructor. All skill levels welcome. 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. $15 for members, $20 nonmembers and can be purchased online or at ticket counter. Bring a yoga mat, water and towel. Admission to the site is not included. Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, 239-334-7419, edisonfordwinterestates.org/calendar/

Thursday, Sept. 29

Local tasting event, Ceremony Brewing, Bonita Springs
Enjoy a variety of local tastes and treats including coffee, chocolate, wine and tapas. Attendees can meet their local master roaster, craft brewer and other food and beverage experts and sample specialty eats and drinks. This is the final stop for Grumpy Goat Coffee's 'Wandering Goat' summer series of roving tasting events. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday. Ceremony Brewing, 10441 Packinghouse Lane, Bonita Springs, grumpygoat.com

Friday, Sept. 30

Rock 'N Roll Laser Show, Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, Fort Myers
Jam along to rock favorites paired with a synchronized laser show in a planetarium dome that brings the music to life. Each show is 45 minutes long. Concessions and laser glasses will be available for purchase. Ages 16 and older, 6-10 p.m. Friday. $10 per person. Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers, 239-275-3435, calusanature.org

Saturday, Oct. 1

Spooky Splash Bash, Sunsplash Family Waterpark, Cape Coral
Come see the park decked out in family friendly spooky decor, enjoy Halloween themed games and prizes and special fall food offerings for the park's first ever spooky splash bash. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., every weekend in October. Ticket prices vary. Sun Splash Family Waterpark, 400 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral, sunsplashwaterpark.com

Sunday, Oct. 2

Taste of Latino Festival, Centennial Park, Fort Myers
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with live music and dance, food, performances, cultural vendors and more. Noon-7 p.m. Sunday. Centennial Park, 2000 W First St., Fort Myers, tasteoflatino.com

Ongoing events

Third Annual Fall Festival and Haunted Maze, Springtime Farms Adventure Park, North Fort Myers
Check out all this fall festival has to offer, including a petting zoo with 200 animals, pumpkin patch, 70-foot jumping pillows, five water slides, dry slides, haunted maze, haunted trail, haunted hayride, butterfly experience, bird aviary, scavenger hunt and more. Through Oct. 30, tickets $12 per person Monday-Thursday, $15 Friday-Sunday. Springtime Farms Adventure Park, 10761 Aqua Vista Lane, North Fort Myers, 239-309-0630, springtimeagventurefarm.com

Wet Walk, Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, Fort Myers

Get up close and personal and experience the beautiful wetlands. Led by trained guides, these walks follow a restricted, water-filled, sinuous trail through thick green ferns, towering cypress trees and chattering woodpeckers. Water levels may reach chest high, depending on recent rainfall. Wet walks are held twice a day, at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., lasting about two and a half hours. Oct. 1, 8, 15, 19, 22 and 29. $15 for Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve members, $25 for nonmembers. Reservations required at sloughfriendswetwalks@yahoo.com Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, 7751 Penzance Blvd., Fort Myers, 239-533-7550, sloughpreserve.org 

Organic garden tours, Shangri-La Springs, Bonita Springs

Join Shangri-La Springs organic garden manager Cecelia Morales in a sensory-based walking tour of subtropical, tropical, annual and perennial crops and orchard. Learn about what makes a garden, organic garden methods and permaculture principles. Wear closed-toed shoes, sun protection such as hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and bring a refillable water bottle. The hourlong tour takes place Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. $15, reservations required. Shangri-La Springs, 27750 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs, 239-949-0749, shangrilasprings.com

"Nexus," FGCU Art Faculty Exhibition, Fort Myers 
Part of Florida Gulf Coast University's 25th anniversary celebration, the exhibit shows investigations in social commentary and the environment, with works in paintings, ceramics, prints, sculptures and more. Free and open to the public. Visitors to campus should pick up a parking pass from the parking kiosk along the university's main entry. Through Sept. 29. Wasmer Art Gallery, 10501 FGCU Blvd S Fort Myers, 239-590-7199, fgcu.edu/artgalleries/currentseason/nexus

