November on the Treasure Coast: The Air Show, the Clambake, Manatees, Stone Crabs and a Thanksgiving on the Beach (2026)

Oct 9

Quick answer: November is the month this coast earns its reputation. The humidity is gone, highs run around 80 and nights drop into the low 60s, and the calendar fills up fast. The big dates: the Navy SEAL Museum Muster in Fort Pierce November 6 and 7, the Sebastian Clambake November 7 and 8, Veterans Day ceremonies on the 11th, the Stuart Air Show November 13 to 15, Vero Beach's tree lighting November 21, turkey trots in Tradition, Palm City and Vero Beach on Thanksgiving morning (November 26), and Stuart's tree lighting on Main Street the day after. Between the dates: the manatees come back into the lagoon, the first navel oranges and Indian River grapefruit hit the stands, stone crab season is in full swing, and Thanksgiving dinner can be eaten outside. Book that table early, because the snowbirds are back.

I tell people October is my favorite month here, and then November shows up and makes me a liar. October is when the heat breaks. November is when it stays broken. The dry season starts, the afternoon storms are over until May, the ocean is still warm enough to swim, and there's a weekend of something good from the first Friday through Thanksgiving. If you're visiting family down here for the holiday, or you're a snowbird coming back for the season, this is the month to be out doing things. Here's my list, with the dates I could confirm as of early October. Things change, so check before you go.

The first two weekends: the Muster and the Clambake

Fort Pierce is where the Navy's frogmen trained in World War II, which is why the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is on A1A north of the inlet and why the first weekend of November belongs to it. The 41st annual Muster is Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7. Friday is a membership dinner and a party at the museum. Saturday starts with the Muster 5K at 8 in the morning, then a full day of speakers, a team fitness challenge, food trucks and discounted museum admission from 9 to 4. Parking for Saturday is in a field about half a mile south with a free shuttle. If you've never been inside the museum, this is the day to go; walking the beach where the Scouts and Raiders trained hits differently after you've seen the exhibits.

The same weekend, up in Sebastian, the Sebastian Clambake takes over Riverview Park on November 7 and 8, Saturday 11 to 9 and Sunday 11 to 5. Free to get in. Steamed clams, shrimp, conch fritters, clam pizza (trust me), local bands all weekend, craft vendors, and every dollar of profit goes to local nonprofits; the foundation says it's given more than a million dollars over the years. Go Saturday afternoon, stay for the sunset over the lagoon, and bring cash for the clams.

Also that first weekend: the Caribbean Food and Music Festival at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center in Port St. Lucie on Saturday, November 7 from 2 to 10, and the fall festival and pumpkin patch at Eastside Acres in Port St. Lucie on the 7th and 8th, with the highland cows.

Veterans Day, November 11

Every city on the coast holds a ceremony, and they're worth showing up for. Port St. Lucie's is at Veterans Memorial Park on the river, and it's the biggest; Fort Pierce holds its own at the park of the same name downtown, and Stuart and Vero both have morning ceremonies. If you're new here, this is a good first one. The Treasure Coast has an unusual number of retired military, and you'll meet your neighbors.

The Stuart Air Show, November 13 to 15

This is the one people plan around. The Stuart Air Show runs Friday through Sunday at Witham Field, with aerobatic acts, static displays you can walk up to, a kids' zone, food and live music, and the traditional Friday night party to open it. Tickets are cheaper online ahead of time and go up at the gate, so buy early at the air show's site. Bring ear protection for little kids, a chair, sunscreen, and patience for the parking. Locals also know the free version: find a spot along the river in Stuart or on the Roosevelt Bridge side with a view of the field and watch the fast stuff from there. You'll miss the static displays, but you'll hear everything.

The same weekend has plenty for people who'd rather be on the ground. Palm Con, the comic and pop culture show, is at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center November 14 and 15. The Boys and Girls Clubs Chili Cook-Off is Saturday the 14th at Clover Park, $5 in, tasting tickets extra, with a kids' zone. Schacht Groves in Vero does its fall festival that Saturday too, 11 to 2. And the Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast in Jensen Beach runs its Festival of Giving November 13 to 21, with a Family Night with Santa on Tuesday the 17th.

The manatees come home

This is my favorite November thing and it doesn't cost anything. When the ocean cools, the manatees move into the Indian River Lagoon for the winter, and November is when you start seeing them again. The spots: Moore's Creek in downtown Fort Pierce, right by the Manatee Observation and Education Center (it's an education center, not an aquarium, so nothing is guaranteed, but the creek is where they like to be); Round Island Park on the lagoon side of A1A in Vero; Indian Riverside Park in Jensen Beach; Veterans Memorial Park in Vero; and the overlook at the St. Sebastian River Preserve. Early morning, calm water, and look for the nose. If you're on a boat, the manatee zones are posted and they mean it, and the rule is 50 feet and no touching.

Citrus season starts

The thing nobody tells you before you move here: the famous Indian River citrus doesn't really start until November. The navels come in first and they're the ones to buy for Thanksgiving; the grapefruit follows and runs all winter. The groves and stands that still sell direct include Al's Family Farms on Kings Highway in Fort Pierce, Nelson Family Farms on Midway Road, and in Vero, Countryside Citrus on 81st Street, Peterson Groves on 66th Avenue and Poinsettia Groves on US 1. Most of them ship, which solves the problem of what to send to the people up north who keep asking when you're coming home. A box of Indian River grapefruit arriving in a December snowstorm is a strong argument.

