Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras and the height of the social season with festivals, iconic performances and art events throughout Southwest Florida.
Mar. 1
The Beach Boys at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
Mike Love, lead singer and chief lyricist for the iconic American rock band, comes to town with the rest of the current touring band, including musical director Scott Totten and Christian Love, Mike Love’s son. Expect the group to perform all their top hits, including “Good Vibrations” and “Surfer Girl.”
Mar. 1-Apr. 2
Richard Segalman Memorial Exhibition at Harmon-Meek Gallery, Naples
This commemorative exhibit looks at the work of the late artist, whose career spanned seven decades. Known locally for his joyful pastel and oil paintings of Naples, his works are part of permanent collections at more than 40 art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Hirshhorn Museum.
Mar. 3-25
Obsessive Ruminations at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
Don’t miss this show in which two childhood friends—Miami-born Alvaro Labanino, whose oils blur the lines between landscape painting and abstract expressionism, and nature-inspired oil painter and Cuban émigré Miguel Saludes—display their contemporary paintings in the Grand Atrium gallery.
Mar. 4-26
36th Annual All Florida Exhibition at Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers
For this juried show, artists from across the state gather in the City of Palms to represent modern-day Florida in mediums ranging from watercolor to photography to wood to serigraphy.
Mar. 5
Mardi Gras Festival at Centennial Park, Fort Myers
Downtown Fort Myers transforms into the historically famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with live music and other performances, authentic Cajun cuisine, and drinks from Cape Coral-based Wicked Dolphin Rum Distillery.
Mar. 5-6
Bonita Springs National Art Festival at Riverside Park, Bonita Springs
The Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs takes over the picturesque park in Downtown Bonita with its arts and crafts festival that’s rated as one of the best fine art events in the country. Boost your collection with works from more than 200 global artists showcasing a range of styles, including ceramics, glass art, painting and mixed media.
Mar. 5-6
Naples Concert Band’s 50th Anniversary at Artis—Naples and Cambier Park, Naples
American film composer and orchestrator Rossano Galante debuts new music at this celebratory concert. Catch the show at Artis—Naples on Mar. 5 or alfresco at Cambier Park on Mar. 6.
Mar. 9-12
Echo’s Global Food and Farm Festival at ECHO Global Farm, North Fort Myers
The 57-acre farm that serves as a lab for developing hunger-fighting solutions and green-living practices gathers community leaders, such as Rose O’Dell King of Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm, for workshops and hands-on experiences. Learn about everything from cooking with tropical plants to growing herbs in mason jars to kombucha brewing. And, don’t miss the on-site lunches throughout the four-day event.
Mar. 11-20
Opera Naples’ II Festival Under the Stars at Cambier Park and Wang Opera Center, Naples
Experience the world’s top opera voices, like Joseph Calleja and Javier Camarena, performing popular operas, including On the Town by Leonard Bernstein and Glory Denied by Tom Cipullo. Modeled after major opera festivals around the world, the event, which is conducted by Ramón Tebar, takes place partially outside at Cambier Park.
Mar. 12
Annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, Fort Myers Beach
Celebrate the 64th installment of this festival that serves as an ode to the Gulf’s pink shrimp. Festival-goers can peruse and buy locally made crafts, enjoy live music, catch the parade, and be present for the crowning of the next Shrimp Festival Queen—all along the Gulf.
Mar.15
Patti LaBelle at Artis—Naples
Attention soul fans: The Grammy Award-winning diva behind Billboard-topping hits like “On My Own” and “The Last Unbroken Heart” performs in Hayes Hall.
Mar. 15-20
Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary Tour at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center, Fort Myers
Catch the Broadway-favorite play when it comes to Barbara B. Mann. Told through Judas’ lense, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock ‘n’ roll retelling of Jesus Christ’s final weeks earned the 1971 Billboard Album of the Year award for hit songs like “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”
Mar. 18-19
Art Walks The Runway at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
Fashion lovers flock to Sidney & Berne for the 10th anniversary Art Walks the Runway. The event kicks off on Friday night with models donning modern styles from local boutiques, followed by a couture show on Saturday with nationally recognized designers Helen Gerro Ahmad and Sha Ali Ahmad.
Mar. 26
Brews for the Birds & the Bees at The Wonder Gardens, Bonita Springs
Sample local craft beers, enjoy live music and indulge in food truck fare among the flora and fauna as you tour the grounds. All proceeds support programs for the rehabilitated birds and resident animals at the gardens.
Mar. 26 through July 24
Another World: The Transcendental Painting Group at Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum
Learn about the 1930s-era artist coalition, led by modernists Raymond Jonson and Emil Bisttram, that influenced 20th-century American art with its abstracted scenes that explore spirituality and idealism.
Mar. 27
5 Painters and a Potter at The Clay Place, Naples
Longtime Naples potter Jim Rice hosts this annual collaborative event with his painter friends, respected local artists Phil Fisher, Natalie Guess, Tara O’Neill, Rick Wobbe and Paul Arsenault. Watch as they create together outside the East Naples pottery studio.
Mar. 30 through Apr. 24
When We Were Young and Unafraid at The Naples Players
Written by House of Cards writer-producer Sarah Treem and set amid the 1970s feminist movement, this play follows a bed-and-breakfast owner who converts her space into a refuge for domestic violence survivors.
Mar. 31
Manhattan Chamber Players & Milana Strezeva at Gulf Theater, Punta Gorda
Milana Strezeva, a classically trained pianist and founder of Naples’ Grand Piano Series, joins the New York-based musicians to perform Mozart and Debussy scores.
Mar. 17
St. Patrick’s Day in Southwest Florida
Irish or not, you can rock your best green threads and eat all the corned beef and cabbage you want at these community St. Patty’s Day events. In Naples, Bayfront Plaza hosts a free block party, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., with Irish tunes and fare, plus setups for virtual golf and giveaways on-site. For ages 21 and up, The Luminary Hotel & Co.’s St. Patrick’s Day Party on the Pool Deck features tunes from B103.9 out on the fourth-floor from 6 to 10 p.m. And, in Cape Coral, The Voice-star Sheena Brook performs during St. Patty’s Day at Duval Street, with the restaurant offering an Irish-themed menu and whiskey specials that night (registration is required).