|
Subscribe | Get featured
Happy weekend, Fort Myers!
In today’s happening-today edition: Florida Rep’s new season, a $60 million trail deal, and a dachshund race + events worth checking out today & tomorrow.
Today’s sponsor (Money.com) built a free comparison tool that helped me cut my car insurance premiums in half. It took about 3 minutes, and honestly… I wish I’d done it sooner. If you haven’t shopped around in a while, you can easily check the best rates here.
|
📰 In the news
Celebrating live theater’s revival: Florida Rep has announced its 29th season, promising thrills, laughs and songs from the 1950s through the 1970s. Expect a classic home invasion thriller and musicals in downtown Fort Myers — check out the full lineup.
Nonprofit brokers trail agreement: New $60 million deal could turn 11.4 miles of Seminole Gulf rail into Bonita Estero Land Trail, linking Estero and Collier County if three boards commit funding by September — get all the details.
Calling all speedy doxies: Ready, set, woof. The area’s largest dachshund race is today at Rotary Park in Cape Coral, with a 20 yard dash and $10 registration for pups ready to compete — see how to register.
Gold & silver are hot: Coming off gold’s best year since 1979, the momentum is carrying well into 2026 with silver remaining one of the most talked-about assets. Curious why they’re back in focus? American Hartford Gold has a free guide that explains what’s happening and how people are approaching it today. It’s free – and definitely worth a read.
Someone Googled you this week: Whether you’re dating again, selling something locally, or just meeting new neighbors… people are going to look you up. Like it or not, the internet has a way of surfacing past mistakes and outdated information that no longer reflects who you are. Thankfully, there’s a really easy way for you (or someone you care about) to clean up all that up – learn more here.
Highlights this week:
|
🚗 Are you quietly overpaying for car insurance?
Together with our sponsor Money.com
Auto insurance premiums have been climbing across the country… and most folks won’t notice until it’s time to renew and they’re hit with a higher bill.
The frustrating part? Loyalty rarely gets rewarded. Insurers adjust prices constantly, and new customers often qualify for better rates than long-time policyholders.
I learned that the hard way. I had the same policy for half a decade. Autopay was on, I saw the charges come in every month and never thought twice about them. Turns out I was paying well above the national average ($175/mo) for a single car… for years.
This free comparison tool lets you check rates from multiple insurers in just a few minutes. It costs nothing to look, and it could save you hundreds this year.
|
🫶 We got your back
Snap-worthy community art: In the downtown River District, America Connects Southeast Regional Mural Mosaic unites 1,500+ hand-painted tiles into one uplifting panorama. By the library plaza, expect tiny surprises tucked into the artwork and color that calms the mind. Communal, bright, and, yes, snap-worthy.
Stitch your week smarter: When your ideas need more than a big-box aisle, Kay’s Quilt Shop stocks color-drenched fabrics, kind guidance, and a lively class calendar, plus APQS longarm rentals after certification. It’s an easy way to revive that half-finished project and meet a few crafty neighbors.
Make this your pint stop: When you need an easy win after work or a laid-back weekend hang, Fort Myers Brewing Company pours award-winning beers alongside rotating food trucks, live music, and a family- and pet-friendly vibe. The taproom hums, the playlists stretch wide, and good times tend to find you.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
|
📆 Around town today & tomorrow
Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
🏷 BL Community Garage Sale @ Botanica Lakes Gated Community | Saturday (3/7) at 8:00 AM – Clear out your trunk and your calendar for Botanica Lakes’ community yard sale, open to the public. Think neighborly bartering, lightly used patio sets, and that vintage casserole dish you swear your aunt had. Stroll, haggle, then brag over coffee, treasure securely in tow.
📚 Southwest Florida Reading Festival @ Fort Myers Regional Library | Saturday (3/7) at 10:00 AM – Trade your beach read for the real thing at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival at Fort Myers Regional Library. Hear from Wally Lamb, Rachel Gillig, Adrienne Young, Brad Thor, plus dozens more, snag a free book for kids, and pretend sunscreen counts as literary ambiance.
🚗 Car Show Corral @ Lumber Axe Whiskey Bar & Grill | Saturday (3/7) at 10:00 AM – If your love language is chrome, horsepower, and a solid burger, roll to Lumber Axe’s car corral. Free to ogle 300-plus classics, muscle, trucks, and exotics, with good food, cold drinks, and engine talk that counts as cardio. Bring your crew, park early.
🎨 Acrylics with Pat Smelkoff @ Alliance for the Arts | Saturday (3/7) at 10:00 AM – Trade yardwork for a brush and let artist Pat Smelkoff walk you through painting a cheerful basket of spring blooms. Acrylics, step-by-step, all skill levels welcome. You’ll learn composition, color mixing, and brushwork, then go home with actual art, not just pollen.
⚾ Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox @ JetBlue Stadium | Saturday (3/7) at 11:00 AM – Spring training at Fenway South is back, with the Rays rolling in to face the Sox, and The Mood Zombies warming up the crowd with a pregame set. Expect sunshine, cold drinks, and that sweet spot where live tunes meet crack-of-the-bat nostalgia, sunscreen included.
🎭 Love, Lies and The Lottery @ Broadway Palm Theatre | Sunday (3/8) at 8:30 AM – Skip the chores and hop the bus from Port St. Lucie to Broadway Palm for Love, Lies, and the Lottery, a matinee romp where a missing ticket turns grownups into toddlers with car keys. Buffet lunch included, someone else handles I-75, you handle the laughing.
🍖 BBQ Rib Throwdown @ American Legion Post #192 | Sunday (3/8) at 12:00 PM – Sharpen your tongs for a BBQ Rib Throwdown, ten bucks to enter and tastings for purchase. Bring your own grill, smoker, and tent, plus a generator if you run electric; prizes for the top three and a people’s choice vote. Call Laurene at 845-238-4723.
Live music & entertainment:
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
|
🔥 Worth a peek
We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week.
|
📻 Fort Myers report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 87°F – Low: 67°F – Precip: 20%
A slight chance of rain showers after 3pm. Sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. Later: A slight chance of rain showers before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
—
Tomorrow – High: 86°F – Low: 66°F – Precip: 19%
A slight chance of rain showers after 2pm. Sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: A slight chance of rain showers before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Something in your house is about to break 🏠
It might be your AC, your water heater, your fridge… doesn’t matter. Every major system and appliance has an expiration date, and when it goes, you’re staring down a repair bill that can climb into the thousands fast.
It never happens at a convenient time, and most homeowners just eat the cost because they don’t realize there’s a better option.
American Home Shield covers repairs and replacements on most of your home’s major systems and appliances — old or new, no inspection required.
The best part? Select plans are 50% off now through March 9th.
This house is wild
Set on the Caloosahatchee in Riverside Estates, this riverfront stunner pairs beauty with brawn via X500 flood zone, impact glass, 2022 roof, and a double seawall. A 160-foot pier suits boats to 36 feet, with a 50-foot slip available. Heated pool and spa, outdoor kitchen, a sunroom fireplace, and deck seating for fireworks and boat parades complete the scene.
Take a peek inside →
|
 |
Thanks for reading! If you know someone who’d love BaseLocal, send ’em here so they can sign up too 🙂
|
|
|
|
