The banyan tree at 27381 Old 41 Road now has 54 lights wired into it, and four more sit in the oak beside it. Both are synced to a fountain that sends water up to 20 feet in the evening, with colored lighting and music from four 360-degree speakers around the edge. The City of Bonita Springs calls the space Banyan Square. It set the ribbon cutting for Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
The fountain is the new part. The bigger change is how downtown is laid out. For years, most of the city's events happened in one place. This season they are spreading out along Old 41 and the Imperial River, and the next 14 months add pieces in a set order.
One Park Used to Do Almost Everything
Riverside Park has been downtown's main event space. The city's parks department lists Celebrate Bonita, Star Spangled Bonita, Taste of Bonita and Movies in the Park among the events held there. The park also holds the Historic Liles Hotel, the Artist Cottages, the Butterfly Garden, the Veteran's Brick walkway and memorial, and the bandshell.
That's why its closure mattered so much. The city finished Phase One of the Riverside Park renovation and started Phase Two in the second week of April 2026. The park closed for the work. It reopened briefly for Star Spangled Bonita on July 4. For the rest of the year, the city sent organizers to the Liles Hotel Plaza and the green space between the hotel and the park. Event planners got a toolkit and a parking map to work around the closure.
The city's April update grouped two projects as the downtown upgrades for this year. One was the Riverside Park work. The other was a splash pad with new restrooms on what was then called the Banyan Lot. Both were described as on track for a winter 2026 grand opening. Banyan Square finished first.
What Banyan Square Adds to Old 41
Gulfshore Business reported that Wright Construction Group built the splash pad and placed it near Riverside Park. The fountain works two ways.
- Daytime "play fountain" hours. Sprays reach up to six feet, sized for kids running through.
- Evening performances. Water surges up to 20 feet through 74 lights and nozzles. Each nozzle can be controlled alone or in groups to make shaped spray patterns, and the RGBW lighting is choreographed to music.
- Water treatment. The city says the filtration and chlorination system is comparable to those in community pools.
- Facilities. The city's downtown project page lists a restroom building as part of the Banyan Lot project.
The first show was a 10-minute Halloween program. It ran nightly during the city's Happy Haunts Halloween Stroll, October 22 through 31. Florida Weekly ran the city's full announcement, including the plan for nightly shows during the stroll.
The city release says nothing about a regular daytime schedule or how often evening shows run after Halloween. If you're planning a visit with grandkids or guests, call the city at 239-949-6262 for current hours before you go.
Banyan Square has its own lights, restrooms and a programmed water show, so it's downtown's first public space built for evenings. It doesn't depend on a stage or a permitted event. A walk down Old 41 now has a stop that works on an ordinary weeknight.
December Moves the Calendar Back Toward the River
Riverside Park's reopening is described loosely. The city's downtown page lists Phase 2 construction as April through November 2026. The parks department's Riverside Park page says the bandshell is closed for renovations and planned to reopen in "late fall."
The city's 2026–2027 approved special events list gives a firmer timeline. December events are booked at the park again, and Kris Kringle Village stays at the Liles Hotel next door.
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Dec. 8 | Stardust Memories Big Band | Riverside Park | 7–9 p.m. |
| Sat.–Sun., Dec. 12–13 | Kris Kringle Village | Liles Hotel | 10 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | Bonita Springs Concert Band | Riverside Park | 6–8 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve Candle Light Service | Riverside Park | 6–8 p.m. |
These are approved events on the city's schedule. The park's reopening has no announced date yet, so check the parks department page before heading to a concert.
The same list shows the larger season lined up behind December. The Center for the Arts art festival is set for Riverside Park on January 9–10, February 6–7 and March 6–7, 2027. Ukulele Fest is January 31. Stardust Memories Big Band and the Bonita Springs Concert Band have recurring dates through mid-April. Once Phase 2 is done, Riverside Park goes back to being the main venue for season events. Banyan Square stays as the everyday stop a block away.
The city's holiday page still describes last season. Holiday in the Park and the downtown holiday stroll aren't on the 2026–2027 approved events list yet.
Parking Shifted Before the Parks Did
Downtown parking changed nearly a year before either park project finished. The Bamboo Lot stayed open for event parking through the first phase of construction on the property. On December 1, 2025, it closed to public parking. The city's downtown page says on-street parking and the Felt's Avenue lot are still available, and it posts a public parking map.
The city has encouraged event organizers to set up shared parking with nearby businesses and to run shuttles from remote lots. For a December evening with a concert at Riverside Park and the Banyan Square fountain lit up a short walk away, plan on the Felt's Avenue lot or street parking. The Bamboo Lot is no longer an option.
The Third Piece Arrives in 2027
The old Bamboo Lot is becoming the third public space in the chain. The city describes it as a public/private partnership with Barron Collier DT Bonita LLC. Plans include residential units, retail and offices, along with public open space with water access points, a fire pit, bike racks and restrooms. The project ties into the Imperial River vehicle and pedestrian crossing.
The project's name is Imperial 41. Gulfshore Business describes it as two buildings, one on each side of the Imperial River off Old 41 Road, with 120 apartments and 19,000 square feet of commercial space. It also includes public parks, restrooms, bike racks, a fire pit and parking, and completion is expected in 2027.
Florida Weekly reported the first commercial tenants Barron Collier Companies signed:
- Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy
- Simple Beauty Studio
- Old Bonita Surf Shop
- The Brass Alligator
At the time of that announcement, one riverfront restaurant space and three retail or office spaces were still open for lease. Units were expected to go to tenants in summer 2027 for interior buildouts. So the storefronts won't open as soon as the buildings are finished. Tenants get their spaces in summer 2027 and then need time to build out before they open.
That sets the order for downtown. Banyan Square opens this fall. Riverside Park returns for the December concerts and the winter art festivals. Imperial 41 adds river-access green space and its first shops sometime after the summer 2027 buildout starts. Each piece sits within walking distance of the others along Old 41.
If you're curious how downtown's changes might shape the streets around Old 41 over the next few seasons, I'm glad to talk it through over coffee within walking distance of Banyan Square. William Ross has followed this corner of Bonita Springs for more than 30 years. Let's Connect.
