Although AAA projects nearly 2.6 million Floridians will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day weekend, setting a new record for the holiday, there are plenty of ways to celebrate closer to home in Southwest Florida.
Bonita Springs
The City of Bonita Springs Veterans Advisory Committee invites the public to attend a Memorial Day Service on Monday, May 25. The service will be in downtown Bonita Springs, on the Liles Hotel Lawn at 27300 Old 41 Road. and will begin at 9 a.m.
Guest speaker is Raymond Sandelli, U.S. Navy lieutenant, retired. Sandelli is a former Naval aviator who logged 1700 flight hours and 295 carrier landings. In 1977 and 1978, he was a member of the Blue Angels Demonstration Squadron.
He was a Lee County Commissioner from 2019 to 2024.
For more information, see here. here
Cape Coral
U.S. Air Force veterans Chuck and Annette Warren will be on hand for the 45th ceremony at Coral Ridge Cemetery, 950 Chiquita Blvd. S. The celebration, a “Tribute to the Heroism of Our Fallen and Sacrifices of Their Families,” begins at 10 a.m. on Monday.
For more information, see here.
Manatee County
The Manatee County Veterans Council will host the county's official Memorial Day ceremony, "Honoring Our Fallen," at Donald L. Courtney Veterans Park, 176 Waterfront Drive in Bradenton. The ceremony will be held Monday at 9 a.m. and include remembrances, remarks from local leaders and patriotic presentations. A photographic war memorial by the same name will honor over 300 Florida servicemen and women who lost their lives since Sept. 11, 2001.
Sarasota
The city will host a Memorial Day parade downtown beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, followed by a ceremony at J.D. Hamel Park.
Sarasota National Cemetery will hold a commemoration on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. with a wreath-laying, speakers and military honors.
Also on Saturday, SRQ VETS will host the 11th annual Memorial Day 5K hike, starting at J.D. Hamel Park, proceeding over the Ringling Bridge, then back to the park for an afternoon of fun that includes a cookout, music and inflatables. Registration starts at the park at 8 a.m., with the hike beginning at 9.
Captiva
Get started early on the holiday with events that begin Friday at South Seas Resort.
The resort will host its third annual tarpon tournament, followed by the inaugural South Seas Golf Scramble. The multi-day event brings together anglers, golfers, sponsors and the community to raise funds and awareness for Folds of Honor, which provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military members and first responders.
The weekend kicks off on Friday with a competitive tarpon fishing tournament followed by a tribute to fallen service members featuring a paratrooper landing, Lee County Sheriff’s Office honor guard presentation and the tarpon tournament awards ceremony. On Saturday, the inaugural South Seas Golf Scramble takes place at The Clutch, the resort’s Beau Welling-designed course, followed by a helicopter golf ball drop courtesy of Lee County Sheriff’s Office. On Sunday, children and teens compete in the Little Anglers fishing tournament from 8:30-10:30 a.m. All events benefit Folds of Honor.
WHEN: Friday, May 22, 2026
Tarpon Tournament: 6:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
Tarpon Tournament Awards/Dinner: 4-6 p.m.
Saturday, May 23, 2026
Golf Scramble at The Clutch: 8 a.m. - noon
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Little Anglers Tournament: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
South Seas Resort is located at 5400 Plantation Road, Captiva Island, Florida 33924.
More on those AAA numbers
Beginning on the Thursday before Memorial Day and ending on Monday. Florida road trippers are expected to number about 2.3 million. Another 236,000 will fly, while nearly 75,000 will travel by other modes such as bus, train, or cruise.
