Past Guests
This event began over twelve years ago when a small group of five actors from Guiding Light came to Marco Island to help us raise funds for the Marco Island Film Festival. After the festival ended in 2004, the event evolved into what is now the SWFL Soapfest and raises funds for local children's charities.
Over the past decade, the Soapfest Charity Weekend has become one of Southwest
Florida’s premier events for daytime drama aficionados. Soapfest is a rare opportunity
to get up close with your favorite daytime actors in beautiful Marco Island, Florida, while
helping support local children’s charities including Eden Florida’s Eimerman Center – an
educational outreach service for children with autism.
Since 1998, Marco Island has welcomed more than 100 actors to Southwest
Florida including Kim Zimmer, Jordan Clarke, Walt Willey, Jon and Kelley Hensley,
Broadway’s Laura Bell Bundy and film actresses Brittany Snow and Hayden Panettiere.
The fan interaction and appreciation between soap fans and stars is intimate and
personal as celebrities gladly participate in interviews, autograph sessions, and photo
opportunities
Actors also participate in the favorite Art 4 Autism, a Soapfest program which
pairs daytime actors painting alongside children and young adults -- many of whom have
autism or other special needs -- on a myriad of colorful canvases which are then auctioned
off throughout the weekend.
ABOUT MARCO ISLAND
Marco Island is the largest of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, located on the Gulf
of Mexico in Southwest Florida. It has been described as Magical, Mystical and Alluring.
The attraction is tropical sun-washed white beaches and a casual easy paced life style.
Sunshine, frolicking dolphins, and all of the water and sun sports that go with the beaches
are available for your pleasure.
Nestled in the mangrove islands of southwest Florida's coast, Marco Island
is indeed a world-class resort destination surrounded by miles and miles of pristine,
uninhabited islands, bays, creeks, and the Gulf of Mexico. To the north is the Rookery
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and its Briggs Memorial Nature Center. To the
south lies the sprawling 10,000 Islands with over 70 coastal miles of fly fishing heaven,
inhabited only by the tiny fishing villages of Goodland, Everglades City, Chokoloskee
and eventually Flamingo. Included in this southerly stretch is Collier-Seminole State
Park, the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve,
Big Cypress National Preserve and the 5000 square mile Everglades National Park,
ensuring continued protection against coastal development.
Four miles wide by six miles long, Marco Island is home to about 14,000 year-
round residents. During the months of January through March however, the island
population swells to well over 30,000 due to the annual influx of vacationers and winter
residents, filling up the large inventory of hotel rooms, condos, villas and apartments. No
wonder, with our dependable sunshine and winter afternoon temperatures usually in the
70's and 80's.
