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Trivia Question❓

Which NASA spacecraft was the first to land humans on the moon?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Space Coast Weekend Events – December 4–7, 2025

Here’s your hyper-local roundup of things to do across Melbourne, Palm Bay, Rockledge, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, West Melbourne, Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island, Titusville and Mims this weekend.

Melbourne / Viera / Eau Gallie / West Melbourne

Melbourne (Viera) – Thu–Sun, Dec 4–7: Carols in the Park at The Avenue Viera
Enjoy festive outdoor holiday concerts with local choirs and community performers in Central Park at The Avenue Viera. Nightly performances run throughout December; your readers can drop in any evening this weekend from 6:00–8:00 PM.
Location: The Avenue Viera Central Park, 2261 Town Center Ave, Melbourne, FL 32940
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: avenueviera.com
Melbourne (Eau Gallie Arts District) – Fri, Dec 5: EGAD’s Annual Tree Lighting
Family-friendly tree lighting in Eau Gallie Square with Santa photos starting at 5:30 PM, live music, hot chocolate bar, treats, an angel tree for local families, and “snow” in the park at 8:00 PM.
Time: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: Eau Gallie Square, 1452 Highland Ave, Melbourne, FL 32935
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast event page
Melbourne – Sat, Dec 6: Green Gables Historic Home Open House
Tour one of Melbourne’s historic Queen Anne–style riverfront homes, decorated for the holidays. Learn about local history while enjoying the grounds overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. Last tour at 1:30 PM; $10 suggested donation, kids 12 and under free.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Green Gables, 1501 S Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: greengables.org
Melbourne (Downtown) – Sat, Dec 6: The Plant Market & More at Riverview Park
Open-air market featuring certified local growers and nurseries, plus fresh baked goods, grass-fed meats, produce, artisans, crafters, food trucks and more along the riverfront.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Riverview Park, 2400 Riverview Dr, Melbourne, FL 32901
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: Downtown Melbourne – Plant Market & More
Melbourne (Downtown) – Sat, Dec 6: Christmas Market at Sendala’s
Holiday shopping event in Historic Downtown Melbourne with local vendors and seasonal goodies at Sendala’s. Great for unique gifts and an extra reason to stroll downtown shops and restaurants.
Time: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Location: Historic Downtown Melbourne (Sendala’s), Melbourne, FL 32901
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: Christmas Market at Sendala’s – event page
Melbourne – Sat, Dec 6: Space Coast Holiday Food Fest & Craft Fair
Billed as the Space Coast’s largest holiday food festival and craft fair with food trucks, holiday treats, live entertainment and a big lineup of craft vendors—an all-day destination event.
Time: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Wickham Park, 2500 Parkway Dr, Melbourne, FL 32935
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast listing | Eventeny details
Melbourne – Sun, Dec 7: Holiday Brunch with Santa at Brevard Zoo
Festive buffet brunch at Nyami Nyami River Lodge with a carving station, breakfast favorites, vegan/gluten-free options, build-your-own waffles and a visit from Santa. Perfect for families who want a holiday meal plus a zoo day.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Brevard Zoo, 8225 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne, FL 32940
Map: View on Google Maps
Info: brevardzoo.org – Events
West Melbourne – Sat, Dec 6: 2025 Flutie 5K for Autism
Timed 5K run/walk/roll plus kids’ fun run supporting the Florida Autism community. Tech shirt, medal and a community-park setting make this a great “give back” fitness event to highlight.
Time: Kids’ Fun Run 7:50 AM; 5K 8:00–9:30 AM
Location: West Melbourne Community Park, 3000 Minton Rd, West Melbourne, FL 32904
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: RunSignUp race page
West Melbourne – Sun, Dec 7: Florida Snow Day 2025
“Snow day” fundraiser with sock skating rink, snowball fights, food trucks, local performers, school choirs and community vendors—designed to support educational resources while giving local kids a true snow-day experience (without the cold!).
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: West Melbourne Community Park, 3000 Minton Rd, West Melbourne, FL 32904
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast – Florida Snow Day

