Flamingo Magazine

12/23/2025

From boat builders to private investigators, Florida’s Santa impersonators are much more than the beards they’ve been blessed with.⁠
⁠
In this photo essay from our archives, photographer Mary Beth Koeth explores the personal lives of Santas from across the Sunshine State.⁠
⁠
Take a peek into their lives in our story: https://flamingomag.com/2017/11/23/santa-claus/

12/23/2025

Follow the glow to these spectacular light shows that transform Florida nights into winter wonderlands, palm trees and all.

From the Panhandle to Miami, we’ve rounded up Florida's brightest holiday light traditions for full-on winter magic.

12/22/2025

Fred, an Australian pine, bursts through the pavement of the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Just shy of 20 feet tall, the tree sways in the sea breeze between Mile Marker 41 and 42, and every year, Fred’s Elves decorate the tree with buoys and ornaments for the holiday season.⁠
⁠
But on Sept. 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Keys as a Category 4. An 8-foot storm surge and 132-mph winds ravaged the chain of islands. ⁠
⁠
Few expected to see Fred still perched on this historic bridge. Nevertheless, there he stood. ⁠
⁠
Read about the holiday tradition and Fred’s resilience in a story from our archives: https://flamingomag.com/2022/11/29/have-you-met-fred-the-tree-introducing-key-wests-quirkiest-resident/

12/18/2025

Adventure knows no age at these Florida camps. From mermaid school to hockey intensives, we've curated a list of the best places to immerse yourself in your passions.⁠
⁠
“People are looking for something more than a vacation. Something where there’s a learning experience and (desire) to try something you haven’t done before,” says Seagrass Pottery Studio owner Kristina Latraverse.⁠
⁠
Pack your bags and head to camp here: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/16/9-camps-for-adults-across-florida/

12/17/2025

It's been a busy year for Florida Man and Florida Woman, from inventive robberies to underground crocodilian canal discoveries. ⁠
⁠
Read some of the Sunshine State's most surprising 2025 headlines here: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/15/wildest-florida-headlines-2025/
⁠
Story by Craig Pittman

12/15/2025

25 years ago this month—President Bill Clinton authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), one of the largest and most ambitious ecosystem restorations ever undertaken in the country. ⁠
⁠
It came after decades of disruption to the flow of water in the Everglades, where more than 2,000 plant and animal species live, including dozens that are endangered.⁠
⁠
Today, engineering projects are working to fix the damage done by building roads, redirecting the flow of water through canals and draining the Glades for development.⁠
⁠
Slowly but surely, CERP projects are getting the green light and creating real change in the Everglades to restore the balance of water to what Mother Nature intended. ⁠
⁠
Read about the conservation success stories after 25 years of CERP: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/10/cerp-everglades-25-years/

12/14/2025

From bookstores like Midnight Moon Books in St. Augustine to quaint restaurants, state of the art aquariums and intimate resorts, get your list of the best new openings in the Sunshine State: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/10/florida-openings-winter-2025/

12/11/2025

Tis' the season: manatees are coming home to Florida's springs. As the sea cows flock to warm water across the state, including at power plants, these natural springs offer sustainable refuges year after year.

Patrick Rose, executive director at Save the Manatee Club gave us his advice on where to find manatees in Sunshine State springs—and how to view them safely so we can ensure they come back year after year.

"When (manatees are) forced away from the warm water, (it’s) more dangerous in terms of the cold. Manatees are more likely to be hit or injured as well (by boats) when they’re away from those most important protected areas," he says.

Get his full guide here: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/04/wild-manatees-florida-winter/

12/10/2025

Just east of Orlando lies Florida’s most festive small town: Christmas.⁠
⁠
Fewer than 2,000 people call Christmas home, but the town’s post office fields thousands of holiday cards. Now, it’s become a tradition for families to trek to the town around the holidays and get the post office's unique postmark on their outgoing mail.⁠
⁠
It’s not just family Christmas cards that the post office has to juggle; they’re also entrusted with postage sent to Santa Claus himself. All year long, his mailbox stands in the corner of the post office lobby, ready for kids to slip their letters into.⁠
⁠
Read about how Christmas came to be in a story from our archives: https://flamingomag.com/2020/12/22/forget-the-north-pole-this-florida-town-has-the-most-christmas-spirit/

12/08/2025

Florida's Bigfoot is a slightly smaller, stinkier version: the Skunk Ape. The cousin of the famed cryptid is said to hide in the wildlands across the state, and the Everglades might be its favorite haunt.⁠
⁠
Dave Shealy has been searching for the creature ever since he was a kid, and shot the most renowned video of the alleged cryptid.⁠
⁠
Now, Shealy and his son, Jack, run the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee. Among shelves of Skunk Ape memorabilia, the family shows off their finds from over the years—clues that have led them to believe in the swamp creature's existence.⁠
⁠
Read about the Shealys and how they're searching for the Skunk Ape and preserving a dwindling culture here: https://flamingomag.com/2025/12/08/gladesmen-old-florida-everglades/