CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts annual Holiday Boat-a-Long Families, residents, and businesses came out to enjoy Cape Coral’s annual Holiday Boat-a-Long and Christmas movie on Saturday.
FORT MYERS FGCU head volleyball coach steps down to coach UCF FGCU coach Matt Botsford announced that he is stepping down as head volleyball coach to join the University of Central Florida Knights.
FORT MYERS Top rated prospects shine in City of Palms Classic Year-after-year some of the top high school teams featuring many of the top players in the country compete in the Fort Myers Tournament.
Meals for Hope brings Southwest Florida together to fight hunger On Saturday morning, Meals for Hope held its annual Holidays Without Hunger event, aiming to ensure no one in Southwest Florida goes hungry during the holidays.
1 dead, 2 injured in four-vehicle crash on I-75 in Collier County A collision involving four vehicles on northbound Interstate 75 near mile marker 108 resulted in one fatality, minor injuries to two others, and a large paint spill.
Lee County woman’s home transforms into Santa’s Workshop for families in need One Lee County woman’s home has looked like Santa’s workshop since June.
Chilly first day of winter with plenty of sunshine overhead The Weather Authority says Saturday is the first day of the winter solstice, and it feels like it across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Kitten recovering after surviving horrific abuse At 12 pounds and 12 weeks old, this little kitty was snatched from her home and literally dragged through the unthinkable.
Losing loved ones in the line of duty; Community offers support to Diaz family Heartbreak over Sergeant Elio Diaz’s death consumed the Charlotte County community, after the fallen hero was laid to rest Friday.
CAPTIVA Impacts of hurricane season on fishing in SWFL Whipping winds and torrential downpours are all too common with hurricanes.
CAPE CORAL What to know before gifting pets this holiday season Gifting someone a pet for Christmas may sound like a good idea but not always. Animal experts remind us that owning an animal takes a big commitment.
NAPLES ‘Beverly’s Angels’ prepare holiday sacks for kids in need Beverly’s Angels in Naples is providing kids the essentials they need during the holiday season, and they got some help from high school students across Southwest Florida.
‘He was a phenomenal human being’: Woman says Elio Diaz inspired her to turn life around WINK News has shared stories about people greatly impacted by Deputy Sergeant Elio Diaz’s work. Now we hear from a woman whose life he affected for the better.
PUNTA GORDA ShorePoint Health in Punta Gorda to permanently close If people in Punta Gorda consider themselves patients of ShorePoint Hospital, they will have to look for an alternate place of healthcare.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District gives holiday candle safety tips Holiday celebrations are a few days away, and nothing sets the mood better than candles. This warning is best given before the holidays.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts annual Holiday Boat-a-Long Families, residents, and businesses came out to enjoy Cape Coral’s annual Holiday Boat-a-Long and Christmas movie on Saturday.
FORT MYERS FGCU head volleyball coach steps down to coach UCF FGCU coach Matt Botsford announced that he is stepping down as head volleyball coach to join the University of Central Florida Knights.
FORT MYERS Top rated prospects shine in City of Palms Classic Year-after-year some of the top high school teams featuring many of the top players in the country compete in the Fort Myers Tournament.
Meals for Hope brings Southwest Florida together to fight hunger On Saturday morning, Meals for Hope held its annual Holidays Without Hunger event, aiming to ensure no one in Southwest Florida goes hungry during the holidays.
1 dead, 2 injured in four-vehicle crash on I-75 in Collier County A collision involving four vehicles on northbound Interstate 75 near mile marker 108 resulted in one fatality, minor injuries to two others, and a large paint spill.
Lee County woman’s home transforms into Santa’s Workshop for families in need One Lee County woman’s home has looked like Santa’s workshop since June.
Chilly first day of winter with plenty of sunshine overhead The Weather Authority says Saturday is the first day of the winter solstice, and it feels like it across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Kitten recovering after surviving horrific abuse At 12 pounds and 12 weeks old, this little kitty was snatched from her home and literally dragged through the unthinkable.
Losing loved ones in the line of duty; Community offers support to Diaz family Heartbreak over Sergeant Elio Diaz’s death consumed the Charlotte County community, after the fallen hero was laid to rest Friday.
