Beautiful Night on Charlotte Harbor

Wood Stork trying to Cross the Street

Around Town Tonight in Punta Gorda

Around town tonight,  those funky blue and white tents at City Marketplace will be open for Cirque Italia. 

At the Ray, around 9, I always say around, the West King String Band will be strumming their blue grassy music.  While down at the Tikibar, you can catch the Not Guilty Band playing everything from rock to country to reggae to hip hop.

The Karen & Jimmy Band are performing at Hurricane Charley's Raw Bar and Grill.  Category 5 Band starts their thing at Harpoon's at 7 p.m.  Leroy's is showcasing Blackbird Anthem starting at 9 p.m.  And Half Step Down is at Dean's South of the Border.

New Restaurant opens to Public at the American Legion

Another place to enjoy our favorite meal of the day just opened at the American Legion on Taylor Road. 

Another venture by Chris Landale,  Beef o’Bradys owner,  further down on Taylor, Stacks is offering breakfast, lunch and for now a one-night a week fish fry. Chef/co-owner, Sugar Cane,  was a chef at River City Grill. 

The hall looks freshly painted and large enough to accommodate a huge crowd. Better yet parking is a non-issue.  The menu is extensive with all the breakfast favorites. 

Fisherman’s To Light the Village November 17



Fishermen’s Village will kick off its annual “Festival of Lights “ with the  “Lighting of the Village” on Saturday, November 17. Turning Punta Gorda’s popular shopping and dining mall into a holiday aattraction, the display of more than one million lights and themed decorations draws both residents and visitors alike to enjoy beautiful traditional themed holiday décor and lights both inside and outside the  Village.
Santa is expected at the Village front entrance courtesy of Punta Gorda Fire Chief Ray Brigg’s Antique Fire Truck.  At 5:30 p.m., an official ribbon cutting will take place with Santa and City of Punta Gorda officials. Part of this year’s ribbon cutting will include a performance by Charisma, the premiere touring vocal ensemble at Charlotte High School. As the ribbon is cut, visitor’s will witness the reveal of the annual Lighting of the Village. The Lee County Pipes and Drums Band will then parade through the Village, followed by a performance in Center Court. Other festivities include live music/dancing with the Shane Duncan Band, Juggling/balloon creations by Jeff the Juggler, Finest Face Painting by MaryRose, pictures with Santa (bring your camera!), complimentary refreshments courtesy of Village Merchants, and live radio remote with Todd Matthews of Seaview Radio. The Sugar Plum Fairy, aka Bob “Fig” Newton, will make a special appearance and be available for photo ops.

Admission: Patrons are being asked to bring toilet paper, paper towels and bleach to be donated to “Share The Blessings Ministry,” an all-volunteer, nonprofit charity benefiting those in need in Charlotte County. Their mission is to provide hygiene, cleaning and non-perishable food items which serve over 500 individuals and 150 families each month. Their current critical need is for paper hygiene products.
Parking  will fill up fast, so visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Overflow parking will be available off site at Former IMPAC building (900 West Marion Avenue) and Five Star Reality (across the street from Fishermen’s Village). Security personnel will be offering golf cart rides throughout the evening to transport you from your car to the Village entrance.
Fishermen’s Village Waterfront Mall, Resort and Marina is located on Marion Ave., Punta Gorda. For more information, call 941 639-8721 or visit www.fishville.com.

4th of July Celebrations along the Harbor in Punta Gorda

Whether its swimming across the Peace or enjoying other festivities along Charlotte Harbor bay, Punta Gorda is the place to be on July 4.

Here are some of the major things happening along the harbor on the 4th:

Freedom Swim. The 2018 swim will launch at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 4 with new starting points due to the construction at Charlotte Harbor along the 41 bridge.  Those arriving by point can start at the north end near the bridge, staying away from the construction area.  The other point is the beach at the east end of Gilchrist Park.  Swim out to the channel, then around Marker 4, joining those coming from the other side finishing at Fishermen’s Village.  Spectactors can watch those swimming from Gilchrist Park or join them at the Village at the end of the Swim. 

Laishley Park 4th Festival.  A 4^th of July Festival, presented by Grande Aire Services, is a celebration of the USA with nonstop entertainment for the entire family. This year’s event features Water-Mania- a group of 12 giant waterslides of all types and sizes for the littlest kids to grownups.

Vendors, displays, and unique shopping opportunities will await attendees to visit, there will also be plenty of fun festival food, cold beer and beverages.

In addition to the Water-Mania Water Slides there will be a large Kid’s Fun Zone.

Live Music will fill the park on July 4th with bands performing on the stage throughout the day. Live music starts at 3:00pm with the Kate Keys Band. The Charlotte High School NJROTC will present the colors at 5:00pm and the National Anthem. The Jack-Michael Band will entertain the crowd starting at 5:30pm. The Riley Community Award presented by the Smugglers Foundation will be awarded at 7:00pm. The Boogiemen will perform from 7:30pm right up to the Fireworks at 9:00pm

Fireworks will start promptly at 9:00pm, over the Peace River.

The gates open at 11:00am and there is a $3 admission with proceeds helping to offset the expense of the fireworks. You can purchase a wrist band for unlimited daily use of the water-slides for only $10.

Fishermen's Village 4th Celebration. The day begins at 11 am with the annual Freedom Swim across Charlotte Harbor. Live entertainment in Center Court beginning at 12 noon by Ambush the Band and Country Express. Singer Rita Beach will perform 12 noon-4 pm by Good 'Ole Days Coffee Cafe, fun activities and live music all day at Harpoon Harry's and viewing of fireworks over Charlotte Harbor at 9 pm.

Hurricane Charley’s 4th of July Bash.  American Made July 3 from 6 p.m. 4th OF JULY BBQ BASH with live music 6-10pm with The Kollections!

TT Tiki Bar... Celebrate all day.  American Made starts at 5 p.m. Independence Day Movie on Large Screen July 3.  

What is the Giving Challenge and Why Should You Care?

Early next week more than 630 southwest Florida  nonprofit organizations from Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties will be  participating in the 2018 Giving Challenge, presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.  Starting on May 1 at noon, the online 24-hour giving day allows people to support nonprofits and have their donations matched dollar for dollar, up to $100 per donor for each organization they give to, through support of the Patterson Foundation.

This means a lot for organizations in our community that work to protect children and other vulnerable groups, help feed the needy, build homes for those who can't affort them, protect animals, preserve history, protect the environment, provide cultural enrichment and education and many other local causes.  Funds from the past five Giving Challenges have helped  seniors and veterans;  cultural organizations; vulnerable populations; environmental causes; and thousands of sheltered animals among others. Many Charlotte County organizations are participating this year -- all with needs.  Some of them include the Kiwanis Foundation of Charlotte County, the Punta Gorda Rotary, Gator Wilderness Camp, the Homeless Coalition, the Boys and Girls Club, the Animal Welfare League, CARE, Charlotte Alliance for  Safe and Drug Free Community, the Visual Arts Center, Healthy Start, CHEC, Team Punta Gorda, Punta Gorda Historical Society, Punta Gorda History Center and Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society and more.  

This year, the Patterson Foundation is incentivizing donations with a match for each unique online donor’s contributions — up to $100 per donor, per organization — with no limit to the number of individual matches a nonprofit can receive. 

Donations are tax-deductible. To give to a charity or more than one charity you want to support, you  can make a secure donation (minimum gift is $25) by debit or credit card at givingpartnerchallenge.org from noon May 1 until noon May 2.  This is a time to help your community with a small donation that can add up to a lot for these nonprofit groups.