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Everglades Day
February 8, 2025, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Welcome to Everglades Day, our biggest event of the year! This festival features activities for the whole family. Some of our activities include:
- Fun zone for kids with obstacle course, story walk, rock climbing, and lawn games
- Try-it activities like fishing with Reel Fishing Charities and archery
- Tram tours and guided walks
- Electrofishing demonstration
- Special keynote speakers in the visitor center theater
- Local exhibitors and vendors
- Food trucks
Location and Parking
Location
The event is located at the main entrance of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. 10216 Lee Rd, Boynton Beach, FL 33473 on US441, two miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd., and two miles north of Atlantic Ave.
Offsite Parking Only
Parking for the event is at 10875 W Atantic Ave, West Delray Regional Park, Delray Beach, FL.
Shuttle buses will be running several times every hour between the parking lot and the Refuge. Volunteers will be available at each drop off and pick up area to help answer questions.
- Shuttle bus pick up at West Delray Regional Park in Field 1 to go to Refuge visitor center
- Shuttle bus drop off in front of the Refuge visitor center
- Shuttle bus pick up in visitor center parking lot to go to West Delray Regional Park
Persons with disabilities that have an ADA parking permit can park at the visitor center. You must be able to show your permit at the fee booth to park at the Refuge. You will be given a parking permit to place on your dashboard. Like all passes, photocopies or pictures of your ADA permit are not accepted.
On Site Tram Shuttle
An 8-seater tram shuttle will be making stops at the Visitor Center, Marsh Trail, Exhibitor Walk, and Kids Fun Zone every 15 minutes. The shuttle has a step up approximately 6 inches off the ground and a handhold at the top to help you in. The shuttle does not have a wheelchair ramp.
Food Trucks and Vendors
Food Trucks and Dining
Cool off with Kona Ice at Fun Zone! At the Pond Lily Pavilion, we will have Royal Palm Ice Cream Truck, Awesome Empanadas, and OSSS Full Stomach Food Truck.
Seating is available at the pavilion.
Exhibitors
We love our community and know that we could not make Everglades Day as successful without them! Some of our featured exhibitors present include:
- Friends of A.R.M. Loxahatchee NWR
- Audubon Everglades
- Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market
- Bonnet House
- Broward county natural resources division
- Broward County Parks and Rec
- Community Greening
- Compass Community Center
- Cox Science Center and Aquarium
- Croc Docs UF
- FL Sportmen Conservation Assoc + FL Youth Hunting Program
- Florida Atlantic University Pine Jog
- Florida Forest Service
- Florida Trail Association Loxahatchee Chapter
- FWC Law Enforcement
- FWC Python Patrol
- Grassy Waters Preserve/City of West Palm Beach
- Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
- Hobe Sound Nature Center
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park
- Loxahatchee River District (The River Center)
- Master Gardeners, Palm Beach County
- Miccosukee Embassy Fellowship
- Museum of Discovery and Science
- Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management
- Palm Beach County Library System
- Palm Beach County Natural Areas
- Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation
- Palm Beach Pack and Paddle Club
- PBSC Environmental Science Technology Program
- REI
- Sandoway Discovery Center
- Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital
- Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group
- Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County
- South Florida Amateur Astronomer Association
- The Science Eye
- US Coast Guard Auxiliary
- USFWS Office of Law Enforcement Wildlife Inspectors
- Youth environmental alliance
Activities, Speaker Talks, and Guided Hikes
Each area features various activities. Most areas will have Take-A-Break (TAB) stations with a shade tent and water refill station.
Visitor Center Activities
- Visitor Center exhibits
- Plein Air art gallery
- Guest presenters every hour (see below for schedule)
- Shuttle bus drop off and pick up for parking
- ADA Parking (by permit only)
- Tram shuttle stop
Guest Speaker Schedule
- 10:00 am - Plein Air Art Gallery Viewing - see beautiful artwork painted by the Plein Air artists
- 11:00 am - Python Patrol by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Learn how to correctly identify a Burmese python and witness the proper procedure on how to catch one.
- 12:00 pm - Alligators of the Refuge by USFWS scientist, Laura Brandt - Come learn about alligators and other crocodilians! Laura Brandt is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leading expert on alligators and population monitoring on the Refuge.
- 1:00 pm - History of Boynton Beach by Janet Naughton - Explore the area's past with stories of dairy farms, citrus groves, Highway 441, Military Trail, the old speedway, and the airpark. Hear fascinating tales of moonshiners and uncover the rich heritage that shaped the community.
- 1:00 pm - (Outside pavilion) Wildlife Talk by Busch Wildlife Sanctuary - Swing by the pavilion behind the Refuge visitor center to see some animals up close! Busch Wildlife Sanctuary will be bringing out some of their resident critters to talk about the animals they care for and the work they do.
