Events

2024 Spring Event Preview

Thunder on Cocoa Beach

Major Events | Food FestivalsSporting Events | Arts and Cultural Events

It’s easy to find something fun to do on your spring getaway to Florida’s Space Coast. This season you’ll find exhilarating boat races and surf competitions on the beach; food, craft, and music festivals in our parks and historic districts; races and other sporting events in our world-class complexes, and of course tons of experiences you won’t soon forget. It’s a wonderful time to travel to the Space Coast, find your favorite event and book your spring getaway today! 

Ron Jon Beach ‘N Boards Fest 

March 6-10
Alan Shepard Park | Cocoa Beach 

Ron Jon Beach ‘N Boards Fest is the nation’s premier active lifestyle Spring Break destination since 2013, and it’s free to attend as a spectator.  Cocoa Beach and the Ron Jon Beach ‘N Boards Fest will be the place to be March 6-10, 2024! Surfing, wakeboarding, skateboarding, beach volleyball, yoga, food trucks and OH so much more, this event is the ONLY way to start Spring Break on the Space Coast! 

Space Coast Mural Fest

March 23 – 24
Downtown Cocoa Beach

Muralists from all over the Space Coast descend on Downtown Cocoa Beach to paint the town! Watch talented local artists create masterpieces right before your eyes, enjoy live music, mouth-watering food trucks and fun activities for the whole family. This 2-day event is free and a fabulous way to discover your new favorite artist while experiencing a community at its best!

Thunder on Cocoa Beach

May 16-19
Cocoa Beach

This year, Thunder on Cocoa Beach offshore powerboat races will be returning for its 15th year on Florida’s Space Coast, scheduled for May 16-19, 2024. Join us for 4 days and nights of parties and lots of racing action. The Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix is one of the most popular attractions for the whole family in Central Florida. The event, one of the largest in Central Florida,  draws the top race teams in the World to compete in various classes with Class 1 reaching speeds over 175 mph. 

Food and Beverage Festivals on the Space Coast 

Cocoa Village Brewer’s Bash

February 3 | 1 pm – 5 pm
Cocoa Riverfront Park | Cocoa Village 

The Cocoa Village Brewer’s Bash®️ overlooks the beautiful Indian River in Cocoa Village and has invited 75+ breweries for you to enjoy this year. As always this is a family and pet-friendly open event with 6 food trucks offering a variety of delicious cuisine. Tickets are $50 and get you unlimited tastings of local beer & cider along with a commemorative sample glass to drink them out of.

cocoa village brewers bash

Space Coast Strawberry Festival

February 3-4 | 10 am
Space Coast Daily Park | Viera

The Space Coast Strawberry Festival is a two-day, outdoor, family festival, designed to create an environment for people to enjoy affordable, healthy and wholesome fun. A wide range of enjoyable activities will be offered, all celebrating the wonderful strawberry.

Whiskey in the District

February 17 | 4 – 9 pm
Eau Gallie Arts District | Melbourne

“Whiskey In The District,” is a spirited celebration of world-class whiskey, live music, food, and fun in the Eau Gallie Arts District. Get VIP access for sampling an array of bourbons, scotches, ryes and more or step up to the vault experience for rare and unattainable whiskeys.

321 Food Fest

February 17 & 18 |  12- 8 & 11 – 6 pm 
Wickham Park | Melbourne 

Loosen those belts for the 321 Food Fest! $7 single day entry & $10 for the whole weekend/ Kids 10 & Younger get FREE ENTRY! Enjoy Brevard County’s largest Food Festival and the opportunity to sample a vast variety of all the best from the Space Coast in one place! At this family-friendly event you’ll find local restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, and other eateries serving a Tasting Menu with items priced at only $1-$5. Taste your way through a sampling of all the best eateries up and down the Space Coast! 

