From the Saturday after this post through the day after Thanksgiving, Sunset Cove Amphitheater at 20405 Amphitheater Circle hosts four events across three weekends. Each one has its own rules. One festival lets children 12 and under in free with a paying guardian. The race weekend after it lets in children under 10 without a ticket. On Thanksgiving morning the 5K charges children by registration date, and the next afternoon the tribute concert charges ages 5 to 17 a flat $10. Start times move from 3 p.m. on the first weekend to 9 a.m. for the races, 6 a.m. packet pickup on Thanksgiving, and 2:30 p.m. doors the next day.
For anyone driving over from Lotus, the rules for each date matter more than who is on the bill.
The Run, Side by Side
| Holidaze Fest | Fueltech Hydrodrags Nationals | Levis JCC Turkey Trot | Legends Live Tribute Festival | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | Sat.–Sun., Nov. 14–15 | Sat.–Sun., Nov. 21–22 | Thu., Nov. 26 | Fri., Nov. 27 |
| Gates | 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day | 9 a.m. per the county | Packet pickup 6 to 7 a.m. | Doors 2:30 p.m., music to 11 p.m. |
| Adult entry | Saturday GA from $70 | $30 advance, $40 walk-up | 5K from $40 | $39 advance, $45 gate |
| Children | 12 and under free with a paid guardian | Under 10 need no ticket | 5K from $30 for 10 and under | Free for 4 and under, $10 for ages 5 to 17 |
| Weather | Rain or shine | Rain or shine | Rain or shine | Rain or shine |
Each event is run by a different organizer: Reggae Rise Up, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission with the Hydrodrags producers, the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC and Patrick Lamb Productions. That explains most of the differences in the table.
Weekend One: A Festival With No Re-Entry
Reggae Rise Up has confirmed Holidaze Fest for November 14 and 15, with Dirty Heads, Wiz Khalifa, Steel Pulse and Collie Buddz among the announced names. The ticket page bills it as a two-day, all-ages festival with music, food, vendors and art. Gates run from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
The ticket page lists these tiers:
- Two-day pass: $115 general admission, $210 VIP
- Saturday only: $70 general admission, $130 VIP
- Sunday only: $60 general admission, $115 VIP
The county's event listing puts the day-of two-day general admission price at $160 online and $165 at the walk-up window. Buying ahead saves about $45 a person on the two-day pass.
The ticket page says there is no re-entry. The county's exceptions cover designated emergencies and a return after a weather evacuation if the event resumes. Gates are open for seven hours, so plan to bring anything you might want at 9 p.m. when you arrive at 3.
Weekend Two: The Water Becomes the Venue
The next Saturday the lawn faces a racecourse. The Fueltech Hydrodrags Nationals are jet-ski drag races. The organizer says machines in its novice through professional classes reach speeds of up to 147 mph.
This is the cheapest adult ticket of the month. The county listing shows $30 in advance or online on race day, $40 at the walk-up window, and $10 off with the county's flyer. Tickets are sold through the Hydrodrags mobile app, and children under 10 do not need one.
The county lists gates at 9 a.m. and the show at 9:15. The organizer's race-day schedule opens public gates at 8 a.m. on Sunday. That day's program includes Speed Alley, Sea-Doo versus Sea-Doo, Superstock, Unlimited and drag-slalom racing.
A morning race in the Florida sun calls for different gear than an evening concert. The county's rules for this weekend allow:
- Pop-up tents, which the county recommends but which cannot be staked
- Plastic tarps and blankets
- One unopened, sealed bottle of water per person, up to a gallon
- Small bags up to 12 by 12 inches, plus hydration packs that are empty at entry
- Sealed, trial-size, non-aerosol sunscreen
Glass, cans, cups, coolers, drones and animals other than service animals are prohibited. There is no ATM on site.
Thanksgiving Morning: One Way In
The Levis JCC's 18th annual Turkey Trot, the Paul Markhoff Racing With The J event, changes the park itself. The JCC's race page says the Glades Road entrance is the only way in on race morning, and every other entrance to South County Regional Park closes at 7 a.m. That applies to anyone planning a holiday-morning walk at the park, whether or not they are racing.
The schedule:
- 6 to 7 a.m.: Packet pickup and registration
- 7:30 a.m.: 5K run/walk
- 8:30 a.m.: Youth one-mile fun run
The price goes up on November 16. Through November 15, the 5K costs $30 for ages 10 and under and $40 for ages 11 and up. From November 16 through 25 those rates are $35 and $45, and on race day they are $40 and $50. The one-mile fun run is $20 in advance and $30 from November 16 on. A family of two adults and two children aged 10 and under who register for the 5K this week pays $140. The same family pays $180 on Thanksgiving morning.
The race runs rain or shine with no rain date, and strollers are allowed. The first 2,000 5K finishers get collectible medals, and every child in the one-mile gets one. Age-group awards run from 10 and under to 80-plus. The program also includes a masters award for the fastest male and female runners over 40 and awards for the top three Schwedelson Special Needs participants.
The Day After: A Family Concert
Legends Live Tribute Festival makes its debut on November 27. Patrick Lamb Productions bills this as the first year of the event, and proceeds benefit the Patrick Lamb Foundation for the Arts. Four tribute acts are on the bill:
- Miami Sound Revue, a tribute to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
- Turnstiles, a tribute to Billy Joel
- The Expanding Man, a tribute to Steely Dan
- Infinity, a tribute to Journey
Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and music is scheduled until 11 p.m. Like Holidaze, it is an all-ages afternoon-to-night show. Unlike Holidaze, the producer bills it as alcohol-free. It also has the lowest prices for teenagers of the month. Ages 4 and under get in free, ages 5 to 17 pay $10, and adults pay $39 in advance or $45 at the gate. VIP is $55 in advance or $65 at the gate and includes a seating area near the stage, a lounge, its own entrance and restrooms. The producer lists more than 2,000 parking spaces at Sunset Cove.
Around the Amphitheater
Sunset Cove sits inside Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, whose main address is 11500 Yamato Road. The park also holds Canine Cove dog park, Osprey Point Golf Course, the boardwalk trails at Daggerwing Nature Center, and a two-mile bicycle path with a walking path. The county's park page also notes that the Cypress Pond Loop playground and swings are closed while new shade is installed, with a reopening date the county says is subject to change.
Event weekends and regular park use overlap most on the two mornings: the Hydrodrags gates open early, and on Thanksgiving every entrance except Glades Road closes at 7 a.m. Anyone planning a walk at Daggerwing or a round at Osprey Point on those dates should check the event schedule first.
The county posts updates for all four events on its Sunset Cove Amphitheater page, and notes that dates and details may change.
How close a home sits to the park, and to the Glades Road entrance on a busy event morning, matters most to buyers who will live here every weekend. Michael Unger can show Lotus homes with those details in mind. Request a Private Preview.
