Celebrate Earth Day and soak in the spring air with these fashion, garden and sporting events throughout Southwest Florida.
Through May 29
Sustainable Conceptions at Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers Fine art acrylic painter Megan Kissinger and other local artists create mixed-media works inspired by the estates’ namesake inventors’ propensity to reuse and recycle materials. The exhibit is on display at Edison Caretaker’s House on the riverside of the property.
Through Apr. 18
ZimSculpt at Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, Punta Gorda View more than 100 modern Zimbabwean sculptures throughout the riverside gardens during this exhibit, which only travels from Africa to North America once a year. There’s also an African marketplace, where visitors can shop hundreds of artworks and crafts, including handmade baskets and jewelry.
peacerivergardens.org/zimsculpt
Apr. 1-29
Xperience at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts and the Union Artists Studios at Alliance for the Arts co-founder, Xavier Brignoni’s first solo show displays 25 mixed-media artworks that span his prolific five-decare career.
Apr. 2
International Fest at Mercato, Naples A mariachi band, Scottish bagpipes, African drummers, and Polynesian, Bollywood and Celtic dancers fill the shopping center’s lawn at this annual event, which also includes foods from around the world.
Apr. 5
Miami City Ballet at Artis—Naples The New York Times-praised Miami ballet troupe performs alongside the Naples Philharmonic, as the orchestra plays pieces by world-renowned composers Gabriel Fauré and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Apr. 6-10
Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers The Lincoln Center Theater (LCT) troupe has won several awards for its reimagining of the classic musical that trails a young woman entering high society. Expect to hear hits like “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “The Rain in Spain” as the New York City-based company brings its show to Fort Myers.
bbmannpah.com/events/detail/my-fair-lady
Apr. 8-June 26
Woven: Fiber Arts Now at Naples Botanical Garden Five local artists, including Muffy Clark Gill, Mary Day and Dusty Holmes, weave organic materials, like silk, pine needles and reeds, into fiber art pieces that represent the connections between people and plants. Meet some of the artists during live demonstrations every Saturday at Kapnick Hall; on opening weekend, you create your own works with materials gathered from the garden.
naplesgarden.org/calendar/woven-fiber-arts-now/
Apr. 9
Thank You, Andrey! at Artis—Naples Andrey Boreyko concludes his eighth season and takes his final bow as the music director for the Naples Philharmonic with this concert in which he leads the company through compositions from the Austrian-Bohemian Romantic composer Gustav Mahler.
Apr. 5-11
Naples Fashion Week, various locations The second annual event includes runway shows, designer showcases and wellness segments, like the Beauty Week celebration at Victory Wellness & Med Spa of Naples, where the spa offers deals on Botox and other services. Throughout the week, meet fashion designers at the more than a dozen events taking place at Gulfshore Playhouse, Dillard’s, The Club Room, Joseph Wendt Custom Clothiers, and other stylish locales. Proceeds benefit Youth Haven of Southwest Florida.
Apr. 14
Stars on Ice at Hertz Arena, Estero In this national tour, the reigning Winter Olympics gold medalist and three-time World Champion Nathan Chen glides across the ice with U.S. champions Alysa Liu, Jason Brown and Mirai Nagasu.
hertzarena.com/events/stars-on-ice/
Apr. 16
Bears Across Collier at Cambier Park, Naples Naples painter Marvin Rouse, environmental illustrator Oona Watkins and 21 other local artists partner with Palmetto Ridge High School to put their artistic touch on wooden bear sculptures made by the school’s Construction Academy students to raise funds and awareness for the Florida black bear and the protection of its habitats. While the collaborative pieces are on display at the Norris Center now through April 16, you can meet the artists and bid on works during the Apr. 16 event that also includes live music from the PRHS band and light refreshments from the school’s culinary students. Proceeds benefit the Florida Wildlife Federation.
app.galabid.com/bearsacrosscollier/items
Apr. 18
Jay Leno at Artis—Naples The two-time Emmy Award-winner, actor, host of Jay Leno’s Garage and former Tonight Show host gives two back-to-back comedic performances, at 6 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m., at Hayes Hall.
artisnaples.org/events/jay-leno
Apr. 22-30
Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships at East Naples Community Park Attend the largest pickleball tournament in the world, where about 3,000 players—including some of the sport’s top talent—go head to head at this eight-day event.
usopenpickleballchampionship.com/
Apr. 25-27
45th Florida Senior Open Championship at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club In Florida’s most competitive senior open championship, PGA and amateur male golfers over the age of 50 play for a $50,000 purse. A daily buffet lunch and awards ceremony at the end of the tournament gives players the opportunity to mingle.
Apr. 28
The Piano Guys at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers Pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson form this internationally recognized duo, that blends classic compositions, from artists like Mozart and Bach, with hits from contemporary artists, including Adele and Coldplay.
bbmannpah.com/events/detail/the-piano-guys-1
Apr. 29
Miwa Matreyek: Myth and Infrastructure, This World Made Itself, and Infinitely Yours at Center for Performing Arts, Bonita Springs Miwa Matreyet, the Los Angeles-based animator, director and performer, brings her live multimedia show, layered with shadows and projections, to Bonita Springs. The performative show, which first premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2020, reflects on humans’ impact on the environment and climate change.
artcenterbonita.org/performances/
Apr. 30
Annual Later Gator Poker Run at Salty Sam's Marina, Fort Myers Beach Modeled after other poker runs, in which participants travel to preset locations to draw cards and show their hands at a final stop where winners are determined, the SWFL Gator Club hosts this fundraising event on the water. Drive your boat to the five checkpoints (like Tarpon Lodge and Cabbage Key), where you add to your hand and enjoy bites and sips along the way. Then, tie up at the final stop, Salty Sam’s Marina, where the “docktail” party includes prizes and a seafood dinner from the Shrimp Dock Bar & Grill. Proceeds benefit prospective University of Florida students from the area.