Shell Crafters, Sanibel Island
Free class, supplies cost between $3-$5 and the shell crafters will help you make something special. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., class begins at 10 a.m. The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 239-472-2155, sanibelcommunityhouse.net

ECHO Global Farm Tours, North Fort Myers
Experience farming and gardening at its most creative, with unique demonstrations, plants and techniques being used to help farming families around the world. ECHO is also home to one of the largest collections of tropical food plants in the U.S. Guided walking tours are 90 minutes, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday-Saturday. ECHO Global Farm, 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, 239-543-3246, echonet.org

Butterfly House tours, Monday, Friday and Saturday, Cape Coral
The Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House is home to many native Florida butterfly species, including the zebra longwing, the state butterfly. Guides explain the different butterflies, their caterpillars and host plants. Donations are accepted. 10:30 a.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday. Rotary Park, 1340-1372 Rose Garden Road, Cape Coral, 239-549-4606, ccfriendsofwildlife.org/tom-allen-memorial-butterfly-garden

Saturday coffee roasting demonstration at Dean Street Coffee Roastery, Fort Myers
Enjoy an informal talk with the master roaster and see a live, free demonstration of the coffee roasting process. 10 a.m. Saturdays. Dean Street Coffee Roastery, Luminary Hotel & Co., 2200 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers, 239-314-3853, luminaryhotel.com/taste

True Tours, River District History Tours, Fort Myers
This Fort Myers walking tour educates and entertains with narratives of local history and acquaints you with the colorful personalities of founders of Fort Myers. Tour at 10:30 a.m. each first and third Saturday of the month.True Tours, 2200 First St., Fort Myers, 239-945-0405, truetours.net

Performing arts and exhibits

Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers

• Drawing faces class, Sept. 28
• Exhibit: "Creating Inside Out: The Art of Ian Summers," through Oct. 2

Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, 239-939-2787, artinlee.org

Big Arts, Sanibel Island

• Big Arts Annual Juried Show, through Oct. 23

Big Arts, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel Island, 239-395-0900, bigarts.org

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Fort Myers

• "Not Now, Darling," through Nov. 5
• "Broadway Thru the Decades," through Oct. 1

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, 239-278-4422, broadwaypalm.com 

Centers for the Arts, Bonita Springs

• Films for Film Lovers: "The Phantom of the Opera," Sept. 26
• Odyssey Road: A Tribute to Journey, Oct. 1

Center for Performing Arts, 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs, 239-495-8989, artcenterbonita.org/performances

Cultural Park Theatre, Cape Coral 

• "School of Rock," through Oct. 2

Cultural Park Theatre, 528 Cultural Park Blvd., Cape Coral, 239-772-5862, culturalparktheater.com

Florida Rep, downtown Fort Myers 

• "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill," through Oct. 30

Florida Repertory Theater, 2268 Bay St., Fort Myers, 239-332-4488, floridarep.org

The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers

• "The Play That Goes Wrong," through Oct. 9

The Laboratory Theater of Florida, 1634 Woodford Ave., Fort Myers, 239-218-0481, laboratorytheaterflorida.com

• Rooftop Karaoke, Sept. 28
• Exhibit: "A Place Beyond the Subconscious," through Sept. 28
• Exhibit: "Fractasia | Sacred Space in a Sacred Age," through Sept. 28
• Sidney's Rooftop Sculpture Garden: The Kelly Neff Band, Sept. 30

Podcasts

Shellcast, the podcast that's a beach break for your ears

Listen in, soak up some virtual sun and hear what makes Southwest Florida so special. Shellcast is available wherever fine podcasts are downloaded and at VisitFortMyers.com/shellcast

The Sanibel Captiva Guide Podcast

Sanibel residents Nick and Lori Adams, and son Max, interview the people who make Sanibel and Captiva special. They celebrate the history and experiences of the islands. thesancapguide.com/category/podcast

Otocast audio guide features Fort Myers historic sites

Available in the App Store and Google Play, Otocast features a tour of more than 30 historic sites in Fort Myers. otocast.com