Edison Festival of Light: Road closures, parking and events

Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Edison Festival of Lights
A parade float. Credit: Edison Festival of Lights

What can you expect in Fort Myers with the Edison Festival of Light? Learn about road closures, designated parking areas and events for the whole family.

The celebratory event centers around Thomas Alva Edison, where in 1885, the famous inventor built his winter home in Fort Myers, Florida near the Caloosahatchee River.

To commemorate Edison’s life after his death in 1931, the Fort Myers community created the Edison Pageant of Light in 1938, which was decorated with a coronation ball, parade, band concert and a memorial service. The event continued to evolve, eventually morphing into the fun annual tradition of today.

Activities

  • STEMtastic Day of Discovery — an award-winning STEM event that provides an exciting atmosphere for children and families to experience Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and the Arts. From 10: a.m. to 2 p.m., on Saturday.
  • “Mutt Strutt” — Dog owners gather together to strut their pups. Weiner dog races and a pet parade will round out the event. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday.
  • The Edison Garden Festival — Food, music and activities along with garden vendors from around the state gather for the two day long event. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Junior Fun Run and Parade — Young participants gather to compete in a brief but fun run. Afterwards, Florida’s largest youth parade showcases the talents of hundreds of Southwest Florida children and their families. From noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Road Closures

By 9 a.m., certain roads downtown will be closed due to the Edison Festival of Light Junior Parade.

The off-ramp into Downtown Fort Myers from the Caloosahatchee Bridge will close by 10:30 a.m. First Street will close by 11 a.m.

All roads will reopen by 3 p.m. according to the Edison Festival of Light.

Parking

There is no designated parking section for people attending the Edison Festival of Light.

Parking in Fort Myers (CREDIT: City of Fort Myers)

View more details about parking in Fort Myers.

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