Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.  Weekly News February 7, 2025 This Weekend!  Spring Garden Festival February 8 and 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get ready for one of the largest gardening events in SWFL! More than 80 garden vendors 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. The fest- ival will also feature food trucks and live music. The Garden Shoppe will be open and have unusual tropical and Florida native plants that thrive in Southwest Florida. A limited number of carts will be available, so guests are encouraged to bring a cart or wagon for transporting plants. Parking and ad- mission to the festival is FREE (tours and admission to the riverside, museum or lab are not included). Admission starts at 9 a.m. for BOTH members and non-members. Upcoming Events  Thomas Edison’s 178th Birthday Celebration February 11, 10 a.m. Come celebrate Thomas Edison’s birthday with us! The annual tradition continues with a visit from Thomas Edison, and students from the Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School singing, dancing and playing stringed instruments. We will serve birthday cake, and there will be a calliope demonstration outside under the banyan tree. The calliope is a modified 1914 Model T with a built- in pipe organ! The party is a FREE public event (does not include tours or admission to the museum or laboratory). This event takes place near the Banyan Café.  Volunteer Meeting and Lecture: Fine Art Conservation and Research February 12, 10 a.m. Returning to our site following his popular lecture in 2020, Jeremy Fogg is back to share new dis- coveries and adventures in the world of fine art conservation and research at our Volunteer Meet- ing on February 12 at 10 a.m.! This year’s presentation will offer an insider’s look at exciting new projects, including the conservation of Edison and Ford’s historic portrait of Thomas Edison, cur- rently being restored by Jeremy and his team at Northeast Painting Conservation. Explore the in- tricate process of art conservation with stunning visuals and firsthand research on this remarkable piece. This meeting will take place in the lecture hall of the South Florida Water Management build- ing at 2301 McGregor Blvd. This event is open to the public. Registration is not required.  Valentine’s Day Cocktail Chemistry Class (SOLD OUT) February 14, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bring a friend or significant other and learn how to make cocktails and enjoy a beautiful view! Class includes: Welcome Cocktail, 2 Cocktails (made in the class taught by Nauti Beach), Passed Appetiz- ers (from Personal Touch Catering), and a 2-Piece Box of Chocolates from Norman Love Confections. Class will be held along the river in our pavilion so there is also a chance to see a spectacular sunset!  Celebrate 100 Years of Spring Training in Fort Myers February 20, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Start off the new season with an evening of FREE family fun for baseball fanatics! Fans will be able to explore the baseball exhibit and enjoy family-friendly activities and baseball trivia, and take photos with mascots from the Twins, Red Sox, and Mighty Mussels! The Red Sox Showcase presented by L.L. Bean will be on site, along with food trucks offering refreshments available for purchase. Enter a free drawing and grab your chance to win baseball tickets and other fabulous prizes. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase for a chance to win an autographed Jarren Duran jersey! Admission to the baseball exhibit inside the Edison Ford museum and parking are free for this event (the riverside and lab will not be open during this event). In the Garden  Garden Tour (Registration Required) February 12, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. On this tour, experienced garden staff lead visitors through the 20-acre site and highlight the differ- ent types of plants and their importance to the Edison and Ford families. Visitors will see the Moon- light Garden, many rare plants and get to go behind-the-scenes in the propagating nursery. Some of the plants in the gardens are available for sale in the onsite Garden Shoppe. The garden tour is offer- ed the second Wednesday of the month, and tickets go on sale online the first of each month for that month’s tour. Registration is limited – click here for online ticketing. Edison Ford members: $30, non-members: $35  Gardening Class: Tropical Rose Gardening February 18, 1:30 p.m. Once upon a rose garden, the Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon, was known for having the largest rose collection in the world at her home outside of Paris. However, this royal gardener hailed from the Caribbean where growing roses can be a challenge. We’ll explore Josephine’s favorite plants and how she would have mastered a sub-tropical rose garden. Our class will also include a tour of the Estates’ rose gardens. Registration is required. Click here to register. Cost: EFWE members: $45, non-members: $60  Gardening Class: Palm Reading February 22, 10 a.m. Get the tools to guide your selection of