Palm Bay

Palm Bay – Sat, Dec 6: City of Palm Bay Holiday Light Parade
One of the Space Coast’s biggest holiday parades, with dozens of lighted floats, marching units and community groups along Malabar Road. Great opportunity to mention recommended viewing spots and to remind readers to arrive early for parking.
Time: Approx. 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (parade steps off at 6:00 PM)
Location: Malabar Rd corridor (parade route; typically from EFSC Palm Bay area eastward)
Map (general route): View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast events calendar | Holiday event guide listing

Rockledge

Rockledge – Sat, Dec 6: Light Up Rockledge & Festival of Trees
Free community celebration with food and gift vendors, tree stroll, crafts, live holiday music, and a visit from Santa. Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the holiday food drive.
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (city/guide listings window this range)
Location: Rockledge Civic Hub, 530 Barton Blvd, Rockledge, FL 32955
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast – Light Up Rockledge | Fun4SpaceCoastKids listing
Rockledge / County-wide – Fri–Sun, Dec 5–7: Museums of Brevard Holiday Tour of Historic Homes
Ticketed self-guided tour of 8 decorated historic homes across the county, including Lawndale House in Rockledge, Pritchard House in Titusville, Sams House & Field Manor on Merritt Island, Rossetter House and Green Gables in Melbourne, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and more.
Time: Tours generally 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM each tour day
Various Locations: Multiple historic homes across Brevard County
Map: General map – plan your route
Event info / tickets: VisitSpaceCoast event page

Cocoa & Cocoa Village

Cocoa (Historic Cocoa Village) – Sat–Sun, Dec 6–7: Art & Craft Holiday Bazaar
One of the biggest handmade markets in the area—Historic Cocoa Village turns into a pedestrian-only market with 200+ artists and crafters, food vendors and holiday shopping everywhere.
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (both days)
Location: Historic Cocoa Village, Cocoa, FL 32922
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: Official Cocoa Village event page

Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach – Sat, Dec 6: WinterFest – Downtown Cocoa Beach
Street festival along Minutemen Causeway with Santa photos, food trucks, live music, kid activities, vendors and more. A classic “downtown Cocoa Beach” holiday street party.
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Downtown Cocoa Beach, centered on Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast – WinterFest
Cocoa Beach – Sun, Dec 7: Old-Fashion Christmas Concert (Boushell Series)
Free choral concert featuring the Indialantic Chamber Singers and Brevard Youth Chorus, performing traditional carols and Christmas classics. Tickets are free but required to manage capacity.
Time: 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM (doors open 3:00 PM)
Location: Riverside Presbyterian Church, 3400 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Map: View on Google Maps
Tickets/info: riversidepresbyterianchurch.org – Old-Fashion Christmas Concert

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral – Fri, Dec 5: Cape Canaveral Friday Fest
Monthly downtown street party with food trucks, live music and craft/novelty vendors—this December edition doubles as a holiday hang-out just blocks from the beach.
Time: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: Taylor Ave & Poinsettia Ave area, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: Fun4SpaceCoastKids – Friday Fest

Merritt Island & County-wide Historic Homes

Merritt Island – Fri–Sun, Dec 5–7: Museums of Brevard Holiday Tour of Historic Homes
The tour includes Sams House and Field Manor on Merritt Island along with other Brevard historic homes, all decorated for the holidays. Ticket holders can pick 4 homes to tour over a chosen weekend, with proceeds supporting preservation projects.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM tour window each day
Locations: Multiple locations including Sams House and Field Manor, Merritt Island, FL
Map (general): View on Google Maps
Event info / tickets: VisitSpaceCoast – Holiday Tour of Historic Homes

Titusville

Titusville – Sun, Dec 7: Sip & Shop Market – Winter Edition at Playalinda Brewing
Sunday market at Playalinda Brewing Company with 35+ local vendors, live music, brunch specials and bottomless mimosas. A relaxed way to wrap up the weekend in downtown Titusville.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Playalinda Brewing Company – Hardware Store, 5220 S Washington Ave, Titusville, FL 32780
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: VisitSpaceCoast event page

