You won’t have to travel far for holiday gifts this season. Here are some unique gift ideas from businesses and organizations right here on the Treasure Coast.
BY SUSAN BURGESS
BACKUS MUSEUM AND GALLERY
500 N. Indian River Drive,
Fort Pierce 465.0630
Looking for great holiday gifts for everyone on your shopping list? Check out the A.E. Backus Museum’s gift shop in person or online at backusmuseum.org. You’ll find trays, cutting boards, note cards, books, mouse pads, tiles and so much more. Spend some time looking around for those perfect gifts, or for yourself. The museum store has so many special items — for instance, a beautiful beverage tumbler that everyone can use and will love. Select a tumbler showing one of four Backus painting images: Early Morning Summer, North Beach, Royal Poinciana on Moore’s Creek or Bahamian Sailing [shown in the photo]. The tumbler is 8-1/4 inches tall and holds 24 ounces. Take it with you wherever you go, and people will ask where you found it.
Price: $40.
SUNRISE THEATRE
117 S. Second St., Fort Pierce • 461.4775 • www.sunrisetheatre.com
Gift tickets to the 1,200-seat Sunrise Theatre, celebrating its 100th year in downtown Fort Pierce, offer friends and family a chance to see local, regional and national shows.
Among the attractions this year is the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine’s production of Cinderella with a captivating two-act performance. The enchanting production features graceful dancers, beautiful costumes and a score by Sergei Prokofiev. Both children and adults can appreciate this ballet. One Night of Queen with Gary Mullen and The Works pays tribute to the legendary Queen band and is a huge crowd favorite in St. Lucie County.
The season includes the Dave Koz Christmas Tour, the popular Allman Betts Family Revival, comedy by former late-night host Jay Leno, The Temptations, The Guess Who, and the amazing iLuminate which performs in the dark with costumes that light up on demand. The Black Box Theatre in the Sunrise is an ideal space for comedy, cool jazz and more. The Sunrise, restored to its 1923 perfection, is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Price: various
RIVERSIDE THEATRE 3250 Riverside Park Drive • Vero Beach • 231.6990 • www.riversidetheatre.com
Give a gift to friends or yourself with tickets to some of the best shows in Riverside Theatre’s 50-plus years of delighting audiences with great musicals, comedy and drama. The theatre continues to find and bring the very best to its Stark and Waxlax stages in 2023-2024.
Coming in January is the acclaimed production Jersey Boys, which features the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their incredible and improbable rise to fame. February brings the award-winning Kinky Boots with music by Cyndi Lauper and book by theatre legend Harvey Fierstein. In April, the high-energy celebration of the lives of Emilio and Gloria Estefan take the stage with the musical, On Your Feet. Grace is the hilarious new comedy about growing old and Tavern is a thriller revolving around the September 11th terrorist attacks.
On weekends, the Riverside showcases the best in stand-up comedy on the Waxlax Stage and features local musicians on the Live in the Loop Outdoor Stage along with casual dining.
Price: various
ELLIOTT MUSEUM GIFT SHOP
825 N.E. Ocean Boulevard, Stuart 225.1961
A trip to the Elliott Museum is always a treat with its many fascinating displays, exhibits and antique cars. The Elliott Emporium, the museum gift shop, is also a treat. It showcases an exceptional variety of gifts reflecting the museum’s collection of automobiles, baseball memorabilia and local history. Traveling exhibitions are represented in the shop, too, so there’s always something new. For example, plush, cuddly animals from the Wild Everglades exhibit include the majestic Florida panther and a baby opossum. The Emporium has a nice selection of home décor items, including metal wall art. Some of the most popular items are found in the jewelry selection; you may even find a gift for yourself! Real butterfly wings encased in resin creates beautiful earrings and pendants. Museum admission is not required to visit the Elliott Emporium.
Price range: $26-$48.
ONE-YEAR GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO INDIAN RIVER MAGAZINE
For a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, consider a one-year gift subscription to Indian River Magazine. If you are already an Indian River Magazine subscriber, you can purchase a one-year gift subscription for $20, $10 off the regular $30 price.
Letters will be mailed out Dec. 10 to your recipient announcing the holiday gift from you, followed by the first of five issues in early January.
Purchase at indianriverstore.com
KIWANIS CLUB OF STUART Stuart Heritage Museum • 161 S.W. Flagler Ave., Stuart • 220.4600 • www.stuartheritagemuseum.com
This year’s handmade ornament celebrates the exploits of Bill McCoy, the rum runner said to have originated the phrase “The Real McCoy” because his rum was never adulterated with anything. He sold legally offshore in international waters. He lived part of his life on Sailfish Point.
The Kiwanis Club of Stuart has been making and selling ornaments for 28 years. They’re designed by nationally known Beacon Design and accompanied by a brochure containing the local history related to the ornament. It takes a minimum of 17 pairs of hands to make each ornament starting from a solid sheet of brass. Chemically etched and then plated in nickel and then 14K gold, each ornament is polished by hand and hand-screened with enamel colors.
To buy The Real McCoy ornament visit the website kiwanisclubofstuart.square.site/shop/ornaments/2, purchase at the Elliott Museum Gift Emporium, or buy it at the Stuart Heritage Museum, downtown Stuart. All of the profit goes to Kiwanis projects for children in Martin County, primarily the Kiwanis Children’s Park in downtown Stuart and for clothing approximately 100-125 underprivileged children in the community each year.
Price: $25
GARDEN CLUB OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
2526 17th Ave. Vero Beach 567.4602
An exquisite gold-bordered ornament celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vero Beach’s beloved Riverside Theatre marks this year’s collectible ornament from the club. The ultra-modern angular design of the theater fills the center of the circle, while layered in front are a music staff with comedy and tragedy masks, and the graceful silhouette of a ballerina. Small holes in the gold border simulate the appearance of theatre lights as tree lights shine through. The back of the ornament features the Riverside’s star logo in the center of a deep blue starry night, representing the stars the theatre brings to the community.
The Riverside building was built in 1973, received a major facelift in 2005, and reopened in March 2007 as a beautiful state-of-the-art theater. More recently, a hotel was added to house cast and production members the theatre hires to recreate well-known plays from scratch rather than hiring touring companies.
Proceeds go to the club’s local scholarships and community programs to enhance, preserve and beautify the landscape of the county.
Shoppers can find the ornament at a wide variety of local hot spots. A full list of this year’s vendors will be listed at www.gardenclubofirc.org/ornaments/places-to-purchase/
Price: $25
DIAMONDS BY TERRY 3868 S.E. Dixie Highway, Stuart • 781.1133 • www.diamondsbyterry.com
For unsurpassed designs and workmanship plus fine quality custom jewelry, antique or estate pieces, head for Diamonds by Terry for premier jewelry restoration and custom design on the Treasure Coast. It specializes in unique and one-of-a-kind pieces, all created for you by Terry. Factor in pleasant surroundings, a warm atmosphere, and a wealth of knowledge and information, plus a staff that sets the standard for customer service excellence. Appraisals and most repairs can be done while you wait and watch.
Price: various
See the original article in print publication
Nov. 14, 2023
