News Blog

SOUTHERN LIVING: This Florida Town Welcomes 600 Artists Every Year To Turn Its Streets Into A Work of Art

By: Skye Sherman | SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE | December 22, 2025

True Old Florida beach towns are rare these days, but little Lake Worth Beach has managed to hang in there despite development pressures and the rapidly accelerating pace of South Florida. Just south of West Palm Beach, this quirky, creative community has colorful historic cottages, coastal nature, a quietly spectacular dining scene, and one of the country’s largest street-painting festivals, all set within the relaxed pace of a bygone era—unsung Florida at its finest.

Explore the History

Lake Worth Beach’s story begins with formerly enslaved African-American pioneers Samuel and Fannie James, known as the “Black Diamonds,” who established the first post office and named their settlement “Jewell” in 1889. There’s a granite monument downtown honoring their legacy. Lake Worth Beach is also home to one of Florida’s most unique architectural treasures: more than 1,000 colorful historic cottages dating to the early 1900s. It’s the largest concentration of such cottages in the state, outnumbering even Key West; most are Frame Vernacular, Craftsman, or Bungalow cottages built in the 1920s on narrow 25-foot lots. They’re painted in cheery coastal hues, so they make for a fun self-guided walking tour. Beyond the cottages, architecture lovers will drool over Lake Worth Beach’s concentration of Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, Mission, and Spanish Colonial styles.

Enjoy the Arts

Art is a defining characteristic of the funky little town of Lake Worth Beach. Every February, the city explodes in color for the annual Street Painting Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the world. During this particularly artsy weekend, more than 600 artists turn the streets of downtown Lake Worth Beach into a temporary open-air museum with larger-than-life chalk murals splayed across Lake and Lucerne Avenues. There’s also live music, food vendors, and thousands of spectators converging to admire the temporary spectacle, so it’s always a fun time to be in Lake Worth Beach. But the city’s creative juices flow year-round, not just for the street-painting festival weekend. For a small town, Lake Worth Beach is jam-packed with studios and galleries (including a working glassblowing studio with classes and workshops); the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is even headquartered here in a restored 1940 Streamline Modern theater, a hub of rotating exhibitions, film nights, and even an Art Deco lecture series. While exploring Lake Worth Beach’s quaint downtown, don’t miss The Dancing Elephant, an offbeat indie bookstore with deep roots. It’s one of Florida’s oldest bookstores (formerly the Rainbow Bridge, founded by a Hungarian metaphysicist in 1972), but was revitalized in 2022 by a then-24-year-old and his girlfriend, who took over from the original owner. One of the few remaining metaphysical bookstores in the country, The Dancing Elephant was reborn by Shane and Ava with an expanded selection of esoteric and antiquarian reads; they even launched their own independent publishing company, Gallowglass Books.

Immerse in Nature and Waterfront Views

Just across the Lake Worth Bridge, the 1,000-foot Lake Worth Beach Pier is where you’ll find spectacular sunrise views, lots of local fishermen, and Benny’s on the Beach, surprisingly one of the only true beach restaurants in South Florida. Back across the Intracoastal Waterway, the Snook Islands Natural Area provides a serene contrast. This restored estuary has mangroves, oyster reef habitats, a kayak launch, and a boardwalk to stroll for glimpses of native wildlife, including oystercatchers, manatees, and sea turtles. It’s the perfect place to paddle around and experience Florida’s true timelessness.

