When pondering New Smyrna Beach, the first thing you think of may not be shopping, but – with two main streets bursting with irresistible baubles and booty – maybe it should be. So take your pick of Flagler Avenue with its beachy vibe or downtown historic Canal Street. Either way, New Smyrna is sure to beguile you with its infinite charms as you fill up on whatever it is that you desire…

Gyftz, at 307 Flagler Avenue, will surprise and delight you with fun trinkets and ornaments, comical greeting cards, body scrubs, lotions and lip balms for pampering, earrings, bracelets and charms, handbags, nightshirts, aprons, frames, sunglasses, collectibles and more. It’s a great place to find the perfect souvenir or gift for someone special.

In search of the perfect shower gift? Julie’s is a delightful boutique at 231 Canal and simply overflowing with unique creations from items such as embellished wine glasses, beautiful handmade wreaths, beachy home décor, locally made jewelry…and don’t forget the seasonal gifts! In fact, Julie’s also participates in the Canal Street Annual Girls’ Night Out Sip and Shop in December, which is an exceptional place to do some holiday shopping.

Looking for handmade chocolates in the shape of a palm tree, seashell, starfish or gator? If you’re at Beachside Candy Company at 221 Flagler, you’ve come to the right place! Stock up on those and salt water taffy, bulk sweets and sugar-free treats.

Canal Street Historic District also hosts the New Smyrna Beach Farmers Market at 210 Sams Avenue. It’s small, but a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and jam-packed with things like fresh produce and flowers, local honey and jam, maple syrup, homemade soaps, handmade jewelry and tasty items like hot pretzels and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Fill your beach needs at Wilde Side Beach and Surf, located at 512 Flagler and 4170 S. Atlantic, where you will find bathing suits and other beachwear, as well as beach towels, umbrellas, chairs, fun floats, boogie boards and rentals for paddle boards, surf boards and golf carts.

Or there is Red Dog Surf Shop where whether you are a beach loving local or a coastal traveler, you will feel welcoming vibes. It’s on the corner of Third Avenue and A1A in Indian River Plaza and stocks beach gear, surf focused clothing and a huge inventory of boards.

Touted as a shop with “tropical finds of all kinds,” Friki Tiki at 419 Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach is a great place to pick up Life is Good, Sum Bum and Jam’s World products.

Founded in Georgia and expanded to New Smyrna Beach, Wild Oats and Billy Goats is a whimsical artisan gift boutique located at 412 Canal Street, offering all sorts of paintings, pottery, metal art and more designed by local and regional artists.

For those who like your shopping with a vintage twist, there’s Vintage Thang at 362 Flagler, styling women from head to toe in vintage clothing and accessories since 2018.

Peppers is at 119 Faulkner off Canal and specializes in high-end clothing and accessories from jeans to gowns and everything in between. If you like designers including Frank Lyman, One Shoes, Insight, Ravel or Articles of Society Jeans (just to name a few), this may be a must-see stop for you.

For a diverse assortment of gifts and décor including beachy items such as driftwood carvings and windsocks, try Dolly’s Gifts at 405 Flagler Avenue. It’s a whole lot of fun!

Let’s talk home furnishings…Island Collection at 227 Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach offers coastal interior items inspired by the tropics. The Posh Pineapple at 330 Canal also carries lovely home décor, as well as bath and body items, holiday gifts, candles, jewelry, beach essentials and apparel.

Speaking of jewelry, you will discover New Smyrna Jewelry at 399 Canal – a handcrafted jewelry studio and showroom; and Jessup’s, which specializes in estate jewelry and can be found just off Canal at 121 Orange Street in New Smyrna Beach.

When it comes to fun gifts, don’t forget your pet! Silly Willie’s, at 218 Flagler Avenue, stocks tons of fun stuff from one-of-a-kind collars and leashes, to outfits, treats, toys and other dog and cat themed merchandise.

In addition, what you may or may not know about New Smyrna Beach is that it is also home to a thriving art community, making shopping even more extraordinary. There are art and photo galleries throughout town that are sure to please, including The Hub on Canal where pieces created by local artists in a wide range of mediums are displayed and sold. 

Fernandez Photography and Art Gallery at 407 Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna offers a unique combination of local photography and fair trade crafts from South and Central America. 

New Smyrna Beach (757 E. Third) is also the original location of the Bob Ross Art Workshop and Gallery. Remember everyone’s favorite, soft spoken, hippie artist from “The Joy of Painting” Public Television series?

…and there are so many more art galleries peppering the alluring town of New Smyrna Beach, but there is also some fabulous antiquing! Just a small sample of options for your shopping pleasure includes: Antique and Arts Highwaymen Gallery at 427 Canal, Antiques and Art at 520 Andrews, The Vintage Mermaid at 526 N. Dixie Freeway, Coronado Antiques at 1141 S. Dixie Freeway and Washington Street (518) Crossing Consigners Depot.

