West Palm Beach is a Florida city located near the Atlantic coastline. Although the city has no ocean frontage, large portions of it are separated from the water only by a narrow strip of land. In fact, West Palm Beach is so close to the ocean that many people refer to it as a coastal community. A large city, West Palm Beach boasts approximately 100,000 residents and sits in an area with a greater metropolitan population of over 1,000,000. This means that there are a large variety of cultural amenities such as museums in the area since there is enough population to support diverse interests.
Many people travel to stay in West Palm Beach vacation homes because they wish to attend one of the many festivals and events that regularly occur in this part of south Florida. Perhaps the most famous such event is the SunFest, an annual festival devoted to both art and music. In operation since the early 1980s, SunFest occurs during the so-called 'shoulder season' that forms a bridge between spring and summer. The exact dates of the SunFest vary, but usually fall sometime during April or May. More than a quarter of a million people attend this festival, which has often attracted famous talent such as Lenny Kravitz and Ray Charles; even Pink Floyd has performed at the SunFest.
Other local events include the Palm Beach Boat Show and an international film festival, in addition to the Winter Equestrian Festival.