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

Join County Commissioner Susan Adams , guest speaker for tomorrow's Veteran's Day Observance at Veteran's Memorial Island Sanctuary, as Vero Beach gathers to honor our men and women who served. The MOAA Indian River Chapter has hosted this observance for years, and each November 11th, the community shows up in full force with an awe-inspiring level of reverence. The ceremony begins at 9:00 AM and will include full military honors and the Parade of the Colors, with performa

Thursday's rain was no match for the hundreds who showed up at Rock City Gardens in Sebastian for the Indian River Land Trust's annual benefit.

Left to right: Jeff Justen, Brad Cloepfil,  Claire Agre, Mayor John Cotugno, Campaign Committee Chair Emily Sherwood,  Ned Sherwood, Board Chair  Richard Segal, Executive Director Brady Roberts, and  Monica Segal It's official! On Friday, the shovels hit the ground to kick off the Vero Beach Museum of Art's sweeping "Museum in the Garden" expansion, expected to not only modernize the Museum, but redefine its role as one of Vero's core community institutions. The new expansi

Ballet Vero Beach's annual Nutcracker on the Indian River returns, this time at Riverside Theatre from December 11-13. Tickets range from $10 - $90, and for $25 extra, you can purchase the VIP add-on experience, where you can meet and take photos with select cast members. The experience also includes VIP merchandise, including a signature Nutcracker on the Indian River ornament. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here Set in 1919 Florida, this reimagined

MusicWorks launches its highly anticipated 2025-26 season this Thursday  at the Emerson Center with the legendary Carl Palmer   and his Emerson, Lake and Palmer legacy band , fresh off a sold-out U.S. tour. Palmer, the last surviving member of the original trio, takes the stage with his ELP Legacy band for a night of prog-rock classics, alongside rare multimedia footage of his late bandmates Keith Emerson and Greg Lake from their 1992 Royal Albert Hall Show. Limited spots re

After months of buzz, it’s finally happening -- the Main Street Mural Festival  arrives this weekend, Nov. 7–9, in step with First Friday Gallery Stroll . Downtown Vero is about to transform into one big, open-air art studio thanks to the vision of Linda Moore , owner of Kilted Mermaid, and Main Street Vero Beach . The Festival will feature stationed artists the length of 14th Ave. painting both permanent installations and pop-up panels which will become a semi-permanent disp

You asked for it...and we’re excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, More Than a Minute, hosted by Morgen Reynolds.

The countdown is on! Dancing with Vero’s Stars  is back, and the race for the Mirror Ball Trophy is officially underway. Ten community leaders are lacing up their dance shoes and raising money to support the Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition  and its mission to provide essential services for mothers, babies, and families in Indian River County, culminating in the big performance on May 16, 2026. Over the past 13 years, this event has raised more than $3 million  for

In addition to the Main Street Mural Festival , this weekend’s First Friday Gallery Stroll  on November 7 from 5–8 pm includes a special artist reception at Gallery 14 , celebrating Spiritual Explorations  by Jane Johnson , on display through November 28. Johnson has been painting professionally since 1996, exhibiting widely across the country and earning numerous awards. Drawing influence from her studies in Japan, her work reflects an ethos of balance, fearlessness, streng

By Ellen Contreras TEDx Vero Beach returns to The Emerson Center on November 2 with the theme “Breaking Barriers: Systems That Challenge the Status Quo," asking us to ponder "What happens when we stop accepting the way things have always been done?"   This year’s event features 13 speakers who are rethinking the systems that shape our lives — from ultrarunning icon Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell and Bob Becker to AI innovators Jürgen Schwanitz and David Hartmann . Other s

We have so many beautiful parks, but few realize how many of these special places exist because of the Indian River Land Trust (IRLT) . One of our standout trails is the Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail in Wabasso —a one-mile loop that offers a quiet, scenic escape just north of Vero Beach.​ This trail is a blend of Florida scrub, shaded oak hammocks, a boardwalk winding through dense mangroves, and a dock extending over the Indian River Lagoon. It’s a perfect walk for cooler

Downtown Friday returns for the season just in time for Halloween with the Main Street Monster Mash this Friday, October 31 , from 6 to 9 p.m. on 14th Avenue. Downtown Friday , held on the last Friday of each month through the season, features live music, local vendors, food trucks, and activities for all ages. This Friday, guests are encouraged to come in costume and join the fun with trunk‑or‑treating and costume contests by age group , while enjoying live music by The A

Settle in and celebrate the start of the season at McKee Botanical Garden's new Jungle Brunch  series, where you can savor brunch beneath the sweeping branches of McKee’s historic oak while basking in the tranquil calm and rarified beauty that is McKee -- a setting like no other. The menu includes mimosas, bananas foster French toast, Sexton’s shrimp and grits, quiche paired with McKee’s garden salad and more. Beginning in November ( November 2, 9, 16, and 23) from noon to