Pine Island's Mango Mania

Come out and enjoy the festivities at Mango Mania this weekend, at the German American Social Club, on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. There will be a mango tasting table, food and recipes, tropical plants and trees for sale, live bands, art and craft vendors and great tasting beverages made from mangoes. If you have not tasted or experienced the smooth and incredible sweet taste of a mango, plan on attending this great family event.

photo by joyosity

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

Independence Day in Southwest Florida

Southwest Florida offers a number of ways to take part in and celebrate the Fourth of July. Friday afternoon the Redneck Yacht Club opened for the holiday weekend and will offer entertainment and activities through the weekend. There are a number of Parades that are scheduled for Saturday around Southwest Florida. The City of Naples Parade is at 10am in downtown Naples, Star Spangled Bonita Parade at 9am along Old 41, Everglades City Parade at 10am ending at McLeod Park, San Carlos Park Celebration and Parade beginning at 8:30am at Three Oaks Community Park, Sanibel Parade at 9:30am starting at Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle, Ft Myers Beach Parade at 1pm on Sunday that starts at Topps Supermarket and proceeds North on Estero Boulevard to Times Square.

Events and entertainment are also scheduled on Saturday at Miromar Outlets in Estero, in Lehigh Acres, Sanibel, at Fishermen's Village in Punta Gorda and at The Miracle Game Saturday evening at Hammond Stadium-Lee County Sports Complex. Fireworks can be seen Saturday evening at Miromar Outlets in Estero, at the Miracle game when they play the St. Lucie Mets at 7:05pm and at Everglades City in McLeod Park. On Sunday, there are a number of locations that will be hosting fireworks for your Independence Day Celebration. Fireworks can be seen at the Naples City Pier, Cape Coral, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Punta Gorda, and Marco Island.

If you want to get a jump on your holiday celebrations you can take part in two great running races in Southwest Florida over the weekend. Lehigh Acres is hosting a 4 miler and a 1 Mile Kids Fun Run at 7:30am on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park, 55 Homestead Road, and The Gulf Coast Runners in Naples, is hosting The 32nd Annual Firecracker 5K at 7am on Sunday, sponsored by Moe's Southwest Grill at 13490 9th Street North (US41). To register for the Lehigh Race visit Fort Myers Track Club and to register for the Race in Naples visit Gulf Coast Runners.

To enjoy all the fun events in Southwest Florida, with family and friends remember to visit us on a regular basis. Have an awesome 4th of July weekend!


Photo by gojeffrey

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

2010 Sugden Stride 5K

Runners who participated in the Sugden Stride 5K were treated to a wonderful race course through Sugden Regional Park in Naples. The course took runners around Lake Avalon, along the path next to the beach and back along the trail for a fast and exciting finish. Glass mugs were given as awards to participants who placed from 1st through 5th in their respective age divisions. I was lucky enough to place 4th in my age group, and have christened my mug with a nice cold imported dark beer. I must commend the organizing committee Elite Events, and Collier County Parks and Recreation for putting on a quality event. I look forward to the next event, The Eagle Lakes Extreme 5K Run and Walk, on Saturday July 31st, at Eagle Lakes Community Park in Naples. It is my hope that the next race in the Series will draw more runners to push everyone to strive for their PR.

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

Celebrate Father's Day in Style

Show your appreciation and love for your Dad by treating him to a special event in Southwest Florida. Let Dad relax and cool down at Sun Splash Family Water Park in Cape Coral or at Sun-N-Fun Lagoon in Naples, where Dads get in free with one paid admission. The Edison & Ford Winter Estates is a great place to visit with the family and Dads can enjoy the many inventions of these two incredible men. The Naples Zoo is honoring all Dads, by giving them free admission, by having them bring in any left over bottles of cologne. If you would like to entertain your Dad over an evening with a mystery and dinner, how about taking him and the family out on the Murder Mystery Train? These are just a few ideas to help celebrate Father's Day. There will be many family barbecues, watching the World Cup and watching an exciting finish to the US Open Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach.

photo by Ksionic

Wishing all the Dads a very Happy Father's Day!

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

ECHO "Get into Gardening"

The ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) event showcased how one can create their own attractive garden for enjoyment or to supply food for their families. ECHO, provided a number of workshops for the public to learn about container gardening, growing vegetables in the summer, growing herbs and learning about grafting fruit trees. ECHO, is located in North Fort Myers, at 17391 Durrance Road and is definitely worth visiting. Children will enjoy learning about growing various plants and how they can easily grow in a number of different containers. ECHO, provides a valuable resource to the residents and visitors of Southwest Florida. The organization provides "sustainable options to world hunger."

Enjoy Southwest Florida,


Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

Cinco de Mayo in Southwest Florida

Are you looking for something fun and entertaining to do today? How about enjoying a Cinco de Mayo celebration with live music, margaritas, dancing, and the colorful flamenco musicians. Around Southwest Florida there are a number of events in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Here are some facts about Cinco de Mayo, that can be shared during conservations throughout the evening.

photo by garlandcannon

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com

Tropicool 5k Run Naples

The Tropicool 5k Run in Olde Naples on Sunday May 2, was a resounding success. This year's event set a record for the number of runners participating. Runners from around Southwest Florida and from places as distant as Seattle, Washington enjoyed a quality event that was organized and directed by the Gulf Coast Runners. The Club honored the area's youth who have shown their dedication to the sport of running with scholarships to further their education. The club honored these outstanding youth with scholarships totaling $30,500. A special thank you goes out to "The English Group" of Merrill Lynch for sponsoring the race. Please remember to check our events calendar for upcoming races.

Enjoy Southwest Florida,

Robin Bishop
swflfun.com
southwestflfun@gmail.com