Vero Minute

Jul 6, 2026

America 250 and Fourth of July Roundup

Then and now | Photo credit: Chris Cronin (left) America turned 250, and Vero Beach marked the occasion the way it marks every Fourth: out in the water before the rest of the nation was even awake. Thousands waded off Sexton Plaza at sunrise in red, white and blue, a quarter mile out to the SS Breconshire, part of a tradition that started twenty years ago with a handful of Sunrunners and has since become the county's largest unofficial holiday. Read last year's story on the swim's history...

Never Miss a Vero Minute!

First name*

Last name*

Email*

Yes, sign me up for your newsletter.

The Week Ahead

Downtown Fridays by Main Street Vero Beach

Main Street Vero Beach

Jun 26, 2026

6:00 PM

1:00 AM

Details

Add to Calendar

11th Annual Burgers & Brews Festival

Indian River County Fairgrounds & Expo C

Jun 27, 2026

11:00 AM

8:00 PM

Details

Add to Calendar

Stars and Service Weekend at Riverside Theatre -- July 2-3

Riverside Theatre

Jul 2, 2026

5:30 PM

12:30 AM

Details

Add to Calendar

All Events

And the Winners Are...

1st: Leslie Greenwood, "Summer Breeze" 1st: Tim Hinkle Jr., "Old Garden Delight" 1st: Tim Hinkle Jr., "Swirl of Wonder" While we (and all of Vero) were caught up in Princess Pungent frenzy, McKee Botanical Garden announced the winners of its 21st Annual Waterlily Celebration photography contest. More than 40 entries came in this year, judged across Color, Black & White, and Manipulated categories, with a Youth division and a crowd-voted People's Choice thrown in for good meas

Arts and Culture

Vero Minute

1 min read

The Annabel Robertson Effect

IRSC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Annabel Robertson, Kate Beckwith Woody and IRSC President Timothy E. Moore Annabel Robertson removes obstacles for a living. Ask anyone who has worked alongside her over the past three decades at some of the Treasure Coast's most important institutions, and they'll tell you the same thing: she identifies the barriers standing between people and opportunity, then works tirelessly to remove them. Today, as Vice President for Inst

People

Vero Minute

2 min read

This Month Only, Buy One Get One Free

The Humane Society shelter on 77th is nearly full. This is where the Bissell Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters campaign comes in. Kittens under 6 months were originally $70, with a second kitten at $35. That second fee has since been waived, so, no, it's not clickbait, it is indeed buy one get one free on kittens. Little Bit Cream Puddles The rest of the pricing: puppies 6 months to a year, $70; dogs 1 to 8 years, $50; cats 7 months to 8 years, $35. Lana T Money Petey The p

Talk of the Town

Vero Minute

1 min read

At a Glance: This Week and Next

For more details on all upcoming events and to register for these, see "The Week Ahead" section here. July 8 -- Vero Beach Music Festival with Mike Block at First Presbyterian Church July 11 -- James Prosek: At Work opens at Vero Beach Museum of Art (July 11 -- Oct 25) July 11, 10 a.m. -- Second Saturdays at VBMA -- Free Admission All Day July 18-19, 10 a.m. -- A Century of Wonder at McKee -- Community Days

Talk of the Town

Vero Minute

1 min read

The Cellist Who Won't Sit Still

You wont want to miss this one. Next Wednesday, July 8 at 7:30 PM, Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block and a world-class faculty ensemble take the stage at First Presbyterian Church for the first of two mainstage concerts presented by the Vero Beach International Music Festival. Here's what makes Block unusual: he plays cello standing up. He invented a patented strap that lets him walk, move, and dance while performing, and was the first standing cellist ever to perform at Carn

Arts and Culture

Vero Minute

1 min read

Meet James Prosek

The New York Times calls him "the Audubon of the fishing world." James Prosek published his first book at age 19, featuring 70 watercolor paintings of trout species in North America, produced while an English major at Yale. Three decades later, he's shown at the Smithsonian, the Royal Academy in London, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On July 11, Prosek will be at VBMA leading a community mural inspired by the flora and fauna of the Indian River Lagoon, a fitting debut fo

Arts and Culture

Vero Minute

1 min read

Your Guide to This Weekend: America 250

America turns 250 on Saturday, and Vero Beach is celebrating in style with three days of parades, patriotic tributes, ocean swims, fireworks over the lagoon, and plenty of live music. These are just a few of the great things happening, and there's so much more. July 2 & 3 – Stars & Service at Riverside Theatre This Thursday and Friday, Riverside Theatre turns its campus into a living thank‑you to those who’ve worn the uniform to make our freedom possible. Grab an All-American

Talk of the Town

Vero Minute

2 min read

Farewell, Princess Pungent

McKee Botanical Garden's Titan Arum, which Vero christened Princess Pungent, never unfurled her spathe, and never released the legendary rotting-garbage reek that makes this plant one of nature's most theatrical performers. She produced pollen instead, marking the end of her lifecycle on her own terms. But in the weeks leading up to that anticlimax, Princess Pungent became arguably the most watched, most photographed, most rooted-for plant in McKee's recent memory. Thousands

Talk of the Town

Vero Minute

1 min read

A Snow Day at The Loop Kitchen and Bar

A snowman who has spent a decade pining for summer is about to get his wish, in Florida. In June. At Riverside Theatre. What most people don't know about Olaf is how close he came to being something else entirely -- a penguin. Instead, he became a snowman who wants nothing more than to revel in the one season built to destroy him. He'll be holding court at The Loop Kitchen & Bar three Wednesdays this summer: June 24, July 15, and July 22 5:30 to 7:30. The event is completely

Arts and Culture

Vero Minute

1 min read

2 3 4 5