The End of a Lehigh Acres institution since 1975.
Lehigh Acres Festival organizers have officially changed the name and theme of the event, now calling it “Southwest Florida Hero Fest.” Organizers cited a decline in interest as one of the main reasons for the change.
Lehigh Acres Festival had also been a goodbye party for the seasonal residents of Lehigh Acres. But now, most of the unincorporated area of Lee County has year-round residents living there.
The Southwest Florida Hero Fest is now a celebration to honor heroes like police officers, firefighters, EMT’s etc.
Carnival ride safety has been an issue in the past. In 2013, two kids were injured and went to the hospital after a ride malfunctioned. Another ride malfunction in 2015 left eight kids trapped on a ride for more than an hour, but none of them were injured.
“It’s as safe as any carnival you can go to. We have insurance. Our carnival has insurance. Our vendor has insurance. They all have their health certificates,” Culver said.
When the past incidents happened, the festival had been working with the carnival company “Modern Midways.” According to its website, “Megerle Shows” is the carnival company hired for Hero Fest.
The Hero Fest is from Feb. 6-9, 2020 on Joel Blvd. near the intersection at Bell Blvd. NOTE: it WILL NOT be in Veterans Park. Tickets are $20 and proceeds go to the local American Legion Post in Lehigh Acres.
There is no fee to attend the event. The NBC2 Reporter got it wrong. There is also no fee for parking.