Why does Florida consistently attract the best landscape painters? Audubon arrived chasing native flora and fauna. Harriet Beecher Stowe came for the light. Winslow Homer kept coming back. Something about this place has been pulling painters south for three centuries. VBMA answers that question this Saturday at 1 p.m., kicking off its summer Florida Humanities lecture series with Picturing Paradise. UCF art historian Keri Watson analyzes this history, the undeniable allure of

Florida's history has never had its Yellowstone moment. The crackers, the cattle drives, the scrub, the lagoon and the slow gorgeous ruin of it all. This might be it! A Land Remembered has been Florida's cult novel for forty years. Published in 1984, Patrick D. Smith's book follows three generations of the MacIveys, Georgia migrants who arrive in the Florida scrub in 1858 with nothing and, by 1968, have helped pave over the wild place they once loved. It was nominated for the

This Saturday, the 21st Annual Waterlily Celebration returns to McKee! More than 100 varieties in peak bloom, plein-air artists, aquatic plant vendors, re-potting demonstrations, and the photo contest winners on display in the Hall of Giants. Arrive early. The window when night-blooming and day-blooming lilies open together is brief, and it's not something you want to miss. One more thing: tomorrow, June 9th, is the last day to submit entries for the Waterlily Photo Contest.

Original concept art of Elsa for Disney's Frozen (2013) | Source Calling all families: Riverside Theatre for Kids is bringing Disney's Frozen for an immersive theatrical journey into Arendelle beginning Thursday, June 18 Unlike most Riverside productions which bring professional actors directly from Broadway, Frozen stars our talented local youth from the Riverside Theatre for Kids program -- costumes and props all designed in-house. Audiences will be seated family-style at l

For more details on all upcoming events and to register for these, see "The Week Ahead" section here. June 3, 5 p.m. -- Ocean Grill Night Benefitting the Arc of Indian River County June 5, 5 p.m. -- First Friday Gallery Stroll June 6, 2 p.m. -- Artist Talk: Process Behind the Art at the Environmental Learning Center June 13, 8:30 a.m. -- McKee Botanical Garden 21st Annual Waterlily Festival June 13, 10 a.m. -- Second Saturdays at VBMA -- Free Admission All Day

Gallery 14's summer show is here! Titled Coastal Currents, the show begins this Thursday, with the opening First Friday Gallery Stroll reception this Friday, June 5, 5 to 8 p.m. Sarah Eden Houglum's paintings carry the imprint of everywhere she's lived: Hawaii, California, and now Vero Beach, each place absorbed and translated into imagery. Sandy Bachmann arrives with a different background: 23 years in graphic design, then a degree in art education, and a sculpting and ceram

The International Ocean Film Festival's Florida Tour sold out FAU Harbor Branch last year, and if the trend holds, tickets will go fast. The fourth edition takes place this Saturday, June 6 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. $40 per ticket, advance purchase only. See our article on last year's festival here. Ten films, three blocks, filmmakers from a dozen countries. The standouts: a novice Italian diver who goes to Norway to film wolffish and finds a seafloor stripped of its kelp forests

Juneteenth is one of those things most people in Vero Beach would say they know. Federal holiday, June 19, end of slavery. Check, check, check. But knowing a date isn't the same as knowing the story behind it and why it matters.

Burgers and Brews has outgrown Riverside Park. After ten years, United Against Poverty is moving its annual fundraiser to the Indian River County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To celebrate, UAP is giving away two combo packs passes for: 5 sliders 10 brewery tastings A souvenir cup (valued at $50) Enter to win here. Eleven competitors, mostly new ones, will battle for Best Burger in Indian River County while guests sample sliders and vote. Last year'

Edward Moran (1829-1901), Summer Morning, New York Bay, 1873. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen PhD Foundation. If you've been meaning to get to VBMA to see American Made, this weekend is your final window, and with America's 250th just weeks away, the timing couldn't be better. The exhibition, closing Sunday June 7, features more than 80 works spanning 250 years, from Hudson River landscapes to Sargent portraits to early modernist abstraction

