By Mark Gauert

Half the fun of Vintage Weekend at Ocean Reef Club, coming up Dec. 4-7, 2014, is watching other people getting there.

Vintage yachts float up to the docks at the members-only club in the northern Keys, vintage aircraft buzz the private air strip, vintage cars gleam in a Concours d’Elegance stream on the red carpet. As spectacle, it’s a tour de force on land, at sea, in the air.

The members-only policy at the gatehouse drops for this long weekend. Everyone is welcome for Vintage Weekend through a three-night, four-day package at the club’s oceanfront inn.

“Vintage Weekend is a wonderful opportunity for people to not only admire the world’s finest conveyances up close, but also to share in a memorable social experience among new and old friends,” Vintage Weekend Co-founder Vicki Goldstein said. “Ocean Reef Club is one of the few places in the world that can host all three modes of vintage transportation by land, sea and air — and also offer flawless hospitality in a stunning setting.”

Highlights include a Vintage Aircraft Aerobatic Show & Luncheon, a must-see mix of private air show and beach picnic; a Concours d’Elegance-caliber car show (previous years included a rakish 1938 Jaguar SS100); vintage yacht tours (previous years included the lovingly restored presidential yacht, Honey Fitz); tours of aircraft (a silvery bullet P-51 Mustang was a Spectator’s Choice in previous years) and, this year, the 20th Anniversary – “Margarita Madness”
Cocktail Reception & Dinner Dance.

Half the fun may be watching other people getting there. The rest is being there.

—mgauert@cityandshore.com

Ocean Reef Club,
764 Barracuda Lane, Key Largo, 305-367-3690. For information about Vintage Weekend and reservations, call 305-367-5874 or memberevents@oceanreef.com, oceanreef.com.