FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 2023 CONTACTS: Ray Sarracino, Jackie Parker, Miriam Dotson 239-338-3500
What’s New from Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods Chris Janson headlines Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, openings, special fall events
LEE COUNTY, Florida (U.S.A.) – This month brings updates and headliners for Island Hopper Songwriter Fest in September, new restaurants and special events. For more information, go to visitfortmyers.com
Save the dates: Exciting Island Hopper Songwriter Fest news and performers Multiple Academy of Country Music Award winner Chris Janson will perform Sunday, Oct. 1, at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina pool party on Fort Myers Beach. Janson made his mark as a songwriter, penning Tim McGraw’s 2012 hit “Truck Yeah.” In 2015, his album “Buy Me a Boat” had hits with “Power of Positive Drinkin’, ” “Holdin’ Her,” and the title track.
A master collaborator, Janson recently brought Dolly Parton and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash together for his new single “21 Forever.” The song appears on the new “The Outlaw Side of Me.”
The four locations and dates for the 10-day, award-winning festival include: Captiva Island, Sept. 22-24; Cape Coral, Sept. 25-26; downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 27-28; and Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
Bringing Nashville songwriters to Southwest Florida to perform in intimate settings gives fans the opportunity to interact with the musicians up close and personal.
Here’s a quick look at some of the performers, including: Clint Daniels – With songs that have helped shape country music for almost 20 years, his work has been performed by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Clay Walker, Brandy Clark and other country acts.
Clare Cunningham – The Irish singer-songwriter made her Grand Ole Opry debut in March and performed “Galway Girl” on stage with Steve Earle.
Essex County – British brothers Nate, Mark and Kiernan Bass return with their tight, family harmonies and sweeping country and rock influences.
Coretta King – With music that speaks to your soul, King strives for her music not to solely “reflect the times,” as Nina Simone once said, but to transcend it.
Frank Myers – Multi-award-winning artist wrote the No. 1 hit “You and I” for Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle and co-wrote the No. 1 hit “I Swear” for John Michael Montgomery.
Ava Suppelsa won several songwriter competitions (including the Island Hopper Competition, landing a spot in 2016), moved to Nashville and in 2020 signed a worldwide publishing deal. She credits IHSF as launching her as a songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Keith Urban, John Paul White, Avery Anna, Jamie O’Neal, Ryan Griffin and Flatland Cavalry.
Catie Offerman spent 2022 on the road opening shows for Parker McCollum, Ashley McBryde and Lee Ann Womack. Her first single “I Just Killed A Man” was recently released.
While most shows are free, this year’s Island Hopper will offer more ways to enjoy unique, ticketed live performances:
• Chris Janson will perform at the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina pool party on Fort Myers Beach, on Oct.1. • Local favorites, Sheena Brook and Brian Sutherland, will play the Music on the Mound at the Mound House on Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 30. • Grammy award-winning songwriter Tim James will perform on the Captiva Sunset Cruise on Sept. 24 along with Angie K who has shared the stage Big & Rich, Tanya Tucker, Sammy Kershaw, Trace Adkins, Melissa Etheridge and Jake Owen.
For the full lineup and ticket information, visit islandhopperfest.com or download the Island Hopper app. Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is presented by BMI, iHeart Radio’s Cat Country 107.1 FM, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods.
Dining, entertainment and brewery news With beachfront views and spectacular sunsets, the Crow’s Nest Steakhouse has opened at ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva Island. The new island dining venue is located on the second level above the recently opened, Shipyard Restaurant. crowsnest-captiva.com
Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill reopens in Cape Coral Serving sunsets, music, food and good times under the tiki, the Boathouse has reopened in Cape Coral. theboathouseusa.com/cape-coral
Tarpon Bay reopens at Hyatt Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs reopened its Tarpon Bay restaurant after an extensive renovation, including an open-kitchen style with a bar and chef’s table, a modernized private dining area and an expanded total seating capacity of 219 guests. The renovation came after the resort’s multimillion-dollar guestroom renovation was unveiled earlier this year. hyattregencycoconutpoint.com
Airport news Southwest Florida International (RSW) assists travelers with non-visible disabilities The Sunflower Program, now in nearly 200 airports worldwide, allows travelers to discreetly let others know they have a non-visible disability. Along with Port Authority staff, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau’s Visitor Services Tourism Ambassadors have been trained in this initiative and will help inform the traveling public at RSW about the Sunflower Program.
Booths are located in the east and west atriums of baggage claim from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sunflower symbol, printed on a lanyard, badge, hat, bracelet or other branded item, indicates that a person may need more assistance and patience is appreciated. When airport personnel see someone wearing the symbol, they know they may need extra assistance, more time or help reading signage. flyrsw.com/sunflower-program
New air service at RSW: Breeze will start nonstop service to the following cities in November: Akron-Canton, Ohio (CAK) – three times weekly New Orleans (MSY) – twice weekly Norfolk, Virginia (ORF) – twice weekly Richmond, Virginia (RIC) – twice weekly Syracuse, New York (SYR) – twice weekly Pittsburgh (PIT) – four times weekly Louisville, Kentucky (SDF) – twice weekly Columbus, Ohio (CMH) – three times weekly Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU) – twice weekly
JetBlue Airways: Worcester (ORH), weekly starting Jan. 4, 2024.
