Tag: Edgewater

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New Smyrna Beach 2025 Christmas Season Events

2025 New Smyrna Beach Great Homemade Christmas Cookie Challenge

The Christmas season in New Smyrna Beach, Florida is truly a special time, with time honored and new events for everyone. So get out and enjoy the 2025 Christmas season as only New Smyrna Beach and the surrounding area can do it.

METHODOLOGY

So what I have done is scour the internet for events I feel are relevant to this post. I am including events from approximately, Thanksgiving, through the end of 2025. I am sure I am missing some things and that is where you the reader come in.

If you know of events or celebrations that I have not included please drop me a line and let me know. Please include as much information as possible; event name, date, time, address, website, phone number, cost, etc. If the event is appropriate, I will get it added ASAP. If you would like a more in-depth post about your individual event, please contact me so we can discuss.

As with any calendar of this nature, please confirm dates, times, and locations on your own. Events are always subject to change.

So without further Ado, let’s get to celebrating the 2025 Christmas and holiday season, New Smyrna Beach style!

 

NOVEMBER 2025

November 15

November 20

  • Canal Street Nights
  • 5:O00p-8:30p
  • Canal Street
  • Vendors, food trucks, extended shopping hours, entertainment

November 21 and 22 New Smyrna Beach Festival of Trees

  • Festival of Trees
  • 10:00a-4:00p on the 21st and 9:00a-1:00p on the 22nd
  • 2000 Turnbull Bay Road
  • Decorated trees, silent auction, gift baskets, bakeshop, floral arrangements

November 22

  • Flagler Avenue Slider Challenge
  • 1:00p-5:00p
  • Flagler Avenue
  • Passports are $20 in advance or day of event. Day of event sales are on a first come, first serve basis and are cash only. This event traditionally sells out.

November 27

November 28 through December 1

  • Canal Street Window Decorating Contest
  • Begins on November 28, voting through December 1
  • Canal Street businesses
  • Canal Street merchants decorate their hearts out, seeking your vote, in this fun, yet competitive contest

November 28 New Smyrna Beach 2025 Spark the Spirit Christmas event

  • Spark the Spirit
  • 5:00p-7:30p
  • Canal Street will be closed to vehicular traffic
  • The biggest annual event featuring tree lighting, live entertainment, shopping, and the arrival of Santa Claus. This is a great event to really kick off the holiday season.

November 28  through 30

  • Joy to the Arts
  • Hours vary by day, click the link for details
  • The HUB on Canal and Jane’s Art Center, 132 Canal Street
  • Celebrate the season by shopping small, with local artists, kids crafting, gift card specials, drink specials, and more. Stop in while attending the Coastal Christmas Market or other events

November 29

  • Coastal Christmas Market
  • 9:00a-5:00p
  • Canal Street will be closed to vehicular traffic
  • Shop with local artisans and Canal Street merchants in one of the largest “shop local” events of the season

November 29

  • Flagler Avenue Wine Walk
  • Starts at noon
  • Flagler Avenue
  • $30 for 20 tasting tickets. Purchase online or beginning at noon on the day of the event. In person tickets are available on a cash only basis.
  • Click the link for full event details including where to purchase tickets and to pick up tasting glasses

November 29

  • Edgefest Light Up the Night
  • 6:00p-10:00p
  • Hawks Park, 1108 S. Ridgewood Avenue
  • Christmas lights, train rides, weather forecasts are predicting snow, Santa Claus, more

November 29

DECEMBER 2025

December 4

  • Girls Night Out
  • 5:00p-8:30p
  • Canal Street
  • You and your friends are invited to a fun filled evening in Downtown New Smyrna Beach for wonderful shopping, delicious food, live music, photo ops, and more. Your favorite downtown shops, restaurants, and bars will be open for extended hours during Girls’ Night Out

December 4 – 14 Select Dates

  • Miracle on 34th Street
  • Select Dates and Times
  • Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, 726 E. 3rd Avenue, 386-423-1246
  • $22 plus service charges
  •  When a department store hires a man, Kris Kringle, to play Santa for the Thanksgiving Day parade, he quickly becomes a hit and is hired to play Santa at the store’s main location.  When he claims to be the real Santa Claus and his sanity is questioned, he must prove his authenticity in court

December 5

  • Light Up Flagler
  • 5:00p-8:30p
  • Flagler Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic
  • Merchants open house, pictures with Santa, tree lighting, trackless train rides, kids craft station, Santa Paws Pooch Parade, Crazy Golf Cart Christmas Parade, more

December 5 2025 New Smyrna Beach Great Homemade Christmas Cookie Challenge

  • Great Homemade Christmas Cookie Challenge
  • 4:00p-8:00p
  • Flagler Avenue
  • $15 online in advance, limited availability the day of, on a cash only basis.
  • Sample different cookies, receive a recipe card for each cookie, a holiday cookie box, a map of host locations, voting for your favorites at the end!