CAPTIVA Impacts of hurricane season on fishing in SWFL Whipping winds and torrential downpours are all too common with hurricanes.
CAPE CORAL What to know before gifting pets this holiday season Gifting someone a pet for Christmas may sound like a good idea but not always. Animal experts remind us that owning an animal takes a big commitment.
NAPLES ‘Beverly’s Angels’ prepare holiday sacks for kids in need Beverly’s Angels in Naples is providing kids the essentials they need during the holiday season, and they got some help from high school students across Southwest Florida.
‘He was a phenomenal human being’: Woman says Elio Diaz inspired her to turn life around WINK News has shared stories about people greatly impacted by Deputy Sergeant Elio Diaz’s work. Now we hear from a woman whose life he affected for the better.
PUNTA GORDA ShorePoint Health in Punta Gorda to permanently close If people in Punta Gorda consider themselves patients of ShorePoint Hospital, they will have to look for an alternate place of healthcare.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District gives holiday candle safety tips Holiday celebrations are a few days away, and nothing sets the mood better than candles. This warning is best given before the holidays.
Halloween trick-or-treater. (Credit: MGN) Halloween is here, which means everyone is looking for fun activities. Below is a list of spooky activities for you and your family to enjoy. Ongoing Farmer Mike’s U Pick Fall Festival and Haunted Corn Maze. The 7th annual fall festival and corn mazes. Includes food truck, hayrides, paintball, and more. Farmer Mike’s U Pick, 26031 Morton Ave. Bonita Springs, FL 34135 More: farmermikesupick.com. Halloween Express & Fall Festival The Annual Halloween Express and the Fall Festival will begin on Friday, October 15th and go through Sunday, October 31st. The festival and Pumpkin Patch will close on Saturday, October 30th while the Halloween Express remains open on Halloween. Activities include the Scarecrow Walk through the Children’s Garden, the Pumpkin Patch (Farm Fresh pumpkins for sale), family hayrides, bounce houses, carnival food and of course the Halloween Express nighttime train rides with tens of thousands of lights and holiday displays. More: leegov.com Gator Mike’s Frightmare on 78 The Largest and Longest Running Haunted Halloween Event in SWFL featuring an expanded 20 Room Haunted House of Horror, Haunted Woods, Zombie Paintball, Go-Karts, Mini Golf, Arcade, Latitude 78 Restaurant (Live Music) and more. Friday and Saturdays in October from Dark until 10:30 p.m. Tickets run from $15-$30 and are available at the door or at gatormikes.com. Thursday, Oct. 21: Cultural Park Theater’s Haunted Halloween Revue will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekend (October 21-31). This musical revue is full of your favorite family-friendly Halloween songs. Local stars take the stage for this ghoulishly fantastic production full of spooktacular tunes. Sing along to old Halloween classics, as well as new songs that are sure to become favorites! Painting Class with Vino’s Picasso will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $59 per person, advanced tickets only, purchase online at Painting Class with Vino’s Picasso. Bring your friends for a fun night of painting and wine in our culinary theater. Painting instructors from Vino’s Picasso will guide you step-by-step from start to finish and you’ll take home an original masterpiece. No experience required and all supplies are provided. Admission includes all art supplies, canvas, professional instruction, two glasses of wine and a delicious personal-size snack plate. Wicked Walk will be held in Downtown Fort Myers from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Celebrating the arts and the achievements of student artists in Lee County, Wicked Walk is a collaborative project between Lee County Public Schools, the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, and the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The Wicked Walk is an immersive arts experience that tours audiences throughout the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center where Lee County School students explore spooky stories and classic monsters and horror in theater, dance, song and artwork. Tours depart every 20 minutes. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. For more information, you can follow this link. Friday, Oct. 22: Cape Coral Oktoberfest by the German American Social Club is from 4 p.m. to midnight. The Cape Coral Oktoberfest is the largest party of the year in the community! It is the event for fun, good food, freshly poured domestic and German beer, live music on several stages, laughter, dancing – with or without the chicken hat -simply put – it’s that famous German Gemütlichkeit. Scarecrows in the Park Halloween Express will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lakes Park in Lee County. Enjoy a walk through the Children’s Garden to see this year scarecrows with theme of “Book Characters”. Visitors can vote on their favorite for the duration of the event. Come ride the train to and see all our spooky