DAYTONA BEACH
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 23
SWEET RACE AT OASIS PAGE 3B
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2026
Art grants released after four-month tug-of-war County Council votes to award over $570K of cultural funds, on one condition: This is the last year. PAGE 5A
Brower: ‘Preserve local control’ County Council chair delivers annual State of the County address. PAGE 3A INSIDE RISK ASSESSMENT
Daytona Beach’s shoreline is high risk, beach study finds. PAGE 5A
NEW GROCER
Sprouts Farmer’s Market opens in Daytona Beach. PAGE 5B
TEAMWORK
Seabreeze High School custodians lend a helping hand to Beachside Elementary. PAGE 4B
Bike Week 2026 launched on Friday, Feb. 27. Photo courtesy of the Bike Week 2026 Facebook page
85th annual bike week roars into Daytona Beach ‘You remember the characters,’ said Echo Carras, a volunteer with the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.
SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Echo Carras has volunteered at the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce ’s Bike Week Welcome Center tent for nine years. “People, for the most part, are
INDEX
Business..................... PAGE 5B Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................PAGE 10B Letters.......................PAGE 12A Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Schools....................... PAGE 4B Sports......................... PAGE 8B Tributes ...................... PAGE 4C Real Estate................. PAGE 6B
FREE
ON NEWSSTANDS.
$1/WEEK
ON YOUR DRIVEWAY.
A map at the Bike Week Welcome Center that has pins showing where every visitor is from.
just real friendly,” Carrras said. “They’re here because they come every year, they love the area, their bikes are beautiful. It’s a fun event.” Carras said the Welcome Center tent has drawn hundreds of bikers and visitors. The tent, located on South Orange Avenue right before the bridge to the beachside, is open daily during Bike Week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a final shift from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 7. The chamber’s annual treasure hunt begins at the tent, and participants who visit all 10 locations and receive a stamp on the treasure hunt can return to the tent to receive their limited edition commemorative coin for Bike Week 2026. Visitors can also pick up an official Bike Week poster. The Daytona Regional Chamber has a key role in the operational planning, marketing, community outreach, and coordination with local and national partners, a Chamber newsletter said. The event has a sizeable impact to the area’s culture and economy and it “unites riders of all ages and back-
grounds and to showcase the best of Daytona Beach’s hospitality and lifestyle.” The treasure hunt is a partnership with local businesses, with participating businesses ranging from Tanger Daytona Beach, Copper Bottom Craft Distillery and the sponsor AMSOIL. The Welcome Center also features a map of the United States and a map of the world. Carras said people who show up at the tent can add a pin to the map to show where they’re visiting from. Carras said they’ve had people from all around the world. “We got some folks here from England, Norway, all over,” she said. “And people have been coming for years and years and years.” Her favorite part about Bike Week is getting to know the characters, she said. “You remember the characters,” she said. “It’s fun to see people come back.” Email Sierra Williams at sierra@ observerlocalnews.com.