Vintage Base Ball Game – at Terry Park
Edison and Ford Winter Estates will host a day of vintage “base ball” 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.
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). Click here to register as an exhibitor. 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.
45th Annual Turkey Trot 5K
The Fort Myers Track Club, in partner with the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, is hosting our 45th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K
Run/Walk. The 5K course will start and finish at Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Downtown Fort Myers. For years, this fun-filled family event has been an annual holiday tradition for locals and visitors alike, hosting thousands of visitors from over 42 states in 2023. This event and its beautiful location is a great way to kick-off the Thanksgiving Holiday. For those unable to travel to wonderful Fort Myers, we also provide the option to participate remotely.
REGISTRATION FEES* (No Race Day Registration):
Adult: $25 thru Nov. 20 | $30 Nov. 21-27
Youth: $15 thru Nov. 20 | $20 Nov. 21-27
Tot Trot: $5 (100yd dash) 6 & Under
The deadline to register online and be guaranteed a shirt size is November 11, 2024. Shirts will be available for the first 3000 registered participants. An inventory is set for all shirt sizes, once your shirt size is selected, there will be no exchange in size. Two things that will ensure you receive your shirt and size choice: (1) DO NO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO REGISTER (2) PLAN TO ATTEND AN EARLY PACKET PICK-UP. Shirts are unisex sizing. There is a specific inventory of shirts, once this runs out, participants must choose another size.
Entry fee is discounted 20% for all Fort Myers Track Club Members.
Visit the Fort Myers Track Club to register or learn more.
Annual Wreath Auction
In partnership with the Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club, guests may select from dozens of unique, handmade wreaths being auctioned to benefit restoration and preservation efforts at the Estates. Come see the lights, listen to music, enjoy some appetizers and cash bar and bid on a wreath!
Cost: $20 per person
Bring your e-ticket to be scanned at the welcome booth.
Click here to purchase tickets!
Sponsored by:
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 — CANCELLED
This event is being rescheduled for April 12-13 due to Hurricane Milton.
Come learn about orchids during this fun two-day event! Presentations are free on a first-come first-served basis and registration is not required (does not include tours or admission to the museum, lab, or riverside estates). The Lee County Master Gardeners will have an advice table and several vendors will have orchids available for sale.
Presentation Schedule
Saturday
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
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 
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.
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.
