Get the Party Going

The City of Fort Myers is putting $40,000 into promoting events downtown, previously handled by a group of merchants, on the theory that they will help the city in the long run by spawning more downtown activity.

Officials anticipate the funding will pay for 26 events in the next year, one every two weeks, organized around such other occasions as the Edison Festival of Light, Taste of the Town, ArtFest or shows at Harborside Event Center.

Officials want to draw people downtown, boost businesses and, if they can, get private sponsors to pay for it. That was the problem when the merchants tried organizing events: They couldn’t get the sponsors, and that proved too expensive for the city, says Don Paight, executive director of the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency.

"For car shows, we go to dealerships or detailing companies or companies that do engine work, like March Performance of Naples," he says. "At our big car show in December last year, we drew 1,500 hot rods and show cars, and we’re expecting a lot more this year from all over the state, so that benefits the car companies."

At Riverfest last year, developer Phil Hugh, who renovated the Holiday Inn downtown and is now building the Hotel Indigo, agreed to sponsor all the rides for kids. "That might normally cost a family $30," explains Paight, "but Phil made it happen for free, to the tune of about $5,000."

More businesses are keeping their doors open for the events, which are typically on weekends and in the evenings. They have generated some record-breaking business for Enjewel, says shop owner Lynne Routhier. "People come down here and spend a ton of money. Even if they don’t, they might go home and tell somebody about [your shop]."

Routhier has decided to stay in the same location as a result. "I wasn’t going to re-sign [the lease], but I’ve changed my mind, because everybody’s working together now, and it’s making a huge difference," she says.


Downtown Events

November
Nov. 2–Dec.

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