December 6

  • New Smyrna Beach Christmas Parade
  • Begins at 3:00p
  • Flagler Avenue, over the bridge, and west on Canal Street
  • See the incredible floats businesses and organizations create, listen to local school bands, and be sure to wave to Santa Claus

December 6

December 7

December 11 – 14

  • Drive Through Bethlehem
  • 6:00p-8:00p
  • Daytona Beach Drive-In Christian Church, 3140 S. Atlantic Avenue
  • Journey back in time to the village of Bethlehem—right from your vehicle! As you drive through, you’ll witness the nativity where Jesus was born, see animals grazing in the Shepherd’s field, and explore the bustling marketplace. Don’t forget to stop by the baker’s stall for a sweet treat!
  • Free. Donations gratefully accepted.

December 12

  • Norwood’s Holiday Wine Festival
  • 6:00p-9:30p
  • Norwood’s, 402 E. 2nd Avenue, New Smyrna Beach
  • General Admission tickets are $99 per person
  • Over 150 wines will be available for sample, food, live entertainment

December 13 Edgewater, Florida 2025 Christmas Parade Saturday, December 13 beginning at 10a

  • Edgewater Christmas Parade
  • 10:00a
  • 30th Street from Hibiscus Drive to Silver Palm Drive
  • This is a residential neighborhood. Do not park in peoples yards and driveways. You might be towed.

 

December 13

December 13

  • Oak Hill Christmas Parade
  • 2:00p
  • Contact the City of Oak Hill at 386-345-3522 option 2 for details

December 13

  • Classic Cars on Canal
  • 3:00p-6:00p
  • Canal Street will be closed to vehicular traffic
  • Classic cars, live music,  local restaurants

December 13

  • Christmas Under the Palms
  • 9:00a-3:00p
  • United Methodist Church, 211 N. Ridgewood, Edgewater
  • 50+ vendors with crafts, art, seasonal decor, food, and more

December 13

  • A Taste of the Holidays
  • 3:00p-5:00p
  • Crimson House, 219 N. Orange St.
  • $64.48 per person
  • Sample 60 wines, seltzers, and a sangria bar, appetizers, live music

December 14

  • Santa Claus
  • 2:00p-4:00p
  • Frosty King, 1020 S. Ridgewood, Edgewater
  • Meet Santa Claus, take photos, and enjoy delicious ice cream with the family

December 16Christmas Concert at the Pacetti Hotel Ponce Inlet December 2025 New Smyrna Beach Holiday events 2025

December 18

December 20

  • Breakfast with Santa
  • 9:00a-11:00a
  • Babe James Center, 201 N. Myrtle Avenue

December 24

  • Christmas Eve services
  • Contact your preferred church for information

December 26 – January 1

  • Kwanzaa
  • Please contact the Mary S. Harrell Black Heritage Museum at the link above for details.

December 28Flagler Avenue Grilled Cheese Challenge New Smyrna Beach

  • Grilled Cheese Challenge
  • 1:00p-5:00p
  • Flagler Avenue
  • $20 tasting passport. It is recommended to purchase online, in advance.

 

 

 

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A Phone Booth in a Cemetery

Phone Booth in a Cemetery Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery

Have you ever seen a phone booth in a cemetery? It seems unusual doesn’t it but there appear to be legitimate reasons for this. Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery is providing a new option for those grieving a departed loved one, called the Wind Phone.

Origins of the Wind Phone

The Wind Phone was originally the brainchild of Itaru Sasaki, of Japan, in 2010. Mr. Sasaki was grieving the loss of a cousin who passed from cancer. Sasaki purchased an old phone booth, and installed a rotary phone. He placed the booth in his garden. Here, he was able to connect with his departed loved one in a private manner, alone with his thoughts.

As a result of a devastating 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami, thousands of coastal residents in Japan were killed, many washed into the Pacific Ocean and their bodies never recovered. Recovering his phone booth, Sasaki relocated it to a hill at the foot of Kujira-Yama, a 609 meter high peak near the town of Otsuchi, an area devasted by the tsunami. Here, he welcomed the public to come and “call” their relatives, allowing them to mourn, cope, and hopefully heal, from their tragic loss.

