With a blink of an eye, another year has ended and a new one has begun, leading us to believe in the possibilities of the good and the better, and as you begin planning your first (or last) vacation of 2025, Indian Harbour Beach, Florida may be where your thoughts are turning. Known as “The Greatest Little City in Florida” there are destined to be many wonderful adventures you will enjoy and because the best times start and end with the best vacation rentals, Happy Palm Stays is where your journey will take you. This guide to what’s new, what has stayed the same, and all that is wonderful in Indian Harbour will help you figure out how to fill all the minutes of your fabulous Florida vacation.
Special Events
The most fun way to explore a new place is by attending some of the special events and festivals that place offers, and although Indian Harbour is a small town, we have some pretty awesome events that would be worth timing your vacation so as to attend. The events listed below will take place throughout the Space Coast, but even if they aren’t in Indian Harbour Beach proper, they will be close enough that you can enjoy them and be home at festival’s end with just a short drive.
Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, January 22-26, Various Locations on the Space Coast
Chances are by the time you read this, the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival held mostly in Cape Canaveral will have concluded, but that’s ok, you can plan on visiting in 2026 because this is an annual event. Offering field trips to some of the best birding sights in the area, presentations, and speeches by some of the best naturalists from all over the country, and cool merchandize, including stunning art pieces that you will just HAVE to own for yourself, this five-day festival starts out the new year with a bang. There will even be photography workshops that can help you build your own photography skills, taking pictures that are equally stunning to those you see for sale and perhaps starting you on your way to a new hobby or career.
Brevard Renaissance Festival, January 18 through February 23, 3190 New York Avenue in Melbourne
Weekends are for huzzah when you visit the Space Coast anytime from January 18 through February 23 and if you have ever visited a Renaissance Festival you know you are going to be in for an amazing time! Home to giant turkey legs and massive mugs of mead, guests can view bawdy stage shows, jousting sessions, and dress up in your medieval finest to take part in a cosplay contests, as well as join in the fun of pub crawls, Beerfest and other themed weekends, and shop till you drop with vendors supplying everything a good knight, damsel, prince, or princess needs to live the good life.
4th of July on the Space Coast, Various Locations
America turns 249 this year and although the bigger celebrations may take place in 2025, there will be a variety of 4th of July celebrations all over the Space Coast. The Brevard Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Under the Stars will be held in Cocoa Village, while Viera’s Great American Celebration, Red, White, and Boom in Titusville, and MelBOOM! will all take place on July 4th. For those who don’t want the celebration to end, July 5th offers Fireworks at the Port in Port Canaveral and the City of Palm Bay Independence Day Celebration and because we don’t like to see the end of any party on July 6th, a short road trip to Port St. John will bring you to the Thunder over the Indian River Fireworks extravaganza!
Christmas in the Park Celebration, December, Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach
And just like that we have reached the end of the year and the pinnacle of celebrations, the Christmas season and our Indian Harbour Beach Christmas in the Beach Celebration is an event worth waiting for. The Christmas tree will be lit, carolers will be caroling, and of all the children’s activities that take place, a visit with Santa Claus will be the one that puts stars in your child’s eyes. We don’t have snow this far south and your Happy Palm Stays holiday hideaway won’t have a fireplace, it never gets that cold, but the spirit of Christmas shines bright in Indian Harbour Beach and this celebration is a major reason why.
A Day at the Park
Indian Harbour Beach is a small town, taking up just 2.6 square miles of land and offering a population that is just over 9000 people, but the beauty of the area is celebrated with a variety of parks that will add joy and fun to your Florida family vacation and we encourage you to visit one or two of them during your stay.
Gleason Park, 1233 Yacht Club Boulevard in Indian Harbour Beach, Open Daily 7AM-10PM
Home to the Indian Harbour Beach Recreation Center, Gleason Park is often the center of family activities throughout the year featuring a competition sized heated swimming pool that is open every day of the week year round. Also offering shuffleboard courts, walking trails, and two playgrounds, parents love being able to sit on the benches and soaking in the rays of the Florida sun while their youngsters scramble all over the jungle gyms. There are picnic facilities here as well and Lake Gleason is popular with water enthusiasts, providing fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities for all who visit.
Oars and Paddles Park, 1329 Banana River Drive in Indian Harbour Beach, Open Daily 7AM-8PM
This fun park is all about the water, offering access to the Banana River and a floating launch deck for canoes and kayaks that is open to the public. Explore the waterways of the Banana River, watching for wildlife, including the friendly manatee, especially as this river is a manatee sanctuary! No motorized boats are allowed but a day on the river doesn’t need that kind of power and as you paddle through mangrove forests following along behind the manatee that make their home here, your day at the park will be one you remember for years to come. Oars and Paddles also offers a playground, picnic facilities, and restrooms, so guests can play at the park as well, not just on the river.
