Vero Beach is flexing its intellectual muscles this season, with two powerhouse lecture series on Riverside Park Drive cementing 32963 as the Treasure Coast’s smartest zip code. Together, Riverside Theatre’s Distinguished Lecturer Series and the Vero Beach Museum of Art’s International Lecture Series offer a brisk world tour of politics, media, food, travel, and American art—all before sunset.​ Riverside’s power players 2026 In 2026, Riverside Theatre’s Distinguished Lectur

Vero is stepping into 2025–26 with a classical music calendar resembling a mini-Salzburg, with world‑class orchestras, star soloists, and marquee opera and chamber music anchoring an increasingly dense classical calendar. From January through late spring, you could live on nothing but symphonies, string quartets, and high‑drama arias right here in your backyard. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in Vero /as if an annex of Alice Tully Hall, The Chamber Music Society of L

This past weekend on December 6, thousands lined Ocean Drive for Sunrise Rotary's 40th Annual Christmas Parade, one of Vero's most reliably festive productions. The procession featured 91 floats plus fire trucks, the VBHS marching band, and the Rotary wagon, totaling over 100 entries. Gator Building Supply claimed Best in Business and Best in Workmanship, Storm Grove Middle School took Best in School, and Called Higher swept the rest—Best in Organization, Best in Design, and

Once a month, for one Friday only, Riverside Theatre opens its doors to a small group of guests for an exclusive backstage tour -- a rare chance to go from “seat in the house” to true insider. And it's happening this Friday, December 5. Two sessions -- one at 10 AM and one at 2 PM . Led by the incomparable Oscar Sales , you won't want to miss it. In just under an hour and a half, you'll be guided across the main stage and into the wings, through the shops where sets are b

The Vero Beach Museum of Art is hosting the 36th Annual Vero Beach Art Club Members’ Invitational, on view starting this Friday, December 5 through January 18  in the Patten Community Gallery, located in the education wing. A Members’ Reception on January 16 from 4–6 PM  offers visitors a chance to meet the artists and hear about their work firsthand. The show brings together paintings, sculpture, and mixed media from both emerging and established local artists. VBMA is k

If you’ve ever wondered what the future of the arts in Vero looks like, it was on full display for three glorious, candlelit nights (November 18-20) at Indian River Charter High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Charter Dome, made possible by The Horn Family . The Enlightened Treasure —with its play authored by student playwright Johan Akiel Fontanilla —unfolded in a supper‑club setting of linen‑draped tables and flickering candles while live orchestra and jazz, ballet an

McKee Botanical Garden unveils its 19th annual Jungle Lights, an expanded and exquisitely crafted holiday experience opening this Wednesday, December 3.

Baerbel O'Haire moderates a panel on economic development featuring John Titkanich, Prashanth Pilly, Danny Markford and Keith Kite As growth and urban sprawl increasingly encroach on agricultural acreage, one question is on everyone's minds: what will farming and agriculture look like in Indian River County in 10-20 years...and who will decide? This Wednesday, December 3 , that question takes center stage at Let’s Talk Agriculture , the latest installment in Let's Talk Vero'

For more details on all upcoming events and to register for these, see " The Week Ahead " section here . December 12-13, 5-8:30 p.m. -- Wintergreen Night Lights at the Environmental Learning Center Saturday, December 13, 2 p.m. --  Matilda Jr. at Riverside Theatre Saturday, December 13, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- Holidays at the Museum December 13-14, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. -- Historic Downtown Walking Tour at the Heritage Center Sunday, December 14, 4-5 p.m. -- Rejoice! by Vero Beach Ch

Following the groundbreaking of their 90,000-square-foot expansion on November 7 , the Vero Beach Museum of Art recently announced it will be opening Museum in the Garden: Envisioning the New VBMA  on January 9 in the Stark Gallery. The exhibition, on display through February 7 , 2027 will feature early sketches, drawings, and renderings tracing the evolution of the design from its inception to the project now currently underway. Visitors will have a unique opportunity to

The Friends Fall Luncheon remains a singular tradition in Vero Beach...

I recently caught up with Barbara Schlitt Ford , Executive Director of the Environmental Learning Center and, as always, she’s quietly building something that brings our community closer together. Giving Tuesday, which takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, may be known for big global generosity, but Barbara is focused on something more local and just as powerful: the impact of simply giving your time. Communities with strong volunteer networks are more resilient, mor

Rody Johnson has been hard at work telling Vero Beach's story for as long as he can remember, and he's never been more passionate about it. The acclaimed local author has spent decades chronicling the fascinating threads of our community's past, and his latest work, Forever Vero: A History 1880-2020 , is his most ambitious yet. He will be hosting a special book signing and author presentation at Vero Beach Book Center  on Thursday, December 4 at 5:00 PM , where he’ll present

More than 150 of McKee Botanical Garden’s most dedicated supporters gathered on November 12 for the garden's annual Gatekeeper Welcome Back Party . This year's theme was “Fiesta en la Cocina.” Set against the backdrop of Waldo Sexton’s whimsical Spanish Kitchen and Hall of Giants, the highlight of the evening was the eight orchid gardens designed by Summer Vaughn , McKee's display wizard -- which sold out within minutes. Each of them were potted in containers handcrafted b

Mark your calendars for the 41st annual Vero Beach Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6 . Organized by Sunrise Rotary of Vero Beach , the parade route will roll down Ocean Drive, with main stage activities centered at Sexton Plaza. Pre-show festivities begin at 4:00 PM , followed by the parade itself, which begins at 6:00 PM . A complimentary shuttle service will be available from Riverside Park.

Riverside Theatre is staging its largest children's production ever this week with Alice in Wonderland JR. , featuring 52 young performers from the Riverside Theatre for Kids program. This 60-minute musical brings Lewis Carroll's tales and Disney's animated classic to life with the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, and the rest of Wonderland's iconic characters. Show tickets are just $10 -- arrive early and dine at the new Loop Kitchen and Bar led by

Registration for the Vero Beach Museum of Art's Winter 2026 classes opens one week from today on Monday, November 24, at 9 AM The Winter 2026 term, running January 6 through March 15 , promises a robust schedule of classes and workshops spanning weekdays and weekends. Prospective students can choose from five and ten-week sessions covering a wide array of mediums and topics, with options for both the first half (starting January 6) and second half (starting February 9) of t

At nine years old in rural Maine, Xaque Gruber popped a videocassette of "Anna" the 1987 Oscar nominated, Golden Globe-winning film starring Sally Kirkland into his VCR. Young Gruber was transfixed.

Kick things off Wednesday morning with a walking tour led by Bobbie Secor, one of our most enthusiastic and knowledgeable local historians, who will guide you through 12,000 years of local history, from the pre-Columbian Indians to the pioneers that built the Vero we know today. See our previous article about the Heritage Center's downtown walking tour here . In the evening, get ready to dance with The Penny Creek Band  for the second in a series of bluegrass concerts raising

It began with a single wall. Thirteen years ago, Neli Santamarina , owner of Raw Space , commissioned local artists Sick Fisher and photographer Jared Thomas to paint one of Vero's first large-scale murals. This leap of faith set everything else in motion. Vice Mayor and owner of Kilted Mermaid Linda Moore was watching. For the next 13 year she championed the idea of public art. This past May, when the Downtown Mural Project partnered with Main Street Vero Beach and sent o