Mims

Mims – Sat, Dec 6: Mims Christmas Parade
Classic small-town Christmas parade hosted by the Mims Volunteer Fire Department. Themed “Smokey Bear’s Winter Wonderland” this year, with US-1 closed for the parade and a community BBQ at the fire station afterward.
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (parade); BBQ follows
Location: Mims Volunteer Fire Department, 2475 Taylor St, Mims, FL 32754 (parade along US-1 area)
Map: View on Google Maps
Event info: Holly Jolly Meadows – Mims Christmas Parade

Note: Official city calendars, VisitSpaceCoast, Fun4SpaceCoastKids, and local main street/chamber sites were used to compile this list. Smaller church, HOA, and private events may also be happening this weekend; readers should check neighborhood Facebook groups and library calendars for additional hyper-local activities.

Quote Of The Day

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom." - Jim Rohn

🚀 Space Coast Launches: Dec 4–11, 2025

A heads-up from your local launch-specialist: here are the confirmed rocket launches from Florida’s Space Coast in the coming week or so. Launch dates and times can shift — treat this as a snapshot, and always re-check before heading out.

Sunday, December 7, 2025 — about 4:40 p.m. ET

Mission: Falcon 9 Block 5 launching Starlink Group 6-92, a batch of 29 satellites for SpaceX’s broadband constellation.

Launch site: Kennedy Space Center, Pad 39A.

What to watch for: Late-afternoon launch — the rocket will rise, arc over the Atlantic, and deploy the Starlink satellites; the first-stage booster is expected to return for a drone-ship landing downrange. Expect good lighting for photography with sunset approaching.

Best viewing spots:

Playalinda Beach — ocean-front, near-pad view (if public access is open).
Titusville riverfront / Max Brewer Bridge area — inland water-side view with sweeping sky horizon.
Port Canaveral / Jetty Park — easy access, open views, port-side vibes.

Tip: Arrive ~45–60 minutes early, find parking, and set up for photos — dusk lighting makes for dramatic plume & sky contrast.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 — about 2:16 p.m. ET

Mission: Falcon 9 Block 5 launching NROL-77, a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Launch site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, SLC-40.

What to watch for: Daytime launch with less dramatic lighting, but still a solid rocket ascent and plume visible over the ocean horizon. First-stage landing may follow depending on mission profile.

Best viewing spots:

Port Canaveral / Jetty Park — east-northeast ocean view, easy access.
Cocoa Beach (north end) / Cocoa Beach Pier — beach + rocket combo, easy parking.
Indian River / Titusville causeways — relaxed, water-side inland view with clear horizon.

Tip: Bring sunglasses (especially if watching from the water or pier), maybe binoculars or a zoom lens, and arrive ~45 min early to get a good spot.

Other days (Dec 4–6 & Dec 10–11)

No additional launches are currently scheduled from the Space Coast. But with 2025’s high launch rate, things can change — keep an eye on live-tracking feeds and update alerts to catch any late additions.

General Launch-Watching Tips 🌠

Check launch status the morning of — weather or technical delays may shift liftoff or scrub.
Arrive early: allow 45–90 minutes to park, set up gear, and settle in before liftoff.
Bring essentials: water, chairs/beach blanket, insect spray (if near water), sunglasses (for daytime), even a headlamp if you’ll stay through dusk/night.
For photos: a tripod helps, especially for dusk or night launches. A zoom or wide-angle lens (depending on location) can make your shots pop.

International Space Station (ISS) Achieves Full Occupancy Milestone with Eight Docking Ports in Use

An illustration of the eight visiting spacecraft docked at the International Space Station as of Dec. 1, 2025. (Image credit: NASA)

On December 1, 2025, all eight docking ports on the International Space Station (ISS) were fully occupied for the first time in its history.

