Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m., the City of Bonita Springs cuts the ribbon on Banyan Square, the new splash pad and plaza at 27381 Old 41 Road. City officials will speak, and then the Banyan parcel officially opens. Riverside Park is a short walk away and will still be behind construction fencing when the ribbon falls.
So for the next several weeks, downtown Bonita has a temporary layout. The finished amenity sits on the lot beside the park, the farmers market sets up at the park's edge, and the park itself is scheduled to host its first concerts in December. If you're planning your downtown evenings and Wednesday mornings this season, Banyan Square is where to start.
What the Banyan Lot Got
The city's announcement describes a much bigger fountain than a typical park sprayground. It has 74 lights and nozzles. During daytime "play fountain" hours, sprays top out around six feet, which is kid height. At night the same system pushes water up to 20 feet, more than three times as high. The nozzles can be controlled one at a time or in groups to make shaped spray patterns.
The lighting reaches past the water, too. RGBW lighting run through a DMX control system colors the fountain for evening shows set to music. The show is synced with 54 more lights in the banyan tree and four in the oak, and four 360-degree speakers around the edge carry the sound.
Two practical details matter to parents. The splash pad uses an integrated filtration and chlorination system that the city compares to a community pool's. The city's April update listed new restroom facilities as part of the same Banyan Lot construction.
The Show Started Before the Ribbon
If you've walked Old 41 after dark this week, you've probably seen it already. The city choreographed the first fountain show for its Happy Haunts Halloween Stroll, and a 10-minute Halloween show runs every night of the stroll through Saturday, Oct. 31.
Happy Haunts is free. It loops around Riverside Park, 10450 Reynolds St., with decorations, projections, lighting and music, according to Marco Island Sun Times' weekend roundup. The posted start time differs between the city and the roundup, so check the city's listing before you set out.
After Halloween, the plan is less clear. The city hasn't published regular daily splash pad hours, a recurring evening show schedule, or posted rules for use. Until it does, call the city at 239-949-6262 before planning a weeknight around a show.
Riverside Park Is Still Closed
When the city closed Riverside Park in April, the splash pad and the park renovation were described as one project with one finish line. The city's April 8 downtown update said Phase 1 was complete, Phase 2 would start the second week of April, and both projects were "on track for a grand opening in Winter 2026."
The splash pad finished first. The park's finish date depends on which city page you read:
- The downtown events page lists Phase 2 construction from April 2026 to November 2026 and says to check back for updates.
- The same page says the park stays closed until Phase 2 is complete, which it expects by winter 2026.
- The Riverside Park page on the city's parks site says the bandshell is closed for renovation and planned to reopen in late fall.
None of the three gives a date. Taken together, the park looks likely to reopen sometime between late November and the start of winter, and it hasn't happened yet.
Phase 2 is aimed at wear from daily use and big events, especially on the event lawn. Published plans call for:
- A synthetic turf event lawn built for heavy foot traffic
- A permanent performance stage and bandshell improvements
- Wider walkways so vendors and crowds move more easily during events
- More paved seating and shaded gathering areas
- More parking, more bike racks, and better pedestrian connections
- Preservation of the existing live oaks, memorial trees and public art
- An upgraded veterans memorial and flagpole area
- Future connections to Depot Park and the artist cottages
The first and third items connect directly to the plaza that opens tonight. Once both are done, you'll be able to walk from a shaded seat on the new lawn to the fountain show under the banyan without crossing a construction zone.
Where the Downtown Week Lands Until Then
With the park still closed, the season's regular events have moved to its edges or to other parts of town. The calendar below is current as of late October 2026.
| When | What | Where | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon | Local Roots Flea Market | Promenade at Bonita Bay | Running since Oct. 3, through May 29, 2027 |
| Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Bonita Springs Lions Club Wednesday Market | 10441 Childers St., by Riverside Park | First date Nov. 4, through April 2027 |
| Nov. 11, 7 p.m. | Eddie Montgomery | Sugarshack Downtown, 27421 Old 41 Road | Scheduled |
| Dec. 8 | Stardust Memories Big Band | Riverside Park | On the city's approved event calendar |
| Dec. 13 | Bonita Springs Concert Band | Riverside Park | On the city's approved event calendar |
| Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve candlelight service | Riverside Park | On the city's approved event calendar |
The Wednesday Market is the first big test of the new layout. The Lions Club's market page still describes the market in Riverside Park, but its schedule lists the season "By Riverside Park" at the Childers Street address. That puts produce, baked bread and handmade goods a block or two from Banyan Square starting Wednesday, Nov. 4.
The December rows are planned dates on the city's special events schedule. They show when the city expects the park to host events again. They don't confirm that construction will be finished by then. That same schedule lists nothing at all for November and picks up again on Dec. 8.
Building an Evening Around the Square
Banyan Square is in the middle of the stretch of Old 41 that already had the most going on at night, so a fountain stop fits easily into an evening.
- Sugarshack Downtown, 27421 Old 41 Road, is the closest by street number and is booking acts into November. Its site had a show on its calendar as recently as Oct. 24.
- Rooftop at Riverside, 27333 Old 41 Road, is on the other side of the square. Its site lists weekly bar and food truck hours. The page isn't dated, so check them on the day you go.
- The Bohemian, 27975 Old 41 Road, is the sit-down dinner option farther up the road and takes reservations through its website.
- Harvest & Wisdom at Shangri-La Springs, 27750 Old 41 Road, works for mornings. It's open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., per Shangri-La's restaurant page, so it pairs well with a Wednesday Market stop and a daytime splash pad run.
The city hasn't named parking for Banyan Square specifically. Its downtown page points to on-street spaces and the Felts Avenue lot, and it links a parking map.
The Ice Cream Stop Is a 2027 Story
The obvious missing piece next to a splash pad is ice cream, and it is coming. In June, Barron Collier Companies announced the first commercial tenants at Imperial 41, its mixed-use project that spans the Imperial River downtown. The tenants are Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy, Simple Beauty Studio, Old Bonita Surf Shop and The Brass Alligator.
Imperial 41 plans about 19,000 square feet of commercial space alongside 120 rental residences, and construction is underway. But the units are expected to be handed to tenants in summer 2027 for interior buildouts. Doors open only after that work is done. In June, one riverfront restaurant space and three retail or office spaces were still available.
The same announcement says the project will add new restaurants, retail, public green space and public parking. That leaves one stretch of Old 41 with three finish dates: Banyan Square opens Oct. 29, Riverside Park is expected around winter, and Imperial 41's tenant spaces are due to be handed over for buildout in summer 2027.
I follow downtown Bonita block by block as Riverside Park and Imperial 41 come online, because those openings change how the streets around Old 41 feel day to day. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of Banyan Square, or about selling one while downtown is still filling in, Jill Nicholas can walk you through what's open, what's coming and when. Request a Consultation.
