Enjoy these free and low-cost events during the holiday season in Brevard County, Florida.
Free Concerts and Parades:
Parade and Concert – 11/30/13 Free: Light Up Viera Parade and free Brevard Symphony Orchestra concert on Saturday November 30 will follow a “dazzling light parade” Professionally decorated floats. Bands. Santa and his sleigh. Parade starts at 5:30 pm on Breslay Drive, and ends at Space Coast Stadium, where the free Light Up Viera concert will be presented by the Brevard Symphony Orchestra to begin at 7:45 p.m. “Mindy Levy of Mike and Mindy on Lite Rock 99.3 will emcee the event. ” More info at (321) 255-4500 x 4880 or contact mailto:[email protected]
TIP! The Viera Company will provide “complimentary magical glasses that will enhance your parade and concert experience as well as your entire holiday season. These glasses will be available for free during the entire month of November at the Viera Discovery Center while supplies last. ”
Concert – 12/12/13 Free: The Melbourne Municipal Band will present the Candy Canes and Carols Concert on Thursday, December 12 at 7:30 pm at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 Hibiscus Blvd. Hear your “favorite tunes of the season” and feel free to sing along. Santa might even drop by! Free; tickets are not required.
Parade – 12/14/13 Free: Melbourne will host its 21st Annual Light Parade beginning at 6pm on Saturday December 14th. The parade route goes from Hibiscus and Babcock Streets south onto Babcock, to New Haven Avenue (192) and then east on Strawbridge Avenue ending at Waverly Place. This is right at the Melbourne Historic District.
Concert – 11/23/13: Sweet Adelines Barbershop Holiday Show at 7pm, Bayfoot Bay Community Center in Barefoot Bay, FL. Contact: 321-259-8605. Presented by the Platinum Coast Chorus of Sweet Adelines International. Cost is unknown at this time.
Chorus Concert – 12/14/13: Join the Brevard Community Chorus Concert Christmas Oratorio (Parts 1, 2, 3) at 7:30 pm at the Maxwell C. King Center. This is a volunteer chorus of over 100 voices. This Bach program is more expensive than others listed here: General seating is $10, but seniors and military are just $15, and bring along the kids and grandkids for $5 student rate.
Festivals:
11/30/13 & 12/1/13 Cocoa Beach: 50th Annual Space Coast Art Festival in Cocoa Beach. This art festival draws high-quality artists from throughout the nation. The festival starts with a 5K Turkey Trot at 7:30 am. for those who want to walk, run, jog. The art show begins at 9 am Saturday through 5pm and repeats from 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Activities also include the children’s hands-on arts, face painting event, and live entertainment. Food and drinks available. Free Park-and-Ride from Cape Royal Building in Cocoa Beach available. For more information call (321) 784-3322.
12/7/13 Partly Free Only: City of Cocoa’s Holiday Festival with Snow Play Slide on Sat., Dec. 7th. Festival includes the official lighting of the Riverfront Park tree. The park is the location to find entertainment on stage, Santa Claus, the snow, and to watch “Arthur Christmas” on the outdoor screen at 7pm. Free stage entertainment and visit with Santa. $5 fee for bounce house, kids games, snow play, etc. Contact Leisure Services at (321) 639-3500.
Candlelight Shopping and Craft Fair:
Saturdays 11/3, 12/7, 12/14, and 12/21/13: 13th annual Holiday Nights & Candlelight Shopping in the Historic District of Downtown Melbourne’s Main Street. “Shops remain open late (5-9pm), are lit with white candles and lights, and serve such holiday fare as cakes, cookies, teas, mulled cider, wine, wassail, coffee and hot chocolate. Evenings feature a variety of holiday entertainment with musicians, church and school choirs, carolers, bell choirs, bagpipers, and ‘Father Christmas’ strolling through downtown. The annual tree lighting ceremony takes place at Campbell Park at 6pm on November 30.”
1/2/7/13 and 12/8/13: Holiday Craft Fair (since 1981!) held at Historic Cocoa Village in Cocoa Florida. Hours are 10am to 5pm on the 7th and 10am to 4pm on the 8th. 350 artists. Wow. Info: call 321 631 9075
Brevard Zoo: (Not free; $): 12/20-22/13: Come see the zoo animals receive their gifts each day between 10 am and 3 pm and expect to see Santa and Mrs. Claus each day too from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. There will be games and crafts. Activities are free with zoo admission. Dates are Fri. Dec. 20 through Sun. Dec. 22.
Winter Garden & Home Tour: 12/14/13: 9 am to 3 pm. Valencia Historic District Home and Garden Tour. Sponsored by the Cocoa-Rockledge Garden Club, 1493 S. Fiske Blvd. in Rockledge. (321) 631-4628. “This year’s walking tour will feature six homes decorated for the holidays and three gardens in the Valencia Historic District in Rockledge. Tickets are available immediately online on our website and will be available at select retailers on November 10. Retail locations will be posted on our website very soon. The tour will begin at the Rockledge Presbyterian Church, 921 Rockledge Drive in Rockledge where there is free parking. To aid tour guests who need assistance, a minibus will cruise the tour route.” Homes on tour were built between in the 1920s and are Mediterranean Revival style. Valencia Subdivision listed with National Register of Historic Places. Home are decorated for the holidays. Advance tickets are $13; at door $15. Walk the tour, or ride the minibus. No photography in homes.
There are many other activities, but this will give you some idea of the events for the holiday season on the Space Coast of Florida. Happy Holidays! Oh, and feel free to add any free or low-cost event you know of in the comments section at the bottom of this page.
