Weekend is chock full of events on Beach
Eying a full schedule of events on Saturday in the Fort Myers Beach area is a good sign that season is here or approaching fast.
One can choose from or participate in at least four activities that day. The events include a bazaar, a crawl, a plant sale and a market/fair/food tasting. It is shaping up to be a busy weekend for those who want action while outdoors.
Traffic shouldn’t be a problem and, if it is, select something to do in your area. San Carlos Island has a street sale, while the Beach has a pub-hopping benefit for Bay Oaks on the northern section of the island, a preserve-benefiting horticultural delight at mid-island, and a food bank fund-raiser with fresh fruits and vegetables arts and crafts, and restaurant taste of plaza on the southern end.
All in all, a complete weekend is expected for the complete family or island hopper.
Here is a more in-depth listing of each Beach event:
Main Street Bazaar, Business and Yard Sale
The communities of Main Street on San Carlos Island are proudly coming together yet again for their second annual Main Street Bazaar, Business and Yard Sale, taking place Saturday, Jan. 15, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first annual event produced a great turnout last year.
Come down and peruse the different communities and special offerings the residents and business owners will have. Stay for live music, coffee, donuts, pancake breakfasts and enjoy finding some great bargains and deals.
“This is a great way to visit and get to know all of our great businesses and residences of our Main Street community,” said Bill Arendt, co-organizer of the event.
Last year, Bill estimated about 800 to 900 visitors to the Main Street community during their bazaar, and anticipates just as many this time around.
“Many of our Main Street businesses will have special offers, sales and discounts that day, from shrimp to Key West Express trips,” he said.
Private residents will be offering anything from collectibles, antiques and knick-knacks to clothing, home goods, electronics and so much more.
Putt & Pub Crawl
The first annual Putt & Pub Crawl takes place on Saturday, Jan. 15, at various participating watering holes. Registration for the event -which benefits the programs at Bay Oaks Recreational Campus- will be held at Yucatan Beach Stand from 9:30 to noon.
Besides Yucatan, the participating nine-hole course and sponsors involve The Beached Whale, Smokin’ Oyster Brewery, Matanzas Inn Restaurant, Surf Club, Gulfshore Grill and the Cottage, Mermaid Lounge and Liquor Store, The Beach Pierside Grill and Nemos on the Beach.
The objective of the event includes completing the nine-hole course between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Afterwards, you must turn in your score card at Yucatan, where there will be a buffet dinner and musical entertainment by Elijah.
Cost is $100 per four-person team, which includes entry into the competition, buffet dinner, drink specials, raffles, 50/50, entertainment after the event and more. Checks should be made payable to Times Square Alliance and should be sent or dropped off with the entry form to Lahaina Realty (attn: Paula Kiker), 6035 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931 or Bay Oaks (attn: Randy Norton) at 2731 Oak St., Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931.
To sign up, visit any of the participating sponsors or contact Tom Coyne (815-575-3508; coynejm1@comcast.net); Tom Mizwa (305-395-2052; tmizwa@andersoncorp.com); or Bobbi Kemp (765-4484; bobbikemp1@gmail.com).
Fourth annual Fort Myers Beach Native Plant Sale
The Friends of Matanzas Pass Preserve and Lee County Parks & Recreation invite you to the fourth annual Fort Myers Beach Native Plant Sale on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Topp’s Supermarket parking lot on Estero Blvd. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A wide selection of native plants suitable for planting on Fort Myers Beach will be available. The indigenous plants are salt and drought tolerant. Save on your water bill and do away with polluting fertilizers and pesticides. Volunteers of the Friends of Matanzas Pass will be available to assist in selection. Proceeds to support the maintenance of the Preserve.
For more information contact James Rodwell at 463-4292.
Baubles and Noshes Fresh Market and Street Fair/ Taste of Santini
The Greater Fort Myers Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is joining forces again with the merchants in Santini Marina Plaza on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The two groups will transform the parking lot at the south-end plaza to present the inaugural Baubles and Noshes Fresh Market and Street Fair and Taste of Santini. If attending, one will experience “an old-fashion street market” with fresh fruits and vegetables and more than 30 arts and crafts vendor booths as well as testing the fare of the plaza’s restaurants during the Taste of Santini segment, according to event organizer Bonnie Roberts.
“People don’t have to go into the restaurants to sample the food,” she said. “The Taste of Santini will feature the restaurants under the tent of the main promenade of the street market. Every one of the restaurants in Santini has really stepped up to put together a delightful menu.”
Participating restaurants and fare include Skye’s Mexican Restaurant (enchiladas, tacos, guacamole and pico de gallo with fresh tortilla chips; South Beach Bar & Grille (assortment of signature dishes); Sandbar Bar & Grill (chicken carbonara, barbecue baby back ribs and pizza); Truly Scrumptious (selection of cookies, ice cream and baked goods); The Fish House Restaurant (local seafood favorites); Francesco’s Deli (mini calzones, mini focaccias and sausage bites); Castaway’s Bar and Grill (pizza, barbecue ribs and penne alla vodka).
The event will also include live music in the form of steel drums sounds of the islands of Trinidad & Tobago. Mr. SteelyPan Tim Delaney;s live performance is being sponsored by Santini Marina Plaza.
Admission for the mid-January event will be a non-perishable food item to replenish the shelves of the local food banks that have become depleted during the holiday season.
“This is going to be an all-day fun event,” said Roberts. “It’s a chamber-sponsored taste of event. A great deal of the merchants will also have sidewalk sales going on. We’ll have live music all day long. It’s a great combination of a lot of good things going on. We look forward to having everybody on the island to come and see us.”
This first time event follows a successful Wrap Me Up In Christmas Fresh Market and Street Fair in mid-December.
For more information contact Bonnie at the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce at 454-7500.