Millennium Beach Park, 2155 Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway in Indian Harbour Beach
You can’t come all this way without spending at least one day at the beach and Millennium Beach Park combines the serenity of the sea and white sand beaches with a park like atmosphere, offering picnic tables, a playground, restrooms for your leisurely enjoyment. The moments at this beach are the ones you are destined to replay in your mind over and over when you return to real life and as you let your child partially bury you in the sand, build sandcastles at water’s edge, or simply sit on benches by the playground as the roar of the surf fills your soul with happiness, you will be experiencing the most authentic part of a Florida vacation.
Time to Dine
Life in Indian Harbour Beach pretty much flows right along like the tides of the ocean and although we don’t often get many new restaurants in the area, our proximity to other towns and the selection that is already available to us suits us fine and will end up being one of your favorite parts of your Florida vacation.
Tide & Tonic, 1940 Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway in Indian Harbour Beach, Open Daily
In spite of what we said earlier, Tide & Tonic, while not new in 2025 is still one of the newer restaurants in Indian Harbour Beach, opening in the early months of 2024 and we like to think waiting a bit to experience a new restaurant ensures they get all the kinks out, enabling you to have a premium dining experience. This wonderful newish spot is certain to provide you with one of your favorite dining experiences, offering a menu of all-American favorites, including burgers, sandwiches, and seafood that is locally sourced and all the sweeter for it. No matter where you eat during your Florida adventures, you have to try a grouper sandwich at least once and Tide & Tonic’s will delight your taste buds. And when it comes to dessert, we have a bit of a dilemma in our recommendation here, as the traditional Key Lime pie has to be sampled to be believed, but their Southern Shortcake calls loudly for our attention! Deep frying a buttermilk biscuit and then topping it with fresh strawberries, ice cream, and whipped cream is the secret to their yumminess, so maybe order both and share with your traveling companions?
Too Cool Café, 2051 S Patrick Drive in Indian Harbour Beach, Open Daily at 8 AM
This part of Florida doesn’t put a lot of stock in fancy dining but we do believe in using fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, elevating your food choices even as you are eating basic Southern comfort food. Too Cool Café, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner most days, is one of our favorite spots for the entire family to dine and its inexpensive menu prices enables us to eat their often. The cerulean blue building stands out in a sea of sameness, but it is their menu that we can’t get enough of. Brunch specialties include an extensive Benedict menu, substituting lobster, salmon, and crab cakes for the typical Canadian bacon, but you can stay traditional if you like. Their lunch and diner menu is one and the same and the selection of meals will surprise you with their diversity. Cajun shrimp and pasta, Greek pasta, burgers, fish tacos; if you can imagine it, chances are it will show up on their incredibly eclectic menu! And if you are staying in one of our pet friendly rentals, just know that your sweet fur baby is welcome on the patio of the Too Cool Café.
Le French Restaurant, 1924 Highway A1A Indian Harbour Beach in Melbourne, Closed Mondays
Now, just because we don’t often see the need for fancy dining, that doesn’t mean we don’t occasionally find ourself wanting a special occasion meal and Le French Restaurant in Melbourne has become a go to pace for celebrations. Offering a décor that is pure Paris, including macaron colored chairs and white tablecloths on all the tables, their wine list is an extensive one and their traditional French menu almost demands that you start your culinary excursion with foie gras and end it with Profiteroles au chocolat, filling the in between dishes with whatever French dish makes your taste buds cheer!
Coming Home to Happy Palm Stays
The good times continue when you come home to our Happy Palm Stays vacation sanctuaries after each and every one of your adventures. There may be new ones that are added to our inventory and there may be older ones that have finished serving their purpose as a vacation rental, but the basic qualities and traits of each property remain the same, with some of our favorite amenities and extras listed below.
As you travel many miles to get to our doorstep, your muscles will ache and your bones will creak making the comforts of our Indian Harbour Beach vacation rentals as important to the success of your vacation as the experiences you enjoy.
Entertainment matters and although you will be having fun during your Space Coast explorations, chttps://www.happypalmstays.com/locations/indian-harbour-vacation-rentals/oming home to Happy Palm Stays offers a new group of entertainment options. Swimming pools, barbecue grills, and firepits outside and smart televisions and gaming tables inside ensure that every minute you spend with us will be exciting and fun.
Perhaps the ultimate luxury amenity we offer is the welcoming and inviting vibe that will make you feel at home even as you are far from your own comfort zone. Reserve your favorite Florida sanctuary today!