Halloween decorations. Train Museum hours vary and free to visit. Tickets are $6 per person ages 6 and above, and $2 per child ages 1-5. Children under the age of 1 and pregnant mothers are not permitted to ride. There will also be a pumpkin patch. Parking fees are required. For more information on how much parking fees are and specific hours for each event, go to the Facebook page. Halloween Monster Bash will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Golden Gate Community Center. This will include dancing, music, games and treats! All guests must be in Family-Friendly Costumes to attend. To register for this event, you can follow this link. Boo at the Zoo will be at the Naples Zoo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 22, 23 and 24. All kids in costume will receive free admission for all three days. Enjoy trick-or-treating around the Zoo, visiting fun education stations, and watching animals interact with pumpkin enrichment! For this family-friendly event, only adults accompanied by children are permitted in costume. For more information about Boo at the Zoo, you can head to the Naples Zoo’s website. Calusa Nature Center’s 36th annual Haunted Walk will be held on Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. More: calusanature.org Saturday, Oct. 23: Craft Beer Flights & Bites with Fort Myers Brewing Co. is from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $44 per person, advanced tickets only, purchase online at Craft Beer Flights & Bites with Fort Myers Brewing Co. Welcome autumn with the tastes of Fall at this 4-course craft beer & bites event. Nonalcoholic Halloween Bash hosted by Kava Nirvana will be held from 8 p.m.to midnight. It is a costume party and there’s a costume contest. There will also be a Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed drag show. Kava Nirvana is located at 12995 S Cleveland Avenue, Ste. 103A, Fort Myers, FL. For more information about the nonalcoholic drink options, you can follow this link. Gulf Coast Town Center Halloween Event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event will feature Trick-or-Treating, Carnival-Style Games & Prizes, Various Sideshow Acts, Stilt Walkers, Spooky Music. Capture the moment with friends, family or solo in our festive fall setting photo booth area! This event is free and will also feature a kids’ Halloween costume contest for children under 13. The deadline to register for the costume contest is October 22 and you can do so by heading to GCTC’s website. For more information about this event, you can visit the Facebook page. South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat & Halloween Fall Festival will be from noon to 4 p.m. Parents, bring your costumed children to the 4th Annual South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat! This fun, safe, family-friendly event is free! There will be a costume contest. For a list of businesses handing out candy, you can go to the Facebook page. Parking is free. Boo & Brew will be held in the parking lot of Edison Mall in Fort Myers from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will offer a family-friendly Halloween-themed event featuring a diverse beer selection and plenty of tricks and treats. This will include A Halloween-themed harvest festival for the whole community, including beer sampling, truck and car shows, beer garden, kid zone, chalk art, yard games, petting zoo, entertainment, live music, food trucks, costume contests, face painting, candy and more. for more information or to register for this event, you can follow this link. Not Your Mummy’s Halloween Bash at Fort Myers Brewing: Fort Myers Brewing will host its Not Your Mummy’s Halloween Bash on Saturday, Oct. 23, featuring a costume contest, on-site DJ playing spooky hits, food truck rally and specialty beers on tap from 6 to 11 p.m. Judging for the costume contest will take place at 9 p.m., when prizes will be awarded for best individual, best couple and best group costume. Enjoy some of Southwest Florida’s popular food trucks, including King’s Tacos & Burritos, Wicked Streatery and Viet Yum. The brewery is located at 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Fort Myers. Visit FMbrew.com or call 239-313-6576 for more information. SWFL Shield Trunk or Treat will be hosted by Gulf Coast Humane Society from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. this will be held at Mugs N Jugs Family Grille in Lehigh Acres. Candy will be passed out from 4 p..m to 6 p.m. For more information, or for directions you can head to their Facebook page. Spooktacular Pet Costume Contest & PAWty will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Millennial Brewing Co. Registering your pet for $10 will include a drink ticket. There will be food trucks on site. There will also be animals eligible for adoption on site. For more information about registering, you can go to their Facebook page. Spooktacular Drink & Treat will be from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at 909 SE 47th Terrace in south Cape Coral. Join them for a spooky-themed pub crawl and enjoy drink samples and appetizer samples at various South Cape