Happy Tuesday, Fort Myers. In today’s edition: Mortgage freedom celebration, Festival of Trees, Breakfast with Santa, and more.

Let’s get to it — Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Homeownership journeys come full circle: Seventy-six Lee and Hendry families celebrated mortgage freedom at Habitat’s Paid in Full event, marking a milestone that brings 381 families in the two counties to mortgage-free status — read the full story.

Campus ecology under scrutiny: FGCU’s 14 stormwater ponds help prevent flooding and improve water quality, but recent trimming sparked concern. Ongoing research indicates unmowed ponds support greater plant and bird diversity — learn what researchers found.

Transparency push in schools: The Lee County Clerk’s Inspector General partnered with the School District of Lee County and accepts tips on fraud, waste, and abuse, with investigations at no cost to taxpayers — see how to submit tips.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Scams are rampant: My step-dad recently got a call from someone pretending to be his grandson, all beat up and asking for bail money. They knew his grandson’s name, how old he is, and what city he lives in. How? Data brokers. They sell your info to anyone willing to pay for it (yup… anyone). Incogni removes your info from all of those sites so scammers can’t use it against you. Cyber Monday discounts are available all week — check ’em out here.

Highlights this week

• Celebrate 50 years of dazzling lights
• Celebrate Fort Myers’ Miracle on Broadway
• Celebrate a Birthday Bash 5K and after-party
• Find Christmas gifts at Holiday Bazaar ’25
• Celebrate Cape Coral’s Holiday Festival of Lights
• Need new windows? Check out RBA’s latest deals

🫶 We got your back

Otis the otter awaits: Now open inside Edison Mall, Fort Myers’ Exotic Animal Playground lets you meet raccoons, squirrel monkeys, kangaroos, and other unreleasable rescues up close. The USDA- and FWC-licensed spot prioritizes animal choice and breaks, so interactions are on the animals’ terms. It’s open seven days a week. Get all the details.

Keep gifts from thieves: Porch pirates are busy as holiday shopping ramps up. Cape Coral police urge tracking deliveries, using secure drop boxes, and leaning on neighbors, with officers stepping up patrols. SafeWise estimates package theft cost Americans about $15 billion last year, with roughly 250,000 parcels stolen daily. If something disappears, report it. Learn how to secure deliveries.

Weeknight burrito upgrade: When dinner needs to be easy and excellent, Tacos Mexican Restaurant rolls a Burrito Grande loaded with refried beans, yellow rice, and your choice of protein, hearty without the hassle. Still peckish? Quesa-birria tacos and paletas step in for an encore.

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.

Wellness on easy mode: Most probiotics don’t work because they dissolve too early. Seed’s double capsule design means all the right stuff gets delivered to all the right places… at the right time. After decades of gut issues, it’s one of the few things that’s actually helped. Their Daily Essentials Duo covers nutrient gaps and supports everyday health + it’s 40% off right now so it’s a great time to give it a try.

📆 Around town this week

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.

This week

🎭 Carmen @ Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall | Tuesday (12/2) at 7:00pm – Swap HOA drama for the good kind at Gulfshore Opera’s Carmen, all smoldering Habanera, bullring bravado, and richly hued costumes. Lisa Marie Rogali brings the fire, you bring the date, and together we remember why live music still beats binge-watching.

🕯 Balance and Wellness Through Art: Twinkle Tea Lights Centerpiece @ Alliance for the Arts | Thursday (12/4) at 10:00am – Holiday season at the beach means swapping mall madness for a monthly, mindful art-and-wellness class where you craft a twinkly tea light centerpiece. Choose shells, sea glass, greenery, bulbs, sand, lights, and ornaments, then exhale. No experience needed, all supplies provided, sanity restored.

🎄 19th Annual Fort Myers Festival of Trees @ The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center | Thursday (12/4) at 6:00pm – Head to SBDAC in the River District for a forest of 7- and 9-foot themed trees benefiting Goodwill and the arts. Buy a raffle ticket, vote shamelessly, and you might leave with a decorated tree, gifts, and the kind of holiday flex neighbors remember.

