A special organ recital will be performed Friday evening by Ryan Kasten. It begins 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at the St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 7590 26th St., Vero Beach. Kasten is the church’s director of music ministries. The concert is part of the church’s Fine Art Series. It is free, but donations are accepted. For more information, call 772-563-0057 or visit StJohnsVero.org.
Author Carl Hiaasen comes to Vero Beach Book Center on Saturday to talk about his new book, “Wrecker.” The book follows the exploits of a man nicknamed “Wrecker” because one of his forefathers salvaged shipwrecks for a living. Set in Key West, Wrecker deals with smugglers, grave robbers and, like other books in Hiaasen’s “oeuvre,” a whole lot of Florida oddities. Hiaasen’s talk about “Wrecker” begins 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Vero Beach Book Center, 392 21st St. As this is a ticketed event, you must purchase a book to attend. Including taxes, “Wrecker” costs $23.54. Hiaasen will be signing the books. For more information, call 772-569-2050.
The opening reception of the A.E. Backus Museum’s “42nd Annual Best of the Best Juried Exhibition” will be held 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. The exhibition, which opens that day, runs through Nov. 10, and opens the museum’s 63rd season. There are four main categories in the show – oil/acrylic, watercolor, varied techniques (including collage, mixed media, printmaking, etc.) and three-dimensional (including wood, clay, ceramics, fiber, jewelry and more). A.E. Backus Museum has the country’s biggest collection of work by A.E. “Bean” Backus, a self-taught Florida artist who is in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame and became an important mentor to the school of artists known as the Highwaymen. Regular hours are noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $5. Admission to the opening reception of the “Best of the Best Juried Exhibition” is $20 for non-members and free to museum members and all artists (plus one guest) who submitted work to the show. The A.E. Backus Museum and Gallery is at 500 North Indian River Dr., Fort Pierce. The museum Call 772-465-0630 or visit BackusMuseum.org.
Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County will have an Open House Saturday afternoon. Organizers will offer free rides on sail boats. There will also be some food trucks and music. The Youth Sailing Foundation gives free sailing instruction to children of Indian River County. They learn to rig and pilot a sailboat on the Indian River Lagoon. The organization also instructs adults. The organization has more than 60 sailboats and 10 chase and safety boats as well as a pontoon boat for on-water classroom and parent viewing stand. Open House runs 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Youth Sailing Foundation, 17 17th St., Vero Beach. Call 772-492-3243 or visit YSFIRC.org.
The Vero Beach Art Club presents its first ever “On Location” Fine Arts Festival this weekend. The art show includes a wide range of attractions, including a Motor City Classic Cars’ classic car show, demonstrations by artists, pumpkin painting, live music, raffles and an array of food vendors. Art on view will include paintings, sculptures and more. The “On Location” Art Show runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Pointe West Country Club Heritage Pavilion, 1550 76th St., Vero Beach. Patron parking will be on the corner of 16th Street and 76th Drive. For more information, call 772-231-0303 or visit VeroBeachArtClub.org.
The Treasure Coast Flea Market Boat Sale and Seafood Festival runs this weekend. Captain Lee Marine Services will hold seminars on boat maintenance, repair (including repairs of fiberglass), insurance and more. A Kids Fishing Clinic, which will teach about knots, lures and baits, runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. both days. An Adult Fishing Clinic, which will teach about baits and lures and will have an open question segment, runs 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. both days. There will also be a casting contest with prizes for best in kids and best in adults from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. The Treasure Coast Flea Market, Boat Sale and Seafood Festival runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Indian River Fairgrounds, 7955 58th Ave., Vero Beach. Admission is $10 and free for children 12 years and younger. For more information or to buy advance discounted tickets, visit FLNauticalFleaMarket.com. Service fees may be added to tickets. For more information, you can also call 954-205-7813.