You may learn more about Itaru Saski and the original Wind Phone at THIS SITE.

 

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Phone Booth in a Cemetery Edgewater-New Smyrna CemeteryEdgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery

Grief is a universal language and we all deal with it in our own manner. Today, Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery offers mourners the unique opportunity to sit in peace and call their departed loved one by using a Wind Phone. Mourners can enter the plywood phone booth which contains an old rotary phone. Here, they can sit and pour out their souls, anger, and sorrow to the departed. No need to pick up the phone receiver as it isn’t connected to any earthly service. Instead, the wind will carry their words to the great beyond, delivering them to their loved one.

For some, this idea may seem far-fetched and possibly even ridiculous. For those handling grief however, it is important to let them mourn and if the Wind Phone helps them, so much the better. In fact, ENS General Manager Patricia Corsillo, has stated that the first time she used a Wind Phone she “called” her old home phone number to talk with her parents. She says it  brought her a sense of comfort and she hopes to provide the same to others.

Where to Find a Wind Phone Near You

The concept is catching on around the United States. At the time of writing, My Wind Phone states that there are almost 250 installed in the UnitedInterior of the Wind Phone at Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery States, with more coming soon. Find updated statistics and Wind Phone locations using THIS LINK. Currently, there are 16 Wind Phones in the state of Florida. Use the link to find one near you, no matter your location.

Edgewater-New Smyrna Cemetery is located at 700 S. Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, on the west side of the highway. Access the cemetery using the north entrance (there are three entrances off of Ridgewood Ave.) Follow the drive and you will see the Wind Phone located between one of the newest and one of the oldest sections in the cemetery.

Call to Action

Have you ever seen or used a Wind Phone?  Please share your experience with a comment.

 

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Click to order your copy of      It’s OK That You’re Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn’t Understand

 

 

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Monument Dedications in Veterans Park in Edgewater, Florida

Detail of the 1961 Memorial Plaque

Veterans Park in Edgewater, Florida is a small park located just off Riverside Drive with the beautiful Indian River on the eastern edge.  The park provides easy access to the walking trail located along Riverside Drive. Jutting into the River is a fishing pier providing free river access to anyone with a rod and reel. The small park contains two monuments with plaques along with retired military equipment that is in stark contrast to the peaceful neighborhood the
park belongs to.

1961 Edgewater Florida Veterans Park Memorial
The full view of the 1961 Edgewater, FL Veterans Park Memorial
Detail of the 1961 Memorial Plaque
Detail of the 1961 Veterans Park Plaque.


1961

The older monument dates to 1961 and was originally placed on the grounds of the Community Center. The large brick monument contains a smaller bronze plaque reading “Dedicated to those who served in the armed forces in the wars of our nation and in perpetual memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice in freedom’s cause.”

The dedication ceremony, held by Edgewater American Legion Post 285, was described in a local paper as “impressive” and featured many local dignitaries. The program began with the advance of the color guard and the singing of the National Anthem by Virginia Henderson. Mrs. Edward Price accompanied Ms. Henderson. Cliff Mosher, past commander of the local Legion post served as master of ceremonies.

Post Chaplain James Costigan provided the invocation with Reverend M.D. Jackson from Edgewater Baptist Church leading a prayer in recognition of deceased veterans.

Other speakers that day included Judge Robert Wingfield, from DeLand, who gave the principal address; William M. Edwards, commander of the Fifth Legion District provided the dedication address. Commander William Cairnie presented the monument to the City of Edgewater with Mayor Aquilla Hussey and other city officials accepting the gift.

The most moving part of the dedication was no doubt the laying of a wreath honoring those who
have passed in service to the United States by Gold Star Mothers. One of the participants was
Ms. Myrtle I. Cole, whose son James Lee Cole was killed in World War II. Mr. Cole is buried at
the Netherlands American Cemetery. Other Gold Star Mothers attending the ceremony were
Mrs. Thomas Callanan and Mrs. Otto Hovarter.

The Reverend Richard Alexander, of Union Church closed the ceremony with the benediction.

