Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Fort Myers, FL

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NBC2 is excited to share a comprehensive guide to all the exciting St. Patrick's Day events in Southwest Florida.

From parades to music festivals, the guide covers everything you need to know to make the most of this festive occasion.

Whether you are looking for family-friendly events or want to celebrate with your friends, the guide covers you. So, wear your green and prepare to join the fun and festivities that await you this St. Patrick's Day!

649 5th Ave S, Naples

The Naples St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m.! There will be floats, fire engines, school groups, bands, dance troupes, boy and girl scouts and civic groups making their way up Third Street and down 5th Ave South for this annual tradition in Naples! Wear green and festive attire and be prepared to catch candy, beads and other goodies from parade participants! This is always a VERY popular event and parking/space for seating along the street goes very quickly. Everything is first come, first serve. No saving spots and no reservations. Learn more.

Join the St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Founders Square, Babcock Ranch! Get ready to paint the town green with DJ MarJa spinning some family-friendly tunes and Slater's serving free green beer (while supplies last). At 6 PM, the Bayshore Cloggers will dazzle you with their incredible performance. Remember to wear your best green costume for a chance to win a prize - the winner is announced at 5:45. Take part in the scavenger hunt and search for hidden Pots of Gold around Founder's Square. Kids' crafts and food trucks will be available to make the most of the festivities. Enjoy the fun, laughter, and a touch of Irish luck!

1st St, downtown Fort Myers

Join the Downtown Block Party on Sunday, March 17th, from Noon to 8 p.m. for an incredible day of festivities beginning at 12pm! Stop by in your best green garb and celebrate St. Paddy's Day with $6 Green Miller Lite beer and $8 Jameson cocktails — available at all participating locations. Learn more.

2206 Bay Street, downtown Fort Myers

The best St. Patrick's Day BASH in SWFL is happening right now! Our tradition continues this year, and Chef Brian Duffy is cooking his famous Corned Beef & Cabbage CHEESESTEAKS at City Tavern as usual!

The block party starts at 11 AM and offers all your favorite cocktails, ice-cold beer, music, food, and fun! Celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Sunday, March 17th, 2024! We can't wait to see all of you there! Cheers!"

Join us for the Fort Myers St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl, the ultimate green-themed celebration in Fort Myers! Prepare for an unforgettable night of shamrocks, shenanigans, and cheers as we hop from one lively spot to another. Gather your friends, dress in green, and create a cherished memory!

The event will occur on March 17th, 2024, starting at 4:00 PM and running until midnight. Check-in will be available from 4 PM - 8 PM at Millennial Brewing. The after-party will run from 9:00 PM - midnight.

Entry to the best leprechaun lounges is free, so you can skip the rainbow and dive straight into the hottest venues without paying a pot of gold. You'll also receive 2-3 green beers or shots (x2 with a multi-day pass) to welcome the St. Paddy's spirit in style!

Our shamrockstar paparazzi will be on hand to capture your magical moments, so be sure to strike a pose. And remember the costume craze contest - deck yourself in the most fantastical St. Patrick's Day attire and compete for legendary prizes.

Bell Tower Shops Ave, south Fort Myers

Join us for the St. Patrick's Day Celebration Arts & Crafts Fair Sunday, March 17th from 10AM-3PM! Enjoy drink specials & shop from local vendors, crafters & artists selling a variety of items. The fair takes place inside Bell Tower in the center concourse. 13499 US 41 (S. Cleveland Ave) Fort Myers. Come enjoy all that Bell Tower has to offer!This is an outside event inside the mall. Learn more about all the Bell Tower events.

Margaritaville at Fort Myers Beach is hosting a St. Patrick's Day event at their Fins Up! Beach Club this Sunday, March 17.

The event offers a 'Wasted Away Green Beer,' live DJ, crafts station, face painting, and more. Learn more.

If you have an event you would like included, email us at newstips@nbc-2.com.

Capt. Greg Stamper of Snook Stamp Charters talks fishing from Sarasota to Bonita Beach, including Siesta Key, Englewood, Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers

It is tarpon time for those anglers who want to mess with 100-pounders. The big schools of threadfin herring have made their way inshore, bringing the silver kings with them. Fish have been caught in the back bays, along the beaches and in the passes practically every day. Using threadfin herrings, crabs, live mullet and cut baits have all worked. Be sure you come armed with heavy spin rods with plenty of line, as the water temperature is hovering around the mid-70s. When the water is in this temperature range the tarpon are full of piss and vinegar making for some long fights.

In the shallow waters of the back bays, we continue to catch a mix of winter fish along with the resurgence of our summer targets. Sheepshead fishing continues to be good but will begin to tapper off. Black drum also are continuing to be found, especially during the outgoing tides. These black drum are looking for crab coming from the shallow flats. If you’re targeting black drum look for them near or in channels where the water is flowing off a large grassy flat. Snook are beginning to show up throughout the bay. There have been a few big snook caught, but most of them are small. Red fishing continues to get better and better. Redfish can be caught from 17 to 30 inches using shrimp, pilchards, flies and jerk baits. Most of the redfish are still a bit silver in color, meaning they just moved into the area. We also have tarpon in the back bays and they are big. The tarpon is targeting the schools of mullet that are filling in as well as ladyfish and trout.

