Matanzas on the Bay will once again serve as a venue for singer-songwriter performances during the fourth annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, taking place Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 on Fort Myers Beach. More than 80 confirmed songwriters will take the stage during the 10-day event, bringing more than 150 performances to 24 unique venues along the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in Southwest Florida.
All performances at Matanzas on the Bay will take place on the lower deck and will be free and open to the public. The waterfront restaurant will offer guests $13 buckets of LandShark throughout the festival weekend. Matanzas on the Bay also offers free boat dockage and car parking for guests throughout the weekend, giving festival-goers easy access to the wide array of scheduled performances.
On Friday, Sept. 29, singer-songwriters Taylor Alexander and Carrie Welling will perform at 7 p.m., followed by Audrey Spillman and Bill LaBounty at 8:15 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 30, Adam Wood and Julia Cole will perform at 2:30 p.m., followed by Reverie Lane at 4:15 p.m., Jack Michael and Brinley Addington at 6 p.m., Will Bowen and Dave Gibson at 7:15 p.m. and Dave Fenley and Paul McDonald at 8:30 p.m. The final day, Sunday, Oct. 1, will feature performances by Granville Automatic at 1:30 p.m., followed by Bobby Tomberlin and Bill LaBounty at 3 p.m.
Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is presented by Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, iHeartMedia, Cat Country 107.1 and BMI, the largest music rights organization in the U.S. For more information, visit www.islandhopperfest.com. Follow the festival hashtag #islandhopper on Twitter and other social channels. Photos available upon request.
Matanzas on the Bay and Petey’s Upper Deck are best known for waterfront views, fresh seafood and old Florida ambience and is located at 416 Crescent St. on Fort Myers Beach on Estero Bay. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily, as well as caters to special occasions and private parties. As part of its commitment to use as many locally sourced products as possible, Matanzas on the Bay offers rum from the Wicked Dolphin Rum Distillery and draft beer from Fort Myers Brewery. Its upstairs sports bar, Petey’s Upper Deck, is popularly known for its Dave’s Dockside Pizza, named the best pizza on Fort Myers Beach. The restaurant is located adjacent to the Matanzas Bayside Inn waterfront accommodations, just steps away from the Fort Myers Beach entertainment district. Free car parking and boat dockage is available. To book your party or for more information, call 239-463-3838 or visit www.MatanzasontheBay.com.
