Happy Friday, Fort Myers. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Fort Myers Buzz serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.

📰 In the news

Local happenings: Beloved Green Cup Café prepares a fresh comeback, EMTs begin home visits to ease ER strain, and burrowing owl counts soar in Cape Coral — catch up here.

State-level stories: South Florida beaches face dangerous rip currents, students with disabilities lose any formal credential, and a vast Everglades fire scorches nearly 20,000 acres — see what else is brewing.

National headlines: Previously hacked data repository relaunches, ramen packs recalled over missing soy warning, and crypto markets tumble on inflation fears — peruse the best of the rest.

Highlights this week

• Splash into back-to-school pool fun
• Find fresh produce and handcrafted treasures
• Reclaim energy and balance at women’s summit
• Sip debut Citrus Ale for clean water
• Practice yoga alongside adoptable shelter pets
• This home warranty is 50% off until 8/24

🫶 We got your back

Planting: Even if your thumb’s more brown than green, the nurseries around Fort Myers stock everything you need to grow your confidence from seedling to showstopper. These nursery picks prove it.

Travel: Florida serves up Disney photoshoots at sunrise and shell-strewn Gulf beaches by afternoon. These family vacation ideas cover everything from splurge-worthy thrills to wallet-friendly escapes.

Kitchen: Skip the $800 monster machines that could probably blend your iPhone and the $30 lumps that choke on ice. Our 2025 blender guide cuts through the hype so you get a blender that actually works without leaving you $200 poorer.

Bistro: Whether it’s greens grown right outside the kitchen, pasture-raised meats, or bread so fresh it’s basically still bragging about its sourdough starter, Buckingham Farms serves up plates that taste like they skipped the grocery store and came straight from their own fields.

Home: Many homeowners have no idea they’re sitting on thousands in equity they can use to redo their bathroom, kitchen, or whatever their hearts desire. This free equity loan comparison tool can help you find the best fit and get started on the right foot.

👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?

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📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎶 The Kollections @ TT’s Tiki Bar | Friday (8/22) at 7:30pm – Swing by TT’s Tiki Bar this Friday for The Kollections, the dad-and-son four-piece from SW Florida that flits from Zeppelin to Dua Lipa without missing a beat. Waterfront views optional, but toe-tapping feels mandatory, and best part, it’s free.

🚗 Start Me Up! @ Cape Cabaret | Friday (8/22) at 7:30pm – Nothing rocks quite like belting out “Start Me Up” to locals still convinced air guitar counts as cardio. This Stones tribute at Cape Cabaret nails the gritty riffs, slick moves, and bar snacks to keep you rolling through “Brown Sugar” and beyond.

This weekend

🚰 Taps Flow for H2O @ Swamp Cat Brewing Company | Saturday (8/23) at 12:00pm – Need an excuse to call your liver a hero? This August, sample four standout local brews, including the debut Calusa Crusaders Citrus Ale, while live tunes, games, and giveaways keep things lively, and every sip plays its part in protecting SWFL waters.

🍳 Breakfast Club @ Bay Street Yard | Saturday (8/23) at 6:00pm – If you thought morning rituals were limited to yoga mats and cold brew, try swapping your avocado toast for 80s synth at Bay Street Yard’s Breakfast Club. It’s where legit hits meet coffee sips, awkward dance-offs, and impromptu keytar solos. Nostalgia never tasted this good.

🪓 Smack Daddy @ Lumber Axe Whiskey Bar & Grill | Saturday (8/23) at 7:00pm – Smack Daddy is storming the Lumber Axe stage on August 23rd, from 7 to 10 pm, promising face-melting solos, questionable air guitar, and enough hair metal nostalgia to make your teenage self proud. Grab a cold one, secure your spot, and pretend you’re still 21.

🧘‍♀️ Paws and Pose @ Gulf Coast Humane Society | Sunday (8/24) at 11:00am – If you’ve ever wished downward dog meant actual dogs, your wish just came true at a monthly yoga at the Gulf Coast Humane Society with adoptable fluffballs wandering your mat. Unwind, meet cuddle-hungry pups, and revel in smug glow of helping your favorite local shelter.

🦞 Cousins Maine Lobster @ Riptide Brewing Company | Sunday (8/24) at 12:00pm – Think your weekly routine could use a little crack and butter action? Cousins Maine Lobster is rolling into Riptide Brewing with fresh-from-the-Atlantic claws, rolls dripping with goodness, and beer-friendly vibes that’ll have you questioning every salad you’ve ever eaten.

💃 Social Dance Party @ Women’s Club – Punta Gorda | Sunday (8/24) at 2:00pm – Every fourth Sunday turns into your personal dance laboratory, with two hours of laid-back instruction followed by a social spin on the floor. It’s the perfect alibi to dust off your cha-cha, swap stories with fellow two-left-foot survivors, and actually use those slick new steps.

Next week

🔥 Pioneer Pantry: A Homeschooler’s Frontier Feast @ Chefs In Progress | Monday (8/25) at 12:00pm – Channel your inner pioneer with a hands-on homeschool cooking class that brings campfire know-how to your modern kitchen. Kids (ages 6–15) will craft Campfire Chicken Foil Packs, whip up zesty Cowboy Caviar, and pick up real knife skills while geeking out on the science of foil-pack cooking.

🧶 Fiber Arts Studio @ Visual Arts Center of Punta Gorda | Monday (8/25) at 1:00pm – Midweek inertia or end-of-week drought, your half-finished scarf deserves better. Swing by the Visual Art Center’s open fiber studio, where fellow art addicts stitch, knit, felt, and gab at their own pace. Bring your supplies, guilty WIP, or start fresh, no judgment.

✂️ Ribbon Cutting Celebration @ PGD Rental Car Center | Monday (8/25) at 5:00pm – Wave goodbye to your old car worries and say hello to Punta Gorda Airport’s shiny new Rental Car Center, ribbon-cutting photo op included. Swing by for light refreshments, casual scissor action, and elbow-rubbing with fellow Chamber members and community leaders. Guaranteed grown-up fun.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 8/22 Danny Masters Band @ Blackbeard’s – 6 pm
• 8/22 Vern Daysel @ Miceli’s Restaurant – 6 pm
• 8/23 Nostaljah @ Fort Myers Brewing – 2 pm
• 8/23 Charlie Pace @ Fort Myers Brewing – 6 pm
• 8/23 Tiger Blue Band @ Miceli’s Waterfront – 6 pm
• 8/23 The Jersey Beat @ Cape Cabaret – 6:30 pm
• 8/23 Phenomenal Animal @ Margaritaville Beach Resort – 7 pm
• 8/24 Phenomenal Animal @ Slipaway Food Truck Park – 12 pm
• 8/24 Austin James @ Bay Street Yard – 3 pm
• 8/24 Limited Edition @ Miceli’s Restaurant – 4 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Fort Myers edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Candace Kelly (Berkshire Hathaway Homeservice)

A grand corner-lot estate in Edgewater, this 5,767-square-foot home is all about living large and entertaining in style. Three en-suite bedrooms plus a bonus room, a sauna, and an office/den mean there’s space for everyone (and everything). Travertine marble floors run from the light-filled living spaces to the outdoor lanai, where the pool, spa, and outdoor kitchen set the scene for legendary backyard gatherings.

The kitchen is a chef’s playground with a Viking gas stove, quartz counters, butler’s pantry, and oversized island. Two fireplaces, soaring volume ceilings, and a spa-worthy primary suite bring the wow factor, while a 3-car garage and fresh updates keep things practical. Just a short stroll to the marina, private beach, and nationally ranked golf and tennis, this home is Edgewater’s answer to resort living.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →