Nobody shuts the lights out through the summer here anymore. Cities and towns from Boca Raton to Jupiter have enough activities 24/7 to keep kids and retirees occupied year-round.
No. 1 is always the beaches. An online search for each coastal city or town in Palm Beach County advises residents of hours and needs-to-know, from where to park, to where to fish or snorkel, to beaches that are pet friendly or not.
Now you can even do a day trip to Disney from Brightline stations in Boca Raton or West Palm Beach on a high-speed rail to Orlando. And locals like to brag that they have an ‘in’ at Disney. The amusement parks discount tickets for Florida residents all summer.
Local entertainment venues keep a full schedule of performances going. You’ll find live music to comedy shows at Boca Black Box Center for the Arts and Funky Biscuit The Arts Garage in Delray Beach has a regular open mic night. Local bars, craft breweries, and restaurants offer live music, especially on weekends.
Not all activities move indoors when it’s warmer. Families have their choice of waterparks that open once the kids get out of school. The county’s Coconut Cove in suburban Boca Raton opens for the season on June 1. Calypso Bay in Royal Palm Beach already opened on weekends. Rapids Water Park has opened on weekends and will open fully shortly. Splash Adventure Park is the next town south in Deerfield Beach.
Boca Raton has a free concert series from Memorial Day to Aug. 9 in the outdoor Mizner Park Amphitheater in the city. Palm Beach County’s outdoor amphitheaters have concerts and festivals in Sunset Cove in suburban Boca Raton, Canyon in suburban Boynton Beach, and Sea Breeze in Jupiter. Bring your own seating (and a hat if I were you).
Two of the area’s biggest outdoor attractions are the animal preserve Lion Country Safari 20 miles west of West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach.
If your taste runs more to museums, Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach just announced Art After Dark on Friday night, an added attraction to exhibits and programs. Boca Raton Museum of Art has two new exhibits opening June 12 And just about every city and town has at least one public library. Boca has two. Palm Beach County has 17 in its free library system, complete with a children’s library and programming for kids, teens, and adults.
So, if you’re house or condo hunting now and you’re wondering what to do or expect visitors, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy all summer long.
