Fri, November 13, 2009

Art & Craft Fair at Grace Community Center

The 2nd Annual Art, Craft & Plant-A-Palooza to be at Grace Community Center, 4151 Hancock Bridge Parkway, North Fort Myers on Friday, Nov. 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 to 3 p.m. The event is free to the public with ample free parking on the grounds. All food vendors, landscaping and plants, children's activities and farmer's market booths will be outside. All art and craft vendors will be indoors. Vendors will include jewelry, fine art, beauty consultants, candles, children's clothes, dolls, blankets and embroidery on towels, crocheted items, shell art, stain glass, wood pens and bowls, notes with custom design, soft dolls and animals, country art, baskets, wall hangings, outdoor furniture, plus an opportunity to order from companies like Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple and Watkins.

Blueway Festival

n Blueway or Bust: Premier paddling festival set for Oct. 23 - Nov. 1 in Lee County The fourth annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival is set to showcase kayaking and eco-events along Southwest Florida’s waterways Oct. 23 through Nov. 1. The 10-day festival offers an array of speakers and instruction, cultural and eco festivals, races and fishing events, paddlers’ get-togethers and green activities. Events are at public parks and archeological sites as well as resorts and campgrounds along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trail that spans the Lee County coast from Bonita Springs to Pine Island and inland to Alva. The festival is part of Islands Fall Fest. Take a staycation and book yourself into a campground right along the trail at a site that includes a guided tour with the Florida Paddling Trail Association to historic Mound Key, an island once inhabited by the Calusa king. Attend the Calusa Costume Ball dressed as a conquistador or sea wench, and then hear ghost stories on a moonlight hike. Local kayakers and canoeists can join in a half dozen evening hospitality events at which prizes will be raffled. Festival attendees also can get competitive. Two canoe/kayak races and a catch-and-release fishing tournament are planned; some have cash prizes. There’s even a competitive geocaching event on the Caloosahatchee. Visitors can give back to the community by joining in a countywide waterway marine debris cleanup called Monofilament Madness. Make a $10 donation to the trail and get a Blueway VIP Wristband to enjoy extra value at more than 80 Southwest Florida attractions, restaurants, galleries, shops and marine/outfitter locations. The festival features daily activities, with emphasis on the Oct. 23-25 and Oct. 29-Nov. 1 weekends. Many activities are free. Call the festival hotline at (239) 823-6335 or see the schedule online at www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com. For Islands Fall Fest, go to www.fortmyers-sanibel.com.