You’re invited to shine your boots and dust off your hat and make it to the first ever Blue Cypress Bluegrass, Boots & BBQ at this Friday’s Main Street Vero Beach Friday Fest. The Friday Fests, which usually take place in Historic Downtown Vero Beach from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the last Friday of the month, have been bringing in rock groups. However, after some requests from the public, the MSVB decided to bring in the popular bluegrass group. And, the organization is adding three barbecue trucks just to go “whole hog” on the alliteration. “We kind of affiliated BBQ with boots and bluegrass,” said Susan Gromis, the executive director of MSVB. “It’s something catchy.” The live music will be set up at 14th Avenue and 21st Street. The entire event goes north and south one block. It attracts up to 1,200 people who like to stroll among the crafters, vendors and nonprofit tents, and enjoy food and drink in the open air. Main Street does the beer concessions in conjunction with Walking Tree Brewery. There’s also wine and sometimes mixed drinks, all available for purchase. And, knowing that the end of July is typically hot and muggy, the Vero Heritage Center and Citrus Museum will be opening its doors to let people inside to dine in air-conditioned comfort. If you want to eat your barbecue outdoors, then best bring a folding chair or get comfortable with the idea of sitting on a curb. Gromis expects the cost of the barbecue dinners to be around $10 or less. “It’s probably the hopping-est three hours in Historic Downtown Vero Beach in the month,” Gromis said. “It’s free to the public, which is great. On Friday nights, everybody’s ready to cut loose. It’s a very clean area, families are welcome. We watch the crowd closely to make sure there’s not too much alcohol being imbibed. Dogs are welcomed. It’s a fun evening and very well attended.” Admission is free to the Blue Cypress Bluegrass, Boots & BBQ, which again will run 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call 772-643-6782 or visit MainstreetVeroBeach.org.
You might enjoy that barbecue so much that you want more. No worries, because this is the perfect weekend for you. The Gifford Youth Orchestra will hold its Barbeque Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Walking Trail. The event includes music, children’s activities and the chance to help the great nonprofit organization. For more information, call 772-213-3007 or visit GYOTigers.org.
Take advantage of Free Admission Saturday to the Vero Beach Museum of Art. The museum, which offers free admission on the last Saturday of each month, will be open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Currently, it has on view “VBMA Glass Works,” a collection of high-quality glass art which is in the museum’s permanent collection and includes works by big names in glass art such including Dale Chihuly and Karen LaMonte; and “A Tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude,” which comprises photographs, collages, drawings and objects culled from the Tom Golden Collection at the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa, Calif. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. For more information, call 772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org.
Take a swing at Big Shots Golf on Wednesday when the Mental Health Association of Indian River County celebrates its 63rd birthday. The party includes a birthday cake, heavy hors d’oeuvres, soft drinks and a fun crack at golf games. Golf clubs and special golf balls with computer chips will be provided. You’ll hit the ball into a real range and a computer will track the ball. “You do not have to be a golfer,” said MHA development director Amy Wagner. “It’s like a game. They put targets out there. It’s really cool. What’s great about it is you could be an avid golfer or just be with your kids having fun.” Tickets are $50 per person. This is not a fundraiser for the MHA, instead, Wagner said, it’s something that helps raise awareness of the organization. “We want everyone to know we’re here,” she said. “You can come in and talk to someone if you need to.” MHA is at 820 37th Place, Vero Beach. The birthday party runs 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4 at Big Shots Golf, 3456 U.S. 1, Vero Beach. To reserve your spot at the party, call 772-569-9788 or visit MHAIRC.org/mhaevents.
