40+ Reasons to Stay And Play!

The Daytona Beach area has more than 40 great reasons for you to stay and play with us this fall and winter.  From September 1 through December 31, the Daytona Beach area will host more than 40 festivals and events, sometimes more than one a weekend! The weather's great, the festivals are fun and lively and the lodging specials are unbeatable!  Click here to book your Festival Season 2.0 Getaway today.

Floridians are some of the Daytona Beach area's biggest fans - and some of its best ambassadors!  They love the Daytona Beach area, its festivals and its attractions -- and they're more than happy to share the many reasons why. Click here for a list of offers especially for our Florida friends.

Our fall and winter festival season offers an eclectic mix of fine art and music festivals, sporting events and gatherings for motorcycle and classic auto enthusiasts.  From summer's final hurrah on Labor Day Weekend with the Star Spangled Summer Concert, Barbecue & Fireworks event to Biketoberfest®, the Halifax Art Festival and the Main Street New Year's Eve Celebration you'll find a cornucopia of things to see, do - and keep you entertained - throughout Festival Season 2.0.

Need another reason to stay and play?  How about our great weather!  Through December, the Daytona Beach area's average daytime temperature holds steady at a comfortable 70 degrees, which means you can leave your heavy winter jacket at home and relax and enjoy daily strolls and bicycle rides on our 23 miles of world-famous shoreline.

	September	October	November	December
Average Air High Temperature	87F	81F	75F	70F

Festival Season 2.0 offers something for everyone.  Take a moment to browse our eclectic festival lineup of more than 40 events.  We think you will be impressed! 

 

December

LPGA Qualifying Tournament.  Through Dec. 4.  This tournament showcasing top women golfers competing for entry into the prestigious LPGA continues at the award-winning LPGA International.  www.lpga.com.  386.274.5742.    

Fur Ball Gala - A Chocolate Affair.  Dec. 1.  Cheat on your diet... have a chocolate affair!  This gala event at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort will feature a silent and live auction, dinner, dancing and a Chocolate Lounge.  Dress is cocktail attire and proceeds benefit the Halifax Humane Society.  www.halifaxhumanesociety.org.  386.274.7403, ext. 328.
 
Ormond Beach Historical Bus Tour.  Dec. 2, 17 & 29.  Discover the Daytona Beach area's northern beachfront community, charming Ormond Beach.  This two-hour tour takes passengers through the Ormond Scenic Loop and showcases the four- centuries-old Fairchild Oak, Three Chimneys Sugar Mill Ruins, Ormond Indian Burial Mound and historic homes along the way.  The tour's knowledgeable guide interprets 30 sites along the route.  The bus tour departs from The Casements.  www.ormondhistory.org.  386.677.7005.

Daytona Beach Christmas Boat Parade.  Dec. 3.  Watch Santa set sail during this local holiday tradition featuring brightly lit boats decorated in colorful holiday themes.  Presented by the Halifax River Yacht Club, the parade sails down the Halifax River starting at the Seabreeze Bridge and cruises south through Daytona Beach's historic downtown district.   www.hryc.com.  386.255.7559.

The Civic Ballet of Volusia County presents The Nutcracker Ballet.  Dec. 10-11.  Introduce the little ones to the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," a highlight of this timeless Christmas classic.  www.peabodyauditorium.org.   386.671.3462.      

Miracle on 34th Street.  Dec. 16.  Catch the Christmas spirit in Daytona Beach!  For the first time, Miracle on 34th Street comes to the stage as a musical featuring traditional holiday songs orchestrated by Steve Steiner.  www.peabodyauditorium.org.  386.671.3462.    
 

The Daytona Beach Shootout.  Dec. 18-21.  Watch NCAA Division II, III and NAIA men's and women's basketball teams compete in this action-packed holiday tournament.  Tournament games will be played at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Ocean Center.   www.sporttours.net/tournaments.  414.228.7337.

Daytona KartWeek by Cometic Gasket.   Dec. 28-30.  Check out tomorrow's racing stars at this annual three-day event at Daytona International Speedway!  Many of today's top drivers, including Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray and Bobby Labonte, first raced at Daytona KartWeek, considered one of the world's largest karting events.  www.daytonainternatinalspeedway.com.

Main Street New Year's Eve Celebration.  Dec. 31.  Ring in 2012 at one of Central Florida's largest New Year's Eve celebrations.  This eight-block Main Street fete features live music, food vendors and more!   386.255.9300.

For a complete, up-to-date listing of Daytona Beach area fall and winter happenings, visit our online calendar of events.  

 

Love arts and culture? We do, too!  During your stay, make time to explore our art, photography, science and history museums.  Here's just a few of the exhibitions that will be on view during festival season.

Museum of Arts & Sciences
Audubon! Birds and Quadrupeds of North America
(Through Feb. 27)
John James Audubon painted nearly three-quarters of the North American species of birds, of which the Museum of Arts & Sciences holds more than 30 superb examples which will be exhibited through the winter season.  Audubon set a standard by which all other naturalist-artists can be judged, observing birds in the wild and drawing them from life whenever possible.

