| Special to The Banner
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, Le Colonial, the French-Vietnamese restaurant located at 457 Fifth Avenue South in Naples, will offer special dishes on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
For Lunar New Year, recognized as one of the most important holidays in Vietnamese culture, Le Colonial will offer five dinner specials, consisting of two small plates, two large plates and one dessert.
Small plate specials include Bahn Khot Vit, Mini Rice Crepes ($22), with duck confit, scallion, butter lettuce and Vietnamese herbs; and Shumai Truffle, Black Truffle Dumplings ($24), with Berkshire pork, black tiger shrimp and black truffle.
Naples Pier demolition begins to prepare for long-awaited rebuild
Reader Philip V Mokrysz shared a video from Feb. 3, 2026, of demolition that included lifting out of the walkway.
Holiday entrees include Thit Kho Trung, Braised Pork Belly ($38), with Berkshire pork, quail eggs, coconut, Persian cucumber and pickled vegetables; and Ca Bon Chien Gion, Whole Flounder/Fluke ($72), served with crispy basil and chili lime dipping sauce.
The dessert special is the Lunar Fortune ($15), with Oolong Tea Namelaka, “roasted black sesame Japonaise, black sesame-almond praline and fragrant Pandan gel.”
Le Colonial Naples will be open for dinner from 4 until 9:30 p.m. on Lunar New Year. For menu and reservations, call 239-372-9700 or visit LeColonial.com or OpenTable.
Wonder Gardens to host ‘Early Earth Day’
Wonder Gardens will host an Early Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., Saturday, April 18. The event will feature “family fun, games and educational activities for children of all ages, including animal meet and greets, arts and crafts, face painting, photo opportunities and more.”
The celebration will also include a market featuring local vendors and small businesses offering a variety of items for purchase.
“We are excited to celebrate Earth Day and partner with local businesses to promote sustainability and environmental education,” said Neil Anderson, CEO and president of Wonder Gardens. “This day serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect the planet we call home and all of the diverse life it supports.”
Paid admission to the gardens is required to participate in Early Earth Day; however, no advance registration is needed.
For more information, visit WonderGardens.org.
Sunshine Ace Hardware eclipses $500K in donations
Sunshine Ace Hardware’s annual Holiday Round Up raised $56,489, pushing the company’s cumulative fundraising total for Children’s Miracle Network above the $500,000 mark.
From Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, customers at the retail stores in Collier, Lee, Charlotte and Pinellas counties joined those at Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware locations in Manatee County in rounding up their purchases or choosing a specific dollar amount to donate at check-out. Sunshine Ace Hardware also matched a portion of donations.
The 2025 Holiday Round Up campaign brought Sunshine Ace Hardware’s cumulative fundraising total to $544,541 in support of Children’s Miracle Network.
“From pediatric health care and youth programs to water quality, our customers and associates are always generous supporters of charitable causes,” said Michael Wynn, president of Sunshine Ace Hardware. “When our community comes together to make a difference in the lives of local children and families, we make every cent count.”
Florida Birding Specialty Tour during Burrowing Owl Festival
As part of the 24th Annual Burrowing Owl Festival, on Saturday, Feb. 28, Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is offering the Southwest Florida Birding Specialty Tour, a four-hour guided birding experience led by local and nationally recognized birding experts.
This guided bus tour allows participants to visit multiple prime birding locations across Cape Coral and surrounding areas.
The tour also offers excellent opportunities for bird photography. Short walks at select stops will be required.
Participants can expect to see burrowing owls, along with a variety of other species that may include bald eagles, purple martins, kites, herons, egrets and more.
Expert guides include David and Tammy McQuade, Cape Coral residents Eary and Jennifer Warren, hold the national records for the most bird species photographed in the United States, with 894 and 886 species; and Cape Coral residents Eary and Jennifer Warren, who bring exceptional local expertise to the tour.
The tour will be from 7 until 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 28 at Rotary Park, 5505 Rose Garden Road, Cape Coral. Cost is $70 (includes admission to the Burrowing Owl Festival). Tickets can be purchased in advance at ccfriendsofwildlife.org.
The 24th Annual Burrowing Owl Festival Wildlife and Environmental Expo celebrates Cape Coral’s designated bird and the city’s distinctive wildlife. The festival is from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 28, at Rotary Park in Cape Coral.
This family-oriented event combines wildlife education, conservation efforts and interactive enjoyment while emphasizing the significance of safeguarding local habitats.
A donation of $5 at the entrance is appreciated for attendees aged 12 and older.
CCFW’s Online Auction— featuring hundreds of items contributed by businesses nationwide — is live and will continue until March 1, providing another avenue to support wildlife conservation.
For more, visit bforg.com/CCFW or ccfriendsofwildlife. org.
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