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Completed in 1887, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is a fascinating piece of Florida history. It towers over others as the tallest lighthouse in Florida, offering spectacular, 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.

If you are feeling adventurous you can climb the 203 steps to the top and be rewarded with some truly breathtaking scenery and one-of-a-kind photo opportunities.
There’s an on-site museum featuring a fascinating rare Fresnel Lens exhibit, artifacts on lighthouse life and shipwrecks.

On May 11th, from 10am – 2pm, over one hundred Corvettes of all ages will be on display at Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Vettes at the Lighthouse XII, hosted by the Ponce Inlet Corvette Club,  the car show will feature music, door prizes, food, silent auction and trophies. This is a must-see for every car enthusiast. All proceeds are donated to local charities.

During this year’s holiday season, families will be able to enjoy a festive drive through experience at Daytona International Speedway. The “World Center of Racing” will be transformed with hundreds of light displays into a holiday spectacle, a 1.5 mile long Magic of Lights, using the latest in LED and digital animation technologies specifically designed for this iconic venue.

Experience the holiday spirit drive-through from the comfort of your own car. At every turn, and in every direction, the magical route is overflowing with spectacular light displays and animations. Be transfixed when Santa’s team of reindeer cross in flight above your vehicle, see the sweetest 200-foot long Candy Cane Lane, a delightful Snowflake Forest and even more festivities.

Magic of Lights is a fun and memorable family entertainment. To commemorate the season of giving a portion of every ticket to Magic of Lights benefits the Florida Hospital Foundation.

Location: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 West International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Dates: until Dec 31st, 2018
Hours: every night from dusk – 10 pm
Tel: 330-441-4255
magicoflights.com/daytona
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

The Ormond Beach Community Day is a fun filled event for the whole family. All the fun takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 11am to 4pm at Destination Daytona.

This free community non-profit charity event features outstanding food, live music, vendors and entertainment including a professional  BMX Trickstars shows, classic car show, RV exhibit with Giant Recreation World, Motorcycle Police Demos,  drum line performance, a visit from the National Guard, top 40 hand picked Hot Rod show, kids play area with face painting, balloons, bounce house, and all full day of live music.

Location: Destination Daytona, 253 Destination Daytona, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Date: Sat, Sept 29, 2018
Time: 11am – 4pm
Tel: 386-868-8484
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

There’s only a few more weeks for the whole family to appreciate the delightful and amusing summer long exhibition at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Garden. The Four Footed & Fanciful Art Exhibit showcases the work of three artists who create whimsical animal creatures.

Take a walk though the imagination of artists Adonna Khare, Cindy Burkett and Don Nedobeck and enjoy the fanciful creatures they capture.

The exhibit features the artistic talents of California artist Adonna Khare, who creates large scale pieces using a carbon pencil. She was the winner of a $200,000 People’s Choice prize at Art Prize.  Cindy Burkett, from New Smyrna Beach, creates intricate collages from recycled magazines and other materials for her collages that draw viewers in to find their surprising secrets and Don Nedobeck, a DeLand artist who creates fun animals, especially big fluffy cats, that he calls “caricatures in watercolor” and he has produced three children’s books.                                  “Cats Eyes” collage by Cindy Burkett

Hurry in because the exhibit only runs through Sept. 9.  Admission is free with a $2 per person suggested donation.

“Ornate Cat and Bert” Watercolor and ink by Don Nedobeck

Location: Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Garden, 78 East Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach, FL 32176
Date – until Sept 9, 2018
Time: Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm, Sat & Sun noon- 4pm
Tel: 386-676-3347
ormondartmuseum.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Love ocean sports? Why not soak up the beach vibe as Daytona Beach hosts the Pan American Masters Championship – the largest ocean swim competition to be held in Daytona Beach to date.

Swimmers from all over the world – from youth to adult and novice to Olympian – will descend upon the white sand beaches and the inviting waters of Daytona Beach to compete in the Open Water (1.5K and 5K).

Starting and finishing at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, check out the map and schedule for the best vantage points along the coast to watch the event. Admission FREE.

Discover Daytona Beach, where you have a 500-foot sandy backdrop to unplug, unwind and reconnect with one another.

Location: Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, 100 North Atlantic Avenue Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Date: Sun, Aug 5, 2018
Time: Starting at 7am
2018panammasters.com
For Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

The Florida Boat Show at Halifax Harbor and Marina is where the marine industry comes together to highlight new boats with live music, a seafood festival, boating safety and seminars, and exciting festivities for a weekend of family fun.

The 3 day event includes hundreds of new boats and quality brokerage boats of all styles are displayed and available for purchase. The broad selection includes power boats, sail boats, yachts, kayaks and marine accessories of all types will be featured throughout the over four acres of dry park space and ‘in-water’ marina dock.