Where to Eat

The dining scene in Lake Worth Beach is as richly eclectic as the town itself. Restaurants don’t get much funkier than Jewell Bistro, named for the original settlement. On the menu here, you’ll find seasonal dishes, fresh Florida seafood, and Miss Marsha’s delectably unique desserts, including mango pie, five-spice carrot cake, and Florida Cracker Tarte. Pelican Restaurant is a longtime local staple, a casual diner with an Indian-fusion twist thanks to the original owners. Try the eggs Nissa, a Pakistani dish of scrambled eggs with ginger, garlic, curry, and naan, or the aloo gobi omelet. Oceano Kitchen is another Lake Worth Beach must. At this tiny chef-driven coastal American spot, the menu changes weekly, according to what’s freshest; it’s a James Beard Award Semifinalist and widely considered one of the best restaurants in South Florida, but you’d never know it from the laid-back atmosphere and unpretentious husband-and-wife chef-owners. For an even less fussy, truly local experience, there’s Dave’s Last Resort, one of South Florida’s favorite dive bars, where the seafood’s always fresh and the game’s always on. Whether you come for the art, architecture, nature, food, or street painting festival, Lake Worth Beach is one of Florida’s last old-school beach towns, a true gem of the Sunshine State.

Read this article at SouthernLiving.com

Lake Worth Beach plan for museum campus advances

Project includes cafe, apartments

BY: BILL DIPAOLO | THE PALM BEACH POST 

LAKE WORTH BEACH — Building a $60 million mixed-use museum downtown campus — a public/private development with apartments, cafe, bookstore and parking garage — took a step forward Tuesday night.

“This will put our city on the map as the arts center of Palm Beach County,” said Commissioner Mimi May, who voted with the 4-1 majority to continue discussions to approve $7.5 million in public money to build a parking garage on K Street next to the proposed Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts.

The vote, with Commissioner Christopher McVoy dissenting, is not final approval.

City officials and the developers will negotiate a “comprehensive agreement” to iron out the finances, insurance, performance bond and other details. There is no deadline for completion of the comprehensive agreement.

“The city can walk away. This vote means we are continuing the process,” Mayor Betty Resch said.

What are the details of the elaborate plan?

The public/private partnership plan with Brooklyn-based United Management calls for:

• The city to donate 1.7 acres in downtown to United Management, which is doing business in the city as Sunshine Lake Worth Development. The property, valued by the city at about $3.3 million, is at the southwest corner of Lake  Avenue and South M Street.
• Sunshine Development would build a four-story museum to display its 15,000 pieces of decorative glass and ceramic artwork. Along with the cafe, bookstore and classrooms, an exhibit by Dale Chihuly is planned.
• Sunshine Development would build a 110-unit apartment complex to include eight affordable artist lofts. A nearby three-story parking garage would have about 270 spaces. The garage would be owned and operated by the city. Parking for the public would be allowed.
• An “active alley,” a pedestrian only landscaped walkway between the museum and parking garage, would be built.
• Four historic buildings now on the property would be moved to nearby Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency-owned property.
• The 33,000-square foot Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts would house the ceramic and glass art collected by Arthur Weiner, an attorney, real estate developer and art collector.

Proponents argued that long-needed additional downtown parking will be a direct result of the development.

“Downtown business owners want more parking. If we don’t listen to them they will go somewhere else,” Lake Worth Beach resident Peggy Fisher told commissioners.

Opposition to the project: ‘What’s the rush? We are being reckless’

McVoy countered that the city was moving too fast. More community meetings are needed for the public to fully grasp the project, he said. “What is the rush? We are being reckless,” McVoy told about 40 people in the crowded commission chambers.

Other opponents said tax dollars should go to other issues, such as afordable housing and historical preservation.

“Giving developers everything they want sets a dangerous precedent,” said resident Jenny Powell.

Opponents also questioned the prediction from developers that the museum will draw 50,000 annual visitors. By comparison, Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach drew about 310,000 visitors last year. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens annually draws about 200,000 visitors. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach draws about 100,000 visitors annually, according to local officials.

“I can’t see a museum with glass sculptures drawing 50,000 people annually. This is not the best use of taxpayer money,” said Alex Schultz, a retired attorney and 15-year Lake Worth Beach resident.

A non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts now stores the artwork in Hollywood, Fla., while looking for a permanent location.

Wiener, 80, wants to facility to be a “legacy” for his family.

Wiener had family members killed in the Nazi Holocaust. Wiener also has lost family members in the Middle East conflict that started a year ago on Oct. 7.

