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Las Olas & RiverwalkTravel Information for the Smart Traveler™
A wooden Welcome to Las Olas Boulevard sign beside a brick tavern front, palm trees and a white high-rise tower

Things to Do in Las Olas Boulevard

The city's favorite street for shopping, strolling and eating outdoors.

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About Las Olas Boulevard

The shopping section of Las Olas Boulevard is a long, shady run of low buildings east of Federal Highway, with palm trees and old oaks along the sidewalk and tables spilling out of nearly every restaurant. It feels very different from the glass towers a few blocks west. Clothing boutiques, jewelers, home stores, art galleries and gelato shops fill the ground floors, and many of the businesses are independent and locally owned. The best way to see it is slowly, on foot, ideally in the late afternoon when the heat eases and the dinner crowd arrives.

Several times a year the boulevard closes to traffic for the Las Olas Art Fair, when hundreds of artists set up booths down the middle of the street. In early December the Las Olas Association holds Christmas on Las Olas, a free evening street festival that has run for more than sixty years, and in spring the Wine and Food Festival brings restaurants together for a night of tastings. Between events, the street is simply a pleasant place to walk, window-shop and eat.

The Riverside Hotel, open since 1936, anchors the middle of the boulevard and is a reminder of what Las Olas looked like before downtown grew up around it. West of the shops, Tunnel Top Plaza sits over the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, which carries Federal Highway under the New River, and hosts festivals and the St. Patrick's parade. Food tours, Segway rides and e-bike tours that start here are an easy way to sample the restaurants and see the nearby waterways in a couple of hours.

A few practical notes. Parking is in garages and metered spaces on the side streets, and both fill quickly on weekend nights, so a rideshare or the Water Taxi is often simpler. The shops are at their best in the daytime, while the restaurants keep the street busy well after dark. In summer, plan your walk for the evening, carry water and duck into a gallery or a cafe when the afternoon storms roll through.

Don’t Miss

East Las Olas shopping blocksLas Olas Boulevard · Shopping

Independent boutiques, galleries, jewelers and cafes along the tree-lined blocks east of Federal Highway. The business association lists shops, restaurants and events.

Las Olas Art FairLas Olas Boulevard · Art fair

Juried outdoor art fairs that close the boulevard to traffic for a weekend several times a year, usually in October, January and March.

Riverside HotelLas Olas Boulevard · Historic hotel

A boutique hotel on the boulevard since 1936, with a river side and a street side and a busy oyster bar.

Tunnel Top PlazaLas Olas and SE 6th Avenue · Public plaza

The open space above the Kinney Tunnel, used for festivals and as the hub of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

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Las Olas Boulevard — FAQ

Where is the main shopping area of Las Olas Boulevard?

The boutiques and restaurants are concentrated on East Las Olas Boulevard, east of Federal Highway (US 1), over roughly ten blocks toward the Intracoastal Waterway. Parking garages and metered spaces are on the side streets.

When is the Las Olas Art Fair?

The fair is usually held on several weekends a year, typically in October, January and March. Dates change each season, so check the organizer's calendar before you plan around it.