‘The Music Man’
There’s trouble in River City when fast-talking salesman Harold Hill gets his heart stolen by Marian, the town librarian. Coming to the King Center in Melbourne on April 12 and 13, Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy “The Music Man” follows Harold as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef.
Featuring songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Trouble,” “‘Til There Was You,” “Pickalittle” and “Gary, Indiana, “The Music Man” is as good as it gets when it comes to entertaining the whole family.
Tickets, which start at $30, are available at kingcenter.com, in-person at the King Center Ticket Office or by calling 321-242-2219.
Botanical Fest
With apologies to Kermit the Frog, it’s very easy being green if you attend Downtown Melbourne’s Botanical Fest, a vibrant celebration of nature’s beauty. The fest bursts with color for its 2026 version, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 11, at 1900 S. Harbor City Blvd., at the corner of U.S. 1 and Strawbridge Ave. in downtown Melbourne.
The free, family-friendly event will feature more than 60 unique vendors showcasing the wonders of botanical diversity. Of course, the downtown shops and restaurants will also be at the ready to welcome guests.
From bonsai to plumerias, from native plants to edible landscapes, from orchids to bromeliads, the Botanical Fest has them all. Indulge in a seamless plant-shopping experience with the free plant pick-up service. Shop the festival, drop off your chosen plants, savor a delicious bite, explore local merchants and rest assured that your newly selected plant buddies will be waiting for you to pick up by the end of the festival.
Student and adult volunteers are always in demand for the event, making it a perfect opportunity for school groups, clubs, sports teams, families, and company team-building groups to give back while having fun together. Bright Futures service hours are available for students. Visit downtownmelbourne.com or call 321-724-1741.
Wine dinners
Café Margaux, 220 Brevard Ave., Cocoa Village, will launch its 2026-2027 season of wine dinners with a Napa Valley dinner featuring Cakebread Cellars, a Rutherford, California, winery currently celebrating more than half a century of quality and sustainability. The winery, considered a premier destination for Napa Valley wine tasting and estate-grown wines, is known for its signature Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvigno and North Coast Sauvignon Blanc.
The six-course event begins at 6:30 p.m. on April 9 and 10, with a cost of $155. Pairing Cakebread wines, the menu begins with Spanish garlic soup and a salad course of watermelon and green apple. For the seafood course, it’s charcoal blue mackerel followed by a meat course of red wine roasted wild elk.
The cheese course pays homage to the California provenance of the wines with a selection of Tomaprovence from the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. The feast ends with peach cobbler cheesecake.
Continue the Napa Valley reverie the following week with a special winemaker dinner at 6:30 p.m. April 14. Winemaker Shawn Brynildson will be there to guide guests through a tasting adventure from Black Stallion Estate Winery.
The winery is located in the Oak Knoll District in the southern half of the Napa Valley. Its name pays homage to a rich equine history, for the 32-acre estate was once home to the Silverado Horseman’s center. The family winery is owned by the Indelicato family, one of the leading family-owner wine producers in the country.
The winery takes pride in crafting small case lots. Black Stallion wines will be paired with a six-course menu that features chilled cucumber, cauliflower and ginger soup, a salad of baby spinach with nut-crusted goat cheese, Pueblo corn-crusted halibut, grilled quail, Taleggio cheese from Lombardy, Italy, and flourless chocolate cake. The cost is $135 per guest.
Reservations are requested for both dinner events. Call 321-639-8343. For full menu, visit margaux.com.
Summer Youth Band program
Registration is now open for Melbourne Municipal Band’s free Summer Youth Band Music Program, which enriches the lives of students in grades six to 12 with music lessons that extend well beyond the mechanics of learning how to navigate a particular musical instrument.
Open to beginners, as well as to students already familiar with a musical instrument, the program consists of two ensembles. Beginning Band focuses on the new players, while Intermediate Band offers the opportunity to try more challenging music and receive instruction on ensemble techniques.
The lessons begin June 8 and culminate with a public graduation concert at 7 p.m. on June 26. Students meet from 8 until 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. This year, the music camp will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1145 Creel St., just off Eau Gallie Blvd in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne. Registration closes June 1.
The lesson book is free, as is the first month’s rental of the instrument. Parents or guardians are responsible for the remainder of the rental beyond the first month. Rentals and instrument check-ups are orchestrated directly through Marion Music and Music & Arts. The program is made possible through donations from the community.
For more information, or to register, visit mmband.org/syb or call 321-480-6256 or 321-724-0555.
‘Everyday Beauty’
Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, 1470 Highland Ave., Melbourne, focuses on “Everyday Beauty,” April’s exhibition of the work of award-winning photographer Bill Simpson. With more than 50 years of experience including 27 years as a photographer for the State of Florida, Simpson enjoys finding everyday subjects and turning them into beautiful photos people will enjoy.
An expert in drone photography, Simpson taught photography at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. He is also a USAF SSgt veteran (1966-70) and a martial arts teacher. Simpson’s exhibit runs from through April 26.
In conjunction with the Simpson show, Fifth Avenue Art Gallery is also featuring “Birdland” in its pop-up gallery. Father and daughter artists Ray Cooper and Ondine Constable explore the lives of birds, their food, shelter and social behavior. Cooper’s art reflects his observations of the changing environment and his concerns for the web of life. He uses chalk pastel, oil paint, acrylic paint, and wax pastel. Constable’s artwork are clay wall pieces rendered in low relief, a sculptural technique in which the design is raised slightly from the background, and painted with egg tempera and wax pastels.
Both artists find joy and solace in the process of reflecting on the natural world, and by expressing their respect for the birds and the habitat they depend on for survival.
For more information, visit fifthavenueartgallery.com or call 321-259-8261.
Spring Art Show
The North Brevard Art League will host its 61st annual Spring Art Show April 10-12 at at the Holiday Inn in Titusville, 4715 Helen Houser Blvd. The show features both adult and youth competitions.
“We are proud of how this show has grown and are thrilled to present the work of more than 50 artists across six categories, including painting, watercolors, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and graphics,” said League president Vicki Oster. “We are always inspired by the talent in our youth section and welcome this opportunity to share the best art in North Brevard with the public.”The show runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Visit northbrevardartleague.com or call 614-313-8386.
Do you have a community event in the works? Email toastofthecoastfloridatoday@gmail.com and tgif@floridatoday.com at least three weeks in advance.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Community notes: Best Bets for things to do in Brevard
Reporting by Maria Sonnenberg, for Florida Today / Florida Today
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