Stone crabs and the fall fishing

Stone crab season opened October 15 and November is when the supply catches up with the demand, so the claws are easier to get and a little cheaper than the first week. Get them cold with mustard sauce from a fish house in Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach or Port Salerno, and consider the local Thanksgiving variation where the claws replace the turkey entirely. Plenty of people here do it. On the water, the first fronts push pompano and Spanish mackerel down the beaches, snook is open until December 15 if you want one for the table, and the sailfish start showing up off Stuart when the north winds blow, which is why the big tournaments are right around the corner in December. The fishing guide has the details.

Thanksgiving week

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and this is how it goes here.

Run first. There are three turkey trots and they all start early so you're home before the oven matters. The Turkey Trot at Tradition in Port St. Lucie is a 5K plus a timed fun run and walk, and it's raised money for the Treasure Coast Food Bank and other local charities for years. The Palm City Turkey Trot starts at 7:30 at Palm City Presbyterian on Martin Highway. And Vero's Trot Against Poverty at Riverside Park starts at 7:30, with a free quarter mile for kids six and under at 7:15 and a free sweet potato pancake breakfast after; it's $40 through November 25 and $50 on race morning, and it benefits United Against Poverty. Pick the one closest to the house where you're eating.

Then the beach. It'll be 78 and sunny, and a Thanksgiving afternoon on the sand at Jensen Beach, Bathtub Reef or Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is the single best thing about living here that the relatives won't believe until they see it. State parks are open on the holiday. The Friday after, skip the mall and do it again; the only crowd you'll find is at the inlet.

Dinner out, if you'd rather. The waterfront restaurants from Stuart to Vero do Thanksgiving, and they fill up weeks ahead because every snowbird who's back and every family hosting relatives has the same idea. Call in early November. If you wait until the week of, you're eating at four.

Then the lights. The season flips to Christmas on this coast the day after Thanksgiving, and some towns don't wait. Vero Beach's Tree Lighting Festival is Saturday, November 21 at Pocahontas Park, 3 to 7. Sebastian does Holiday Lights with Santa on the 19th. Stuart's Christmas on Main and tree lighting is Friday, November 27, 4 to 7, in downtown Stuart, which makes a good Black Friday: shop the small stores on Osceola and Flagler, eat, watch the tree. McKee Botanical Garden's Jungle Lights in Vero has traditionally opened right around Thanksgiving weekend, so check their calendar for this year's date. And Small Business Saturday, the 28th, is a real thing in all three downtowns.

One more thing that isn't an event. The Jensen Beach Pineapple Festival, which was a November fixture downtown for decades, has been on and off in recent years. If it's back in 2026, the Jensen Beach Chamber will have the dates; I'm not listing one I can't confirm.

Why November matters if you're house hunting

Here's what November looks like from my side of the business. The snowbirds land, the rentals fill, and the phone starts ringing with people who came down for Thanksgiving and spent the whole flight home thinking about it. The buyers who move fastest in January are the ones who looked in November. If you're here for the holiday and you're even a little curious, I work the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, and a couple of hours looking at gated communities or 55+ neighborhoods before the rest of the family wakes up is the most useful thing you can do with a long weekend. The Port St. Lucie versus Stuart guide is the one to read on the plane.

Questions people ask about November here

What's happening on the Treasure Coast in November 2026?

The Navy SEAL Museum Muster in Fort Pierce (November 6 and 7), the Sebastian Clambake (November 7 and 8), Veterans Day ceremonies (November 11), the Stuart Air Show at Witham Field (November 13 to 15), Vero Beach's Tree Lighting Festival (November 21), turkey trots in Tradition, Palm City and Vero Beach on Thanksgiving morning (November 26), and Stuart's Christmas on Main tree lighting (November 27). Manatees return to the lagoon and citrus season starts the same month.

When is the Stuart Air Show in 2026?

November 13 to 15, 2026, at Witham Field in Stuart. It runs Friday through Sunday with aerobatic performances, static aircraft displays, a kids' zone, food and live music. Tickets are cheaper online in advance than at the gate.

Are there turkey trots on the Treasure Coast on Thanksgiving?

Yes, three. The Turkey Trot at Tradition in Port St. Lucie (5K plus a fun run and walk), the Palm City Turkey Trot (7:30 a.m. at Palm City Presbyterian Church on Martin Highway), and the Trot Against Poverty at Riverside Park in Vero Beach (7:30 a.m., with a free kids' quarter mile at 7:15 and a free pancake breakfast after). All are Thursday, November 26, 2026.

Where can I see manatees on the Treasure Coast in November?

Moore's Creek by the Manatee Observation and Education Center in downtown Fort Pierce, Round Island Park and Veterans Memorial Park in Vero Beach, Indian Riverside Park in Jensen Beach, and the overlook at the St. Sebastian River Preserve. Manatees move into the Indian River Lagoon as the ocean cools, so sightings pick up through November. Stay 50 feet away and respect the posted manatee zones if you're boating.

When does citrus season start in Indian River County?

November. Navel oranges come in first, followed by Indian River grapefruit, and the season runs through about April. Groves and stands that sell direct include Al's Family Farms and Nelson Family Farms in Fort Pierce, and Countryside Citrus, Peterson Groves and Poinsettia Groves in Vero Beach. Most will ship gift boxes.

What's the weather like on the Treasure Coast in November?

Average highs around 80 and lows around 62, with about three inches of rain for the month. The dry season begins in November and runs through April, and cold fronts come through every week or two and drop the humidity. It's warm enough for the beach on Thanksgiving most years.

Talk with William. Coming down for Thanksgiving and curious what it would take to stay? I show houses the Friday and Saturday after. Bring the relatives. Call or text (772) 800-2274 or send a message.

Dates and prices are from organizers and local listings as of early October 2026 and can change; confirm before you go. William Merchant, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Gold. Each RE/MAX office is independently owned and operated.

Sources

William Merchant