Canal Street Historic District
The Canal Street Historic District is a fun place to spend a leisurely afternoon the next time you are in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. There is plenty of parking and many quaint shops, boutiques, and unique restaurants to explore. In fact, the worst part about Canal Street is that there are likely too many great places to visit in one afternoon.
The history of Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach began when city founder, Dr. Turnbull, built canals for irrigation, drainage, and transportation. Two hundred years ago, flat bottomed boats navigated what is now Canal Street to deliver goods from the mainland to the Indian River. Those same canals helped New Smyrna Beach become well known as a producer of cane sugar and indigo. Architectural enthusiasts will enjoy Canal Street because many of the buildings date back to the early 1900s.
Today, Canal Street is a hub for shopping, dining and the arts. Some cool choices are visiting The Drug Store for lunch at a real diner counter. They have been in their spot for over 90 years. We also enjoyed visiting Yellow Dog Eats for their creative BBQ and New Smyrna Brewing to try their locally brewed libations.
Canal Street is also well known for the arts. Besides several galleries, it also hosts The Hub on Canal. The Hub on Canal acts as an incubator for more than 70 artists. It allows them to showcase their work, offer artists talks/events, and supports the community through classes and workshops at all levels. It is a great place to visit and a wonderful resource for New Smyrna Beach residents.
The Canal Street Historic District hosts monthly events that are quite popular. The “Gallery Walk” and “Sip and Stroll” allows visitors to see and buy art as well as meet the local artists. They also do a monthly “Classic Car Cruise” car show that always draws a crowd. Finally, they sponsor a “Summer Concert Series” in Riverside Park on Thursday evenings.
Next time you visit New Smyrna Beach, check out the Canal Street website for events and head down. It is well worth the visit.
