What To Do This Weekend in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Marco Island, and Fort Myers

Looking for things to do this weekend in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, and Marco Island? Early November is one of the busiest stretches of the season in Southwest Florida. This weekend brings the Florida Panther Festival at the Naples Zoo, a Collier County free day at the zoo, farmers markets in all five areas, the first Friday Art Walk in downtown Fort Myers, and tribute concerts in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers. The forecast cooperates too: a sunny, dry weekend with highs in the low to mid-80s and mild lows in the upper 60s to low 70s, so the days are wide open for outdoor plans. Here is what is on the calendar for Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 8.

Friday, November 6

Fort Myers: Art Walk lights up the River District

The Downtown Fort Myers River District Art Walk runs every first Friday of the month, and this is the November edition. From 5 to 9 PM, artists line the streets around Broadway, First, Hendry, and Jackson with booths, and the galleries stay open late for an evening stroll with live music and food nearby. It is free to wander, and the River District events calendar lists the full lineup. The River District is the heart of downtown Fort Myers, covered in our Fort Myers area guide.

Estero: First Friday Concert at Gulf Coast Town Center

The free First Friday Concert Series at Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero runs 7 to 9 PM in The Courtyard, between GameTime and Burntwood Tavern. This month the band is The Wayward Souls, and the music is free and open to the public. The Gulf Coast Town Center event page has the details. The town center anchors the Estero shopping and dining district, covered in our Estero area guide.

Bonita Springs: Frontiers, a Journey tribute, at Arts Bonita

Frontiers, The World's Number One Tribute to Journey, plays Friday night at 7:30 PM in the Hinman Auditorium at Arts Bonita on Bonita Beach Road. It is a high-energy tribute show with the hits fans know, and tickets are on the Arts Bonita events calendar. The venue sits near the heart of Bonita Springs, a town covered in our Bonita Springs area guide.

Saturday, November 7

Farmers markets across the five areas

Saturday morning has a market for every corner of the region. In Old Naples, the Third Street South Farmers Market runs 7:30 to 11:30 AM year-round, with produce, flowers, and baked goods along the street; hours are on the Third Street South market page. Up in North Naples, the Vanderbilt Farmers Market at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt runs Saturdays 8 AM to 1 PM. In Bonita Springs, the Bonita Springs Farmers Market runs every Saturday through May at The Promenade at Bonita Bay, 8 AM to noon, with details on the Bonita Springs Farmers Market page. In Estero, the Estero Farmers Market sets up Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM in the Miromar Outlets lot off Corkscrew Road, listed on the Miromar Outlets market page. And in Fort Myers, the McGregor Local Farmers Market runs Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM on McGregor Boulevard, included in the Visit Fort Myers farmers market guide. For a look at the neighborhoods behind each market, our Naples area guide and this comparison of North Naples versus downtown Naples cover Old Naples and the north side.

Naples: Florida Panther Festival at the Naples Zoo

The Florida Panther Festival runs Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens on Goodlette-Frank Road. It is a wildlife conservation festival with panther exhibits, conservation partner booths, and wildlife talks, and it is hosted on a Collier County free day: the first Saturday of every month is a Free Saturday for Collier County residents, with free zoo admission until 4:30 PM. Non-residents pay regular admission. The Florida Panther Festival page and the Naples Zoo events calendar have the details. The zoo sits off Goodlette-Frank Road in central Naples, an area covered in our Naples area guide.

Naples evening: Opera Naples and Artis-Naples

Saturday night in Naples has two polished options. Jimmy Keys brings his high-energy music and comedy show to the Wang Opera Center at 7 PM, part of the Opera Naples season; tickets are on the Opera Naples page. A little farther north, Artis-Naples hosts 1960s Rock Icons and More on Saturday evening, one of several shows on the Artis-Naples events calendar. Both venues sit in the North Naples neighborhoods covered in our Naples area guide.

Sunday, November 8

Bonita Springs: Firefall at Arts Bonita

Sunday night, the classic rock band Firefall takes the Hinman Auditorium stage at Arts Bonita at 7 PM. The band is known for hits from the 1970s and 1980s, and it closes a two-concert weekend for the venue. Tickets are on the Arts Bonita events calendar. If Bonita Springs is new to you, our Bonita Springs area guide is a practical introduction.

Fort Myers: Candlelight Queen vs. ABBA

For a quieter Sunday night, the Candlelight: Queen vs. ABBA concert plays at 6:30 PM at the Music & Arts Community Center in Fort Myers, the home of the Gulf Coast Symphony. A string quartet performs the music of both bands by candlelight in a roughly hour-long program. Tickets are on the Candlelight Queen vs. ABBA event page. The venue sits in the Fort Myers area covered in our Fort Myers area guide.

Naples: Old Timers Reunion at the Florida Sports Park

Sunday afternoon, the Old Timers Reunion 2026 gathers at 1 PM at the Florida Sports Park Reception Pavilion on Rattlesnake Hammock Road in Naples, the home of the World Famous Swamp Buggy Races. It is a community reunion for the racers, crews, and fans who have kept that Naples tradition going for generations. Details are on the Swamp Buggy page. The park sits off Rattlesnake Hammock Road in east Naples, an area covered in our Naples area guide.

Marco Island: a slow day on the island

Marco Island keeps this weekend low-key, which makes it a good choice if you want a slow Sunday. The island's farmers market runs Wednesdays during its November-to-April season, so it is closed this weekend, and most of the festival action is on the mainland. Tigertail Beach is a reliable spot for a morning walk and shelling, and early November water is still warm enough for a swim. If you are weighing island life, our Marco Island area guide and this Naples versus Marco Island comparison are practical places to start.

This Week's Community Spotlight: Snook Inn

Each week Catalina features a local business that makes Southwest Florida special. This week it is Snook Inn, the riverfront seafood restaurant and bar on Bald Eagle Drive on Marco Island's south end. Under a big tiki hut roof, it has served the Marco River since 1985, and boaters can dock right at the marina with around 20 slips. With a 4.4-star Google rating from more than 5,000 reviews, it pairs waterfront seafood with pelicans and dolphins working the river while you eat. It is open daily from 11 AM to midnight, and it reopened in late 2023 after being rebuilt following Hurricane Ian. After a busy Panther Festival weekend, a slow Sunday lunch on the dock is a quiet reset. Read the full Marco Island Community Spotlight, or explore the island through our Marco Island area guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

A note from the author: I'm Catalina Quintero, a bilingual REALTOR with The Miranda Group at Premiere Plus Realty, Co., serving Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, and Marco Island. Every week I put this guide together from dated, published event listings, so things can shift and it always pays to confirm the official pages before you head out. If you're exploring Southwest Florida with a move in mind, email or text me any time.