Celebrations in the City of Cape Coral!

During November, the City of Cape Coral offers a few celebrations. One is the Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 8, 2025. The patriotic parade starts at 11 am. The parade route is on the south side of Cape Coral Parkway heading west from Cape Coral Street to Chester Street. The Cape Coral community, along with Parks & Recreation and community volunteers, ”…honors our American Heroes and pays tribute to those who lost their lives, those who served honorably, and those still proudly serving our country,” says Senior Public Information Specialist Kaitlyn Mullen. The City of Cape Coral is a Purple Heart City, a community designation that officially acknowledges and honors military personnel who have been wounded or killed in combat.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Capt. Petros “Pete” Kurkimilis, has resided in Lee County for more than four decades. He celebrated his 99th birthday this past July. “Kurkimilis is a living embodiment of service, sacrifice, and legacy. With 51 years of combined service in the U.S. Merchant Marines and the U.S. Marine Corps, his military career spans three wars—World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War—and includes some of the most dangerous and pivotal operations in history: Murmansk Run, the Normandy Invasion, and command service during Vietnam. His distinguished service earned him the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors,” explains Mullen. Kurkimilis is one of the few remaining World War II veterans in our region, and he humbly holds his place as one of the Cape Coral community’s most cherished living connections to the Greatest Generation.

A few holiday events you won’t want to miss are the Holiday Nights on the Lawn held at the Cape Coral City Hall, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd., Friday & Saturday, November 28 & 29, 2025, from 4 pm to 8 pm.  The City of Cape Coral invites the community to kick off the holiday season with this festive event,” explains Mullen. This event will feature a festive tree and menorah lighting, interactive inflatables, local food trucks, ice skating under the stars, a trackless train, unique vendors, and a special visit from Santa. Plus, around 6 pm, a holiday movie will be shown on a giant inflatable screen, perfect for the whole family.  On Saturday night, a fantastic drone show will be lighting up the sky over City Hall.

Saturday, December 20 brings the annual and beloved Holiday Boat-A-Long at Four Freedoms Park, 4818 Tarpon Court, a 3.2-acre park that overlooks Bimini Basin. This family-friendly boat parade offers plenty of shoreline fun, such as holiday entertainment, local food trucks, crafts for the kids, and a visit from Santa Claus. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets and kick back and watch the decorated boats glide by.  After the boat parade, there will be a holiday movie shown on a giant inflatable screen. This popular event has been around for four decades!

Lastly, there’s no better way to celebrate New Years Eve than with a family-friendly Ball Drop! The City of Cape Coral will ring in 2026 with a New Year's Eve Celebration & Ball Drop on Tuesday, December 31, from 6 pm to midnight on SE 47th Terrace (between SE 9th Place and SE 11th Place). The streets will be closed off to traffic so attendees can enjoy free live music, entertainment, food vendors, games and activities for the children, countdown fireworks, and more! Ball drops will occur at both 8 pm and midnight. It’s fun for all ages.

These are just a few of the wonderful ways that the City of Cape Coral celebrates throughout the year. Find out more on the City’s Community Events calendar.