Island Hopper Songwriter Fest celebrates 10 years with music & new events, Sept. 20-29

‘Sneak Peek in St. Pete’ on Sept. 7 previews 10 days of music
on Captiva, Cape Coral, downtown Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach

Live music on a day cruise. Live music with a wine dinner. Live music at a 2,000-year-old Calusa Indian shell mound. Live music with a chart-topping singer-songwriter who is backed up by the Gulf Coast Symphony.

These ticketed events and more are all part of the 10-year celebration of Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, Sept. 20-29, recently named one of the Top 5 music fests by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

Sneak Peek in St. Pete, Sept. 7
Enjoy an afternoon performance by BMI singer-songwriters Tim McGeary, an Island Hopper alum, and Tricia Markinson, who is new to Island Hopper and calls the greater Tampa area home. The free show will be 3-5 p.m. at Seven C Music & Coffee, located in the Warehouse Arts District of St. Petersburg. There will be door prizes, including passes to the Scotty McCreery pool party performance on Sept. 29, at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina.

Scotty McCreery headlines Island Hopper
Sept. 29: Scotty McCreery will wrap up Island Hopper with a pool party performance at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach. The BMI singer-songwriter is known for his hit songs “You Time,” “Damn Strait,” “Rise and Fall,” “Cab in a Solo” and many more.

Check Island Hopper app for ticketed events + volunteer at a beach cleanup
Sept. 26: Five-time Grammy nominee and BMI singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele will join the Gulf Coast Symphony in a live performance at the Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers.

Sept. 21: Volunteer for the beach cleanup at Alison Hagerup Beach Park on Captiva Island, in support of International Coastal Cleanup. 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Sept. 21: Come aboard and set sail from Captiva Island with singer-songwriters Brian Sutherland & Bobby Tomberlin for a Songwriters Cruise at 3:30 p.m. with Captiva Cruises.

Sept. 23: Wine and dine near the waterfront as Gather, located at Tarpon Point Marina, hosts a Chef’s Dinner alongside performances by Catie Offerman and Danny Myrick.

Sept. 24: Sail with Off the Leash Charters as it welcomes Sheena Brook and Megan Linville to its Songwriter Cruise, departing at 12:30 p.m. from the Nauti Parrot at Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral.

Sept. 25: Luminary Hotel & Co.’s Wine Dinner in the Workshop includes the British-brother trio Essex County. It starts at 6 p.m. in the hotel’s workshop culinary theater, complete with stadium seating.

Sept. 25: ACMA showcase at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers includes performances by BMI singer-songwriters Bill Metts, Robert Bidney, Karen Cohen, Bruce Gallant and Roy Schneider. ACMA is the Association of Classical Musicians and Artists.

Sept. 27: Music Row @ Margaritaville still has VIP tickets available. The show takes place at Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach and includes performances by BMI singer-songwriters Kristian Bush, Kassi Ashton and Shane Profitt.

Sept. 28: Music on the Mound welcomes singer-songwriters Tim James & Jeff Cohen to a 2:30 p.m. show set on a historic shell mound at Fort Myers Beach.

Island Hopper gives fans the opportunity to see almost 100 BMI singer-songwriters perform in smaller venues with a tropical setting as the backdrop. Be sure to catch a free, live Island Hopper performance at these four locations around the Fort Myers area:

• Captiva Island, Sept. 20-22
• Cape Coral, Sept. 23-24
• Downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 25-26
• Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 27-29

Enter to win a stay at DiamondHead Beach Resort
Download the Island Hopper app to enter to win a three-night stay at the DiamondHead Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, tickets to Scotty McCreery on Sept. 29, and a gift bag.

For the full lineup, lodging deals and ticket information, visit IslandHopperFest.com.