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Council clears three Times Square festivals and restricts vendor alcohol sales
Summary
Fort Myers Beach approved three Blue Ribbon Events proposals — Festival of the Arts, Holly Jolly Market and Mermaid Fest — allowing open containers in Times Square during event hours but prohibiting bottled alcohol sales by temporary vendors to avoid direct competition with local businesses.
Fort Myers Beach’s Town Council on June 1 approved special event permits for three markets and festivals proposed by Blue Ribbon Events — Festival of the Arts (Jan. 23–24, 2027), Holly Jolly Market (Dec. 19–20, 2026) and Mermaid Fest (Apr. 17–18, 2027) — subject to public‑safety and operations conditions.
Danielle Lynch, the promoter, told council she plans to support local businesses by generally avoiding in‑booth food and drink sales and by coordinating logistics, portable restrooms and trash removal with town staff. Organizers said they will work with merchants to avoid blocking business access and will contract uniformed LCSO officers during peak hours for crowd management.
Council added event‑specific restrictions after discussing open‑container allowances. To avoid creating direct competition with established Times Square businesses (restaurants and stores that sell alcohol), council prohibited temporary vendor bottled alcohol sales at these events but approved a limited open‑container allowance for Times Square during event hours so licensed local businesses may serve customers in the event footprint. Danielle Lynch agreed to coordinate parking plans, advertise off‑site parking options, and confirm garbage removal and safety staffing with the town and county agencies.
The approvals include standard conditions: coordination with Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District, vendor load‑in/load‑out plans and confirmation of adequate restrooms. Council unanimously approved the three event permits.
What to expect: Residents should expect Times Square to host curated markets and family events on the approved dates; vendors will be asked to minimize duplication with existing businesses and to follow the town’s event rules on alcohol sales and pedestrian access.