American Legion Officers Participating in the 1961 Memorial Dedication
Shown are officers of the American Legion Post 285 who participated in the Veterans Memorial Dedication in 1961. Photo: New Smyrna Beach News Thursday, November 16, 1961

 

 

1988

Captain John F. Bolt, USMC
Then Captain John F. Bolt, United States Marine Corps. Photo Courtesy National Archives https://catalog.archives.gov/id/74243136

In 1988, a second monument was added to the park. The tone of the dedication event was decidedly more aggressive with retired Lt. Col. John Bolt as the featured speaker. Bolt was a member of the famous Black Sheep squadron in World War II and was a jet fighter ace during the Korean War. Bolt was the only Marine Corps pilot to record five kills in both propeller driven and jet aircraft. He was also one of only seven aces in the two wars. To be an ace a pilot had to shoot down at least five enemy aircraft in midair combat.

To learn more about the Black Sheep Squadron I recommend the book Once They Were Eagles. You might also consider the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Bolt provided a speech heavy in pro-American rhetoric that many might find appropriate on Veterans Day. He expressed the view that America needed to be strong in order to keep the peace, “Unless you are capable of defending your territory, defending your ideals, someone is simply going to push you off it.” He believed that this strength is what brought the Soviets into discussions resulting in the SALT II treaty of 1979. “The desire for peace is not enough. Peace comes through strength. The veterans we honor here today had strength.”

Gold Star Mothers member Mary Biatek gave another speech. Ms. Biatek spoke on the danger of drugs to our country stating, “This country can be defeated, not on the battlefields, but by decay within.”

1988 Monument located in Veterans Park in Edgewater, Florida
The full view of the 1988 monument dedicated in Veterans Park

Rick Weeks, who at the time served as Commander of the Indian River Post 145 of the Disabled American Veterans gave a talk more focused on veterans. He compared the most current veterans to those who served under George Washington. The one thing that remained constant was the pride of veterans.

The ceremony included wreath presentations by many organizations including Daughters of the American Revolution, Gold Star Mothers, the American Legion, Vietnam veterans, and several Disabled American Veterans posts.

 

 

Detail of the 1988 Memorial in Veterans Park, Edgewater, Florida
Close up detail of the plaque attached to the monument dedicated in 1988 in Veterans Park, Edgewater, FL

 

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Reproduction Cannon

On display in the park is a reproduction cannon, though no details are provided. It would be nice if there was an interpretive panel stating what we are seeing and where and when the real model might have been used in combat. As can be seen from the photos, this model is in pretty rough condition. Brackish water and winds off the river can do that.

 

Green Infrastructure Project

The Mosquito Lagoon has been plagued for years with issues associated with untreated storm water runoff. This runoff collects excessive nutrients, chemicals, and sediments, all of which end up in the lagoon. When these waters contaminate local water bodies they are known as nonpoint source pollution, or NSP for short.

The Environmental Protection Agency provides these examples of NSP.

Nonpoint source pollution can include:

In an effort to lower the local impact of NSP, the City of Edgewater, the Riverside Conservancy, the EPA, the County of Volusia, and Young Bear Environmental created the Veteran’s Memorial Park Green Infrastructure Project. The project aim is to reduce the amount of runoff entering the Mosquito Lagoon in hopes to preserve its water quality and keep the park thriving.

For a short period of time, the City closed the park to allow environmental upgrades to be made toward meeting the project goals.

The steep park shoreline was regraded to a more gradual angle to help reduce erosion and increase the amount of time runoff can be filtered by plants and drain into the ground, before entering the canal.

A new swale and weir system was installed. This will more efficiently collect runoff and reduce the amount of pollutants suspended in the water before the water is redirected into the canal.

The park was replanted using native plants which will help stabilize the shoreline and better filter stormwater runoff of excess nutrients and pollution. These native plants will also be attractive to local wildlife.

To visit Veterans Park:
1811 S. Riverside Drive
Edgewater, FL
Facilities include a fishing pier, restrooms, picnic tables, 20 parking spaces

I would like to express my thanks to Linda Hulvershorn, archivist at the Sheldon Research
Library located at the New Smyrna Museum of History, for her assistance in finding local reports
of these events.

  • Sources:
  • Daytona Beach News Journal
  • Green Infrastructure Project rack card (City of Edgewater)
  • New Smyrna Beach Observer
  • The Pelican

If you are interested in war memorials in Volusia County, Florida, I invite you to take a look at my post discussing the World War I memorial in Osteen.  This monument, located just off busy Highway 415, recognizes the service and sacrifice of some, but not all, of the men from the Osteen area who served during the War to End All Wars.

 

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