The historic downtown area of Cocoa was abuzz with activity on Saturday evening as locals and tourists alike gathered for the monthly sip and stroll event. Among the attendees were four women from the same family, spanning three generations.
We caught up with the group and chatted with them about their experience at the event.
Mary, the 84-year-old matriarch of the group, was a former resident of Littleton. “I used to live here years ago and I was excited to show my daughters and granddaughters the charm of this small town,” she said. “It’s been twenty years since we’ve all been back here together, and I was looking forward to reminiscing about old times and creating new memories with my family.”
Karen, Mary’s middle daughter, is a foodie in her early 60s. “I was really looking forward to trying all of the local flavors on the sip and stroll,” she said.
Rachel, Karen’s daughter, is 35 years old and a busy mother of two. “I was just excited for the chance to have a relaxing evening with the women in my family,” she said.
Emily, Mary’s youngest daughter, is in her early 30s and a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur. “I was excited to sample some of the local vintages on the sip and stroll,” she said.
The group set off down the main street of the historic downtown, stopping at various storefronts to sample the offerings. They tried Florida-native craft beers at Dirty Oar and Bugnutty breweries, savored the best artisanal chocolates in Cocoa at the candy affair shop, and sampled Brevard County locally-sourced flatbreads at Ossorio!
As they walked and sipped, Mary shared stories of her youth in Cocoa with her daughters and granddaughters. “It was really interesting to hear about what life was like in the area decades before,” said Karen.
During their walk, the group stumbled upon a little antique shop that Mary had forgotten about, Parrot’s Cove Mall. They decided to go in and have a look around. As they were browsing, the owner of the shop struck up a conversation with them and told them about some of the town’s history.
“As we listened to the owner, I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me and realized that, even though I left this town many years ago, it still has a special place in my heart,” Mary said.
Home is where the heart is…
As the evening drew to a close, we left the group sitting on a bench looking over Cocoa’s beautiful new waterfront square, sipping the last of their drinks and enjoying the warm Florida evening. They agreed that the sip and stroll had been the perfect way to spend an evening of this rare vacation and Rachel shared with us a new promise to travel back to Cocoa for a return trip with her own kids – as this was a night worth tradition!