New Smyrna Beach is a seaside paradise which offers charming historic streets, miles of gorgeous, sundrenched beaches, loads of beachside shopping and meticulously landscaped golf courses, but what do you do when the sun sets in vibrant orange and pink along the majestic sea and day turns into night? Plenty! 

There is a veritable bevy of outstanding venue choices for nighttime entertainment in New Smyrna Beach, ranging from balmy beachside to electric hot spots. So put on your party pants (or your board shorts) and get ready for some fun after dark…

If you don’t know it already, Flagler Avenue offers up an upbeat beachy vibe and, at night, its bars and after dark entertainment follow suit. Take Traders, for example. Much more than a sports bar, Traders is an indoor/outdoor venue with live music, a dance floor and delicious daily drink specials.

Or maybe you’d prefer the luck of the Irish on your side when you head out for the night. In that case, you may want to visit Tayton O’Brien’s Irish Pub, where the drinks and camaraderie flow like Niagara. This old-style pub provides a large selection of beer and spirits, weekly entertainment including a DJ on Saturday nights and karaoke Wednesday and Friday nights, as well as an authentic Irish menu with homemade fare. Their seven hour happy hour, starting at noon, isn’t bad either!

Then you have Peanuts, a Flagler Avenue bar which is popular with locals and visitors alike. Peanuts is a lively bar with pool tables, drink promos and live music every weekend. Peanuts patrons will find rousing poker matches on Mondays, Tuesday comedy, auctions and bingo, Wednesday karaoke, Thursday live bands beginning at 8 p.m. kicking the entire weekend in ger and Sunday is lots of fun with what they call a “Nuthouse Jam,” with local musicians and free pool.

Flagler Tavern, this writer’s personal favorite, is a large venue with a great vibe. Downstairs offers a large bar, full menu (with some very tasty options), live music on the weekends, a dance floor and outside seating on an expansive porch, which happens to double as a great place to people watch. Upstairs is a hidden gem called “The Bounty.” A hat tip to its rich history, The Bounty is Flagler Tavern’s speakeasy with red velvet décor and smooth whisky. So pull up a chair and sip a smoky old fashioned or watch the bartenders put on a show, pouring high quality liquors over handmade ice spheres or infusing liquor with Jack Daniels wood chips smoke through a decanter. Or order a martini or glass of wine and enjoy the view of Flagler Avenue from its open air balcony.

Still on Beachside, but shifting from Flagler to the North Causeway, you can enjoy an evening filled with comedy at Madcaps Comedy Club with entertaining shows for everyone – from clean to adult humor, mentalists, magicians and lots of crowd interaction. Madcaps is family-owned by homegrown Floridians and offers shows Thursday through Saturday nights from 7:30-9:30.

You’ll discover Merk’s Bar & Grill, a favorite local hangout and good time, right down the road. Merks offers an extensive craft and import beer selection and is famous for its “Frankenstein wings.” Happy hour is from 11-7p, but Merks is open until 2 a.m., so you can enjoy its indoor/outdoor seating, 24 hi-def TVs with all your favorite sports packages from NASCAR to NFL, pool tables, darts, video games and more well into the night!

Whatever you do, don’t forget a stop at Beachside Tavern, a welcoming neighborhood open air bar on 3rd Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. Beachside Tavern is a fun local gathering spot with live music on weekend nights, flame tables, pool tables, games and a chill vibe.

Sea Vista Tiki Bar, which can be found on S. Atlantic in New Smyrna Beach, is also a fun oceanfront spot to grab a cocktail. Plus there’s Casey’s, a lively after hours venue loved by locals with music and pool, which is on South Atlantic Avenue in New Smyrna Beach too; and the Surf Lounge Sports Bar with pool tables on the North Causeway…and quite a few more!

Of course, nearby Daytona Beach offers an excellent selection of after dark venues, including dance clubs like 509 Lounge. Popular with the spring breakers, 509 Lounge is the perfect blend of tropical nightlife with a premier bar and lounge, plus dancing upstairs. It is a great place to order up some VIP bottle treatment, a cocktail at the outdoor patio bar or cut loose with your best dance moves. You decide!

Also popular with spring breakers, Razzle’s Nightclub, where you feel and hear the music with immersive lighting and pulse pumping sound, is located in the heart of the action.

If you want to try something different, The Bank & Blues Club is an authentic historic bank which was converted into a rocking live music venue and it is right on Main Street in Daytona. Other fun Main Street bars in Daytona include the legendary Boot Hill Saloon, Main Street Station, Froggy’s, Dirty Harry’s and Full Moon Saloon.

There are also bars all along the beach in Daytona Beach, offering full menus and live entertainment with a beachside view, such as Ocean Deck, Landshark Bar & Grill, H20 and Mai Tai. Cheers!