Strawberry Festival

February 17 – 18 | 10 am – 5 pm
Fred Poppe Regional Park | Palm Bay

Enjoy Family Fun & Festivities, Plant City Strawberries, Art & Crafts, Beer & Wine, Delicious Food, Free Bounce Houses, Organic Strawberries, Strawberry Shortcake, Classic Car Show, Live Entertainment, Free Rock Painting, Strawberry Fudge, Pony Rides, Free Strawberry Relay, Face Painting, Free Hula Hoop Contest, Pie Eating Contest, Free Petting Farm, Berry Cute Baby Contest, Free Sack Races, Train Rides, Free Corn Hole, Yummy Treats & Much More at the 5th annual Strawberry Festival. 

Grant Seafood Festival

March 2-3 | 9 am 
Grant-Valkryia Fairgrounds | 4580 1st Street, Grant, FL 32949 

Fresh seafood is what the Grant Seafood Festival is all about!  Enjoy fresh seafood around every corner! Each food booth you’ll belly up to is unique and steeped in tradition; many have several generations working side by side using time-honored recipes. Free admission, free parking, over 125 crafters exhibiting, live continuous entertainment, along with a vast menu of delicious seafood makes this a weekend no one wants to miss!

Grant BBQ Festival

April 19 – 21 | 10- 8 pm
Grant-Valkryia Fairgrounds | 4580 1st Street, Grant, FL 32949 

BBQ festival

Experience the best Brevard’s barbeque scene as backyard teams compete with top-rated pitmasters! Come for the Barbeque competition stay for the live entertainment, marketplace and classic car show!

FRIDAY, April 19 from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
SATURDAY, April 20, from : 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
SUNDAY, April 21, from : 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

• Live Entertainment — All 3 Days! 
• Market Place with Arts. Crafts and Local Vendors
• People’s Choice Contest
• Classic Car and Motorcycle Show
• Free Admission — Free Parking

Space Coast Burger Battle

May 18-19 | 10 am -8 pm
Wickham Park | Melbourne

Brevard County’s exclusive burger fest is back, featuring special a la carte tasting menus from burger competitors and dessert vendors, all priced at $5 or less per item. Immerse yourself in the culinary delights of the Space Coast and beyond, conveniently gathered in one place. Indulge in a diverse array of alcoholic beverages, including cocktails, hard seltzers, local draft craft brews, domestic and import beers, as well as non-alcoholic options. Be sure to cast your vote for the People’s Choice Division of the competition to determine the crowd’s favorite burger. Please note that front gate admission tickets will be card-only on the day of the event, while vendors and the bar will accept both cash and card transactions. Don’t miss out on this flavorful extravaganza!

Sporting Events on the Space Coast 

Florida Marathon

February 11
Front Street Park | Melbourne 

The Florida Marathon includes up to 20 musical acts along the course of the half and full marathon and half a dozen on the routes of the 5k. It is a walker and headphones-friendly event with a seven hour time limit on the Marathon course. Half Marathoners have 5 hours to complete the event. A very scenic route awaits and includes four bridge crossings for the full and two for the half-marathon. The course twice takes marathoners to the beach side barrier island and back to the mainland before concluding at the riverfront Front Street Park in downtown Melbourne.

Ride it Down Titusville: The Space Ride on the Space Coast

February 24 | 7:30 am
Downtown Titusville

This annual community bike ride brings locals and visitors alike for a fun bike ride along our converging trails. Launch your Ride It Down adventure starting at the Titusville Welcome Center-The Launch Pad. Pick your ride anywhere from 5 miles to 40 miles! Check out our Planet Comfort Stations along the way. Landing back at the Welcome Center Launch Pad enjoy the After Party with vendors, music, & food trucks! All participants will enjoy a light breakfast & drinks, a Ride It Down T-shirt, comfort stations along the route, and a food truck lunch coupon!

East Coast Dog Surfing Festival

March 31, 9 am – 1 pm 
Lori Wilson Park | Cocoa Beach 

The Brevard Humane Society presents the 11th Annual East Coast Dog Surfing Festival! Hosted annually during Easter weekend, this event brings in surf fans and pet lovers for a day of tail-wagging entertainment. This year, look for bigger and better surprises, aside from dogs on the beach, dog surfing lessons, and the Dog Surfing Championships.

