Happy Thursday, SWFL!

Election Day is less than two weeks away, and today is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot in both Lee and Collier counties, so if that's your plan, don't wait. In happier news, Naples sea turtles just had a record-breaking nesting season! And with Halloween right around the corner, this weekend is packed with trunk-or-treats and spooky fun. Scroll down for the full lineup!

Three Oaks Parkway Extension Opens Nov. 2
The extension takes Three Oaks Parkway across the Fiddlesticks Canal to
Daniels Parkway. It has four divided lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks and a new
roundabout at Fiddlesticks Blvd. There's a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting, and the
road opens about a year ahead of schedule. It finishes Three Oaks as a
north–south route you can take instead of I-75. (WINK News)

Fort Myers Begins $29.5 Million Midtown Makeover
Fort Myers has started Phase 1 of its Midtown Improvement Project. The nearly $29.5 million phase covers the blocks between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Broadway Avenue, Hoople Street and Central Avenue. It brings new water and sewer lines, drainage, rebuilt roads, sidewalks, streetlights, street trees and a shared-use trail along Edison Avenue and Jackson Street. Expect daytime lane closures and some short changes to mail and trash service while work continues through late 2027. (City of Fort Myers)

Naples Sea Turtles Set a Record With 558 Nests
Sea turtles have dug a record 558 nests on Naples beaches this season, 73 more than at this point last year, according to the City of Naples. Hatches are up too, with 441 so far, 23 more than last year. The nesting season wraps up in late October. (WINK News)

Election Day is right around the corner and early voting is already underway in both Lee and Collier counties! Here is everything you need to know to make sure your vote counts on November 3rd.

LEE COUNTY

Early Voting is Happening Now!
Early voting is currently underway at all 12 Lee County early voting locations, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 31st. You can vote at any early voting location regardless of where you are registered. Check real-time wait times before heading out.

Vote by Mail
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5 p.m. today, Thursday, October 22nd. Important reminder: under Florida law, all previous vote-by-mail requests have expired, so you must submit a new request even if you have voted by mail before.

Election Day
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Unlike early voting, you must vote at your assigned polling location on Election Day. Bring a valid photo ID with signature. To find your assigned polling location, check your voter registration status.

For more information visit lee.vote

COLLIER COUNTY

Early Voting Starts Today!
Early voting in Collier County runs October 22 through October 31, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 11 convenient locations across the county. Unlike Election Day when you must go to your assigned polling place, you can vote at any early voting location during the early voting period. Check wait times before you go.

Vote by Mail
Today, October 22nd, is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to you. Request online. Vote-by-mail ballots can also be dropped off at Secure Ballot Intake Stations located at each early voting site during early voting hours.

Election Day
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 3rd. On Election Day, unlike during early voting, you must vote at your assigned polling location. A valid photo ID with signature is required.

For more information visit colliervotes.gov

Read online for the full list of events.

By the community, for the community! Submit an event here!

Naples Stone Crab Festival
Friday, October 23rd
Historic Tin City Waterfront Shops, 1200 5th Ave S, Naples
A three-day festival celebrating stone crab, featuring activities and vendors at the historic waterfront shops in downtown Naples.

Halloween Train Crafts
Friday, October 23rd | 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Naples Depot Museum, 1051 5th Avenue South, Naples
Family-friendly spooky Halloween crafts, with an optional, separately ticketed Halloween train ride at the neighboring Naples Lionel Train Museum.

SNIP Pumpkin Patch
Friday, October 23rd | 4:00 PM-7:00 PM
Mercato, 9110 Strada Place, Naples
A pumpkin patch where pumpkins are sold for $10 each, with proceeds benefiting SNIP Collier's spay and neuter services for pets. Available Oct 17-25 at various times throughout the day.

Cape Coral City Hall Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 23rd | 5:00 PM-9:00 PM
Cape Coral City Hall, 1015 Cultural Park Boulevard, Cape Coral
A free Halloween event featuring trunk displays with candy giveaways, interactive inflatables, a trackless train, a drone show, and a costume contest. Early entry for children 5 and younger starts at 5:00 p.m.; all ages welcome from 6:00 p.m.