Just over two weeks ago, Indian River State College marked its 100,000th credential conferred since its founding, a milestone in its own right, but the real story lies in the graduates the school has produced, one of whom addressed this year’s graduating class. Taylor Gerring graduated from The River in 2003 with an associate's degree in business. A decade later, he was in Switzerland at a table with seven other people, and together they co-founded Ethereum. Most people have

Some 1,000 people gathered yesterday for a yearly tradition honoring Indian River County’s rich military heritage -- a solemn reminder of the sacrifices we take for granted. It's easy to let the day slip by with the long weekend, the barbecues, the family from out of town. But in a county where nearly 1 in 9 residents has worn a uniform, showing up to Memorial Island yesterday morning for the Military Officers Association of America's annual ceremony was the most Vero thing

The Replogle Family It turns out one of the longest running fundraisers in Vero has neither a ticket price, a dress code, nor a silent auction. Since 1982, the Replogle family, who have run Ocean Grill since 1965, have dedicated one Tuesday evening each May to The Arc of Indian River County. No admission fee. No sponsorship. You make a reservation, order dinner just like any other night, and the evening's proceeds go directly to the organization supporting over 200 individual

It's that time of year again. McKee's ponds are in full bloom, and the 21st Annual Waterlily Celebration is just around the corner. For centuries, lilies have been symbols of purity, renewal, and enlightenment, cherished by civilizations from ancient Egypt to Asia. There is a reason they stop people in their tracks. On Saturday, June 13th, more than 100 varieties will be on display, 51 of which belong to McKee's Certified Collection of Excellence, a distinction held by only s

As of yesterday, the Vero Beach Museum of Art has officially transitioned to its summer schedule. Galleries are now closed Mondays and open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Complimentary docent-led tours continue daily at 2 p.m. And if you've been meaning to take a class, the time is now: summer registration is open, with the new term running June 1 through August 8. Before You Miss It You have two weeks left to catch American Made: Pain

Cyano-Collage 121, Chi-Tsung, Wu b.1981 -- from the permanent collection Mark your calendar for noon this Wednesday. The Vero Beach Museum of Art has over 1,000 works of American and international art in its permanent collection, and Every third Wednesday at noon, their docents take a group through the permanent collection with a deep dive on select artworks. Block the hour. Bring a friend. Stop in the gift shop after. The program is called Art Talk and it is one of the best

America's 250th birthday is 47 days away, and Vero Beach is ready to celebrate in style! Dubbed USA All Day: Pioneers to Paradise, the City of Vero Beach has organized a rich lineup of America 250 festivities in partnership with their sponsors: Cleveland Clinic, Piper, Dyer Auto, MidFlorida Credit Union, the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce, Vero Heritage, Jackie Robinson Training Complex, Overlay Pros, Fabulous Co. Finery Events, Breeze, and George E. Warren LLC, FPL, with sup

The cast of 9 to 5: The Musical took their final bow last Sunday, marking the close of the 2025/26 season. What comes next is Summer at Riverside Theatre: Vero's Gathering Place. At the center of it is Executive Chef Sue Torres, bringing cuisine inspired by cultures and traditions from around the world to The Loop Kitchen and Bar. Think live music under the oaks, cooking demos and tastings, summer craft cocktails, and a calendar of programming running through Labor Day with m

Paige Charbonneau and professional partner Edwin Rivera took home the Mirrorball at the 14th annual Dancing with Vero's Stars Saturday night at Riverside Theatre, scoring on both sides of the competition's split formula: half judge scores, half dollars raised. Paige Charbonneau and Edwin Rivera On the fundraising side, the evening brought in over $660,000 for the Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition, nearly three times last year's $230,000, which was itself a record at

None of us missed the Blue Angels this weekend as they dominated the airspace, but if you're like me, you can't get enough.