LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- Monday is Memorial Day, and there are several events going on in Southwest Florida that we want to tell you about.
On Monday, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and Deputy Chance will lead the inaugural Memorial Day Parade in Cape Coral. The parade will start on Del Prado Boulevard and Cape Coral Parkway by the Holiday Inn, and head west toward Leonard Street. The parade runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Shell Factory and Nature Park in North Fort Myers will hold a Memorial Day family barbeque from noon to 4 p.m. There will be live music, several contests including watermelon eating, face painting, and more.
The Military Heritage Museum of Punta Gorda is hosting a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veterans Park Gazebo in Laishley Park. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
The City of Bonita Springs will hold a Memorial Day service at 9:00 a.m. at Riverside Park in downtown Bonita Springs.
Marco island is holding their Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Community Park at 11 a.m.
Fort Myers Memorial Gardens is hosting its annual Memorial Day Service at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will begin with a flyover, and the program will feature a wreath-laying ceremony, special remarks by Master Mariner and U.S. Merchant Marine Dru DiMattia, as well as an entire program dedicated to American fallen heroes. A complimentary cookout lunch will be available following the ceremony at the Colonial Family Center.
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And several businesses want to show their appreciation for vets and active duty military with some freebies.
All military will eat free at Hooters on Memorial Day. You must show a military ID, this offer is only good for dine in meals, and you must buy a drink.
Military members can also get free admission to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, along with a 10% discount on retail items.
Military members and their families can get into the Imaginarium History and Science Center in Fort Myers free for the summer. The center is participating in the Blue Star Museums program. It's a nationwide program providing free admission to museums for active duty military personnel and five of their family members.