Boo-Tanical Evening
Friday, October 23rd | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM
Bonita Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
After-hours Halloween fun at the gardens with face painting, family games, photo ops, festive decor and special animal enrichment.

12th Annual Fall Festival at Farmer Mike's
Friday, October 23rd | 6:00 PM-9:30 PM
Farmer Mike's U-Pick of Bonita, 26031 Morton Avenue, Bonita Springs
A fall festival with a hay ride, corn maze, pumpkin patch, sunflower field, bouncy houses, and a haunted corn maze on select nights.

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics | Fort Myers
Friday, October 23rd | 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd, Fort Myers
A candlelit concert featuring Halloween-themed classical and contemporary music performed by the Listeso String Quartet, including pieces from horror films and spooky classics like Thriller, The Exorcist, Stranger Things, and Ghostbusters.

RIP Trunk or Treat
Friday, October 23rd | 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park, 810 39th Avenue Northeast, Naples
Annual Trunk or Treat event featuring music, candy, crafts, and a costume contest with prizes.

Barktober-Fest & Pet Costume Contest
Friday, October 23rd | 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Gulf Coast Town Center, 10037 Gulf Center Drive, Fort Myers
A pet costume contest featuring music, photo ops, balloon art, and DJ entertainment. Contest entry is a suggested $5 donation or wish list item for the Gulf Coast Humane Society, with winners receiving Petco gift cards. Rescheduled from original date of 10/10.

Innovation Preparatory Academy Trunk-or-Treat
Friday, October 23rd | 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
Innovation Preparatory Academy, 6851 Lancer Avenue, Fort Myers
A free community Halloween celebration featuring candy, games, face painting, decorated trunks, and a book fair.

Halloween on the Boardwalk: Tale of Witches
Friday, October 23rd | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Six Mile Cypress Slough, 7751 Penzance Boulevard, Fort Myers
A guided nighttime walking play through the boardwalk featuring encounters with alligators, owls, and other creatures of the night.

Witches & Boos - A Moms Night Out
Friday, October 23rd | 6:30 PM
Chartreuse, 27313 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
A Halloween-themed moms night out featuring craft cocktails, Halloween lights and décor, and socializing with friends at an upscale cocktail lounge.

Parents Night Out
Friday, October 23rd | 7:00 PM-10:00 PM
Coast Elite Gymnastics, 6360 Arc Way, Fort Myers
A supervised evening for children featuring pizza, games, open gym access, and a bounce house.

Galaxy Fright Nights 2026
Friday, October 23rd | 7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Collier Fairgrounds, 751 39th Avenue Northeast, Naples
A multi-weekend Halloween festival featuring two haunted houses (Aliens vs. Clowns and Last Call to Hell), a non-scary family-friendly maze (Beyond Wonderland), laser show, and interactive entertainment at an indoor venue running every Friday and Saturday in October.

Haunted Walk
Friday, October 23rd | 7:30 PM-10:30 PM
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers
A fundraiser featuring a haunted walk through the grounds, operating every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October to support animal care at the Calusa Nature Center.

Blackout Night: Everblades vs. Atlanta Gladiators
Friday, October 23rd | 7:30 PM
Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero
Florida Everblades ECHL pro hockey home game against the Atlanta Gladiators with specialty jerseys and magnet schedule giveaway for 5,000 fans; fans encouraged to wear black.

Come as You Aren't
Friday, October 23rd | 8:00 PM
The Rebel, 8711 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers
Halloween costume party with live music from Gravewave, Dave! Javu, and The Disorderly. Costumes are encouraged and music is expected!

Naples Stone Crab Festival
Saturday, October 24th
Historic Tin City Waterfront Shops, 1200 5th Ave S, Naples
A three-day festival celebrating stone crab, featuring activities and vendors at the historic waterfront shops in downtown Naples.

Walk for Wishes
Saturday, October 24th | 7:30 AM-12:00 PM
Playground at Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Road, Estero
A family-friendly charity walk raising money to grant wishes for local children with critical illnesses through Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.

