Annual Bromeliad Sale
In partnership with the Caloosahatchee Bromeliad Society, there will be hundreds of different specimens of Bromeliads for sale, including rare species. Experts from the society will be on hand to answer questions about Bromeliads. Parking and admission to the event is free (does not include tours or admission to the museum and laboratory). A limited number of garden carts will be available; guests are encouraged to bring their own.
The Garden Shoppe will be open and stocked with tropical and native plants and trees, including edibles and butterfly host plants.
Orchid Sale and Symposium
Come learn about orchids during this fun two-day event! Presentations are free (does not include tours or admission to the museum, lab, or riverside). The Lee County Master Gardeners will have an advice table and several vendors will have orchids available for sale.
Presentation Schedule
Saturday, October 12
10 a.m. – Stan Griski, President, SWFL Orchid Society – To Repot or Not
11 a.m. – Carly Pfalz, Jungle House Nursery – Orchids and Lighting
NOON – Jim Hopton, artist and hypertufa expert – Creating a Hypertufa Orchid Display (Jim’s creation will be raffled off at the end of his presentation)
1 p.m. – Gary Sims, SWFL Orchid Society – Have Fun with Orchids
2 p.m. – Ashley Palmer, Palmer Orchids – Growing Beautiful Vanda Orchids
Sunday, October 13
10 a.m. – Debbie Hughes, EFWE – Choosing Orchids to Mount in your Trees
11 a.m. – Micky Carnell, Blue Pagoda – Orchids 101
NOON – LUNCH BREAK
1 p.m. – Aaron Apsley, Aaron Apsley Artwork – Painting Orchids in Watercolor
2 p.m. – John Hampton, SWFL Orchid Society – The Joy of Kikis
Participating Vendors (to date):
Bello Tropicals, Blue Pagoda Orchids, Florida Orchid House, FTE Studios, Hang-A-Pot, Jim-N-I Orchids, Jungle House Nurseries, Kreative Gardens, Krull Smith Orchids, OFE Orchid Supplies, Palmer Orchids, Pelican Coast Orchids, Red Hawk Nursery, Sierra Madre Orchids, Smiley’s Orchids, So Orchids, Sunland Orchids, and Tropiflora.
Sponsored by 
Annual Antique Car Show
Each year, classic car owners exhibit more than 100 cars on the Ford estate lawn as a tribute to Henry Ford, the pioneer of the automobile industry. Along with the car show, there will be music, food trucks and visitors can tour the gardens, museum, laboratory and see the historic homes.
This family event is free for Edison Ford members. Admission to the site is $25 for non-members, which includes a self-guided tour of the entire site and access to the car show. Admission tickets may be purchased online or at the ticket counter (advance ticketing not required).
For antique Ford owners wanting to participate, registration will be accepted for Ford models 1980 and older. The deadline for registration is January 27 and the fee is $30 per car (includes admission to the site). Registration will open later this year. All cars must be on the property and parked by 9 a.m. Food trucks will be on site for participants and visitors to purchase lunch.
NEW Farmers Market
Join us for a new Farmers Market!
There will be fresh produce and other products available for purchase. Guests can shop the vendor booths, listen to live music, and stroll through the Bromeliad and wildflower gardens! There will also be food trucks with food and beverages for sale.
Every Friday in June and July.
The event will take place under the shade of the Banyan tree. There is no charge to attend the Farmer’s Market.
Vintage Base Ball Game – at Terry Park
Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host a day of vintage “base ball” on March 17 at historic Terry Park. Join us to celebrate the early days of our national pastime with three teams playing consecutive games (the Fort Myers Vagabonds, Bradenton Shamrocks, and the Central Florida Awkwards).
The teams will play by 1860s rules. Players will wear vintage uniforms, no gloves, and use wood bats and lemon peel baseballs. Spectators will see the game played as it was when Thomas Edison was a teenager and he developed his life-long love of the game, inspiring him to proclaim: “Baseball is the greatest of American games.”
Game Location:
Terry Park
3410 Palm Beach Boulevard
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Admission: $5 for adults, children 18 and younger admitted free.
A Celebration of Baseball Legends
To celebrate spring training and Thomas Edison’s love of baseball, Edison and Ford Winter Estates is holding a special event to showcase a new exhibit that highlights some baseball legends who once played at Terry Park in Fort Myers.
Cornelius McGillicuddy, aka “Connie Mack,” was the manager and owner of the Philadelphia Athletics. He provided the plans for the construction of Terry Park, which opened for spring training in 1925. Thomas Edison was a frequent visitor at Terry Park and on at least one occasion, participated in batting practice with the Athletics team.
The Mack and Nolen families graciously loaned the Estates key artifacts to create a new baseball exhibit entitled “Fanatics: Edison, Mack, and Baseball in Fort Myers.” On March 1, the public is invited to come to the event and meet Connie Mack, III, see the new exhibit, listen to baseball presentations, and tour the museum and botanic research laboratory. There will also be kid’s activities and food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Admission to the event is FREE. The riverside of the property will not be open during the event.
Rhythm on the River: Roaring 20s Jazz Band
Get ready to dance the night away with Liz “Hunny” Heath and a five-piece band. Liz “Hunny” Heath has been singing professionally all across Florida. She currently performs with Nightbird, a Stevie Nicks tribute. The accomplished band members joining her are Jay Heavilin on upright bass, Brad Brown on piano, Steve Silverstein on drums, and Jay Heath on saxophone. The chemistry of this quintet is undeniably organic and engaging. The group of world-class musicians playing timeless and sultry jazz of the roaring 20s will not disappoint!
Bring your favorite lawn chair and a sweater if the weather is chilly. Refreshments will be available for purchase. No coolers or picnic baskets permitted. Concert starts at 6:30 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m. Park in the Edison Ford lots only.
Individual tickets purchased in advance are $30 for Edison Ford members or $35 for non-members. Individual ticket holders should bring a lawn chair.
A VIP seating area may be reserved by the table for $275. Each table holds up to 5 people; table ticket price includes the use of a table and chairs.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Rhythm on the River: Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band – Caribbean Chillers
If you like listening to Jimmy Buffett, you won’t want to miss this concert! The Caribbean Chillers will put on an authentic show that’s sure to please any parrot head. There will be a cash bar and refreshments available for purchase (no outside food or drink please). Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the concert starting at 6:30 p.m. on the historic Ford lawn.
So put on your flip flops and come spend the evening along the river for some great music, a fantastic river view and refreshing beverages – because after all, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!
Parking is available in the Edison Ford lots only. Guests should bring a folding chair and a sweater if the weather is chilly. No coolers and no pets permitted.
Edison Ford members: $30; non-members: $35
Click here to purchase tickets.
Thomas Edison’s 177th Birthday Celebration
Come celebrate Thomas Edison’s birthday with us!
The annual tradition continues with students from the Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School singing, dancing and playing stringed instruments. Cake will be served for visitors attending the party, which is sponsored in part by the Edison Pageant of Light, the organization founded in 1938 to memorialize Thomas Edison. The party is a free public event with limited seating (does not include tours or admission to the museum or laboratory). This event takes place near the Banyan Café.
