Cook & Connect: Family Campfire Cooking with Chef Stacy Maple in Vero Beach

Under a wide Florida sky on the Pavilion Lawn in Vero Beach, Cook & Connect: Cooking Up Family Memories with Chef Stacy Maple turns an ordinary evening into a hands-on, community-driven outdoor meal and movie experience. Located on Florida’s Treasure Coast near the Atlantic shoreline and the Indian River Lagoon, this one-hour campfire cooking class teaches families how to build a Hawaiian chicken foil pack and cook it over glowing coals before settling in for Outdoor Movie Night featuring Elemental. Chef Stacy leads a small, friendly group through simple prep: layering marinated chicken, pineapple, and veggies in foil, seasoning with island flavors, and arranging packets for even heat. The lesson is practical—fire safety, timing, and modest improvisation—and the payoff is immediate: steam and citrus-sweet aroma as packets are opened beneath the evening sky. Kids get hands-on food skills; parents get a relaxed way to feed the crew without sacrificing flavor or the movie. The Pavilion Lawn setting is part of Vero Beach’s outdoor scene: low dunes, sea grape and sabal palms edging the grass, and the faint salt-spray breeze that hints at the nearby Atlantic. You’re within reach of the Treasure Coast’s signature natural features—mangrove-lined inlets, shorebird rookeries, and the nearby Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s first refuge established in 1903. While the event is culinary-first, its sense of place is unmistakably coastal Florida. Why book it? It’s accessible—short duration, family-friendly—and uniquely local: the Hawaiian foil pack nods to island flavors while the community lawn and outdoor screening make it a social evening under the stars. It’s particularly good for families with younger kids who benefit from a structured, supervised activity that ends with dinner and a movie. The experience also doubles as a primer on low-impact outdoor cooking: minimal equipment, single-use foil packets that are packed out, and an emphasis on Leave No Trace around public lawns. Practical notes: the class runs about an hour before the movie and is suitable for beginners; bring a light jacket for breezy nights and a sense of curiosity. Exact meeting location is the Pavilion Lawn in Vero Beach, Florida (coordinates: 27.757658, -80.415881). Arrive early to claim lawn seating and give kids time to wash up before cooking. Lightweight folding chairs or a picnic blanket are useful. For dietary restrictions, contact the booking operator via the referral link to check ingredients and possible substitutions. This social session is an easy after-dinner plan following a day on nearby beaches, the Indian River, or a walk by Pelican Island. Operator and address information are provided by the booking page. This is a quick, memorable way to learn a simple campfire recipe, connect with other visitors, and enjoy a family movie beneath Florida stars.