Forever Grounded Coffee 5 Year Anniversary Party
Saturday, October 24th | 8:00 AM
Forever Grounded Cafe, 2633 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Fort Myers
A 5-year anniversary celebration for Forever Grounded Coffee featuring coffee, matcha, pastries, birthday cake lattes, giveaways, raffles, and vendor pop-ups from local businesses.

Bonita Springs Farmers Market
Saturday, October 24th | 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
The Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26795 South Bay Drive, Bonita Springs
A weekly outdoor farmers market featuring fresh local produce, flowers, plants, baked goods, seafood, honey, jams, prepared foods and drinks, and limited artists and crafters.

12th Annual Fall Festival at Farmer Mike's
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-10:00 PM
Farmer Mike's U-Pick of Bonita, 26031 Morton Avenue, Bonita Springs
A fall festival with a hay ride, corn maze, pumpkin patch, sunflower field, bouncy houses, and a haunted corn maze on select nights.

Fall Fest 2026
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Southern Fresh Farms, 8500 Penzance Boulevard, Fort Myers
A weekend fall festival with local vendors, food, live music, farm animals, and pumpkins every weekend in October.

Boo at the Zoo
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-4:30 PM
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples
Family-friendly Halloween event featuring costume characters, candy booths, trick-or-treating for children ages 12 and under, dinosaurs, mini unicorns, and live shows with photo opportunities featuring superheroes and mermaids. Regular zoo admission applies.

Sweat & Flow at The Perry
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-10:00 AM
The Perry Hotel Naples, 12155 Tamiami Trail North, Naples
A 30-minute full-body SWEAT440 workout followed by a 30-minute Vinyasa Flow yoga class, led poolside as a yoga collaboration with SWEAT440. Supporting vendors include Restore Hyper Wellness, Pure Green, JetSet Pilates, 4Ever Young, Superior Scans, and Wellness Life Med Spa.

P³ x Slipaway – Wellness on the Water: Halloween Edit
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Slipaway Food Truck Park & Marina, 1811 Cape Coral Parkway East, Cape Coral
A waterfront wellness morning combining a 45-minute all-levels pilates class on the water with a vendor market featuring local businesses offering wellness services, shopping, and experiences. Costumes encouraged with prizes available.

Girls Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness
Saturday, October 24th | 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
Juice Society, 4233 Tamiami Trail North, Naples
A women's walk in pink to raise awareness for breast cancer, with Juice Society donating a percentage of proceeds to support breast cancer awareness through the American Cancer Society.

Fall Festival – Cape Coral Cyclones
Saturday, October 24th | 9:30 AM-4:30 PM
Cape Coral Sports Complex, Cape Coral Cyclones Soccer Field, cape coral sports complex cape coral cyclones soccer field | sports boulevard cape coral florida 33991 united states, Cape Coral
A community fall festival featuring games, activities, local business vendors, food trucks, raffles, giveaways, and a costume contest .

Halloween Train Crafts
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Naples Depot Museum, 1051 5th Avenue South, Naples
Family-friendly spooky Halloween crafts, with an optional, separately ticketed Halloween train ride at the neighboring Naples Lionel Train Museum.

Airing of the Quilts (Annual Quilt Show)
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 Mcgregor Boulevard, Fort Myers
Dozens of quilts from the Southwest Florida Quilters Guild are displayed on clotheslines, with an on-site quilt appraiser available.

Fall Fest & Spooktacular- Car Show, Fall Market & Trick or Treating
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-3:00 PM
Bell Tower Shops, 13499 South Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers
Fall festival and Halloween celebration featuring a Corvette and Open Car & Truck Show, handcrafted items and local food from vendors, trick-or-treating 12-3pm at participating retailers and craft booths, meet and greet with costumed characters, and live performances including unicyclist and dancers.

Lil’ Witching Hours: Chenille Stem Ghost or Spider
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Michael's Craft Store, Your local Michael's Craft Store, Fort Myers
Kids bend chenille stems into a plush Halloween spider or ghost at a free Michaels craft session.

Frightfully Fun Fest
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers, 13411 Shire Lane, Fort Myers
A free celebration featuring trunk-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, a bounce house, face painting, costume parade, food trucks, and games.

