Photo: Denise Ritchie Residents gathered en masse for the 2019 Hibiscus Festival in historic downtown Vero Beach, perusing the Fine Art and Fine Craft Show and the numerous vendor booths, cheering on participants in the United Against Poverty Shopping Cart Parade, and enjoying live musical entertainment throughout the day.

The event raises funds to support the efforts of Main Street Vero Beach to preserve and grow the downtown area. Early Saturday, cyclists rode in a Centennial Hibiscus History Ride, which took them to historic sites about town.

The Thursday before the weekend festival, 10 young women between the ages of 15 and 19 competed in the Hibiscus Pageant hoping to be crowned Miss Hibiscus 2019.

Taking the title was Rebekah Parsons, Marie Lorenz was runner-up and Unique Edden was second runner-up. Additional awards were presented to Miss Photogenic Alicia Maneiro and Miss Congeniality Mackenzie Cooley.

Photos by: Denise Ritchie
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: Hibiscus Festival

: Lucy Vitek with sisters Calais and Aviana Bouyssou

: Alex Dietrich

: Kim Partlow with Jackpot Jack the Gorilla

: Dale McGee and Sharon Lay

: Jane Leeth, Sara Clark and Ali Guzik

: Katrina Collins, Melinda Smith, and Blake Green

: Michele and Adam Neal with daughters Kaley and Ryley

: Hibiscus Festival

: Hibiscus Festival

: Acen Koehn

: Victor Aprea, Jackie Kalhamer, Nicki Munroe, and Nancy McCurdy

: Ingrid Bell

: Alicia Maneiro , Rebekah Parsons and Unique Eden

: Paige Kelly and Darlene St. John

: Custom surfboards by Moonrise Design

: Robert and Sherri Ellison with Zachariah

: Soul Jam

: Hibiscus Festival

: Katrina Collins, Melinda Smith, and Blake Green

: Staton Grant with Linda and Steve Hillman

: Miss Hibiscus 2019 Rebekah Parsons

: Miss Hibiscus Pageant

: Host Cindy Goetz with contestants Unique Eden, Mackenzie Cooley, Kylie Gilbert, Jasmine Murray, Marie Lorenz, Michaela Silvey, Grace Carlon, Alicia Maneiro, Daisy Cabanas, and Rebekah Parsons