It’s that time of year when our hearts and minds turn to the high holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and what we call around these parts, “High Season”! If your RV lifestyle is happening now at Floridays or anywhere in Martin County, or if your’e “on the road” planning to pass through Martin County, we thought you’d like to make a note of a few upcoming events in Hobe Sound and nearby.
November 22—Thanksgiving Eve Toga Party
Dance off a couple of pounds so you can put it all back on the next day with the Toga Party at Notes Music Room and Wine Bar, 872 Colorado Ave, Stuart, at 6:30 p.m. Toss on a colorful tablecloth or sheet and toga up to discounted wine and beer specials, Sake-tinis, and $2 iced coffees. Live music with all the popular songs. Learn more »
November 24—Downtown Stuart Tree Lighting Festival
Music, performances, and a host of family-friendly activities like a “living manger” petting zoo, and cookies and milk on the patio at Duffy’s Sports Grill. Begins at 4:00 PM. Then just after sunset the lights go on on the official Downtown Stuart Holiday Tree. About Stuart »
Ongoing through December 31—Rock’n Riverwalk
A free open-air concert on the Riverwalk State every Sunday from 1:00 – 4:00 PM with music, vendors, and just walking around taking in the sights and sounds of the waterfront. Schedule »
November 30 to Sunday, December 3—Singing Christmas Tree
Free event at Hobe Sound Bible College at 11925 Gomez Ave, Hobe Sound, features 75 singers in a beautiful Christmas tree of 50,000 colored lights, a 25-piece orchestra, children’s choir and a drama cast of 50. See flying angels, kind and shepherds, holy family, and a spectacular message of the season. Learn more »
December 2—Santa Paws Holiday Pooch Plunge
The Humane Society’s annual dog-friendly celebration at Sailfish Splash Waterpark at 931 SE Ruhnke Street, Stuart. A fun day whether you own a pooch or not. Admission information »
December 2—Annual Hobe Sound Christmas Parade
Grab your lawn chair and line the street on Old Dixie Highway or Bridge Road to watch over 80+ entries and thousand of adults and kids strut their stuff with cars, floats, trucks, marchers, bands and surprises. This genuine old-fashioned Christmas parade and Art and Crafts Stroll along Dixie is a great opportunity to get in the holiday mood and do a little early Christmas shopping.
Early this year we held the Grand Opening of our brand spanking new washroom with separate air-conditioned men’s and women’s showers and bathrooms in the front of the building, and a generous number of new washers and dryers in the rear of the building. The laundry section is well-ventilated and has plenty of sorting and folding tables. To be sure that the washroom sparkles, a full-time resident, Patti Owen, keeps it spic ’n span daily.
Other park improvements this summer included a new mailroom and lots of new plants and grass. The new stand-alone mailroom means that guests can collect their mail from a central point away from office traffic and out of the rain. New plantings add more green space, cool and clean the air, and help create a more park-like setting.
We’ve also brought back Propane Rentals for park guests. No more trips to the store when making last-minute BBQ plans! The tanks sit by our new boatyard fence that connects to the park office that is also going through renovations with a new roof and remodeled office.
George, the resident park manager, will once again be making memories as he takes park guests on excursions up and down South Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway. And this season will be bigger and better than ever—George has a new 35-foot all aluminum beauty!
In Collier County, near Naples, residents on one end of the 300-home park returned to their homes to find their homes standing, the power on, and the expected debris everywhere. In other areas of the park, roofs were blown off, blinds tattered, and debris hung from the ceiling. The destruction appeared to be hit and miss, which was remarkable considering that Marco Island reported a wind gust of 142 mph. All along the east coast, on the back side of the storm, the story was similar. Some homes were ripped apart while others held up in the reported 60 mph wind.
Those of us who work and live in Hobe Sound like things just the way they were yesterday. Somehow, this sleepy town has been able to restrain growth, keeping this small piece of Martin County nostalgic of Old Florida.