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🌱 What’s cooking at Punta Gorda’s free waterfront seafood festival this weekend?
Morning Punta Gorda! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- What’s cooking at Punta Gorda’s free waterfront seafood festival this weekend?
- Serious Punta Gorda crash triggers three trauma alerts Thursday afternoon
- How a Punta Gorda land fight could reshape wildlife protections nationally
Also on today's calendar: Nationwide Days of Second Chances Job Fair .
Today's riddle: What did the inventor of the knock-knock joke win? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Friday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 88 and low of 66 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Saturday: Sunny to partly cloudy, temps: high: 90, low: 66.
- Sunday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 90 and low of 66 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Shuckin' Good Times Await at the Punta Gorda Spring Seafood & Music Festival 2026! - WENG 98.1FM, 107.5 FM & 1530 AM (wengradio.com) — Punta Gorda’s Spring Seafood & Music Festival kicks off today at Laishley Park, bringing three days of free live music, fresh seafood, and local artisan vendors along Charlotte Harbor. With acts like Soundwall Jackson and Annika Chambers Deslauriers & Paul Deslauriers, plus a pet-friendly, family atmosphere, it’s an easy weekend outing for residents looking to eat, browse, and relax close to home. 
2. Two-Vehicle Crash with Entrapment Prompts Three Trauma Alerts (thelegaladvocate.com) — Emergency crews are responding to a serious two‑vehicle crash with entrapment in Punta Gorda that triggered three trauma alerts Thursday afternoon. First responders are working to free trapped occupants and assess injuries, and investigators are examining what caused the collision, with more details on victim conditions expected as they become available.
3. Could One Florida Bird Reshape the Endangered Species Act? A Charlotte County Lawsuit Says Yes (englewoodreview.com) — A Charlotte County lawsuit over land in Punta Gorda could change how endangered species are protected nationwide. A local tech entrepreneur is challenging the six-figure fee tied to Florida scrub-jay habitat protections on his property, arguing the costs are unfair. Environmental advocates counter that preserving scrub-jay land safeguards vital groundwater and agriculture across the region.
4. HISTORY COLUMN: The civil engineer who helped 'jumpstart' Charlotte County's future (yoursun.com) — Punta Gorda’s early roads, bridge to Charlotte Harbor, and first paved streets owe much to Indiana engineer William Monson Whitten, who settled here in the early 1900s. This history column traces how his personal investment and county service helped spur creation of Charlotte County and modern infrastructure, and points readers to local archives and the upcoming Hibiscus Festival for more ways to explore that past.
5. Foreclosures edge higher, REOs jump in first quarter (scotsmanguide.com) — Punta Gorda is among the U.S. metros with the highest foreclosure rates this quarter, with about one in 416 homes receiving a filing. Analysts say rising foreclosures and bank repossessions nationwide suggest growing financial stress for some homeowners, even though levels remain below past peaks. Florida overall is seeing a notable jump in lender takeovers.
📸 Around Punta Gorda
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🗓
Upcoming Events in
Punta Gorda
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
CCPS Career Fair Hiring Event
Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center Punta Gorda, FL 33950
8:00 am -
Nationwide Days of Second Chances Job Fair
St Mary Baptist Church , 605 Mary St , Punta Gorda
11:00 am -
FORT MYERS / S.W.F.L. JobLink 2026 Job Fair Happening 4/29
Drury Inn & Suites Fort Myers Airport FGCU , 9950 University Plaza Dr , Fort Myers
10:00 am
Monday April 20
Thursday April 23
Wednesday April 29
📣 Punta Gorda Shout Outs!
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🗓 Events Nearby
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Free Wading Adventure
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center , 10941 Burnt Store Rd , Punta Gorda
10:00 am -
Vertical Oyster Gardening
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center , 10941 Burnt Store Rd , Punta Gorda
10:30 am -
Steve Flagg
Cass Cay Restaurant & Bar , 3200 Matecumbe Key Rd , Punta Gorda
6:00 pm -
Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda Home & Garden Show
Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center -
Free Guided Nature Walk
Bayshore Live Oak Park , 23157 Bayshore Rd , Port Charlotte
9:00 am -
Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda Home & Garden Show 2026 April
Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center , 75 Taylor St , Punta Gorda
10:00 am -
YMCA Healthy Kids Day
Franz Ross YMCA
10:00 am -
Brighter Days Brunch for Loveland Center Port Charlotte
Punta Gorda Elks Lodge #2606 , 25538 Shore Drive , Punta Gorda
11:00 am -
Bowl for Kids' Sake
Treasure Lanes , 1059 S Tamiami Trl , Port Charlotte
1:00 pm
Friday April 17
Saturday April 18
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Punta Gorda PatchAM possible:
- Amy's lash and brows — (239) 300-1701
Permanent Makeup & Eyelash Services in Punta Gorda - MK Construction Group LLC — (941) 225-8602
Expert Home Remodeling & Renovation in Port Charlotte
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Yesterday I needed Feta cheese for a recipe and called OPA , A taste of Greece.
4678 tamiami , punta gorda. The shop is small with a well edited selection. The feta cheese was excellent! The shop owner was a delight! After … (Nextdoor Punta Gorda Isles) - Our little dove made a nest on top of our upside down ladder.
She’s safe. I named her peaky still no babies hatched as of yet. (Nextdoor Aqui Esta)
- Pilot Travel Centers, LLC posted a job opening for Janitorial Maintenance in Punta Gorda. Apply here.
- Chilli's posted a job opening for Line Cook - Port Charlotte Chili's in Port Charlotte. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Punta Gorda here.
Ok Punta Gorda! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The NO-BELL prize (Thank you Gina M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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