The offshore fishing continues to be good. Our weather has allowed plenty of days to get out far without getting beaten up. Grouper fishing starts getting good in about 120 feet. Those that are fishing in 60-80 feet of water are catching their limits of lane, mangrove and grunts easily. Kingfish as well as cobia are also available and an easy way to end up with one is to always have a flat line out with live bait on it.

Capt. Greg StamperSnook Stamp ChartersBonita Springs239-313-1764www.snookstampcharters.com

The times are indeed changing. Bob Dylan came to Southwest Florida for the first time in six years.

The Nobel Prize winner had Fort Myers rowdy during his detour in Southwest Florida.

Dylan came to Fort Myers as a part of his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour, named after his 2020 album. The 82-year-old icon has been on tour supporting it since 2021.

Dylan’s last Fort Myers visit was on Oct. 23, 2018. He performed at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall as a part of his “Never Ending Tour.”

The no-phone, no-camera, no binocular event at FSW’s Suncoast Credit Union Arena housed all kinds of Dylan fans, even those who were there in his prime.

“I grew up with Dylan,” said Ines, an attendee from Germany. “I’ve known him for 50 years. When I was a teen, I used to sing his songs. It’s really awesome that he’s here.”

Some even said that seeing Dylan was a bucket list.

Tom, an attendee from SWFL, belongs to Dylan’s generation. He graduated high school in 1959.

After all the years that Tom has known Dylan, this tour stop marks a new experience with knowing Dylan.

“It’s my first time seeing him,” he said.

Dylan appeared punctually from the side of the stage and began the show immediately. He introduced the arena with “Watching the River Flow,” his 1971 single. He then played “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine” from his 1966 album “Blonde on Blonde.”

However, after this, Dylan shelved most of his popular songs and filled the rest of the set with songs from his double album “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” beginning with the album’s opener, “I Contain Multitudes.”

Dylan, behind his grand piano, played his songs with a known fervor. The elusive icon let the music speak, not wasting time in between songs for any stage banter.

“Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” closes the first disc of “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” The nine-and-a-half-minute ballad has Dylan reflecting on our neighboring city’s comfort and beauty.

After playing through his songs, Dylan surprised the arena — after a quick whisper to his band — with Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” which electrified the crowd.

After “Goodbye Jimmy Reed,” Dylan shouted out each member of his supporting band.

His iconic harmonica made a surprise appearance during his final song, “Every Grain of Sand,” a perfect closer for his energized fans.

Dylan has a history in Florida. In 2021, he showcased his artwork at Florida International University.

If you missed the show, don’t think twice, it’s all right. Dylan has three more Florida dates until he takes his talents to Georgia. Click here for more information.

Read about SWFL’s local music scene:

New Englanders in Southwest Florida will be happy to know a taste of home has been named to Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Seafood Spots 2024 list.

Cape Cod Fish Co., tucked away off Old McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers, landed at No. 38 overall.

The New England seafood shack-flavored restaurant has an impressive 4.6 out of 5 rating from 790 reviews.

Ever since Rhode Islander Joe Faria opened the “wicked good” seafood restaurant in the Iona neighborhood in September 2013, it’s been popular with visitors and locals alike.

The menu has New England favorites, from Rhode Island clam cakes and chowder to Atlantic cod fish & chips, “whole belly” clams and four different lobster rolls (classic, Connecticut, naked and monstah).

There are also clam rolls, salads, seafood baskets and tacos, and lobster dishes to name a few.

Cape Cod Fish is the only Southwest Florida restaurant to make the list.

Happy Snapper Seafood in Orlando is the state’s highest-ranked restaurant at No. 6. J Crab House in Kissimmee is next at No. 7.

Let's eat:30 restaurants now open on Sanibel and Captiva, from Gramma Dot's to Mucky Duck

Florida seafood restaurants in Jacksonville Beach, Miami, Indialantic, Navarre, Fort Walton Beach, Daytona Beach, Longboat Key also made the list.

Blue Seafood & Spirits in Virginia Beach was named best in the country with a 4.8 rating from 777 reviews. Bajamar Seafood & Tacos in Las Vegas and Holbox in Los Angeles round out the top 3.

How was the list compiled?

According to the article, Yelp “identified businesses in the seafood category on Yelp with a large concentration of reviews mentioning ‘seafood,’ then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1, 2001, and December 13, 2023. We included only 10 businesses per state for geographic diversity. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of December 15, 2023.”

Cape Cod Fish Co., 15501 Old McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; (239) 313-6462; capecodfishfl.com or follow on Facebook

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyers.gannett