New Year’s Eve crowds fill Fort Myers Beach for fireworks

Southwest Florida is kicking off the New Year in style as crowds pack Fort Myers Beach for a lively celebration featuring fireworks, fun and excitement.

WINK News reporter Taylor Wirtz joined the action from across the Matanzas Pass Bridge, where locals and tourists alike gathered to soak in the holiday spirit.

The beach drew two distinct types of visitors: those prepared to stay all night to enjoy the fireworks and those who came to soak up the sun and leave before the celebration reached its peak.

Regardless of their plans, attendees shared excitement about the bustling atmosphere and the revival of Fort Myers Beach.

“It’s really nice,” said Leandro Guevara of Cape Coral. “You know how everything’s getting built back up. You can see the progress.”

Traffic heading over the Fort Myers Beach Bridge—once a source of frustration—was now a welcome sight for locals celebrating the area’s recovery.

“It’s kind of nice to see a lot of people out here because it means that we’re rebuilding ourselves out here,” said Cape Coral resident Hannah McDaniel.

Visitors from colder states embraced the warm weather, even amid a misty fog, and expressed gratitude for the beach experience.

“Yeah, we’ll take anything, honestly,” said Tavia Dowell, who is visiting from Illinois.

“Thank God for this beautiful sand, this beautiful beach, this beautiful weather,” added Taylor Klosterman of Ohio.

Families, including the Salyards from Illinois, eagerly anticipated the fireworks display.

“You gonna stay up ’til midnight?” Wirtz asked.

“Yeah,” Hannah and Hayden Salyards replied with enthusiasm.

For the Dowell family, the beachside fireworks were a unique highlight of their vacation.

“We’ve never seen fireworks over the ocean or anything like that,” said Tenley Dowell. “So I think it’ll be a fun time and just something different.”

Most locals said they planned on being long gone before the Matanzas Pass Bridge closes at 11 p.m., but the festive mood on the beach remains high as the final hours of 2024 tick away.

For anyone planning to join the celebration, the Matanzas Pass Bridge will reopen at 1:30 a.m., and the Big Carlos Pass Bridge on the south end of the island will remain open.

Fort Myers Beach will ring in the new year with a vibrant celebration, signaling hope and renewal for both locals and visitors alike.