Attractions Tours return to CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) on Sanibel Island The popular guided campus tours are back at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The tours give visitors an in-depth look into what patients experience from intake to release, including the inner workings of the hospital and the treatment process. Visitors will also get a look into rebuilding efforts post-hurricane. Advanced registration and payment is required. Tours are $25 per person. Call 239-472-3644 ext. 229 or email reservations@crowclinic.org to reserve a spot. Tours are limited to 12 individuals and participates must be 10 years of age or older to attend.
Check details for other programs at the Visitor & Education Center that include free story and snack time as well as daily presentations that cover a variety of wildlife topics and patient care at CROW. crowclinic.org/events
Lovers Key State Park reopens The park has opened from 8 a.m. until sunset with limited day-use activities and amenities. floridastateparks.org/Lovers-Key
Offshore Sailing School introduces ultimate cruising course Offshore Sailing School introduces its first combination catamaran and monohull cruising course that offers students a chance to experience the best of both worlds. The new Ultimate Monohull and Catamaran Cruising Course, is offered at ’Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa on Captiva Island. For details, email info@offshoresailing.com and visit offshoresailing.com
Check favorite spots on webcams It’s not as much fun as being here but it’s the next best thing! Check in on some favorite spots with our webcams. They include Fort Myers, Pine Island, Boca Grande, Cape Coral and Manatee Park. Find directions and locations at visitfortmyers.com/webcams
In the news Sanibel Island’s Turner Beach has been named one of the 14 best beaches in the U.S. for shelling by tripstodiscover.com. “Of all the places for shelling in the U.S., Sanibel Island may beat them all. There are over 250 different types of seashells from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean that can be found here, with Turner Beach often named the very best.” tripstodiscover.com/beaches-for-shelling-us
Sun Saver Passport: Dine, Play, Shop, Sip This popular, digital savings pass provides instant access to a variety of deals and experiences from area attractions, restaurants and more across four categories – Dine, Play, Shop and Sip. Sign-up is simple and free. Passports are instantly delivered to phones via text and email. And there is an option for users to save the pass on their home screen for one-tap access. Sign up now to start saving. visitfortmyers.com/sun-saver-passport
Cape Coral Quest: Win prizes and explore Download the Cape Coral Quest app for a fun way to explore the area and a chance to win prizes through Nov. 30. Follow the directions at visitfortmyers.com/cape-coral-quest to collect a Cape Coral Quest Pass to participate on any mobile device.
Annual festivals and events
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest Sept. 22-Oct. 1 island-hopperfest.visitfortmyers.com
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge “Art in the Wild” Oct. 21-22 dingartinthewild.com
Cape Coral Oktoberfest Oct. 20-22 and 27-29 capecoraloktoberfest.com
Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off/Beach Division Matchups Nov. 20 6 p.m.: Wisconsin/Virginia 8:30 p.m.: West Virginia/SMU Third-place and championship contests are set for the same times on Nov. 22. Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College fortmyerstipoff.com
Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off/Island and Shell Divisions Island Division: Nov. 23 and 25. Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma and Princeton. Shell Division: Nov. 24 and 25. Wisconsin, Marquette, Boston College and Arkansas. womensfortmyerstipoff.com
Sanibel Island Writers Conference November TBD fgcu.edu/siwc
“Ding” Darling Lecture Series Jan.18-March 28, 2024 dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/lecture-series
39th Annual Cape Coral Festival of the Arts, Cape Coral Jan. 13-14, 2024 capecoralfestival.com
Niki Butcher Exhibition J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge January-February TBD clydebutcher.com/niki-photographs
ArtFest Fort Myers, Downtown River District Feb. 2-4, 2024 artfestfortmyers.com
21st annual Burrowing Owl Festival, Cape Coral February TBD Rotary Park ccfriendsofwildlife.org/burrowing-owl-festival-2
Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade, Fort Myers February TBD edisonfestival.org
“Ding” Wild Days of Wellness March 23-24, 2024 dingwellness.com
Spring training 2024, February and March Boston Red Sox JetBlue Park, Fort Myers mlb.com/redsox/tickets/spring-training
25th Annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, Fort Myers March 2, 2024 readfest.org
ECHO Global Food and Farm Festival, North Fort Myers March TBD echonet.org/events/global-food-and-towardwardl
34th Annual “Ding” Darling Day Conservation Carnival April 20, 2024 dingdarlingday.com
14th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival May TBD fortmyersfilmfestival.com
12th Annual “Ding” Darling and Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament May 10, 2024 dingdarlingtarpontourney.com
Captiva Pride Weekend June TBD tween-waters.com/captiva-pride-weekend
National Seashell Day June 21, 2024 visitfortmyers.com/national-seashell-day
MangoMania July TBD Pine Island pineislandchamber.org/chamber-events/mangomania
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Fort Myers - Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods include: Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Matlacha, Boca Grande & Outer Islands, North Fort Myers, Alva, Buckingham and Lehigh Acres. For more information, go to visitfortmyers.com.
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