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? Halloween lands on Saturday, October 31 this year, so the whole region is dressed for it: the 5th Avenue South Halloween Spooktacular fills Cambier Park, the Dia de los Muertos Celebration returns to the Naples Botanical Garden, Galaxy Fright Nights haunts the Collier Fairgrounds, and downtown Bonita Springs stays lit all week. Here is what is on the calendar for October 30 through November 1.

Friday, October 30

Naples: Galaxy Fright Nights opens for the weekend

The big Halloween draws at the Collier County Fairgrounds on 39th Avenue NE run Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 11 PM. Galaxy Fright Nights brings two haunted houses, Aliens vs. Clowns and Last Call to Hell, plus the family-friendly Beyond Wonderland Maze and a laser show, so there is a scare level for everyone from grade school up. Tickets and details are on the Galaxy Fright Nights page. The fairgrounds sit off US 41 in east Naples, an area covered in our Naples area guide.

Fort Myers: the Haunted Walk at Calusa Nature Center

The CNCP Haunted Walk, Dead by Dawn runs its last two nights Friday and Saturday, October 30-31, from 7:30 to 10:30 PM at the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium on Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers. It is an outdoor, family-friendly Halloween walk through the preserve, with the Calusa Nature Center page holding the dates and ticket details. If Fort Myers is new to you, our Fort Myers area guide introduces the neighborhoods around the preserve and the rest of the city.

Bonita Springs: Happy Haunts lights up downtown

The City of Bonita Springs' free Happy Haunts Halloween Walk runs through Halloween night, with downtown's walkways and storefronts decorated and lit nightly from about 5:30 to 10 PM along Old 41. It is a low-key, stroller-friendly way to get in the spirit, and it is free. The City of Bonita Springs page has the details. Downtown Bonita Springs is covered in our Bonita Springs area guide.

Estero: Mall-O-Ween at Miromar Outlets

Friday evening, Miromar Outlets on Corkscrew Road in Estero hosts Mall-O-Ween from 5 to 7 PM, with Halloween music, science and animal shows, and costume contests for kids and pets around the outlet walkways. It is free to attend, and the Miromar Outlets events directory lists the schedule. The outlets anchor the Estero shopping district, covered in our Estero area guide.

Saturday, October 31: Halloween

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 Fort Myers, the Fort Myers Farmers Market takes over the Downtown Culinary District on First Street from 9 AM to 1 PM. And in Bonita Springs, the Bonita Springs Farmers Market runs every Saturday through May at the Promenade at Bonita Bay, 8 AM to noon; the season's hours are on the Promenade at Bonita Bay market page. 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: Halloween Spooktacular on Fifth Avenue South

The 5th Avenue South Halloween Spooktacular is the centerpiece of the day, running 3 to 5 PM at Cambier Park on Eighth Avenue South in downtown Naples. It is a free family event with trick-or-treating along Fifth Avenue South, live music, games, food, and a costume contest, followed by the avenue's Evening on Fifth celebration. The Fifth Avenue South Halloween page has the details. Cambier Park sits in the heart of Old Naples, a neighborhood covered in our Naples area guide.

Naples: Big Top Halloween at The Perry Hotel

For a morning plan on Halloween, Big Top Halloween at The Perry runs 11 AM to 3 PM at The Perry Hotel Naples on Tamiami Trail North. It is a family Halloween circus celebration poolside with magicians, circus entertainers, and themed activities for kids. Tickets are listed on the Eventbrite page for Naples Halloween events and promoted on the Visit Naples events calendar. The hotel is on the North Naples side covered in our Naples area guide.

Naples: Dia de los Muertos at the Botanical Garden

Saturday and Sunday, the Naples Botanical Garden on Bayshore Drive hosts its Dia de los Muertos Celebration from 10 AM to 4 PM each day, with community altars for remembering loved ones, cultural programming, photo spots, and hands-on activities including La Catrina flower crowns. It is included with garden admission, and the Naples Botanical Garden event page has the full program. The garden sits off Bayshore Drive in East Naples, a part of town covered in our Naples area guide.

Fort Myers: Halloween night in the River District

For grown-ups, Fort Myers has a full Halloween night. The Wicked Walk and Rooftop Halloween Dance Party at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center runs 8 PM to midnight on First Street, with costume-friendly dancing and rooftop views; details are on the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center events page. A few blocks over, The Ranch Concert Hall and Saloon hosts its It's a 2000s Halloween Party at 7 PM, listed on The Ranch events page. The downtown River District is covered in our Fort Myers area guide.

Estero: Gavin Adcock at Hertz Arena

If country music is your Halloween plan, Gavin Adcock plays Hertz Arena on Everblades Parkway in Estero Saturday night at 8 PM. It is a change of pace from the usual hockey schedule, and tickets are on the Hertz Arena events page. The arena anchors the Estero sports and entertainment district, and our Estero area guide covers the communities around it.

Sunday, November 1

Naples: a second day of Dia de los Muertos

The Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the Naples Botanical Garden runs its second day Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM, so there is still time for the altars, marigold displays, and cultural programming. It is also the easiest day to explore an area you might be considering for a move. Drive through Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, or the communities on Marco Island to get a feel for day-to-day life, and if you are relocating to Southwest Florida, our relocation guide walks through what to expect.

Naples: two museum shows close at the Baker Museum

Sunday is the final day for two exhibitions at the Baker Museum at Artis-Naples on Pelican Bay Boulevard in North Naples: The Passion of Collecting: Stories in Glass and Ceramics from the Sibrack Collection and Linling Lu: Fugue in 3 Voices, both closing November 1. The museum is open Sunday from noon to 4 PM, and the full exhibition list is on the Baker Museum exhibitions page. The venue sits in the Pelican Bay area, a neighborhood covered in our Naples area guide.

Marco Island: a slow day on the island

Marco Island is quieter this weekend, which makes it a good choice if you want a slow day after Halloween. 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 in Naples. Tigertail Beach is a reliable spot for a morning walk and shelling, and October 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: Big Momma's Bicycles

Each week Catalina features a local business that makes Southwest Florida special. This week it is Big Momma's Bicycles in Naples, the locally owned full-service bike shop on Seagate Drive just off the Park Shore waterfront. With a 4.9-star rating on Google from more than 500 reviews, it sells new bikes including electric models, repairs and tunes up everything from vintage classics to modern road bikes, and rents cruisers, road bikes, mountain bikes, and children's bikes for a day along the beach. After the Halloween morning rush, renting bikes from Big Momma's and riding the paths from Park Shore toward the Gulf beaches is a relaxed way to enjoy the weekend. Read the full Naples Community Spotlight, or explore the area through our Naples 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.