Good news for fireworks lovers: Fort Myers Beach is bringing back its New Year’s Eve fireworks display this year after Hurricane Ian scrapped the 2022 event.
Town Manager Andy Hyatt announced the news Monday during a Fort Myers Beach town council meeting.
“I’ve had some people approach me about making a contribution, and I’ve agreed,” Hyatt said. “We’re gonna have a New Year’s Eve night fireworks display. There will be no charge to the Town except for some staff, that type of thing.”
Hyatt asked for the council’s blessing to move forward with the project, and several council members expressed their approval.
“We’ll bring more to you as we move forward,” Hyatt said, “but I think everybody’s gonna be pretty excited about what they’re gonna see.”
The fireworks represent another step toward normalcy on the island. Fort Myers Beach recently marked the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28 with a remembrance ceremony and a dedication of a new Times Square clock. Ian washed away the previous clock – a popular landmark in the downtown Beach area.
“Building back will take time ...” Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said at the ceremony. “We’re all going to do it together.”
The Fort Myers Beach fireworks display usually goes hand-in-hand with a New Year’s Eve Celebration in Times Square featuring live music and a midnight ball drop. The Town also celebrates its birthday earlier that day with free cupcakes at Times Square.The fireworks are usually launched from the Fort Myers Beach Pier near Times Square, but the pier was heavily damaged by Ian. It’s unclear where the fireworks will be launched from now.
— Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 (for tickets to shows, call the venue) or email him atcrunnells@gannett.com. Follow or message him on social media:Facebook (facebook.com/charles.runnells.7), X (formerly Twitter) (@charlesrunnells), Threads (@crunnells1) and Instagr