Songs of the Sea Concert this Sunday at South Fort Myers High School

The Southwest Florida Concert Band will perform Songs of the Sea Concert, with feature vocalist Steve Bradley, Sunday March 24, at 2 p.m., at South Fort Myers High School, 14020 Plantation Road, Fort Myers.

The 40-member community band will perform a concert to celebrate the music of the sea. The concert will start with “American River Songs” by Pierre LaPlante. Guest vocalist Steve Bradley will sing “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, “Moon River” and the sea chanty “The Wellerman.”

There will be a fun medley of music from Pirates of the Caribbean ARG! The band will play Ralph Vaughn William’s “English Folk Songs” and some nautical music in “Sea Medley.” The group will also throw in the tuba solo “Cobbler’s Bench” and the music from “Mission Impossible.”

There will of course the Sousa march “Hands Across the Sea” and the show will conclude with an impressive and dramatic arrangement of music from the movie “Titanic.”

All concerts are free with donations accepted. Information on the group, its scholarship program and other performances can be found on band’s website at SouthwestFloridaConcertBand.org.

Second annual SWFL Mural Fest 2024 April 5

After the great success of the inaugural SWFL Mural Fest held in downtown Fort Myers in April 2023, Artsemble Underground is again producing SWFL Mural Fest in 2024.

Artsemble has chosen five teams with some of the best artists of Southwest Florida in the art community to lead the project. They will create the murals at 2220 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fort Myers, this year on permanent walls, and they are going big.

The theme “The Elements” has been selected for this year’s challenge: air, water, fire and earth, plus a fifth element, balance. Five team leaders have been selected and each has chosen their own team. The teams were randomly assigned an element. Each element combined will represent our love for earth, art, and mankind through these teams of amazing artists from our community.

SWFL Mural Fest 2024, will be held Friday, April 5. There will be music, food trucks and a chance to meet the artists.

The outdoor festival is free and open to the public.

The event will be held in conjunction with downtown Fort Myers Art Walk.

Lee County Band to present April in Paradise on April 7 at Mariner High School

The Lee County Community Band will conclude its season on April 7 with April in Paradise at 3 p.m. at Mariner High School, Cape Coral.

Under the direction of Gil Peltola, the band will perform “Midway March” by John Williams; “Twentiana,” a montage of songs of the 1920s; “Malagueña,” featuring clarinetist Frances Pace; and “Belle of the Ball,” plus vocals featuring Fred Lamb and Jan Fenn.

The band performs six concerts between November and April; all are taking place this season at Mariner High School, 701 Chiquita Blvd., N., beginning at 3 p.m. The programs are free (donations welcome) and open to the public.

The band will begin its 2024-25 season in mid-November; rehearsals will resume in mid-October.

The 62-member band is comprised of musicians from all walks of life. The original concert band of Lee County, the band and has been entertaining Southwest Florida audiences since 1885. Persons interested in joining may phone 239-600-9052.

For more information, please visit “http://www.leecountyband.org” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>leecountyband.org. “Like” the band on Facebook at Facebook.com/LeeCountyCommunityBand.

HACC to hold Haitian Heritage Family Fun Day May 11 at Fort Myers church

The Haitian-American Community Coalition of SW Florida is commemorating Haitian Heritage Month by hosting a Haitian Heritage Family Fun Day Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at The Eglise De Dieu la Foi Chretienne (Church of God Christian Faith), 2841 Fowler St., Fort Myers.

The mission of HACC is to promote social justice and human rights for Haitian Americans and to give a voice to this “indivisible demographic.” To learn more, please visit haitiancoalition.com.

There are currently more than 20 vendors scheduled to participate. If you would like to be a vendor, please complete the attached vendor registration form. There is a $100 vendor registration fee. Please make checks payable to the Haitian American Community Coalition of SW Florida. The mailing address is 3949 Evans Ave., Suite 304, Fort Myers, FL 33901.

In addition, the coalition welcomes sponsorship and door-prized donations to help cover the cost of the event. All sponsors will be recognized throughout the event.

The coalition anticipates about 500 to 750 people will be in attendance.

For more information, call Beatrice Jacquet-Castor at 239-878-5898, Ilomise Alexandre at 239-297-8839, Guerline Chery at 423-615-2019 or Jessica Victorin Antelo at 239-308-6638.