Reflections II - Watercolors of Florida 1835-2000, from the Collection of Cici and Hyatt Brown
(Nov. 13-Feb. 2012)
The most comprehensive and prestigious collection of Florida watercolors will be on display at the MOAS this fall and winter.  Reflections II presents a broad, full color survey of watercolors of Florida in all styles, cataloging 168 years, by the most significant artists working in Florida - and includes examples within Realism, Impressionism, Postal Impressionism, Ashcan, Regionalism, Modernism and varieties of Abstraction.  The Reflections series represents the very first devoted exclusively to Florida watercolor and the artists who helped to memorialize the culture and art of Florida.

Southeast Museum of Photography
In Review: War and A Second Telling: September 11 - here is new york
(Through Oct. 2)
After ten years of turmoil, uncertainty and conflict we confront the anniversary of the events of September 11th.  What has happened since then, and how have photographers helped shape our understanding of these complex events and the circumstances surrounding them?  Four photographers and four dramatically different records are presented alongside images made at the actual site of what has become known as "Ground Zero" on that September day in 2001.  Also on display through Oct. 2, A Second Telling: September 11 - here is new york, this powerful set of photographs is drawn from the Permanent Collection of the Southeast Museum of Photography.  The original exhibition was organized in response to the World Trade Center tragedy of 2001 and the unprecedented flood of images that resulted from that tragic event.   
  

Douglas Kirkland: Retrospective: Fifty Years of Photography
(Oct. 21-Feb. 12)
Renowned for his work in photojournalism, celebrity portraiture and film photography, Douglas Kirkland's retrospective is a compelling look into a career in photography spanning over five decades. With just under 200 images, this exhibition features portraits of celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, 'Coco' Chanel, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and other icons, alongside iconic stills taken on the sets of acclaimed films such as The Sound of Music (1965), Out of Africa (1985), Titanic (1997) and Australia (2008).

For the most up-to-date information on the Daytona Beach area's arts and entertainment happenings visit www.DaytonaBeachCulture.com.

Shop 'Til You Drop

Enjoy a bit of retail therapy at one of our many malls, shopping plazas and downtown districts.

 

Daytona Flea & Farmers Market.   Voted one of the top five markets by USA Weekend, you will be amazed by this market's many offerings, from fresh produce and seafood to art, clothing, electronics, jewelry and much, much more!  
 

Ocean Walk Shoppes.  Looking for beach and resort wear?  Then a stop here is a must.  This oceanfront, multi-level, outdoor shopping plaza is home to Maui Nix, Point Break, Caribongo's and Sunglass Hut.  

The Pavilion at Port Orange.  Major retailers housed in this outdoor shopping village include Belk, Marshalls/HomeGoods Megastore and ULTA.  The Pavilion also features a variety of specialty stores and boutiques.

The Trails Shopping Center.  Located in Ormond Beach, major retailers such as Ann Taylor Loft, Talbot's, Jos. A. Bank, Coldwater Creek, Patchington, Chico's and White House Black Market call this shopping center home.

Volusia Mall.  You'll find more than 125 retail stores here, including Macy's, JCPenney, Dillards, Abercrombie & Fitch, Charlotte Russe, Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters.   

Meet You Downtown!  Our charming downtown districts offer unique shopping opportunities as well.  Downtown Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach MainStreet, MainStreet DeLand, and the Canal Street Historic District and Flagler Avenue areas in New Smyrna Beach are all home to an array of locally-owned boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and restaurants.  Downtown hopping is a great way to spend the day while learning more about the history and culture of the Greater Daytona Beach Area.

And there's more… Even more shopping opportunities abound along Daytona Beach's main thoroughfare, International Speedway Boulevard, including Burlington Coat Factory, Stein Mart, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.  Also in Daytona Beach, Seabreeze Boulevard is home to Sussman's Designer Fashions, the city's oldest upscale boutique.  And of course, we can't forget the many gift and souvenir shops that line Atlantic Avenue (S.R. A1A) from Ormond Beach to Daytona Beach Shores!

The Daytona Beach area is home to hundreds of restaurants, from upscale to casual and from Floribbean to Asian - and everything in between - you'll find it here.  At night, enjoy the area's mix of high energy dance and comedy clubs.  Live music lovers will enjoy the local bands that perform at the area's lineup of beach clubs, pubs, and blues and country music nightclubs.  Visit the What to See & Do section for more dining and nightlife ideas.

The Daytona Beach area's mild fall and winter temperatures make it a perfect match for golf and tennis enthusiasts.  Home to more than 20 golf clubs, including LPGA International, the Daytona Beach area is a golfer's paradise.  Among the area's tennis offerings is the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.  The center features 24 hydro-clay courts, with 20 lighted for night play, and a full-service pro shop.
 

Parks & Recreation

The Daytona Beach area is home to several beautiful state parks and preserves.  Tomoka, Bulow Creek, DeLeon Springs, Hontoon Island and Blue Spring state parks are true ecological treasures, where visitors can enjoy birding, kayaking, fishing, nature trails and more.    

Ready to visit? Click here to book your Festival Season 2.0 getaway today!