South Florida Cities

 Join local Palm Beach area residents with “shelter in place” cocktails, aka S.I.P. Happy Hour! Many locals have been missing out with social interaction but also wish to shelter in place. No need to miss out on happy hour…

Residents should not have to go without great cocktails just because the bars are adhering to restricted capacity guidelines. Liz Petoniak, dining editor of Palm Beach Illustrated is hosting Instagram Live on Fridays at 5 p.m. The series began Friday, May 1, 2020 was the first-ever “SIP with PBI” virtual happy hour!

Each week PBI has welcomed mixologists from local bars and eateries.The experts teach you how to craft delicious cocktails using ingredients you can find in your own kitchen. The next happy hour in the series is

The Town of Jupiter and Palm Beach County have issued an update regarding beaches and beach parks. Effective Monday, May 18, 2020 all public, private, and municipal beaches and beach parks in Palm Beach County will conditionally re-open after being closed for nearly two months due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.  

Beachgoers will be allowed to sunbathe, and concession stands for beach chairs and umbrellas, along with food and beverage stands, will be allowed to operate.The beaches and beach parks will open to the public under the following conditions and restrictions:

• Beaches will be open between sunrise and sunset only.

• Parties accessing the beaches shall follow CDC guidelines by limiting gatherings to no more than 10

The Jupiter Beach Food and Wine Festival unfortunately has been CANCELLED until further notice. Festival organizers assure that reimbursements will be issued as soon as possible. The entertaining and worthwhile event had been anticipated to kick off Saturday, May 16, 2020 from 2:00PM – 5:00PM at the Riverwalk Events Plaza, 25 South Coastal Way, Jupiter, FL 33477. 

Founded in 1994, Friends of Jupiter Beach is a 501(c)(3) community organization whose goal is to support and maintain environmentally healthy, clean, and dog-friendly beaches in Jupiter, Florida.  Friends of Jupiter Beach is a grassroots, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit group devoted to keeping a distinct section of Jupiter Beach clean and dog-friendly in northern Palm Beach County. 

Encouraging children’s’ artistic chops while keeping walls free from markers and crayons is a delicate balance. With the current health restrictions in place, everyone, including kids are getting a bit stir crazy it can be a challenge. Try to keep them busy with free virtual classes for creative kids in South Florida.

The web offers a variety of art instructors teaching art classes for kids. The art classes are aimed for kids and range in diverse topics and age groups.  The virtual classes include simple craft projects, beginner drawing classes, watercolor painting, intermediate crafts, portraiture and more.  Some classes offer downloadable print outs for coloring and painting. 

The following are a few of the multitude of the free virtual

Under Phase 1 South Florida restaurants can reopen under social distancing guidelines. Mizner Park within the City of Boca Raton will provisionally allow expansion of al fresco style outdoor seating to allow more patrons to dine in while still exercising social distancing. According to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health, there are 39,199 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, including 1,669 deaths.

According to Governor DeSantis the first phase which includes restaurants and retail stores to operate at 2 percent capacity and restaurants with outdoor dining must keep six feet of distance between tables. However, movie theaters and hair salons must remain closed.  Students must remain with the distance learning concept

Wellington has partnered with Premier Family Health to provide FREE walk-up COVID-19 testing for all Western communities’ residents age 12 and over. It is an important step toward flattening the curve.

Health officials from Premier Family Health will administer and conduct tests at the Village Park Gymnasium, 11700 Pierson Road, Wellington, FL. The first walk-up testing site is now open in the Wellington area.  Dr. Vincent Apicella, with Premier Family Health, says he is hoping to prevent a surge of COVID-19 by diagnosing as many people as possible.  To book an appointment please click here.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is used to diagnose people who are currently infected with the virus.  This is performed by a nasal swab. Results are

Jupiter Medical Center (JMC) was ranked number one hospital for “safety, quality and patient satisfaction” in Palm Beach County. It was announced that the Town of Jupiter’s hospital has been awarded an ‘A’ safety grade rating and is the only hospital in Palm Beach County to earn the highest rating this spring.

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization engrossed on rating and measuring hospital safety, quality and affordability. Leapfrog Group is ‘the gold standard measure of patient safety.’ Twice a year the Leapfrog Group assigns hospital safety grades to over 2,600 hospitals. 28 national performance measures that are combined to produce a single letter grade representing a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe

Ethical brands and sustainable products are the whole shebang and catching on like wildfire! The latest fashion trend is not a seasonal color or a must-have style - it is an eco-concept of green products. Eco-products, known as environment friendly products as they cause minimal harm to people and the environment.

The thought of sustainable fashion and ethical clothing is one concept. The textiles industry is wreaking havoc on the environment between the processes to make clothing and the waste when it gets tossed, so brands and consumers alike have taken a much-needed interest in improving these issues.

While "fast fashion" describes apparel that is inexpensively made and intended for short-term use. A “one and done” wearable outfit.  On the other

Rally up some friends and family and have some good old-fashioned fun on the Jupiter waterfront. Hop on board one of the party boats of PonTiki Cruises of Jupiter. Imagine a floating event venue with live music, food, drinks, sun and fun. PonTiki boats are unique and provide the perfect scene for your special occasion, Sunday Fun Day or while visiting Florida.

Cruise the vibrant Intracoastal waterways while listening to island music and enjoying the beautiful scenery of South Florida. The crew is a safe and well-informed squad. They offer chronicles about the area, people in the area, highlighting distinct landmarks, interesting things along the coastline and point out wildlife spotted along the way.

Shaka, is the largest vessel in the fleet

Jupiter has a new grocery store chain opening soon.   Aldi, the popular low-cost grocery retailer, has been in the industry since 1976.   Aldi operates in 35 states with nearly 1,700 U.S. stores. The concept implements a cost-effective approach to grocery shopping that saves patrons cash on their grocery bills. 

Aldi began in Germany when two brothers took over their mothers tiny grocery store in 1946.  They built it into one of Germany's largest food retailers, with 300 stores known for its low prices. The brothers had a fallingabout selling cigarettes in the store and split the company. The brothers decided to split the company geographically with Northern Germany and Southern Germany.  Aldi Nord (north) aquired Trader Joe's in the United States