Fall at the Farm
Saturday, October 24th | 10:00 AM-3:00 PM
Buckingham Farms, 12931 Orange River Boulevard, Fort Myers
A relaxed fall afternoon featuring local vendors, fresh food, shopping, and live music from 11 AM to 2 PM.

Monster Mash Mini Golf
Saturday, October 24th | 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
Bonita Springs Public Library, 10560 Reynolds Street, Bonita Springs
Six spooky mini golf holes plus more monster-themed fun around the youth services room.

Jr. Pizza Chef Event
Saturday, October 24th | 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Tony Sacco's Coal Oven Pizza - Estero, 8001 Plaza Del Lago Drive, Estero
Kids create their own 2-topping pizza in a hands-on experience, receiving a 2-topping pizza, fountain soda, sweet treat, apron, chef hat, pizza straw and more.

SNIP Pumpkin Patch
Saturday, October 24th | 12:00 PM-7:00 PM
Mercato, 9110 Strada Place, Naples
A pumpkin patch where pumpkins are sold for $10 each, with proceeds benefiting SNIP Collier's spay and neuter services for pets. Available Oct 17-25 at various times throughout the day.

Haunted Lego Build
Saturday, October 24th | 1:00 PM-2:30 PM
Riverdale Public Library, 2421 Buckingham Road, Fort Myers
Kids design and build haunted houses, creepy creatures and more with LEGO bricks.

Mr. Glen's Frankenstein Science Lab
Saturday, October 24th | 1:00 PM
Riptide Brewing Company, 28120 Hunters Ridge Boulevard, Bonita Springs
An interactive Halloween science experience where children ages 4-10 enjoy spooky experiments and help Mr. Glen put Frankenstein back together. Shows at 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM.

Babies & Brews
Saturday, October 24th | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Southern Fresh Farms, 8500 Penzance Boulevard, Fort Myers
A family friendly meetup for parents and little ones during the farm's fall festival, with an on-site donation drive for Eva's Closet.

3rd Annual Trunk or Treat
Saturday, October 24th | 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Coast Elite Gymnastics, 6360 Arc Way, Fort Myers
Free trunk or treating event with paid options for open gym and bounce house access. Bring a canned good to reduce open gym cost from $7 to $5; all food donations benefit Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Fort Myers Wa-Ke Hatchee Park Trunk or Treat
Saturday, October 24th | 3:00 PM-6:00 PM
Wa-Ke Hatchee Park and Recreation Center, 16760 Bass Rd,, Fort Myers
A trunk or treat event where attendees in costumes collect candy and goodies from decorated car trunks.

Ghost & Ghouls Candy Crawl
Saturday, October 24th | 5:00 PM-8:00 PM
Gulf Coast Town Center, 10037 Gulf Center Drive, Fort Myers
Trick-or-treating throughout the center from 5-7 PM, costume contest from 7-8 PM (pre-registration required) with age group winners and group costume prize, plus balloon artist, face painting, and roaming Halloween characters available throughout the event.

Trunk or Treat & Movie on the Lawn
Saturday, October 24th | 5:30 PM-8:30 PM
Naples Area Board of REALTORS, 1455 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples
Trick-or-treat at decorated car trunks from 5:30-7:30pm, followed by a movie on the lawn from 7:30-9:00pm. Community event features candy collection, costumes, and outdoor entertainment.

Trunk or Treat
Saturday, October 24th | 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A., 11381 Gateway Blvd, Fort Myers
Annual Trunk or Treat featuring games, candy, hay rides, costumes, and prizes with attendees voting on decorated trunks. Admission is free and open to the public.

Halloween on the Boardwalk: Tale of Witches
Saturday, October 24th | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Six Mile Cypress Slough, 7751 Penzance Boulevard, Fort Myers
A guided nighttime walking play through the boardwalk featuring encounters with alligators, owls, and other creatures of the night.

Halloween Open Gym
Saturday, October 24th | 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Gymnastics World Fort Myers, 15989 Old US 41, Fort Myers
A Halloween-themed open gym for kids ages 5-13 featuring a costume contest and candy prizes.

Sweets In The Suites: Everblades vs. Atlanta Gladiators
Saturday, October 24th | 7:00 PM
Hertz Arena, 11000 Everblades Parkway, Estero
Florida Everblades ECHL pro hockey home game against the Atlanta Gladiators featuring special treats throughout the suites and 1,500 championship banner giveaways.

