What's New Around Southwest Florida — Week of July 27, 2026

What's New Around Southwest Florida: July 27, 2026

Southwest Florida wrapped up July with real news: the strongest June home-sales report in five years, a change of address for one of downtown Naples' signature events, a wave of new restaurants, and a riverfront festival to open August.

Naples Home Sales Post Their Strongest June in Five Years

The Naples area housing market closed the first half of 2026 with authority. According to Naples Area Board of REALTORS® data reported by Gulfshore Business on July 27, closed sales jumped 16.5% year over year to 881 transactions in June, while pending sales rose 14.9% to 855. The median closed price climbed 3.8% to $595,000.

Just as notable: inventory tightened 23.4% to 4,741 homes, pulling months of supply down from 9.7 to 6.3. Condominium closed sales rose 27.7% versus June 2025, and 61 properties above $10 million traded in the first half of the year. Analysts quoted in the report said the market "enters the second half of 2026 with steady momentum despite higher interest rates and economic uncertainty." For sellers, tightening supply is a tailwind; for buyers, 6.3 months of inventory still means genuine choice.

Cars on 5th Is Leaving Fifth Avenue South — and Collier County Wants to Keep It

One of downtown Naples' marquee events is searching for a new home. After the city proposed capping attendance at 3,500, organizers of Cars on 5th — the charity show that has drawn roughly 15,000 paying visitors and more than 700 high-end vehicles to Fifth Avenue South for 21 of its 23 years — said they will not apply for a 2027 permit downtown. At its July 28 meeting, the Collier County Board of Commissioners said it is working to keep the event in the county; organizer Tom O'Riordan reported proposals from 33 potential venues and confirmed a February 6 show will stay in Southwest Florida. Commissioner Rick LoCastro summed up the search: "That organization isn't looking for just a big parking lot... They're looking for a venue that's similar to Fifth Avenue."

Three New Italian Restaurants Join the Naples Dining Map

Summer 2026 has quietly become a season of Italian openings across Collier County:

• Adoré Bar & Cucina opened May 28 at 7785 Davis Blvd. in East Naples, a top-to-bottom renovation of the former Pelican Larry's space with imported Italian meats, cheeses and wines and an executive chef from Italy.
• Casa Cotzelli East opened June 23 in the Shops at Eagle Creek (12712 Tamiami Trail E.), the second location of the fine-dining concept that got its start in Island Walk more than three years ago.
• Papa Joe's Trattoria opened June 17 at 10823 Tamiami Trail N. in Naples Park, serving house-made pasta and mozzarella in the tradition of Brooklyn's Italian neighborhoods.

New dining anchors like these matter beyond dinner plans — they are exactly the kind of everyday amenities customers weigh when choosing where to live.

Waterside Shops' Summer Refresh Keeps Rolling

Waterside Shops is in the middle of its biggest tenant turnover in years. Eddie V's Prime Seafood opened June 7 with nightly live jazz, and Christian Dior followed June 11 with a 6,000-square-foot standalone boutique. Coming this fall: Vuori, Peter Millar, Love Shack Fancy and Piranesi, with Anthropologie relocating into a larger 8,500-square-foot space and Van Cleef & Arpels and Omega slated for late 2026 into early 2027. RH's restaurant-anchored Naples gallery targets late 2026, and Buck & Rider is aiming for early 2027. Through the summer, the center is even pouring complimentary lemonade on Fridays and Saturdays.

Quick Heads-Up: Nightly Ramp Work at I-75 and Pine Ridge Road

If your route runs through exit 107, plan around paving crews this week. The Pine Ridge Road ramps are closing overnight on a rotation — 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. — through the morning of August 1, finishing with the southbound off-ramp on the night of July 31. Detour routes are posted, and law enforcement is on site during the closures.

Beyond Naples: RiverFest Returns to Downtown Bonita Springs Aug. 1

Bonita Springs opens August on the water. RiverFest returns Saturday, August 1 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Riverside Park and the Liles Hotel grounds, with live music, food trucks, vendors and races on the Imperial River — rubber duckie, canoe and kayak. The free festival is hosted by the Bonita Springs Downtown Alliance, with proceeds benefiting Friends of BERT, the nonprofit supporting the Bonita Estero Rail Trail.

Sources

• [Naples area home sales jump 16.5% in June - Gulfshore Business](https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/gb-daily/naples-area-home-sales-jump-16-5-in-june/article_31a0cfa0-b46a-4537-9218-075b4ea97235.html)
• [Collier County courts Cars on 5th after Naples split - Gulfshore Business](https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/collier/naples-denies-cars-on-5th-permit-collier-county-steps-in/article_ea96bb2f-a5ca-4572-ac73-989fe9d48e45.html)
• [Naples welcomes three new Italian restaurants this summer - Gulfshore Business](https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/news/ador-and-casa-cotzelli-expand-naples-italian-dining-options/article_fc379324-2c30-4830-8210-39a23a7d6580.html)
• [Waterside Shops in Naples welcomes new tenants this summer - Gulfshore Business](https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/hospitality/waterside-shops-in-naples-adds-six-new-stores-this-summer/article_407030a9-7861-4d89-bb26-ba07ab592524.html)
• [Paving work to shut I-75 exit 107 ramps nightly starting July 28 - WINK News](https://www.winknews.com/news/collier/paving-work-to-shut-i-75-exit-107-ramps-nightly-starting-july-28/article_c9f095d1-3c2b-4b5e-b132-6e3c003ae854.html)
• [RiverFest returning to Bonita Springs in August - Gulfshore Business](https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/gb-daily/riverfest-returning-to-bonita-springs-in-august/article_52bf9b0a-15af-430e-aa5e-6a50d796af5f.html)

Have questions about a neighborhood near one of these spots? The licensees at Waterfront Realty Group, Inc. know Southwest Florida block by block. Call (239) 263-1000.

Ready to make a move while the market has momentum? Whether you're weighing a sale into tightening inventory or searching for the right address near the places that make Southwest Florida home, connect with Waterfront Realty Group, Inc. at (239) 263-1000 — serving Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero, Fort Myers and the surrounding communities.