Family Fun Fest is a free public program held on the second Sunday of every month from December through April. Each month, a different aspect of the park's diverse resources is highlighted at five hands-on activity stations located around the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Participants receive a "passport" that they get punched as they complete each station. Those who get all five punches earn a specially-designed button to remember their day.

Family Fun Fest is made possible through funding provided by the Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge and the Bobby Duryea Memorial Fund at the South Florida National Parks Trust, with additional support from the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve, local businesses and organizations, and a host of dedicated volunteers.

Family Fun Fest 2012

The next season of Biscayne National Park's award-winning Family Fun Fest starts December 11. It will be chock-full of brand new activities, as well as the return of some all-time classics. The event's signature zany themes, creative activities and colorful buttons will all be back - and its all FREE!

You can subscribe to our Family Friendly e-mail list by sending a message here with the words "Family Friendly List" in the subject line.

The theme for the 2011-2012 season is Myth, Magic and Mystery. Dates and descriptions are below so you can mark your calendars and join in the fun!!

Hairy Otter and the Magical Ocean
December 11, 2011 - 1 - 4 p.m.
Biscayne National Park kicks off another year of Family Fun Fest with a new spin on one of the most popular series of children's novels of all time! Spend an afternoon at Hogfishwarts Castle learning about Potions (seawater chemistry), Herbology (marine plants), "Defense Against the Dark" Art (bioluminescence) and Transfiguration (animal metamorphosis). Just for fun, we'll even throw in a game of "Squidditch!" Don't forget to dress the part! 

Poseidon and Pals
January 8, 2012 - 1 - 4 p.m.
The Romans, the Greeks, the Norse…every culture has an ocean mythology. Meet Biscayne's mermaids, discover the real underwater city of Atlantis, get up close and personal with a real live medusa, and get a glimpse at how ancient people explained natural occurrences like tides and seafoam. Togas and Viking helmets welcome!

Animal Superpowers
February 12, 2012 - 1 - 4 p.m.
Batman, Catwoman and Spiderman all have their place, but the real stories behind the superpowers of some of Biscayne's animals will blow you away! Meet a magical sponge, interview a globetrotting turtle, listen in on a seahorse "conversation," try to match the sharpshooter-accuracy of a cone snail, and more!

Biscayne Wrecktacular!
March 11, 2012 - 1 - 4 p.m.
Biscayne's waters hide the evidence of dozens of unfinished ship voyages. Why did they wreck? What were the people aboard doing? What mysteries can shipwrecks help us understand today? Dive in to discover the mysteries of the deep from 5 wrecks along the park's Maritime Heritage Trail.

Skeleton Crew
April 15, 2012 - 1 - 4 p.m. (ONE WEEK LATER THAN USUAL DUE TO EASTER)
Grab your crackers, because that CHEESY used bone salesman is back! Take a look inside all kinds of critters, from corals and fish to manatees and dolphins, to see what makes them "upstanding" citizens of the Biscayne National Park community.