Celebrating Juneteenth
June 19, 2023
Blog of HISTORIC Virginia Key Beach Park
News & Happenings
Welcome to the News section of Historic Virginia Key Beach Park! Stay informed and connected with the latest updates, events, and stories from our beloved park.
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park and other Black-founded beaches across the U.S. offer sun, sand, and rich cultural history. Established during segregation as safe havens for Black communities, these beaches—from Virginia Key in Florida to Bruce’s Beach in California—remain symbols of resilience, community, and celebration, hosting events like Juneteenth and annual cultural festivals.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park celebrated its 80th birthday with a beach party honoring its legacy as a former “colored beach.” The event featured cake, dancing, poetry, and Black history presentations, bringing together seniors who visited as children and first-time young visitors, while highlighting the upcoming museum groundbreaking.
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Virginia Key Beach Park celebrates its 80th anniversary with a three-day event honoring its history as Miami’s first Black beach. Festivities include a museum project, community fun day, live mural painting, waterslides, poetry potluck, and free tours, highlighting the park’s cultural and historical significance.
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N. Patrick Range II reflects on his grandmother M. Athalie Range’s dedication to preserving Virginia Key Beach Park. Once Miami’s Blacks-only beach, the park holds deep cultural meaning and community memories. Her fight to protect it from private development helped ensure that future generations — across all of Miami — could appreciate its history and significance.
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Key Biscayne offers a peaceful, Caribbean-like escape just minutes from Miami. Its uncrowded beaches, nature preserves, historic sites, and waterfront dining make it a perfect destination for relaxation and exploration. From Crandon Park and Virginia Key Beach Park to state parks and scenic restaurants, the island blends natural beauty, history, and coastal charm.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, once Miami’s “colored beach,” prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary with stories of resilience at its core. Generations of memories — from civil rights protests to family traditions — highlight the park’s profound role in Black history. As restoration efforts continue and plans for a long-awaited museum move forward, community leaders honor the legacy of a beach that became a sanctuary, a symbol of justice, and a testament to cultural perseverance.
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Celebrate the legacy of Historic Virginia Key Beach Park with a lively weekend of music, local food, interactive art, history tours, and family fun. Join the community as Miami’s past and future come together on the sand. More details and RSVP available on Eventbrite.
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Key Biscayne offers a peaceful, Caribbean-like escape just minutes from Miami. With serene natural spaces, waterfront dining, and a touch of history, this island paradise provides the perfect blend of relaxation and discovery.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, a landmark of Miami’s Black history and environmental stewardship, will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a three-day event from August 1–3, 2025. The celebration honors its origins as Miami’s “Colored Only” beach and its continued legacy of cultural resilience, community pride, and natural preservation.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami’s iconic Black beach and cultural landmark, will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a three-day event from August 1–3, 2025. The weekend will honor the park’s legacy with history-themed activities, family fun, community art, and a Poetry Potluck, highlighting its vital role in South Florida’s Black heritage and its continued commitment to unity and preservation.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, Miami’s only former Colored beach, celebrates its 80th anniversary with a three-day event from August 1–3. The celebration includes a museum project launch, community activities, tours, art, and a Poetry Potluck honoring the park’s cultural legacy. The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust invites the community to join in commemorating eight decades of history and resilience.
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Endangered sea turtles on Virginia Key face growing threats not only from climate change and beach erosion, but also from a surge in raccoon populations. MORAES found that over 60% of nests were disturbed in 2023, with an estimated 2,000 hatchlings lost. To protect the turtles, the nonprofit plans to humanely relocate raccoons to areas in the Everglades where their numbers have sharply declined, while continuing to monitor and assess the local population.
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Endangered sea turtles in South Florida face growing threats from climate change and beach erosion — and now, a surge in raccoons. On Virginia Key, raccoons raid sea turtle nests each season, with MORAES reporting that over 60% were disturbed in 2023. The group estimates more than 2,000 hatchlings have been lost to predation.
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Just minutes from downtown Miami, Key Biscayne is a five-mile island paradise known for its pristine beaches, lush parks, and elegant seaside dining. Enjoy skyline views from the Rusty Pelican, savor global flavors at Costa Med Bistro + Wine, or unwind at The Ritz-Carlton’s six dining spots. Adventure seekers can windsurf at Hobie Beach, explore Virginia Key Beach Park, or catch sunsets at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Families will love the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center with its interactive nature exhibits and trails.
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When the beach opened on Aug. 1, 1945, I was 7. Too young to know about the brave men who staged a “wade-in” at the then whites-only Haulover Beach, protesting how Blacks weren’t allowed to go to beaches in South Florida.
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The beach celebration mirrored many that came before it — full of food, laughter and music
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MORAES started observing raccoon populations after they received an official sea turtle permit for Virginia Key in 2022.
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Sunbathing, sandbars, watersports and breathtaking nature—the best beaches in Miami serve it all.
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The tradition of eating Easter eggs comes from Lent and pre-Christian celebrations. The egg symbolized spring and resurrection. Rabbits, associated with spring and fertility, became the Easter Bunny. Chocolate Easter eggs originated in the 19th century. Enjoy Easter at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park!
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The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust Board of Trustees has joined the MLK50 initiative to promote peace, unity, and community dialogue in South Florida. The Trust's commitment aligns with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles of justice, peace, and action. The excerpt calls for a just peace that addresses issues like poverty, racism, and conflict. It emphasizes the need for understanding, reconciliation, and community-building.
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Virginia Key Beach Park Trust held a community workshop on the Civil Rights Museum plans, with attendees sharing ideas and memories. Design firm LORD Cultural Resources was present to hear stakeholder input. More workshops are coming soon.
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Virginia Key Beach Historical Park's 78th Anniversary Celebrated, Black Businesses Invited to Participate.
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A cultural tour was hosted at Virginia Key Beach in Miami to educate various groups about its historical significance.
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Palomino Ranch offers horseback riding tours along the beach, perfect for exploring Virginia Key Beach Park's history. Suitable for all levels.
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Historic Virginia Key Beach Park celebrated its 78th anniversary on August 1st with a community event featuring cake, ice cream, games, and a celebration of the park's historical, cultural, and environmental significance.
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