Welcome to this edition of The Palm Beach Weekender!

I’m excited to share that I’ve made a few updates to the newsletter! Starting today, every Tuesday you’ll receive this edition of The Palm Beach Weekender, featuring a weekend events preview, Weekly Scoops, a Local Spotlight, and a brand new section called Beyond The Palm Beaches. But don’t worry, you will still receive the email every Thursday with the full list of the best weekend events happening around the county.

Beyond The Palm Beaches is a new section I’ve added to the newsletter where I’ll be featuring places outside Palm Beach County that are worth checking out. These features will include everything from museums and parks to wineries and even caves. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful state filled with so many hidden gems waiting to be explored.

In today’s TPBW edition:

• 🏺 An immersive experience of Ancient Egypt

• 🐊 Local Spotlight: a park with 300 year old trees

• ⛲️ Beyond The Palm Beaches: a beautiful mansion in Miami with more than 50 rooms

Weekend Events Preview

🩷 JLPB: Party Under The Palms
🦎 Scales Expo
🤠 Jupiter Harbourfest
🎃 Wellington’s Fall Festival

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Weekly Scoop

🛍️ The Gardens Mall: New Stores & Renovations
Three new stores are opening at the Gardens Mall this fall, Aroma 360, Gorjana, and Venchi. Both Louis Vuitton and Bath & Body Works have also undergone updates and are now back up and running.

🏗️ Construction just began and has now been halted
West Palm Point, a 23 story glass office tower being built in downtown WPB, recently broke ground, but now faces a new roadblock. The developer is being accused of defaulting on a $10 million pre-construction loan. The project was approved back in 2022 and was originally expected to be completed in 2024. So now we wait and see what happens, but the renderings sure do look beautiful!

🏑 Croquet World Championship in WPB
The National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach will be hosting the 2025 Association Laws Croquet World Championship. The tournament will feature 72 of the top croquet players from more than 15 countries, including Palm Beach’s own Randy Cardo, who will be representing Team USA. The event is free and open to the public and will take place from October 18 to 26.

🏺 Immersive Experience: Egyptian Pharaohs
South Florida PBS Studios in Boynton is back with another immersive experience and this time you will be taken back to Ancient Egypt. You will learn all about Egyptian gods, the building of the pyramids, and more. All through a 45 minute digital storytelling experience with stunning 3D visuals. The exhibit will run from now to March 31, 2026. I will include it in the newsletter biweekly to serve as a reminder.

🍗 C.R. Chicks is coming to Boynton
C.R. Chicks, the local chicken spot known for its delicious rotisserie chicken, will be opening a new location in Boynton this upcoming spring. It will be located in the Fountains of Boynton Plaza, 6677 Boynton Beach Blvd.

🥗 Delray is getting a new Lebanese food spot
Amar, the popular Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Delray, is launching a new fast-casual Lebanese concept later this month, also in downtown Delray. Amar Sandwich Shop will bring Amar’s delicious and authentic flavors to a more casual setting. Expect a menu featuring pita wraps, shawarma sandwiches, salads and bowls. I’ll let you know once they officially open!

Local Spotlight

Riverbend Park

📍Riverbend Park, 9060 Indiantown Rd, Jupiter
🕒 Open daily from Sunrise to Sunset

This Week's Local Gem is Riverbend Park located in Jupiter. It is by far one of my favorite parks to visit in the county. It is a place where you can reconnect with nature, escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city, and see the true beauty of South Florida, just as the first settlers did.

Riverbend is a 640+ acre park located in the western side of Jupiter near Jupiter Farms. The park has more than 10 miles of hiking/biking trails, 7 miles of equestrian trails, and 5 miles of canoeing/kayaking waterways which connect to the Loxahatchee River. You can take your own bike and kayak, or rent one here. I highly recommend exploring the waterways, they are pretty magical. They are mainly freshwater/brackish which means the park is home to many gators but they’ll leave you alone.

There’s plenty of wildlife to see, everything from deer to manatees. I recommend visiting early in the morning or just before sunset to watch the park come alive, especially as we get closer to winter. The park also has many areas where you can throw down a blanket and enjoy a lovely picnic under the beautiful live oak trees, some of which are more than 300 years old.

The park is also home to the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park, which is one of the county’s most significant historical sites. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places last year. Evidence shows that people have lived along the Loxahatchee River as far back as 5,000 years ago (around the same time the Egyptian pyramids were being built). These lands were once the home to the Seminoles and Black Seminoles, who in 1838, fought for freedom and survival during the Second Seminole War. 

Riverbend has to be one of Palm Beach County’s most unique and beautiful parks, definitely worth checking out. This park is rich with history, so I’ve listed a few links below if you’d like to learn more.

Palm Beach Post article about the history of the park
Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists
Summary of the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park

Beyond The Palm Beaches

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

This week, we’re heading south to one of Miami’s most stunning landmarks, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Built between 1914 and 1922 for industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya was inspired by the charm of an Italian Renaissance villa, but with a tropical twist. The mansion features more than 50 rooms, and is filled with antiques, European art and ornate furnishings. It set Mr. Deering back $15 million and also took around 1,000 workers to bring his dream home to life. The home on its own is truly remarkable but the garden is absolutely gorgeous. 

The estate spans 50 acres, including 10 acres of breathtaking formal gardens. The gardens blend French and Italian designs with local materials like Cuban limestone and Floridian coral. They’re filled with fountains, sculptures, orchids, tropical plants, and of course, perfectly trimmed hedges. 

More than just a museum, Vizcaya is a cultural treasure that hosts weddings, art events, the annual Vizcaya Ball, and even a weekly farmers market. 

Whether you’re there for the history, the gardens, or just to snap a photo, Vizcaya is one of those places that reminds you how magical South Florida really is.

📍Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami
🎟️ Free - $25 (best to buy in advance)

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