Cape Florida's 201st winter is starting with its centerpiece closed. Florida State Parks posted a notice effective Oct. 28, 2026, closing the Lighthouse Grounds at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park until further notice and canceling lighthouse tours. The rest of the park keeps its usual schedule, and over the next six weeks most of the south end's calendar takes place around the tower. There is a race that still finishes near its base, a fundraising week for its upkeep, and a holiday parade on the harbor water a short walk from the light.
The tower is closed, the park is open
The park keeps its standard hours of 8 a.m. to sunset, 365 days a year, and the entry fee is $8 per vehicle. Two other closures in the same notice are older than the lighthouse closure. Beach Access #3 and the fishing piers have been closed for repairs since Sept. 11, 2023.
When the grounds reopen, the climb goes back to its regular schedule, which is worth knowing before you promise a visiting niece a view from the top. According to the state park's Cape Florida Light page, climbs run 10 a.m. to noon five days a week, with no climbs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The climb is free with park entry. There are 109 steps, and children must be at least 42 inches tall. Check the "Know Before You Go" box on the Bill Baggs park page before any trip planned around the tower.
Saturday's run still starts at the lighthouse
The 49th Annual Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run is this Saturday, Nov. 14. Runners start and finish near the base of the Cape Florida Lighthouse, and the route goes through the park trails and onto village streets. These are the details that matter this week:
- Start times: the 10K at 7:40 a.m., then the 5K run and walk at 7:50 a.m.
- Registration: $40, online only. Signup closes Friday, Nov. 13, at 11:59 p.m., and there is no race-day registration.
- Packet pickup: through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Key Biscayne Community Center, 10 Village Green Way. Pickup is also available early on race morning.
- Park entry: free for the event.
- After the finish: complimentary massages, food, water, adult beverages and music.
Registration is through the race's RunSignup page. If you plan to get to the park early for something else on Saturday morning, the race fills the trails and the village streets in the first hours after the gates open.
Give Miami Day and the light's 201st year
The Lighthouse Run falls on the first day of Give Miami Day, which Friends of Cape Florida lists from Nov. 14 through Nov. 19. Donations go to the group's programs and to preserving the 200-year-old lighthouse.
That age is recent history on the island. The Cape Florida Lighthouse was first lit on Dec. 17, 1825. The Friends' "200 YEARS" campaign uses the banner "Bicentennial 2025 – and Beyond," so it runs past the anniversary itself. The anniversary evening, "Bill Baggs: Cape Florida Lighthouse Bicentennial – 200 Years of Histories," was held on Dec. 17, 2025, and sold out. The campaign's partner list includes Dade Heritage Trust, the Florida Lighthouse Association, the Florida State Park Foundation, the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, Miami Villagers and lighthouse historian Neil Hurley.
So the tower's second century begins with its grounds closed and a fundraising week underway at the same time. Anyone who wants to put a donation toward the light can do it this month.
No Name Harbor takes the stage on Dec. 12
The south end's biggest holiday evening happens on the harbor. The Holiday Paddleboard Flotilla & Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. at No Name Harbor. The event is free, and the regular park entry fee applies.
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3:30 p.m. | Event opens, The Cleat open for sunset | No Name Harbor |
| 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Friends Paddle Board Flotilla, a short loop around the harbor | Put in by Boater's Grill |
| Around 6:00 p.m. | Decorated boats arrive | Harbor channel |
| 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Boat parade with music and an MC narrating | No Name Harbor |
| 8:30 p.m. | Event closes |
There are three separate ways to take part. Spectators RSVP through Eventbrite and bring blankets and folding chairs. Paddleboarders and kayakers reserve a flotilla spot by emailing [email protected], and a safety boat patrols the loop. Decorated boats register through the Key Biscayne Yacht Club at [email protected].
Flotilla participants compete for prizes in four categories: "Best Holiday Spirit," "Most Creative," "Best Holiday Outfit for your Pet" and "The Best Shiny Lighthouse." The lighthouse category was added in 2025, the bicentennial year. This year, a paddleboard decorated as a glowing Cape Florida Light may be the closest many people get to the lighthouse during the holidays.
Where to eat inside the gates
All three food venues in the park are run by Reina and David González, and each one covers a different part of the day. Park entry is not included at any of them.
| Venue | Posted hours | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Café | Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Coffee and lunch near the beach side |
| Boater's Grill | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday | Dinner on No Name Harbor |
| The Cleat | Closed Monday; 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday; 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday | Sunset drinks by the bay |
Plan around the hours. A Monday sunset visit means Boater's Grill, because The Cleat is closed that day. For the Dec. 12 parade, The Cleat is the venue the Friends list as open. In a look ahead to 2026, Islander News quoted Reina González on the operators' plans: "We will continue to enhance our restaurants to match the stunning surroundings of Bill Baggs State Park, highlighting the expansion presently under construction at Boaters Grill, as well as a new and refreshed look at Lighthouse Café." She said the goal was "eco-friendly upgrades."
Up Crandon Boulevard, then back to the park
In early December, the island's evening plans move about two miles north to the Village of Key Biscayne Civic Center at 530 Crandon Blvd. The VKB Concert Series brings the Spam All Stars there on Saturday, Dec. 5. The next afternoon, Sunday, Dec. 6, the Civic Center hosts Winterfest 2026 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. The Village of Key Biscayne and the Key Biscayne Chamber of Commerce present it together. The program includes Santa's arrival, the lighting of the Village Christmas Tree, performances by local community groups, amusement rides and food from Key Biscayne restaurants, and admission is free.
After that, the calendar comes back to the park:
- Dec. 12: the Bill Baggs December Day of Action cleanup, on the same day as the evening flotilla.
- Dec. 19: Jingle Bell Jog Key Biscayne at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
- Jan. 23–24 and Feb. 6–7, 2027: Friends of Cape Florida youth and family camping, $20 per camper, both weekends listed on the Friends calendar. The Friends expect Eventbrite tickets to go on sale in December.
The camping weekends sell through Eventbrite, so families who want a January or February night under the trees should watch for the December release. For everything at the lighthouse itself, the state park's notice will show first when the grounds and the 109 steps reopen.
If a season of harbor sunsets and Saturday-morning runs has you thinking about which parts of Key Biscayne best suit the way you spend your weekends, Luxury Living Realty can help. We know the island from the Village Green to No Name Harbor, and we're happy to talk it through with you. Contact Us.
