Fort Myers stretches for miles south along the Caloosahatchee River and east to a rural interior in Southwest Florida. It has grown from a population in the 2010 Census of 62,298 to an estimate of 82,254 in 2018.
A major appeal in Fort Myers is the tropical climate that rarely rises to 100°F or lowers to freezing, making this city an amazing place to celebrate the winter holidays.
Spectacular holiday decorations, lights, and celebrations can be found throughout Fort Myers' neighborhoods, and the following are just a few examples:
Holiday Houses in the River District
Also called Downtown Fort Myers or the City of Palms (Thomas Edison planted 1.5 miles of royal palms along McGregor Boulevard), it's the center of many of the city's activities, attractions, and landmarks.
The historic Burroughs Home and Gardens at the corner of Fowler and First Street and the Langford-Kingston Home across the street are both gloriously decorated with a changing holiday theme, thousands of magical sparking lights, garlands, ribbons, and outside and inside decor.
You can also visit Santa Claus nightly from December 7-22 from 5-9 PM. Admission is only $5.00 per person and is free for children ages 10 or younger with a parent and members of the military and veterans with their I.D.
Additional Santa sightings are at Santa's Block Party n Downtown with its arts and crafts and games. On Christmas Eve, you can even take a dolphin cruise where you'll find Santa Claus on board.
Edison and Ford Holiday Nights South of Downtown
Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford brought national recognition to Fort Myers when they chose it for their majestic winter estates. The homes, gardens, scientific laboratory, caretaker’s cottage, and museum have become major attractions. Over 250,000 people visit the National Register Historic Site and the Florida Historic Landmark each year.
It also hosts special events including birthday celebrations for Ford and Edison, art exhibits, garden festivals, and antique car shows. The Holiday Nights find the homes, buildings, and gardens adorned with decorations and thousands of twinkling lightbulbs, in honor to Edison, along with guided tours and celebrations with Santa.
Boat Parades and Christmas Lights
Boat parades are a special part of life here and feature boats and yachts decked out in lights and often have food, food, music, and crafts. The Historic Sanibel Lighthouseis also decorated in holiday décor.
Holiday Pops
Help celebrate the sounds of Christmas in Paradise from the orchestra of the entire Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida.
New Year's Eve
You can finish up the festive holiday season in Downtown. The party starts early with the Fort Myers Beach Birthday Party & New Year's Eve Celebration in the afternoon and then the fireworks and a ball drop at midnight.
There will be food and drink specials, four stages with live music, and more. Fisherman’s Village will have magic shows, photo booths, live music and dancing, face painting, and will also have fireworks.
The helpful team at Effective Agents would be happy to put you in touch with the best realtors® in Fort Myers to show you the various neighborhoods. You'll find the perfect realtor® who can take you to see some of the gorgeous holiday lights in neighborhoods that are of interest to you.
Find more housing in Fort Myers and other real estate news by registering on 239area, your free guide to the Fort Myers area.
Cover photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