👗 13th Annual Golisano Children’s Hospital Fashion Show @ Hyatt Regency Coconut Resort & Spa | Friday (12/5) at 10:30am – If you’ve been looking for an excuse to dress up that jacket you call ‘classic,’ the 13th annual Golisano Children’s Hospital fashion show serves a luncheon, an auction, and latest looks, all while funding the SEA STAR Program. Look good, do good, then brag modestly.

🎭 Miracle On Broaday @ Skatium | Friday (12/5) at 5:00pm – Need a festive night that wears out the kids and doesn’t drain your wallet? Downtown’s Miracle on Broadway brings bounce houses, a rock wall, slides, face painters, ice skating in Florida, make-your-own stuffed animals, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and yes, it is all free.

This weekend

🏃 Gateway Jingle Jog 5K @ Gateway Church | Saturday (12/6) at 8:00am – Shake off the holiday cobwebs with a festive 5K through Gateway’s streets, strollers, costumes, and all. It sells out, and 20% helps Courageous Cole through the Gateway Community Fund, so register at GatewayJingleJog.com. Earn your cookies, feel good, see neighbors.

🎅 Bell Tower Invites Families to have ‘Breakfast with Santa @ Bell Tower | Saturday (12/6) at 9:00am – Bell Tower’s doing Breakfast with Santa at Cantina Laredo, which is pancakes, crafts, and a photo op with the big guy before you wander the holiday décor and shops. Bribe the kids with syrup, enjoy coffee, and pretend this counts as errands. Tickets go fast.

🎨 Acrylic Painting with Pat Smelkoff: Winter Basket @ Alliance for the Arts | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Nothing beats trading holiday chaos for a quiet session of acrylics with Pat Smelkoff, painting a winter basket loaded with greenery, berries, and cheer. She teaches layering, shading, and brushwork, then you leave with a gift-worthy piece, all supplies included, smug sense optional.

🖌️ Watercolor Cards: Holidays and More @ Alliance for the Arts | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Take a breather and trade doomscrolling for a watercolor workshop where you’ll learn to paint handmade greeting cards, no experience required. Finally, cards people keep on the fridge. You’ll leave with two holiday, one birthday, and a get well card on Strathmore, envelopes, supplies included.

🎟️ Fort Myers Festival of Trees: Live Raffle Drawing & Livestreams! @ The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center | Sunday (12/7) at 5:00pm – Last call to wander the Festival of Trees, pick your favorite, and pretend you enjoy untangling lights. The raffle draw hits at 5pm, with winners scoring fully decorated trees and gifts, delivered next week. If you are skipping the crowd, stream it on Facebook.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/2 Carmen @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall – 7 pm
• 12/2 A Christmas Story @ Broadway Palm – 7:30 pm
• 12/3 Climate Change Theatre Action: The Time is Now @ Bailey Homestead Preserve – 7 pm
• 12/4 Tiger Blue Band @ Torched – 6:30 pm
• 12/4 Unleashed (Toby Keith tribute) @ Cape Cabaret – 7 pm
• 12/5 Ben Allen Band @ SBDAC – 7 pm
• 12/6 34th Annual Christmas Carol Sing @ First Presbyterian Church – 1 pm
• 12/6 Joe Crookston @ ACMA – 7 pm

🏠️ This house is wild

Listed by: Shane Wilson (Cypress Realty Inc.)

Modern coastal on a no-bridge Gulf-access canal, a boater’s dream, this 4-bed plus den, 3.5-bath stunner layers French Oak floors with a stone-faced gas fireplace and a game room. Taj Mahal quartzite crowns the eat-in kitchen with Thermador, a 6-burner gas range, cabinet-clad wine cooler, and an oversized island, flowing to a tongue-and-groove covered porch.

Heated lagoon pool with spa, outdoor kitchen with smoker, 12,000 lb lift, and a bug-taming misting system. Impact casements, spray-foam insulation, two 200-amp panels, and a flood-free track record, plus a balconyed primary suite with canal views and a TV-ready soaking tub.

Take a peek inside →