“This country has been very good to my family. I want this museum to become an institution in Lake Worth Beach,” Wiener said at a previous Lake Worth Beach CRA meeting.

What’s next for the project?

• Officials from Lake Worth Beach and Sunshine Lake Worth Development will work on a “comprehensive agreement” to iron out the finances, insurance, performance bond and other details.
• The Lake Worth Beach city commission will not vote on final approval of the project until the comprehensive agreement is completed.
• There is no deadline for completion of the comprehensive agreement.

Stop, collaborate and listen: Vanilla Ice Brewery coming to Lake Worth Beach after years of delay

Business set to open next year at 1000 Lake Avenue

By: Vannia Joseph | WPTV | October 30, 2025

LAKE WORTH BEACH — Vanilla Ice is back in Lake Worth Beach with a brand-new invention. But this one doesn't drop beats — it pours brews.

After years of construction delays and permitting challenges, the Vanilla Ice Brewery is finally nearing the finish line. Rob Van Winkle — best known as Vanilla Ice — is transforming the historic Masonic Lodge behind City Hall into a one-of-a-kind brewery and pop-culture museum.

WATCH BELOW: Vanilla Ice Brewery nears completion in Lake Worth Beach

Commissioner Anthony Segrich said the project is exactly the kind of investment the city's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has been hoping to attract.

"We expect to get some good tourism traffic, bring in some traffic from the other cities, as well as kind of extend our downtown past Dixie Highway," Segrich said.

The century-old building had sat empty for years, deteriorating.

Segrich said the city is thrilled to see an investor take on its revitalization — calling it a major win for redevelopment.

While Segrich didn't have exact figures for the project's potential economic impact, he believes it will serve as a strong anchor for the area, one that can draw visitors, jobs and long-term stability.

"They are doing things the right way, getting all their necessary permits, all the licensing, working with the city at every step," Segrich said. "Now, that is a longer process."

That process — the permits and approvals — was the main reason the project stalled after its initial 2022 announcement. But now, Van Winkle says the brewery has the official green light.

"We will be open in 2026," he said. "As you can see, we're making a lot of progress here."

The future Vanilla Ice Brewery, located at 1000 Lake Ave., will include much more than just beer on tap. Plans call for a rooftop bar, outdoor venue, speakeasy and a pop-culture museum featuring memorabilia from Van Winkle's decades-long career.

"This is much more than just a brewery," Van Winkle said.

When asked if a project of this size could take away business from nearby restaurants and bars, the "Ice, Ice, Baby" singer said it will have the opposite effect.

"This is going to help everybody — are you kidding me? You need traffic here. There isn't any," Van Winkle said.

He said once open, the brewery will create more than 50 jobs in Lake Worth Beach and help attract tourists from across South Florida.

"Honestly, if I would've known that it was going to be this difficult, I would've never done it," Van Winkle admitted. "But I promise you this, we'll get there. We're already invested."

Read this article, and much more, on WPTVs website

WMODA Upcoming Meetings

The proposed WMODA Mixed-Use Cultural Arts Campus construction and subsequent operations will generate measurable benefits to the immediate area, the City of Lake Worth Beach, and the broader Palm Beach County community.
The WMODA team has prepared a study to assess the fiscal, economic, and community impacts of the WMODA Mixed Use Cultural Arts Campus, and the financial implications to the City of Lake Worth Beach and its partners. The Economic Impact Brief shows a summary of the results. View the document online at www.wmodaloveslwb.com.

The WMODA Team and the City of Lake Worth Beach have scheduled the following events that the Public can view and participate in, as part of our formalized process, to bring the proposed WMODA Mixed-Use Cultural Arts Campus Concept to the community.

OCTOBER 7
City Commission and CRA Board Workshop Casino and Beach Complex at 6:00 PM

OCTOBER 8
Presentation to CRA Board

OCTOBER 15
Presentation to City Commission

OCTOBER 29
City Commission 2nd Hearing