Fort Myers Beach is set to welcome around 50,000 visitors this weekend as it celebrates its 30th anniversary of incorporation with a series of events, followed by the annual Shrimp Festival.
The town kicks off the weekend today, celebrating the 30-year anniversary, honoring three decades of local governance, resilience, and progress after multiple hurricanes. The festivities begin with a community walk of history and art starting at 2 p.m. at Bayside Veterans Park and ending at Times Square with a ceremony at 3 p.m.
The Shrimp Festival takes over this weekend, starting with the Matanzas Pass Bridge closing tomorrow morning from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the festival's 5K run and parade. Afterward, visitors can head to the island for the parade, shrimp boil, and other events, including an arts and crafts fair, a queen's pageant, and a shrimp-eating contest.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office will have deputies out helping with traffic, and they advise giving yourself extra time to get over the bridge by 8 a.m. tomorrow. The sheriff's office said they will have an increased presence at the event and behind the scenes, keeping an eye on everyone.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, "We're proactive. We're looking for those lone wolves. We're monitoring social media and everything that comes in that we take seriously immediately, again, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we do everything locally and we're ready for anything that comes our way."
Visitors are encouraged to have fun, but are reminded to give themselves some extra time to get to the island and stay safe. You can find the festival's schedule here.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
