The Coconut Telegraph – Issue #3

🥥 The Coconut Telegraph

Welcome to The Coconut Telegraph — your monthly update from the What’s Up FMB Alliance.

Each month, we’ll share what we’ve been working on, what’s coming up next, and the ways our businesses, residents, and partners are helping keep Fort Myers Beach active, connected, and thriving.

Thanks for being part of the movement — and for supporting Fort Myers Beach.

Since forming in August, our community has experienced explosive growth:

• We've hit 2,600+ Facebook followers!
• Our website newsletter has almost 300 subscribers!
• We still need your high-resolution photos and videos for the website.  Please email info@whatsupfmb.com
  

FMB Is Back and The Island’s Buzzing Again:

Here’s What’s Up in 2026 



If you’re searching Fort Myers Beach events, things to do on Fort Myers Beach, or just plain What’s Up on Fort Myers Beach, here’s my on-island take: you can feel the new-year momentum in the little things.

It’s in the early-morning sounds, bike bells, seagulls arguing over breakfast, the soft thump of someone setting up chairs outside a shop that’s finally back open. It’s in the way more people linger rather than rush. And it’s in that little smile locals get when someone asks, “So… what should we do today?” because right now there are more answers than there were a year ago.

Welcome to the new-year energy, FMB style. And yep, What’s Up FMB is keeping the pulse on it all.

The 2026 vibe: more lights on, more plans worth making

I’ve lived enough island seasons to know when the mood shifts. You can feel it when the sidewalks have that steady foot traffic again. When you catch live music drifting on the breeze and you realize you followed it without even meaning to. When a “quick beach walk” turns into a full evening because someone mentions a special, a band, a pop-up, or “hey, there’s something going on near Times Square.”

That’s why What’s Up FMB exists. Not to sell you a postcard, but to help you experience Fort Myers Beach like someone who actually knows where the good energy is hiding.

So if you’re planning a trip (or already here with sand in your trunk), start with what matters: Fort Myers Beach events, things to do on Fort Myers Beach, and the real-time scoop on what’s happening on Fort Myers Beach. That’s our wheelhouse.

Upcoming Fort Myers Beach events to plan around:

Santini Farmers Market

Location: Santini Marina Plaza, 7205 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach
Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

68th Annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival

Location: Old San Carlos Blvd (between 1st Street and 3rd Street), Fort Myers Beach
Date: March 7–8, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (both days)

Fort Myers Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Location: Starts at Santini Plaza, ends at Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club (175 Sterling Ave)
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

The Vibe right now: Brighter, Livelier, more “Let’s Do This”

All around the island, you can feel the momentum building. More doors are opening. More lights are on. More beach days end with “one more stop” instead of “let’s head back.” It’s the kind of progress you notice in the little things: the buzz near Times Square, the return of familiar traditions, and the steady sense that Fort Myers Beach is stepping forward with purpose.

Big “What’s Up” Energy: The FMB Pier is coming back Bigger

One of the clearest signals of the Beach’s forward motion is the Fort Myers Beach Pier replacement project. The official renderings show a rebuilt pier designed to be 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide, longer and wider than the previous structure.

Even before it’s finished, the pier’s comeback is already part of the island’s heartbeat, a promise in progress and a reason to plan a return trip.

Easier arrivals and a smoother “Welcome to FMB”

Getting on and off the Beach matters to visitors, and it’s on the radar. The Town’s “Projects Around Town” page highlights planned improvements at the base of the Matanzas Pass Bridge, including streets, stoplights, traffic flow, and landscaping.
Translation: a more welcoming first impression and a less “stress” start to your beach day.

Why visit in 2026 Because the Island Energy Is Back!

You get the best parts of Fort Myers Beach, Sun, Sand, Gulf breezes, plus the extra spark of a destination on the rise. It’s a place actively becoming, and that makes a vacation feel less like “same old,” and more like you’re arriving in the middle of a story worth telling.

So, pack the flip-flops, bring your appetite, and leave room in your schedule for the unplanned detours. Find Out What’s Up on FMB as we are building, celebrating, and shining into 2026, and it’s ready for visitors to be part of the wave. 

Positive Vibes,

Cabo Wabo Jim Schaller

cabowabojim.com

📅 Upcoming Events Featured on WhatsUpFMB.com 

Signature Events

• Gilligan’s Island Treasure Hunt – April 2026
• Charmed Crawl – May–July 2026
• Mullet Madness – July 24–25, 2026
• Illuminations Parade – Nov 14, 2026
• TropiClaus – Dec 16, 2026 at The Whale

🗓️ What’s Up FMB Meeting Schedule

All meetings are held at 3 PM upstairs at Nervous Nellie’s.

• April 8 (tentative)
• May 13
• June 10
• July 8
• August 12
• September 9
• October 14
• November 11
• December 9 - The December meeting will begin later than usual and will double as our holiday party, combining a brief meeting with time to celebrate the season together. 🎄

Thank you for being part of the What’s Up FMB Alliance and for supporting the businesses, events, and people that make Fort Myers Beach special. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming meetings and events as we continue building momentum together.



Stay beachy. Stay kind. Stay FMB.