Delray Beach has always been a colorful destination. From the six multi-hued columns that make up the city's iconic gateway sculpture to the gem tones of an accurate Japanese kimono and the neon glow of a contemporary sculpture, this vibrant "Hamlet past the Sea" knows how to put a creative spin on every visit.

At that place's a Festival for That

Delray Affair. Photo by Julia Rose Photography.

In the 1940s, Delray Beach emerged as the gladiola capital of the country. By 1950, local growers were aircraft two million brightly colored bundles of gladiolas annually. Equally a way to promote the "growing" industry and gloat the blooms, urban center leaders organized an annual Gladiola Festival, complete with a parade of blossom-bedecked floats and the crowning of a Gladiola Queen. In time, the flowers faded but the festival lived on every bit the Delray Affair. Held every April, information technology is now billed as the largest arts & craft festival in the southeastern U.S.

The Delray Matter, which attracted artists and crafters from 30 states and 12 countries in 2019, may be the biggest, but it is hardly the only festival to fill up the city'due south streets with life and color. In improver to holiday happenings, the city celebrates everything from sonnets to beer. Among the highlights are:

The Palm Embankment Poetry Festival (January)
Downtown Delray Beach Festival of the Arts (January)
Delray Fashion Week (January)
Art on the Square (February & Nov)
Savor the Avenue (March)
Delray Beach Craft Beer Fest (May)
Downtown Delray Beach Craft Festival (September)
Orchids on the Square (Oct)
Delray Yoga Festival (November)
Downtown Delray Beach Thanksgiving Weekend Art Festival (Nov)

Do Yous Like Surprises?

Delray has more than a few! Like the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, a renowned center for Japanese arts and civilisation built on land worked by a pocket-sized Japanese farming community in the early years of the 20thursday century. The Morikami features rotating exhibitions, an impressive bonsai collection, monthly tea ceremonies and traditional Japanese festivals. Information technology is the tranquil Japanese gardens, yet, that will allow you to escape any is weighing y'all down, so exist certain to give yourself time to wander through the six distinctively styled gardens spread over sixteen acres. You may also want to let time for a visit to the museum gift store or the Cornell Café, serving everything from sushi and sake to light-green tea water ice cream.

Now That's Course!

Old School Square Cornell Art Museum Lit Exhibition
Cornell Art Museum, Erstwhile Schoolhouse Square. Photograph by Carl Dawson.

Former School Square is the briskly beating heart of Delray's fine art and entertainment scene. The historic unproblematic school, which dates back to 1913, is now the Cornell Art Museum, an innovative showplace of contemporary art. Next door is the high school building congenital in 1925, which now houses the Crest Theatre, where you lot can catch a cabaret show, listen to a lecture or share a fun family outing. The erstwhile Fieldhouse, which also dates to the mid-1920s, provides an unexpected venue for a range of activities and events. The grounds of Old School Square also include the open up-air Pavilion, which opened in 2002. The sometimes-rambunctious youngster hosts an entertaining lineup of community concerts and headlining shows.

Get Your Grove On!

Pineapple Grove Delray Beach
Pineapple Grove Arts District

Delray Embankment is known as an arts destination – at least in part thanks to the Pineapple Grove Arts District. Stretching due north from Atlantic Avenue, Pineapple Grove delights visitors with intriguing galleries and playful examples of public art, likewise every bit deliciously popular restaurants. The arts commune is also home to ii of the urban center's about talked-near arts institutions – the Arts Garage, a cutting-edge entertainment venue, and the Arts Warehouse, an innovative arts incubator that houses both working creative person studios and gallery space and hosts a number of entertaining events throughout the year.

Stories to Tell

Spady Cultural Heritage Museum

Delray Beach has its own distinctive personality. You might recollect of information technology similar that somewhat nonconformist cousin who always shows upwards to family gatherings with interesting tales to tell. If you're curious nearly those tales, be sure to add a visit to the Delray Beach Historical Society to your itinerary. You'll observe exhibits tracing the city's story from the region's primeval inhabitants to its emergence every bit an arts destination. If you're interested in the role that African Americans and Caribbean area islanders played in the story, you'll also want to terminate by the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum.

The Wild Side

Sandoway Discovery Center Delray Beach

If you'd like to larn more about what goes on forth the shore and below the waves, plan to visit the Sandoway Discovery Center. The intimate facility offers hands-on opportunities to learn about Florida's native and invasive reptiles, body of water life and freshwater species every bit well as Southeast Florida's largest private shell collection and regular shark, stingray and alligator feedings. For another perspective on Delray'southward wild side, caput about 5 or half dozen miles w from the beach to the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, a created wetlands that is as popular with birds every bit it is with visitors. Coin magazine likes information technology, too – they named Wakodahatchee the "best park" in Florida in 2018. From the three-quarter mile boardwalk or one of the park's many benches, yous can run across a wonderful array of wildlife. More than 178 bird species have been spotted besides as a variety of turtles, rabbits, fish, frogs, raccoons and a 12-human foot alligator named Large George. And allow'southward not forget the soft sand and surf of Delray's beautiful public beach!

North, S, East, West—all points lead to arts and culture when you program your trip to The Palm Beaches, Florida'south Cultural Capital. Take a closer await at our destination's seven cultural regions online (or download the PDF guide) and find which ane you and your family will travel to side by side!


Christina Woods is a freelance author and editor based in Delray Beach, who has a passion for the arts. The former editor of art&culture mag, she is the recipient of numerous awards from the Florida Mag Association, and has also been honored with Communicator, Golden Ink, Addy and Stevie Awards.