On Saturday night, a fire on the beach in Satellite Beach breaks city rules. On Sunday, Nov. 1, a fire is allowed at ten marked spots between Hightower Beach and Pelican Beach. The city's Sustainable Satellite guidance lists "no flashlights, flash photography, or fires on the beach" during sea turtle nesting season, which runs March 1 through Oct. 31. The city's bonfire season runs Nov. 1 through Feb. 28. In a year without a leap day, like this coming one, the two calendars meet end to end, and every night of the year falls into one or the other.
That fit explains how a beach bonfire works here. The window is short, there are only a few sites, and most of the planning happens on a weekday at the David R. Schechter Community Center on South Patrick Drive. If you're hoping for a fire on the sand this winter, the Thursday noon deadline at the Recreation office matters more than the weather forecast.
The turtles set the calendar
Satellite Beach puts nesting season at March 1 to Oct. 31, and Brevard County's wildlife page uses the same dates. The county asks people to turn off nearby lights so nesting females and hatchlings don't get disoriented. The bonfire permit page doesn't say outright that turtles are the reason for the schedule. Still, the season it sets fills exactly the months that nesting rules leave open.
Inside those four months, permits cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings only, from 6 p.m. to midnight, and the city doesn't issue them outside the season. On the 2026 and 2027 calendars, that works out like this:
- First permitted night: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. The season opens on the last night of a weekend.
- First full weekend: Friday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 8.
- Last permitted night: The city's season ends Feb. 28, which in 2027 falls on a Sunday.
- Total: about 52 permitted evenings across the whole season.
Fifty-two nights shared among ten sites doesn't leave much room, and that's why the booking rules matter.
Thursday at noon is the real deadline
A reservation isn't complete when you pick a date. The permit page lists four steps, all handled in person at the Recreation office:
- Pay the non-refundable permit fee.
- Pay the $100 refundable security deposit.
- Complete and sign the Beach Bonfire Permit Agreement.
- Have the agreement notarized by Recreation Department staff.
You don't need to bring your own notary. Every staff member in the Recreation office is a notary, and the permit holder has to be there to sign in front of them. All paperwork and payment for a weekend bonfire is due by noon on the Thursday before it. The office is in Suite 105 of the David R. Schechter Community Center, 1089 South Patrick Drive, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. In practice, a Saturday fire takes a weekday visit.
| Satellite Beach resident | Non-resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonfire permit fee | $50 | $100 |
| Refundable security deposit | $100 | $100 |
| How far ahead you can reserve | Up to 30 days | Up to 15 days |
Residents get twice the booking window, which gives them a head start on popular weekends. To check whether a site is open, call Satellite Beach Recreation at 321.773.6458 during office hours.
This post goes up on Thursday, Oct. 29, which is also the noon deadline for the season's first night, Sunday, Nov. 1. For the first full weekend, Nov. 6 through 8, paperwork is due by noon on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Two holiday weeks in November leave fewer weekdays to get it done. The city calendar lists city offices closed for Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and for Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27. That Thanksgiving closure falls on the Thursday the deadline would normally land on. If you're planning a fire for Thanksgiving weekend, call the Recreation office early that week to ask how those permits will be handled.
The fee carries risk too. Once a permit is issued, the city won't refund the fee because of tides, weather, personal circumstances or a change of plans. The city also suggests checking the expected tides and weather before you book. If the city itself cancels a fire because of extreme weather, fire restrictions or other municipal needs, any refund or credit follows city policy.
Ten sites, and one is already spoken for
Designated bonfire sites are only at Hightower Beach and Pelican Beach, and the city lists ten of them. One Pelican Beach site is reserved for Pelican Beach Clubhouse rentals, which leaves nine for everyone else. The permit page links site photos for both Hightower and Pelican, so you can see your spot before the night.
