43rd Annual Turkey Trot 5K
The Fort Myers Track Club is happy to continue to partner with the Edison and Ford Winter Estates to host our annual
Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk. The 5K course will start and finish at Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Downtown Fort Myers. This fun-filled family event is back and in-person, but will also offer a virtual option for participants who choose to participate remotely. The 5k begins at 7:30, and will be followed by a tot trot (ages six and under) at 8:30.
This Thanksgiving tradition will benefit preservation at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates and the Fort Myers Track Club scholarship fund.
Visit the Fort Myers Track Club to register or learn more.
Annual Edison Ford Spring Garden Festival
Join us for the biggest plant sale of the year! The festival will also feature food trucks and live music. Numerous garden vendors from around the state of Florida will have many types of plants and trees, including palms, fruit trees, bromeliads, hibiscus, butterfly plants, African violets, orchids, air plants, herbs, succulents, cacti and many hard-to-find species. Vendors will also offer garden supplies, such as mulch and special fertilizers.
The Edison Garden Shoppe will be open and have unusual tropical and Florida native plants that thrive in Southwest Florida. Ceramic flower pots, vegetable and flower seeds, garden art, and gardening gift items will also be available for purchase. A limited number of carts will be available, so guests are encouraged to bring a cart or wagon for transporting plants. A designated plant holding tent and loading spot will be offered for anyone needing assistance.
Parking and admission to the festival is free (tours of the homes, museum and lab are not included).
Annual Edison Ford Fall Garden Festival
Don’t miss the largest garden festival in the area! More than 40 vendors will have rare and exotic plants and trees, butterfly plants, orchids, fruit trees, herbs, Florida natives and more available. There will be food trucks and live music too, so come out and spend the day with us! A limited number of garden carts will be available, so if you have one, bring it along. This is a free event (does not include admission to the museum, lab or riverside of the property).
More information to follow.
Mother’s Day at Edison Ford
As spring turns into summer, we celebrate the important women in our lives, especially our mothers. In honor of all mothers, we’ll have a pop-up flower shop on site on Mother’s Day, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Floral Designer and winner of Art in Bloom 2022, Anita Singh in collaboration with Floral Artistry of Sanibel and Edison and Ford Winter Estates will have flowers available for sale. Visitors can select
fresh-cut flowers and make their own bouquets on site or choose from our designer’s choice of floral arrangements. An admission ticket is not required to visit the flower shop, however regular admission applies to visit the estates grounds, museum, and laboratory (open 9am to 5:30pm).
Art in Bloom Exhibit
On March 6 from noon to 4 p.m., Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host the Art in Bloom art show in partnership with the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council. This unique one-day art show features floral designs paired with works of art from the Sustainable Conceptions exhibit.
This year, 15 floral designs and other works of art will be on display in the Edison Caretaker’s House, an original “Cracker
House” and one of the oldest standing structures in Lee County. Prior to the show, participating Garden Council members are paired with a piece of artwork and create a floral display based on their interpretation of the art — using the same colors and design feel.
Held in many cities across the country, Art in Bloom is a nationally sanctioned event through the National Garden Clubs and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. The local Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council was organized in 1957 and is affiliated with both organizations. Edison Ford has a long history with garden clubs, as Mina Edison was a founding member of the Periwinkle Garden Club — the first garden club in Fort Myers. Today, the Periwinkle Garden Club is a member of the Garden Council.
Art in Bloom is included with general admission. Visitors may vote for their favorite floral design; the winners will be announced at the end of the show.
46th Annual Holiday Nights Celebration
Thousands of lights, hundreds of historic decorations, and one unique holiday experience await you nightly from 5:30 – 9 p.m from November 26 through January 2 (closed on December 25). Enjoy exciting new lighting displays, visits with Santa, carolers and musicians, refreshments, family science shows, and more on select evenings. Plan on at least an hour to enjoy the display.
ADMISSION:
Visitors admire the decorated homes and gardens during Holiday Nights at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
Adults $20
Teens (13-19) $10
Children (6-12) $2
Members FREE
Advance reservations or ticketing not required, general admission is not subject to capacity limits. General admission may be purchased online and are good for any night of the event. General admission tickets may be upgraded for a guided tour for an additional $10 on the day of the tour if space is available. Please note that the Museum and Laboratory are closed during Holiday Nights.
GUIDED TOURS (6 and 7 p.m. nightly):
Adults $30
Teens (13-19) $25
Children (6-12) $18
Members $10
Guided tours are not available for advance purchase, and must be purchased in the ticket office on a first-come first-served basis after 4:30pm on the day of the tour. Guided tour admission includes general admission to Holiday Nights to allow visitors to explore on their own at the conclusion of the tour.
DAYTIME AND EVENING COMBO
Visitors purchasing self-guided or guided tours for the daytime are eligible for a $10 discount on Holiday Nights admission when used the same day. Purchase the upgrade in the ticket office when you buy your daytime tickets, or show your receipt for your daytime admission at the ticket counter when you decide to upgrade. Upgrade option is only available for the same day as your daytime admission.
Lee County residents will receive $5 off adult admission on Monday nights. Resident discount admission must be purchased in person to show proof of residency, and is only good for Monday night visits. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge nightly.
Event made possible by the generous support of:
Rhythm on the River – Neil Diamond Tribute (Neil Zirconia)
Come sing along with Neil Zirconia, a Neil Diamond Tribute as he takes us down memory lane! He’ll be performing Diamond’s greatest hits and crowd favorites on the Ford lawn. Zirconia looks and sounds like the real Diamond. This event offers a relaxing evening along the river with great music, a fantastic river view, and refreshing beverages! Bring your favorite lawn chair and a sweater if the weather is chilly. Refreshments will be available for purchase. No coolers permitted.
Concert starts at 6 p.m.; gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Parking is available in the Edison Ford lots only.
TICKETS: Edison Ford Members: $20; Non-members: $25; All tickets the day of the event: $30.
A new VIP seating area will be open and may be reserved by the table for $225, which includes the use of the table and chairs for up to 5 people.
Click here for tickets.
Rhythm on the River tickets are not valid for estates tours.
A Virtual Celebration of Thomas Edison’s 174th Birthday
This year, Edison and Ford Winter Estates is celebrating Thomas Edison’s 174th birthday virtually! The virtual birthday party
will start on Facebook at 10 a.m. Additional videos will be launched throughout the day. Friends will be able to watch the videos at their convenience. As part of the celebration, students from the Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School will sing, dance and play stringed instruments as they usually do, but this year, they will perform at their school and a recording will be shown on Facebook for all Thomas Edison fans.
The birthday party is sponsored in part by the Edison Pageant of Light, the organization founded in 1938 to memorialize Thomas Edison.
Edison Ford Holiday Hours
- December 24, open 9am to 9pm
- December 25, CLOSED
- December 26 – January 3, open 9am to 9pm
- Regular hours (9am – 4:30pm) resume beginning on January 4
The homes and gardens are decorated with thousands of lights for Holiday Nights at Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