hotspots! Organizers say to expect Expect lots of entertainment, including live music, dancing, singing and more. To buy tickets and for a list of what tickets include, follow this link. Goosebumps Fest 2021 will be from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Main street in Downtown Fort Myers. This is the first-ever edition of this event. THey’ll be having performances from local SWFL artists headlined by Apollo Fresh and Ft. Lauderdale’s own KG. Tickets for this event start at $10 and you can purchase them here. Sunday, Oct. 24: Pumpkin Decorating Decorating Party will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bay shore Live Oak Park in Port Charlotte. There will be music, games, food and giveaways. Pumpkins and supplies to decorate them will be provided. You must preregister for this event and you can do so by going to this website. Monday, Oct. 25: Halloween Edition: Themed Open Mic Night with San Carlos Park will be held from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Botanical Brewing Taproom in Cape Coral. Come one come all and showcase your musical talent with local resident Jam band San Carlos Park! October 25 is also Pumpkin Carving Night. For more information, you can head to their Facebook Page. Wednesday, Oct. 27: Hallowine Wine Walk at Mercato will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy a spooky evening filled with delicious food & wine from select Mercato restaurants, a costume contest, raffle drawings & a photo booth. Plus, you get to take home a commemorative wine glass. Pre-event tickets are $60 each or $200 for four tickets. To purchase tickets, go to the website. Thursday, Oct. 28: FSW Campuses Host Family-Friendly Halloween Events. All events are free and open to the public. Come in costume and enjoy trunk-or-treating, games and activities for all ages. FSW Lee Campus will host Haunted Happenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, in the Suncoast Credit Union Arena parking lot, 13351 FSW Pkwy, Fort Myers FSW Collier Campus will host Haunted Happenings from 6 pm. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, on the lawn, 7505 Grand Lely Dr., Naples FSW Hendry/Glades Curtis Center will host Haunted Happenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 28, 1092 E Cowboy Way, LaBelle Halloween Party on the Pool Deck at Luminary Hotel & Co. will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dress to impress or come in costume for the costume contest. You could win an overnight stay at Luminary Hotel & Co.Tickets are $39 per person in advance only (not at the door). Your name will be added to the guest list. Purchase tickets at Full Moon Party on the Pool Deck. Bring your confirmation email to enter. Adults only. Must be 21+ to attend. They I.D. Friday, Oct. 29: FSW Campuses Host Family-Friendly Halloween Events. All events are free and open to the public. Come in costume and enjoy trunk-or-treating, games and activities for all ages. FSW Charlotte Campus will host Haunted College from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29, at the outdoor amphitheater, 26300 Airport Rd., Punta Gorda. North Collier Regional Park Boo-Tacular Halloween will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will be entertainment, bounce houses, photo booth, face painting and food trucks. tickets are $3 per person for pre-registration and $5 for walk-ins. Children ages 3 and under are free. To purchase tickets, you can follow this link. For more information about the itinerary, call (239) 252-4089 or email monica.cummings@colliercountyfl.gov. Family Fright Night will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Cape Coral Yacht Club. This event will include a costume contest, DJ, live music, food, games, and, of course, candy. Tickets are $5 per person or $20 for a family of five. To purchase tickets or for more information, you can call (239) 574-0806. Calusa Nature Center’s 36th annual Haunted Walk will be held on Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. More: calusanature.org Movie in the Parking Lot at Fort Myers Brewing: Fort Myers Brewing will host its Movie in the Parking Lot at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29, featuring the Halloween classic, Hocus Pocus. During the family friendly event, popcorn and cotton candy will be available for kids and adults can sip on Fort Myers Brewing’s specialty beers. Guests can bring blankets and pillows to get cozy while watching a movie on the big screen and enjoying food trucks on-site, including H-Anger Management and Mobstah Lobstah. The brewery is located at 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Fort Myers. Visit FMbrew.com or call 239-313-6576 for more information. Creapin’ It Real: Halloween Yoga at Vibe Yoga: Bring the whole family for some outdoor yoga fun with Creapin It Real: Halloween Yoga on Friday, Oct. 29 at Vibe Yoga. Vibe Yoga will have a costume party Halloween Yoga Flow beginning at 7 p.m. followed by face painting, family games, fortune telling and tarot card readings, costume contest with prizes and taco and smoothie food trucks. Bring a mat, blanket or towel. Limited to 50 people. 