Other attractions include: Kayak and SUP Demos, Bikini Contest, Cornhole Tournament, Fishing Seminars, Fishing Village, Kayak Relay Races and SUP Yoga & Fitness.

 If you enjoy boating and sailing you’re going to want to attend. Children under 16  are FREE.

Location: Halifax Harbor Marina,  450 Basin Street Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Date: May 18 -20, 2018
Hours: Fri + Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6
Tel: 904-673-0093
thefloridaboatshow.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Already a Memorial Day tradition, Country 500 draws 75,000 country-music loving fans to Daytona Beach for an unforgettable weekend of music, camping and summertime fun at one of America’s most iconic sports destinations.

Also called “The Great American Music Fest at Daytona,” the Country 500 festival features the biggest stars in country music spread over three days and nights, programmed on multiple performance stages—specially designed and built for the festival. Country 500 takes place on the infield of the world-famous Daytona International Speedway.

Featured artists: Sugarland, Toby Keith, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley and more. For Complete Music Lineup: country500.com/schedule/#/

Fans at the festival also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of their favorite country stars at artist meet-and-greets located in the garages. Numerous other features—a select festival menu sold from food booths and food trucks; carnival rides; arcade games; cooling water elements; country-and-western merchandise; and more—will all be a part of the festival, as Country 500 transforms racing’s greatest venue into a festival-goer’s dream.

Location: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 West International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Date: May 25 – 27, 2018 – Memorial Day weekend
Times: Various
Tel: 504- 410-4100                        Photo Credits: Douglas Mason
country500.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Dubbed the “World’s Largest Motorcycle Event,” Bike Week is a 10-day event filled with high-octane street festivals, concerts, motorcycle races, bike shows, rallies, manufacturer showcases and more.

Established more than seven decades ago, nowadays over 500,000 motorcyclists make it an annual pilgrimage. Motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world enjoy spring riding in Daytona Beach along historic Main Street and Beach Streets, Scenic A1A Highway or through the best of old Florida, the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop.

There will be celebrating at Daytona International Speedway, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Destination Daytona, the U.S. 1 corridors in Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach, and at Riverfront Park in downtown Daytona Beach.

With so many events taking place, use the calendar below to make sure that you don’t miss anything.

OFFICIAL BIKE WEEK CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

Location: Various
Dates: March 9 – 18, 2018
Times: various
Tel: 386-255-0981
officialbikeweek.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Since 1962, racing legends from around the world have come to Daytona to compete in a grueling 24-hour marathon.  The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is infamously relentless on both driver and machine as sleep-deprived crews perform mechanical phenomenons. From sunrise to sunset to sunrise again, witness as both man and machine are pushed to the limit in this twice-around-the-clock marathon.

The Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, a 24-hour sports car endurance race executed on the track’s 3.56-mile road course, is a perfect battle between machine, driver and time.

The four-day event begins with qualifying races on January 25, a BMW Endurance race January 26 and the Rolex 24 January 27-28. Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso brings the driver star power to this most challenging race.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, January 25th
9:00 AM
Stadium & UNOH Fanzone opens
9:20 AM – 10:20 AM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #1
10:40 AM – 11:25 AM
Ferrari Challenge practice session #3
11:40 AM – 11:55 AM
IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge practice session #3
12:05 PM – 12:20 PM
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST qualifying
12:25 PM – 12:40 PM
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge GS / TCR qualifying
1:40 PM – 2:40 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #2
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Ferrari Challenge qualifying #1 group 1
3:20 PM – 3:35 PM
Ferrari Challenge qualifying #1 group 2
3:55 PM – 4:10 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD qualifying
4:20 PM – 4:35 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM qualifying
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship P qualifying
5:00 PM – 5:20 PM
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge practice session #4
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session #3

Location: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Date: Jan 25 – 28, 2018
Time: Various – See Schedule Above
Tel: 386-253-7223
daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Events/2018/Rolex-24-At-DAYTONA/Rolex-24-At-Daytona.aspx
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

During this year’s holiday season, families will be able to enjoy a festive drive through experience at Daytona International Speedway. The “World Center of Racing” will be transformed with hundreds of light displays into a holiday spectacle, an all new 1.5 mile long Magic of Lights, using the latest in LED and digital animation technologies specifically designed for this iconic venue.

Experience the holiday spirit at The Magic of Lights™ running every day through the holidays from dusk to 10 p.m. The experience will include a drive behind the Ticket and Tours Building, through the world’s only motor sports stadium and conclude in the Midway display area outside the facility.

For a fun and memorable family entertainment, head to the Daytona International Speedway. To commemorate the season of giving a portion of every ticket to Magic of Lights benefits the Florida Hospital Foundation.

Location: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 West International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Dates: until Dec 31st, 2017
Hours: every night from 5 – 10 pm
Tel: 330-441-4255
magicoflights.com/daytona
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com