- 2:00 pm - Moths of the Everglades by Logan Crees - Moths are amongst the most diverse group of organisms on the planet. That diversity is especially apparent in the unique habitats of the Florida Everglades. Logan Crees will outline his findings from surveying the moths of the Refuge.
- 3:00 pm - Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida by Secretary William "Popeye" Osceola - Hear from Secretary Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and learn about the Tribe’s historical and cultural connections to the Everglades.
Marsh Trail
- Volunteer parking (by permit only)
- Marsh Trail Guided Walking Tour (Time TBD) - Walk with a naturalist and learn about the plants of the Everglades. This is a 1/2 mile tour on an unshaded, gravel and grass trail.
- Tram shuttle stop - In front of Marsh Trail Pavilion
Lee Rd
- Exhibitor Walk (all day) - visit all of our exhibitors ad learn about the community that support our Everglades!
- Story Walk (all day) - Take a nice stroll as you read pages from Henry the Impatient Heron
- Tram shuttle stop - In front of Pond Lily Pavilion entrance
Pond Lily Pavilion
- Food Trucks! (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
- Dining Area - will be under the pavilion. Tables and chairs will be available, but limited. Please throw all trash away and never feed wildlife! Click here for our wildlife watching etiquette guide.
- Archery (10:00 am -12:30 pm, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm) - participants must be able to lift and hold 15 lbs, follow all instructions, and wear closed toe shoes. Long hair should be pulled back. Jewelry from arms, neck, face, and chest should be removed. Arm guards can be provided.
- Live Steel Drum Music (11:00 am - 1:00 pm)
- Electrofishing Demonstration (2:30 pm - 3:30 pm) - Watch as USFWS Fisheries Scientists demonstrate how they survey dozens of fish at a time using electricity.
Boat Ramp Fun Zone
- Touch a Truck (all day) - Do you love airboats, trucks, ag tractors, and skid steers?? Stop by, take a picture, even climb in (where permitted)!
- Inflatable obstacle course (all day)
- Rock climbing (all day) - must wear closed toe shoes
- Meet a Ranger (all day) - Stop by our Meet a Ranger to learn more from our talented and knowledgeable staff working on the Refuge. Ask them questions to learn more about their jobs and Refuge.
- Face painting (all day)
- Fishing with Reel Fishing Charities (all day) - All kids are welcome to take part in this fishing extravaganza! Kids will learn how to tie a hook, cast a rod, identify fish, and even take home their own rod and reel! While supplies last.
- Canoe and Kayak Rentals (all day) - Loxahatchee Canoeing is offering free rentals up to 30 minutes to paddle around the canal.
- FL Largemouth Fishing Charters (all day) - Want to step up your largemouth bass fishing? Talk to Captain Ricky at his boat docked at the boat ramp!
- Heron Now Pontoon Boat - Brand new! Take a short ride on the pontoon boat. Your captain is a retired biologist who will show you the Everglades like you've never seen it before. Ride tickets are discounted for Everglades Day and can be purchased through the website. Click here for their website.
- LILA Tours (11:00 am - 2:30 pm, every 30 minutes) - take a tram tour with a South Florida Water Management District scientist as they show you the largest living laboratory created to help scientists understand Everglades restoration! Sign up at the levee. Each tram seats 3 people.
- Shade tent with chairs - need to take a break or refill on water? This is the right place.
- Tram shuttle stop - in front of Lee Road Boat Ramp Entrance
Bathrooms
Toilet with plumbing can be found inside the visitor center and outside of the visitor center.
A portable toilet, accessible portable toilet, and handwashing station can be found at the Pond Lily Pavilion. The Lee Road Boat Ramp (Fun Zone) has a portable toilet year round and will have an accessible portable toilet during the event.
Pet walking and other recreational activities
Leave your pets at home!
While we love our pets and consider them family, this is not a pet friendly event. Service animals welcome. A service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. Click this link to learn more about the ADA and service animals.
Outside of the event, the Refuge has a specified pet walking trail. Click here to see pet walking regulations outside of Everglades Day. Failure to meet these regulations can result in a warning or fine from Law Enforcement.
Lee Road and Lee Road Boat Ramp closed to all other activities.
Lee Road will only be open to foot traffic and the designated tram shuttle from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The gates will not open at 5:00 am as usual. Only exhibitors and volunteers will be allowed in when the gates open at 8:30 am. All others for biking, hiking, photography, boating, or fishing will be turned away. Bikers coming in from other access points through the levee must not bike on Lee Road and must either turn around or walk their bike down." Lee Rd will reopen to all other recreational activities after 4:30 pm.
General Refuge Information
See our website for information about our background, policies, mission, and regularly schedule events here: Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service