Jay Leno Maxwell C King Center for the Performing Arts January 4

Hello, 2016! What better style to welcome the new year with (we know, nevertheless) another long listing of things new and traditional to practice in coming months. Retrieve of the following as suggestions  of things to do, places to go.

'I demand my infinite'

Oh, that rumble — we call this the Space Coast for a reason, and although Kennedy Space Centre is not quite ready to return to  sending human beings into space, rockets that lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Strength Station will lite a burn down nether you lot, too. Stay tuned to FLORIDA TODAY's honor-winning space team for updates and visit kennedyspacecenter.com and nasa.gov for a list of viewing sites.

Let them talk

"Did he say that?" at the King Center — The Maxwell C. Male monarch Middle for the Performing Arts at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne may be a mouthful, merely it'll one time once again have top-rated amusement in 2016, including three acts that may offering more than a mouthful. Cheque out quondam "This night Show" host Jay Leno (Feb. 21); controversial comedian Kathy Griffin (April 16) and outspoken talk show host Bill Maher (May 15). You never know what whatever of them will say, so you can read about it or hear information technology first-manus past reserving tickets. Call 321-242-2219 or visit kingcenter.com.

Art fests

Life is short, art long — This is heaven for art lovers and the biggest annual events are the Melbourne Art Festival, a gargantuan event that takes over downtown Melbourne one weekend each bound (this year, April 23 and 24) with everything from a 5K run to kids' events and aye, a juried art show; and the Space Coast Art Festival, formerly of Cocoa Beach and at present at Port Canaveral, always the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26 and 27). Visit melbournearts.org or spacecoastartfestival.com. To find out about other neat arts-oriented events, visit artsbrevard.org.

Foodie fun

So piddling time, and so much to eat — Art isn't the but stuff nosotros practise, festival-wise, and three major food events come to mind: the Port Canaveral Seafood and Music Festival (Feb. 26-29) with arts, crafts, concerts by entertainers like Clint Black, the Muddy Heads and Original Wailers, an international beer and vino garden and all kinds of seafood; the 50th Grant Seafood Festival (March 5 and 6, and yes, March does seem to be festival month), with but virtually annihilation y'all tin think of that originally lived in h2o; and BBQ & Blues, which combines a barbecue contest with top-rate blues music June three and four in Cocoa Hamlet. Only inhale. Visit grantseafoodfestival.com and cocoavillagebbqandblues.com.

Air shows

Burn down in the sky — Before KSC was imagined, men and women took to the air over Brevard, and they and their modern-day heirs are historic with two of the country's major air shows. The Valiant Air Control's annual Tico Warbird Air Show (March 11-13) at Infinite Coast Regional Airport with its emphasis on historic shipping, and the Melbourne Air and Space Show (April ii and 3) at Melbourne International Airport, which will blow y'all abroad with the latest in military and other aviation wonders. Final twelvemonth, the Navy'southward Blueish Angels performed, and the year before that, information technology was the Air Force Thunderbirds. You get the thought. Visit valiantaircommand.com or airandspaceshow.com.

Hit the beach

Take hold of a moving ridge, and you're sitting on top of the world. Or watch people who are — The oceanfront that produced Gary Propper, the Hobgood brothers and that Slater guy (Kelly Slater, of grade!) may not take the biggest waves in the earth, but it has surfing contests that draw thousands to local beaches. The Ron Jon Embankment 'North Boards Fest (March 11-thirteen) has just about everything that puts people on water (and skateboard ramps), and it draws international talent; the National Kidney Foundation Rich Salick Pro/Am Surf Festival will take place once more for the 31st year on Labor Twenty-four hours weekend with neat talent, great crowd and a great cause. Both take place in Cocoa Beach. Visit beachnboardsfest.com or nkfsurf.com.

Indie films

Flick fun — The Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival continues to pick upwardly steam and respect with lots of groovy shorts and other movies, good nutrient and a no-pretense attitude. It takes place the tertiary weekend each Oct at the Oaks Plaza/Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10 in Melbourne.  Another ballsy cinematic upshot  coming upward is a screening of Lon Chaney's 1925 masterpiece "Phantom of the Opera" on Apr 9 at the Cocoa Village Playhouse to live music by J. Thomas Blackness. Visit cocoavillageplayhouse.com or melbournefilmfest.com.

Multicultural happenings

Heritage counts — Nosotros are people who have groovy respect for where we and others come up from, and have the places and events to become with it. Get-go in the North Brevard area at the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park and its cultural eye in Mims, which celebrates the Brevardians whose lives inspire us and whose deaths shame us. The Freedom 5K foot race, which volition assist raise funds for the heart and sensation of its crusade, will take place at that place Feb. xx.  Nosotros also take a major commemoration of all things Indian in Indiafest March 12 and thirteen at Wickham Park in Melbourne, with cuisine, art, way and really friendly people. Visit harryharriettemoore.org and indiafestbrevard.org.

Totally downwards with downtown

You tin can always become downtown — Pick a restored downtown district — Melbourne, Eau Gallie Arts District, Cocoa Hamlet and Titusville — and you tin find something to practice. Melbourne has the art festival, of course, simply it likewise has play tricks-or-treating, candlelight shopping during the holidays and Fri Fests, with music food and vendors from six to 10 p.grand. the second Friday of each month. Eau Gallie has something like in Get-go Fridays, at which food trucks announced, from 5:30 to eight:30 p.k. the first Friday of each month. It too has the annual Founders' Day, which starts at noon February. 6; and ArtWorks, which takes place each November. It seems like something happens every weekend in Cocoa Hamlet, which has live music Saturdays on the Square (Myrt Tharpe) and a lot of fine art and craft fairs. In 2016 information technology will add the Valentine's Day Sip and Stroll, 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 13, in which 25 merchants will serve food and wine to participants. Downtown Titusville has evening events, too, and they will offset with Fri Nite Live, a street party and wine walk, six to ix p.m. January. 8. Visit downtownmelbourne.com, eaugalliearts.com, visitcocoavillage.com or nbbd.com/downtowntitusville/events.

Run, run, run

Get on your feet — This is running country, and Brevard boasts ii of Florida's biggest races: the Florida Marathon and Half Marathon (Feb. vi and seven), a combination of foot races ( an 8K, 5K, one-half marathon and full marathon) and entertainment events, in Melbourne.  It was formerly called the Melbourne Music Marathon. Then there is the event that tells y'all the holidays officially are here: the state'due south oldest such race, the Space Declension Marathon and Half Marathon (Nov. 27) in Cocoa Hamlet. It likewise has a festival atmosphere, non to mention one of the most picturesque routes in the sport and a space theme. If y'all want to run into an astronaut, this is your place. Visit thefloridamarathon.com or spacecoastmarathon.com.

Follow Lyn on Twitter: @lyn_dowling

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Source: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/entertainment/2015/12/28/festivals-entertainment-brevard-2016/77961326/

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