Parking runs on a different clock than the permit. Paid parking at the Hightower Beach and Pelican Beach lots lasts until 7 p.m., and the bonfire permit doesn't cover parking fees. A group arriving at 6 p.m., when permitted hours begin, pays for that first hour. After 7 p.m., the lots are free.
The city's parking payment page announced new daily rates of $3.50 an hour and $15 a day, effective Oct. 1, 2026. The lot detail listings for Hightower and Pelican still show the older $2.50 and $10, so go by the rate on the kiosk. A few other details:
- Payment is due when you arrive.
- Cash isn't accepted, so bring a major credit or debit card.
- Payment is tied to your license plate and can't be moved to another car.
- Customers with an ADA placard are fully exempt from paid parking.
What the permit holder brings to the sand
The city's 2026 bonfire rules are detailed, and the permit holder answers for every guest. Here's what the rules ask for:
- The right fuel. Only commercially purchased seasoned dry firewood or Duraflame-type products. Lumber, plywood, pallets, trees, Christmas trees, painted wood, wood with nails and pressure-treated wood are banned. So are flammable liquids or anything else used to start the fire. Burning the wrong fuel can get the fire shut down and the permit revoked.
- Distance and size. The fire must be at least 25 feet from the beach access ramp, the dune line and other structures. It can be no more than 3 feet across, with flames no more than 2 feet high.
- A way to put it out. Keep extinguishing supplies on hand, such as a bucket of water and a shovel, and have the fire out by midnight.
- The right person. The permit holder must be at least 21 and stay on site for the whole bonfire. They also need photo ID and a copy of the permit, paper or digital, ready for inspection.
- Nothing that floats off. Balloon and lantern releases aren't allowed. Neither are rice, birdseed, confetti, glitter, streamers, plastic petals or expanded polystyrene, and the city asks groups to skip plastic straws and stir sticks.
- A clean site. Leaving trash, debris or damage can cost you the deposit, add extra charges, and lead to a ban on future permits.
The $100 deposit comes back when the fire was put out properly, the site is clean, and the rules were followed. The city can keep some or all of it if any of those fall short.
The same building runs the first week of November
The community center where you sign your bonfire paperwork hosts the city's two biggest events of early November. If you're heading over to file a permit, you'll be in the same place as both of them.
Senior Expo, Wednesday, Nov. 4. The Satellite Beach Fire Department Community Medic Program hosts its annual Senior Expo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the gym at the DRS Community Center. It's free for anyone in the area 55 or older, with information on local services and programs, and Publix will be giving flu shots.
Founders Day, Saturday, Nov. 7. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the DRS Community Center hosts the Satellite Beach Woman's Club Marketplace, with more than 200 craft and specialty vendors. The parade steps off from DeLaura Middle School at 11 a.m. and ends at the center. According to the city's Fall 2026 recreation brochure, this year's marketplace theme is "Discover Satellite Beach, Our Hidden Gem," and its blue crab and sunset artwork was made by DeLaura Middle School students. The parade theme is "Discover the Florida Feeling in Satellite Beach." The Fun 4 Space Coast Kids listing shows the event as free to attend. It also lands on the first full bonfire weekend, so one Saturday can include both the parade and an evening fire at Hightower or Pelican, as long as the paperwork was done by noon Thursday.
GROM Fest, Saturday, Dec. 5. Pelican Beach Park, home to some of the bonfire sites, hosts the annual Space Coast GROM Fest from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Space Coast Board Riders Club runs the event, which includes youth surf contests, a beach cleanup, several bands, art, surf and skate vendors, and food trucks. Bracket registration goes through the club's Facebook page.
The permit agreement is a signed, notarized document, so this post is general information and not legal or financial advice. For your own reservation, go by the city's current rules and check details with Satellite Beach Recreation at 321.773.6458 or [email protected].
Laura Dowling Roy has lived along this stretch of coast for more than 45 years. If friends or family are thinking about a move beachside and want an evening at Hightower or Pelican included in their visit, Laura Dowling Roy is glad to help plan the trip around it. Let's Connect.