ASC Gateway to Space

March 2 | 8 am
Kennedy Space Center | Merritt Island

In partnership with Space Florida the 8th Annual Gateway to Space 5K/10K will take place on March 2nd, 2024 on the iconic Launch and Landing Facility (formerly known as Shuttle Landing Facility) at Kennedy Space Center. Join us on the ‘out of this world’ start line and keep your eyes open on the course for your chance to see landing marks from the shuttles of our past.

Arts and Cultural Events on the Space Coast

Black Box Blackout

February 1 – 26 
Various Venues | Eau Gallie Arts District 

Check this year’s schedule of events for this year’s lineup of concerts, comedy shows, live art, opera, film and so much more. 

Black Box Blackout was born in 2022 to fulfill jazz singer Kristen Warren’s vision to impact her community. Warren, a native of Melbourne, Florida, desired to put forth a production that sheds light on the dynamic contribution of black creatives while giving back to the most vulnerable in her community. This year, Black Box Blackout will serve an audience of 900+, feature 85 black creatives, and raise a minimum of $1000 for The Children’s Hunger Project. At its inception, Black Box Blackout impacted over 300 visitors from within the Space Coast. It provided an opportunity to a total of 60 black artists to display their creative work. The events successfully increased diversity exposure in Melbourne, FL, while raising money to support Ways of Brevard.

St. Katherine + Greek Festival

February 23 – 25 | Hours Vary
St Katherine Greek Orthodox Church | Melbourne

The GreekFEST grounds open at 4pm Friday and run with Food, Drink, Shopping and Entertainment until 5pm Sunday afternoon. Enjoy traditional food, dancing music and fun. Take the opportunity this year to enjoy the 52st year of devouring handmade greek pastries, finding premium olive oils and gifts, and knocking back a few shots of Ouzo with incredible company. OPA! 

Downtown Melbourne Botanical Fest

March  4 – 8 am – 4 pm
Downtown Melbourne | Melbourne 

The Downtown Melbourne Botanical Fest is a FREE family-friendly event that attracts visitors from the region and features lavish landscape designs, garden sculptures, flowers and plants, trees and shrubs, unique gifts, garden-themed art, great food, and much more!

Spring Fine Art and Craft Fair

March 2 – 3
Cocoa Village | Cocoa 

Head to Cocoa Village for the Spring Fine Art & Craft fair. See what more than 200 local artists create to make the world a more beautiful place as you walk the historic streets of Cocoa Village. This seasonal arts fair is not to be missed! 

IndiaFest

March 9-10 | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wickham Park | Melbourne 

IndiaFest is a celebration of the diversity of India’s cultures through food, music, dance, and more. Join the fun at Wickham Park where you can learn about the different regions, customs and cuisines of the beautiful country of India, while listening to traditional music and watching traditional dances!

City of Palm Bay Multicultural Festival

March 23 | 11 am – 5 pm
Fred Poppe Park | Palm Bay

This is a free event showcasing culture, dance, music, food, and hands-on activities from countries around the world. Enjoy live entertainment featuring the Spinning Canvas Dance Troupe, the Sifu Och Wing Chun Dancing Lions, food and craft vendors, face painting, glitter tattoos, inflatables for the kids, and much more.

Melbourne Art Festival

April 27-28, 9:00am – 5:00pm 
Wickham Park | Melbourne 

Melbourne Art Festival offers FREE admission, FREE parking, FREE children’s art projects and FREE live entertainment throughout the weekend. The 39th Annual Melbourne Art Festival will be held among the trees and lakes at beautiful Wickham Park in Melbourne, FL April 27 & 28, 2024. The annual festival, which draws tens of thousands of art and music lovers, is a vibrant family-friendly event that promotes and encourages artistic endeavors, education, and appreciation of the arts in Brevard County.

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