Two Soyuz spacecraft, a Cygnus spacecraft, two SpaceX Dragon capsules, and two Russian Progress spacecraft were among the visiting spacecraft docked at the ISS. Before the arrival of the Soyuz crew, NASA's Mission Control used the ISS' robotic Canadarm2 to move the Cygnus-23 cargo spacecraft to provide clearance for the incoming crewed spacecraft.

The Cygnus spacecraft was then reinstalled at the Earth-facing port of the Unity module.

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft was also present at the ISS but was scheduled to depart with NASA and Roscosmos crew members on December 8 for a landing in Kazakhstan. The remaining spacecraft at the ISS included the Russian Progress-92 and Progress-93 robotic cargo spacecraft, the Japanese HTV-X1 cargo craft, and the Crew-11 Dragon capsules.

The Crew-11 mission consisted of astronauts from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos and was part of Expedition 73 on the ISS. Overall, the ISS was experiencing a crowded and busy period with all eight docking ports being occupied.

This marked a significant milestone in the history of the space station.

🍴 New & Coming Restaurants in Brevard County

1. Destination Downtown Food Hall

📍 2 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
🗓 Opened: June 28, 2025
📝 A food hall with seven mini-restaurants under one roof plus a beach shop and bar. Features coastal seafood, BBQ, vegetarian options, desserts, and more. Ideal for families and foodies.

2. Dirty Birds Tiki Bar & Grill

📍 142 Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach, FL
🗓 Opened: October 2025
📝 Florida-Caribbean fusion with tropical cocktails, rooftop and patio seating, and beachy vibes. Features coconut shrimp, jerk tacos, and lively sunset views.

3. Keep It Local Café

📍 902 Florida Ave, Cocoa, FL
🗓 Opened: October 7, 2025
📝 A cozy community café in Cocoa Village offering coffee, teas, lemonades, toasts, mocktails, and baked goods. Pet-friendly with patio seating.

4. Latitudes Waterfront Grill & Oyster Bar

📍 5370 US-1, Cocoa, FL
🗓 Expected: December 9–16, 2025
📝 Upscale waterfront dining with indoor seating and an outdoor tiki bar. Menu includes pasta, braised short ribs, seafood, martinis, and live music.

5. Juici Patties

📍 1153 Malabar Rd, Palm Bay, FL
🗓 Expected: Mid-December 2025
📝 Jamaican-style patties (baked, not fried), coco bread, juices, and fast-casual setup. Ideal for quick flavorful bites.

6. Eggs Up Grill

📍 2023 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
🗓 Expected: Mid-December 2025
📝 All-day breakfast, brunch, and lunch with open kitchen, mimosas, and a large dining area. Perfect for morning meetups and family meals.

7. Lynora's

📍 529 E New Haven Ave, Melbourne, FL
🗓 Expected: Around New Year's Eve 2025
📝 Full-service Italian dining with house-made pastas, pizzas, entrees, brunches, and a stylish atmosphere. Ideal for dates or special dinners.

8. Munchies En Ruedas

📍 1248 Sarno Rd, Melbourne, FL
🗓 Opened: April 2025
📝 Mexican street-style eatery with tacos trompo, ceviche, and more. Transitioned from a food truck to a cozy 50-seat restaurant.

The 'Outdated' Home Design Trends That Need To Come Back

Many beloved home design features are making a comeback, blending nostalgia with modern needs.

Formica countertops are returning as a practical, budget-friendly alternative to high-maintenance stone, while defined living spaces are valued again for their privacy and visual simplicity.

Convenience is key, with dedicated laundry rooms, broom closets, and built-in storage all prized for reducing clutter and streamlining routines.

Smaller, efficient showers and ceramic soap dishes with handles enhance safety and comfort, and medicine cabinets keep bathrooms neat.

Front-facing living rooms maximize light and curb appeal, while kitchen exhaust fans improve air quality.

Wider spaces between homes, single-story layouts, and walk-in pantries add both privacy and accessibility.

Reintroducing these classic elements helps create inviting, highly functional homes ideal for today’s lifestyles.