Last December, WinterGreen Night Lights at the Environmental Learning Center ran for two nights at five dollars a person. This December it runs for three, and the first evening is a free preview for ELC members.
WinterGreen returns this month to the ELC's lagoon island campus at 255 Live Oak Drive on Wabasso Island. The new format is built around the center's regular visitors. Members get their own evening before the public nights, the canoe ride is now a guided trip, and public admission for adults is $10. For those of us in Summerplace on the north island, the rest of the ELC's November and December calendar follows the same pattern. Much of what is on it happens in a series, and it is easiest to enjoy for people who come back more than once.
What Changed Between Last December and This One
The Environmental Learning Center announced the 2025 event in Vero News as a two-night celebration on December 12 and 13, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:30 PM. The grounds opened at noon so guests could walk the trails and see the aquariums before dark. The 2026 event, as listed on the ELC's WinterGreen page, adds a third evening and changes how that third evening works.
| WinterGreen 2025 | WinterGreen 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Nights | Friday and Saturday, December 12–13 | Members only Thursday, December 10; public Friday and Saturday, December 11–12 |
| Hours | 5:00–8:30 PM | 5:30–8:30 PM |
| Public admission | $5 per person | $10 general, $5 under 12 |
| Free entry | Members, SNAP participants, age two and under | Members on their night, children under 2 |
| Canoe | Illuminated canoe trips, $15, ages 5 and up, wristbands, first come, first served | Guided illuminated canoe tours, guide paddles, ages 4 and up, two per canoe, additional fee |
| Food extra | S'mores $5 for a set of two; pizza, hot chocolate and cider for sale | Holiday cookie decorating with Chef Stacy Maple, Saturday only, additional fee |
The rest of the evening is familiar from last year. Boardwalks and trails are lit with holiday lights and displays. The Living Lagoon aquarium and touch tank stay open. There are holiday crafts, campfires with s'mores, and gifts in the Nature Nook. Several 2025 features are not on this year's page, including the telescope for stargazing and the City of Vero Beach Recreation Department's Aerial Antics performance on the Pavilion Stage.
A Night That Belongs to Members First
The biggest structural change is the Thursday evening. On December 10, ELC members get what the center calls "an exclusive preview" of WinterGreen before it opens to the public. Admission is free, and the lit trails, canoe rides, holiday activities and campfires all run that night. In 2025, members got in free on the same nights as everyone else, and anyone who joined during the event got $10 off a membership.
The public nights also have a new step. The ELC asks guests to RSVP in advance so it can plan for the crowd, but an RSVP is not a ticket. Admission is paid at the gate. Everyone who RSVPs is entered in a drawing for two pontoon tour tickets. There are separate RSVP forms for the members' night and the public nights, both linked from the WinterGreen page.
The Canoe Ride Now Comes With a Guide
Last year the canoe trips went to whoever got a wristband first, and the minimum age was five. This year the tour goes through the illuminated mangroves with a guide who paddles and talks about the Indian River Lagoon and its wildlife along the way. Riders can be as young as four, and each canoe holds two people. That makes the ride easier for a grandparent with a four-year-old. It also limits each canoe to two passengers, so a family of four will need two canoes.
Saturday has its own extra. Chef Stacy Maple leads holiday cookie decorating on December 12 only, and registration goes through the ELC's booking system. The center's November and December printed calendar lists the session from 5:30 to 8 PM.
The Gallery Show That Runs Through the Season
WinterGreen gets most of the attention, but the Palm House Gallery & Studio is showing Reflections: Past, Present, and Future through November and December. The group exhibition features 16 artists, including Sean Sexton, Barbara Tiffany, Xaque Gruber, Leslie McGuirk, Hank Feeley and Suzy Mellott. The ELC's visitor page says regular campus admission includes the art galleries. Members get unlimited campus visits, so they can see the show more than once without paying again.
The exhibition opens with an artist meet-and-greet on November 11 from 4 to 6 PM. Four more events follow, all listed on the Palm House Gallery page:
- November 21, 10 AM to noon. Leslie McGuirk leads "Quest for Inspiration," a hands-on creativity workshop.
- November 21, 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Hank Feeley, who is an author, painter, sculptor, art historian and teacher, presents "The History of Flower Painting in 28 1/2 Minutes." As he talks, he paints in the styles of major historical artists, then paints a flower still life in his own style.
- December 16, 4 to 6 PM. The Holiday Arty Party offers live music, refreshments, a chance to meet the featured artists, and gift shopping at Nature Nook.
- December 27, 2 PM. Suzy Mellott gives the closing artist talk, "Alphabet Zoo."
The meet-and-greet, the Arty Party and the November 21 sessions each have their own RSVP form on that page.
On the Water Before the Lights Go Up
Many of the ELC's paid programs this season are on the lagoon, and members save 10 percent on programs, activities and rentals. In order, the November and December listings are:
- Blue Mind Boat Tour, Sunday, November 22, 10 AM. Marine scientist Paola Espitia leads this two-hour pontoon cruise. It covers lagoon wildlife and how the ecosystem works, with mindfulness, storytelling and reflection on restoration and well-being. The booking page lists $65 for adults and $50 for children ages 4 to 11, and asks guests to arrive 30 minutes early.
- Full Moon/Sunset Guided Kayak Excursion, November 22, 23 and 24 at 4 PM. This two-hour paddle starts at sunset as the full moon rises. The November 23 listing shows $65 for a single kayak and $130 for a tandem.
- Sunset Kayak Tours at 3:45 PM on November 30 and on December 8, 15 and 29.
- Guided Kayak Excursions at 9 AM on November 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28, and December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 and 26. These two-hour trips cover open water, mangrove trails, backwater creeks and coves, with an optional hike. The minimum age is 8, and the November listing shows $60 for a single kayak and $120 for a tandem.
All kayak tours require reservations. Check-in is at the Welcome Center 30 minutes before departure, and tours can be canceled for weather or low enrollment. Private guided tours start at $140. Custom trips can be arranged through [email protected] or 772-589-5050.
The Weekly Schedule Underneath It All
The ELC's weekly schedule runs the whole season. Pilates meets Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:15 PM, Chair Yoga is Tuesdays at 3 PM, and Yoga is Fridays at 4 PM. A new Tai Chi class starts November 12 and meets Thursdays at 3 PM. A Sound Bowl session is held every third Sunday at 2 PM, and Walking Meditation every fourth Sunday at 1 PM. Daily Nature Encounters run seven days a week and are included with admission. They include the 10 AM Habitats Tour, the 11 AM Lagoon Lowdown and the 3 PM Aquaria Feeding.
Campus hours are 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 4 PM on weekends. Admission is $10 for ages 12 and up, $8 for seniors 65 and older and military, and $5 for ages 2 to 11. Entry is free for children under 2, members, and visitors with a SNAP or WIC card. An individual annual membership is $40, which is $36 with auto-renewal. It covers unlimited campus visits and the 10 percent program discount, and it is the ticket to the December 10 WinterGreen preview.
Evenings at the ELC this season run from Palm House talks to full moon paddles to three nights of lights. If you are hosting family for the holidays or planning your season on the north island, Janyne Kenworthy knows this stretch of A1A well and is glad to talk about anything from Summerplace itself to the places on Wabasso Island that matter to the people who live here. Let's connect.