13461 Parker Commons Blvd., Fort Myers. Free, but registration required at VibeYogaSWFL.com. Donations welcome for Warriors at Ease. Saturday, Oct. 30: Halloween Bar Crawl will be in Downtown Fort Myers from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Official Halloween Bar Crawl has put together the premier list of bars and nightclubs for our crawlers. No Cover Charge on the crawl! Souvenir Spooky cup for the first 200 crawlers. Tickets start at $19.99. For Mor information visit their official Facebook page. Halloween Trick Or Treat Street Fest will be held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Millennial Brewing Co. Millennial has got the go-to adult and kid-friendly Halloween party. There will be free bounce houses, face painting, live music, free trick or treating, vendors and so much more! They also said there will be free entry and free parking. For more information, you can view the event on Facebook. Koreshan State Park 7th Annual Trunk or Treat will be from noon to 5 p.m. Businesses and organizations will be handing out treats and offering games to play, and there will be vendors with street food, arts and crafts and more. The park entrance fee is $4 for single occupancy per vehicle or $5 for up to eight people per vehicle. To apply to be a vendor or participant, you can follow this link. Rhymin’N’Stealin’ A Beastie Boys Tribute Old School Halloween Party starts at 8 p.m. at Buddha LIVE in south Fort Myers. It’s an Old School Halloween Bash complete with a Bestie Boys Tribute Band. For tickets, follow this link. 2021 Halloween Bash at Kava Culture in Port Charlotte. There will be trick or treating, a spooky scavenger hunt, pumpkin carving, costume contest with a Grand prize for the top 3. Events begin at 6 p.m. If you would like more information, follow this link. Spooktacular Night at the Estero Park will begin at 5 p.m. there will be a trunk/vehicle decorating contest with prizes. Call the center to reserve your spot and learn more about the event. Please register by October 22. The Trunk or Treat portion will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the following that, beginning at 7:15 p.m. there will be a showing of the movie Scoob! You can call Estero park at (239) 533-1470 or go online. Haunted Walk at Fort Myers High School will take place at the FMHS athletic complex, 2635 Cortez Blvd, Fort Myers, with different spooky scenes and terrifying characters throughout, as well as a special area for the little ones. Admission $5 with all proceeds benefiting athletics at Fort Myers High. Click here for more. Halloween Eve Costume Party at Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café: Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café will host a Halloween Eve Costume Party from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Fort Myers. Festivities include a Halloween costume contest and local craft beer draft specials. The winner of Shoeless Joe’s costume contest will receive a $200 cash prize and second place will take home a $50 gift certificate to Shoeless Joe’s. Halloween partygoers can also come early to catch NCAA college football games on more than 40 big-screen HDTVs, and enjoy karaoke on Shoeless Joe’s deck starting at 7 p.m. Crowne Plaza Hotel will offer a special room rate of $115 for the night of Oct. 30, which will include a Sunday morning breakfast for two. Shoeless Joe’s is located within the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower, 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-437-0650 or visit Shoeless-Joes.com. Haunted Walk at Ollie’s Pub in downtown Cape Coral: The haunted walk will happen on Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31 from 8 p.m. to midnight. Cost is $10 per person and all ages are welcome at parents’ discretion. Beer, wine and hard cider will be available as well as soda and water. The record shop will be open and live music will play outside. Ollie’s Pub is located at 1019 Cape Coral Parkway East. Enter through SE 47th Terrace. Sunday, Oct. 31: Halloween Fun at Sky Zone will be running all day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. In the morning there will be a Halloween costume party from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for kids age seven and under. For more information and to find a discounted jump pass, you can follow this link. Adult Halloween Party at The Standard: The Standard Restaurant will host its Adult Halloween Party on Sunday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Downtown Fort Myers location, 1520 Broadway in Fort Myers. Festivities will include all-day bottomless bloody mimosas and bloody Marys, drink specials and more, as well as Drag Queen Karaoke from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a costume contest at 2 p.m. hosted by Savage Fierce. Visit The Standard Restaurant or call the Downtown location at 239-219-6463. Trick or Treat will be held at Flee Masters Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will be handing out free candy. For more information, you can head to the Facebook page. If you have an event you’d like to add, email us at submissions@winknews.com.