When most people hear the words 10-day music festival, they picture a sea of humanity and a world of chaos — wall-to-wall thousands under a hot Florida sun, music so loud you have to shout in your companion’s ear, plus that most appealing visual of a phalanx of blue porta-johns and interminable long lines. And then there’s Island Hopper. The 2017 Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, now celebrating its fourth year, is the brainchild of the marketing minds at the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau (VCB), along with executives from BMI (the global leader in music rights management) and iHeart Media – Cat Country 107.1 of Fort Myers (one of the leading music apps that allows you to digitally stream hundreds of live radio stations around the country or customize your music, similar to services like Pandora). As the leader of tourism promotion in Lee County, the VCB is always exploring ways to drive more dollars into our destination via lodging, food and beverage sales. Here inSouthwest Florida andmany othermarkets, tourism is weaker during “shoulder seasons” — in our case, that’s September and October in particular. Nancy MacPhee is Manager of Product Development at the VCB, and notes that “our goal from the beginning has been to create an extended stay kind of event that would have broad appeal to both local and regional markets. After researching some similar concepts around the U.S., we decided to focus on music with a country slant — as performed by the original songwriters — due to our partnership with BMI and iHeart Media. It’s different, it’s better and it really reflects the laid- back vibe of Southwest Florida.”
What that means is: the music is low key, easy to get to and easier to enjoy. Across 10 days (this year September 22 – October 1), acoustic music fans will have opportunities to hear songs performed by the very men and women who wrote them — at numerous locations that arewithinwalkingdistance of each other on Captiva Island (September 22- 24), downtown Fort Myers (September 25-28) and Fort Myers Beach (September 29-October 1). This year, that includes two songwriters who are inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, a good number of local artists plus upwards of 20 new writers and performers. “All of the venues are free, there will be a few ticketed shows, no cover charge,” MacPhee explains. “You walk in, grab a seat, sit back, relax, savor a cold beverage and listen to some great music — and the stories behind the songs — in intimate settings where often, you can chat with the artist after the show.”
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