appropriate palm species for your garden or yard; the physiology of palms, their unique care, and what you need to know to maintain them at their beautiful best! In addition to classroom time, our discussion will continue with a tour of Edi- son’s extensive palm collection. Participants will each receive a copy of the teaching materi- als covered in class, as well as a 20% discount coupon good toward plants in our Garden Shoppe. Advance registration is required. This class always sells out quickly, so be sure to register early because class size is limited. Class will be held at the Fort Myers-Lee County Garden Council building on Larchmont Avenue (across from the Estates’ overflow parking lots). Click here for online ticketing. Edison Ford members: $45, non-members: $60 Just for Kids  Homeschool Classes at Edison Ford Marvels -Golden Gate Bridge Grades 1-3: February 13, 10 a.m. Grades 4-6: February 12, 10 a.m. Students will embark on a journey to develop functional structures to connect our growing world! In the “Build a Lego Bridge” activity, they will construct a bridge using lego pieces. The class is designed to facilitate homeschool learning for grades 1-6. Homeschool classes at Edison Ford are aligned with Next Generation Science and Florida State Standards. Class- es are a combination of instruction and hands on activities that are designed to facilitate homeschool or virtual science education. Click here to register online. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $25  Pre-K Class: “Innovators Unleashed: The Legacy of Edison & Ford.” February 20, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. In this dynamic class, children will discover the groundbreaking inventions of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford through museum visits and hands-on activities. Participants will replicate these innovations, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and an understanding of the impact of inven- tions. Join us for one or all of our upcoming pre-k classes. Back by popular demand, these class- es are designed for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Don’t miss an excellent opportunity for curious children to learn more about science, the world around them, and socializing with others! Class sizes are limited and involve parent participation. Click here to register. Members: $15 per class; non-members: $25 per class VIP Tour  VIP Tour – Ybor City and St. Petersburg February 15, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. This VIP tour includes: Ybor City Historic Walking Tour, Lunch and Flamenco Show at Columbia Restaurant and Jungle Prada History Tour and American Indian Mound. Today Ybor City is known as Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District. Join us on a stroll back in time with a local guide who will talk about the history, architecture and ambience that make up this unique community. Next, we will enjoy a private, catered lunch at the Columbia Restaurant. Then the final stop of the day will take us to St. Petersburg for the Jungle Prada History Tour and location of the Narvaez-Tocobaga Indian Mound, a National Register of His- toric Places. The cost of this tour is $150 for Edison Ford members and $165 for non-members and includes transportation, snacks, tours and lunch. For reservations, contact Sherri Muske at [email protected] or 239-335-3677. Digital Discussion  Digital Discussion: Celebrating a Century of Spring Training In Fort Myers February 18, 10:30 a.m. Join us on for a digital discussion celebrating a century of spring training in Fort Myers! You will learn about the rich history of Fort Myers spring training baseball that began in 1925. Join museum manager Holly Shaffer for this free virtual presentation. Click here to register. Become a MEMBER and get unlimited free visits, discounts on purchases in the Garden Shoppe, retail stores, special events and adult education classes! Join today! Ongoing Programs  Piano Performance POSTPONED Edison Guest House Timeless beauty resides where classical music is performed by Curatorial Registrar, Chet, on Mina Edison’s 1932 George Steck piano in the guest house. We plan to bring this program back in March.  Step into History Presentations Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Learn about subjects related to Edison and Ford with Site Historians. This program is held in the 15,000-square-foot museum. Included with admission.  Yoga Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Class will be held in the River Pavilion (weather permitting). All skill levels are welcome. This class is taught by Bonnie D’Angelo, a certified yoga instructor. Edison Ford members: $15; non-members: $20 per class. Tickets may be purchased online or at the ticket counter. Bring a yoga mat, water, and towel. Admission to the site is not included. Help restore our beautiful gardens. Donate today!      Copyright © 2025 Edison and Ford Winter Estates, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Edison and Ford Winter Estates 2350 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33901 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
