PROVIDED

“https://belltowerfl.com/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Bell Tower, a landmark shopping, dining and entertainment destination centrally located in Fort Myers, announced today it will host its inaugural “Pupchella” event this spring. Pupchella is a fun-filled music and arts festival that gives a nod to the ultra-popular west-coast Coachella festival while celebrating the local Fort Myers community’s love of pets.

The event, to be held Saturday, March 2, from noon to 3 p.m., will be located throughout the center. This event is free and open to the public. While no tickets are required to attend, guests are asked to consider either a sponsorship or donation; proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Humane Society, a no-kill animal welfare organization and longtime supporter of pet-themed activities at Bell Tower, including the center’s popular monthly Yappy Hour events.

“Pupchella is a creative event that will showcase the top musical and artistic talent in the area while celebrating the deep love people in Fort Myers and the surrounding communities have for their pets,” said Jim Brennan, general manager for the shopping center. “At Bell Tower, we have some of the most unique events in all of southwest Florida, and we believe Pupchella will be one of our shoppers’ favorites, shining a light on the important mission of the Gulf Coast Humane Society as they work to find forever homes for deserving animals throughout the region.”

“Bell Tower is well known for its love of animals. The center’s monthly Yappy Hour event gives guests a chance to get together with friends and family while in the company of their furry four-legged companions, and as part of a significant disaster relief effort following Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022, Bell Tower used its Yappy Hour event as a pet food handout where those in need could pick up pet food, and those wanting to help could drop off donations,” said Gary Willoughby, executive director, Gulf Coast Humane Society. “Additionally, Bell Tower has long been one of the top supporters of the work we do here at the Gulf Coast Humane Society, and we have enjoyed a very strong partnership in a number of pet-focused community events that are both fun and educational, including Pupchella, a brand-new event for the area and the first of its kind on the East Coast.”

Entertainment at Pupchella will include a number of popular local musicians, including The Lineup Band, Matt Walden, DJ Robert McDonald, and the event’s headliner band The Freecoasters, all hosted by Amy Lynn of Cat Country 107.1 and iHeart Media. There will also be festival merchandise for sale, an interactive art district, a zen chill zone, an activities area, and a festival vendor marketplace.

About the Gulf Coast Humane Society

The Gulf Coast Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, no-kill animal welfare organization established as the first non-profit animal welfare organization in southwest Florida in 1947. The shelter does not receive any federal, state, or county funding and no funding from the Humane Society of the United States or ASPCA. The Gulf Coast Humane Society relies solely on donations, grants, bequests and fundraising events to further its mission of caring for the neglected and abandoned pets of Southwest Florida. As a no-kill facility, the pets of the Gulf Coast Humane Society remain in the shelter’s care until they find their forever homes. For more information, visit gulfcoasthumanesociety.org.

About Bell Tower

Bell Tower is a landmark shopping, dining and entertainment destination centrally located in Fort Myers, Florida. The open-air center offers a creative combination of brand-name retail favorites and exclusive boutiques that include popular grocer The Fresh Market, Talbots, Trader Rick’s for the Artful Woman, Congress Jewelers, Ulta Beauty, Bath & Body Works, Fleet Feet and Claire’s. The center’s exceptional shopping is complemented by distinctive restaurants such as DaRuMa Japanese Steak House and Sushi Lounge, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Burntwood Tavern, McGregor’s Public House, La Ola Surfside Restaurant, Blue Pointe Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill, Cantina Laredo, and Ice Spot, and by entertainment venues including Dave & Buster’s and a 20-screen Regal Cinemas complex making Bell Tower a true day-to-night destination. A longtime community partner and pet-friendly shopping-dining-entertainment adventure, Bell Tower is owned by Madison Marquette, a leading real estate investor and developer; leased by Colliers, a diversified professional services and investment management company; and managed by Avison Young, a full-services global commercial real estate firm that provides transaction, property and project management, financial and advisory services across all sectors to owners and occupiers. To learn more, visit belltowerfl.com or follow Bell Tower on Facebook or Instagram.