Galaxy Fright Nights 2026
Saturday, October 24th | 7:00 PM-11:00 PM
Collier Fairgrounds, 751 39th Avenue Northeast, Naples
A multi-weekend Halloween festival featuring two haunted houses (Aliens vs. Clowns and Last Call to Hell), a non-scary family-friendly maze (Beyond Wonderland), laser show, and interactive entertainment at an indoor venue running every Friday and Saturday in October.

Haunted Walk
Saturday, October 24th | 7:30 PM-10:30 PM
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers
A fundraiser featuring a haunted walk through the grounds, operating every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October to support animal care at the Calusa Nature Center.

Nightmare on Old 41
Saturday, October 24th | 8:00 PM-1:00 AM
Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs, Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
Halloween bar crawl along Old 41 with free admission and free trolley rides between venues.

Naples Stone Crab Festival
Sunday, October 25th
Historic Tin City Waterfront Shops, 1200 5th Ave S, Naples
A three-day festival celebrating stone crab, featuring activities and vendors at the historic waterfront shops in downtown Naples.

12th Annual Fall Festival at Farmer Mike's
Sunday, October 25th | 9:00 AM-9:00 PM
Farmer Mike's U-Pick of Bonita, 26031 Morton Avenue, Bonita Springs
A fall festival with a hay ride, corn maze, pumpkin patch, sunflower field, bouncy houses, and a haunted corn maze on select nights.

Fall Fest 2026
Sunday, October 25th | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Southern Fresh Farms, 8500 Penzance Boulevard, Fort Myers
A weekend fall festival with local vendors, food, live music, farm animals, and pumpkins every weekend in October.

Boo at the Zoo
Sunday, October 25th | 9:00 AM-4:30 PM
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd, Naples
Family-friendly Halloween event featuring costume characters, candy booths, trick-or-treating for children ages 12 and under, dinosaurs, mini unicorns, and live shows with photo opportunities featuring superheroes and mermaids. Regular zoo admission applies.

Sanibel Island Farmers Market
Sunday, October 25th | 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Sanibel City Hall, 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel
An outdoor farmers market offering local produce, breads, honey, seafood, meats, flowers, cheeses, and other products, held weekly on Sundays.

Fall-o-Ween Fest
Sunday, October 25th | 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
College Plaza / Sprouts Farmers Market, 8595 College Parkway, Fort Myers
A free family-friendly fall festival featuring hundreds of free pumpkins, a petting zoo, inflatables, face painting, trick-or-treating, and a live DJ. Free $5 Sprouts Farmers Market gift cards available while supplies last.

SNIP Pumpkin Patch
Sunday, October 25th | 12:00 PM-6:00 PM
Mercato, 9110 Strada Place, Naples
A pumpkin patch where pumpkins are sold for $10 each, with proceeds benefiting SNIP Collier's spay and neuter services for pets. Available Oct 17-25 at various times throughout the day.

Storytime with Miss Becky
Sunday, October 25th | 12:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Market Square, 13751 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers
Weekly storytime with Miss Becky featuring activities and fun for children.

Free Pilates for Breast Cancer Awareness
Sunday, October 25th | 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
The Shop Venue, 10979 K Nine Drive, Bonita Springs
Free pilates event for breast cancer awareness featuring giveaways, prizes, raffles, and local businesses. Participants are encouraged to wear pink.

Bayside Concert Series: Simply-Fi
Sunday, October 25th | 4:00 PM-7:00 PM
Bayside Park, 645 Old San Carlos Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach
Simply-Fi plays a free open-air Sunday concert by the bay, with lawn chairs and leashed pets welcome.

Creative Current Craft Night
Sunday, October 25th | 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Island Vibes, 20351 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers
A free weekly craft night where participants work on creative projects together.

Haunted Walk
Sunday, October 25th | 7:30 PM-10:30 PM
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers
A fundraiser featuring a haunted walk through the grounds, operating every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October to support animal care at the Calusa Nature Center.

Looking for next week or next weekends plans?