At midday on SW Village Parkway, the most interesting thing at Stars & Stripes Park is a shadow. A large sundial stands at the center of a solar-system display, surrounded by gyroscopic metal rings fitted with colorful translucent inserts. The City of Port St. Lucie says those inserts "shift with the movement of the sun." Come back after dark and the sundial has nothing to do. The light then comes from the other end of the park, where a waving flag sculpture and a field of illuminated stars hold the plaza.
That split was planned. The 26.5-acre park at 12441 SW Village Parkway opened on June 4, 2026, after construction that began on April 25, 2024. It was designed as two separate experiences, each suited to a different time of day. On Saturday, Nov. 7, a third one opens behind it.
Two places on one property
Steven Garrett, a senior planner at Lucido and Associates, has worked on the project since 2021. He explained the thinking to Hometown News at the opening:
"The broad idea or concept was, given the size of the park, to create two unique spaces that were experiences. Once we knew we wanted to honor our first responders and veterans, we wanted to do it in a way that wasn't a memorial, but a celebratory plaza, which is where the star sculptures are."
He told the same outlet that the second space, the solar system, came from the land itself. A school was once planned for the park's northern end, and that site "may now become a Boys & Girls Club." The designers wanted "an outdoor classroom" that would fit an educational neighbor.
So the park has a classroom half and a ceremony half. One is built around sunlight and the other around light fixtures. Mattamy Homes designed and developed the park in partnership with the City, and the property becomes the City's to own and maintain. The City lists the park as passive, and its facility listing names four amenities: memorial, open space, parking and trails. There are no ball fields, so how the park works depends on the hour.
Daylight belongs to the planets
The solar-system half, called the Celestial Space, is laid out as a lesson in distance. Planet-themed installations are spread across the grounds to show the scale and spacing of planetary orbits. Mattamy's press release, as summarized by Hometown News, describes a layout that shows "how the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars remain close to the center."
That arrangement explains how the space feels when you walk it. The inner planets sit close together near the sundial, and the outer installations are much farther apart. The farther out you walk, the more ground you cover between planets, which is the point of the design. In daylight, the Celestial Space offers three things:
- The sundial and its rings, where the colored inserts change as the sun moves.
- The inner-planet cluster, with Mercury through Mars tight around the center.
- The outer planets, set far enough apart that reaching them becomes a walk around the grounds.
Daytime also suits the rest of the park. Hometown News describes a walking path that loops around a lake, plenty of green space, and an area set aside for food trucks. The City's description adds "scenic ponds" to the open lawn.
After dark, the plaza takes over
The park is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., late enough for an evening visit after dinner. Evenings are when the celebratory half matters most. The illuminated stars carry engraved quotes and symbolic design elements, which the City says are meant to "create moments of reflection." Benches surround the star sculptures.
The engraved messages come from veterans and first responders. Port St. Lucie City Councilman David Pickett, a veteran, described reading them at the opening in comments to Hometown News: "This celestial star, with all the plates, reading some of those quotes, brings back some memories of my days in the military." Mayor Shannon Martin said at the same event that the park was "thoughtfully designed with purpose in every detail."
Several dozen members of Rolling Thunder, Florida Chapter 6, came to the June ribbon cutting. Chapter president Robert J. Staneruck told the paper he expects the park to become a gathering place for veterans and their families. The opening night itself ran from 6 to 9 p.m., with a DJ, food vendors and Celestial Space activities starting at 7. CBS12 also covered a robotic-dog demonstration by the Port St. Lucie Police Department. That night was a one-time program. On a regular evening, the stars and the flag sculpture are the main feature.
The City's free Veterans Day ceremony takes place Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 2100 SE Veterans Memorial Parkway, according to the City's event page. Stars & Stripes Park stays open all day for a quieter visit to the plaza.
Saturday morning adds a third use
Tradition planned to open Phase 1 of its new Nature Trail, which runs behind Stars & Stripes Park, on Oct. 17. Weather postponed it. The rescheduled grand opening is this Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m., and the event is listed at the park's address.
Tradition's event page lists this schedule:
| Time | What's happening |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Shuttles begin from the Horseshoe Parking Lot, 10801 SW Meeting St. |
| 9:00 a.m. | Event opens |
| 9:15 a.m. | Yoga with Hustle360 |
| 9:45 a.m. | Guided Fitness and Wellness Walk, plus a guided Nature Trail Walk with Trapper Jay |
| 10:15 a.m. | Second guided Nature Trail Walk with Trapper Jay |
| 11:00 a.m. | Event ends; last shuttle pickup at the park is 11:45 a.m. |
Between walks, the page lists a binocular lending station, community murals, a Tiny Artisans flower-planting station, family nature bingo and a photo booth. Vendors include Carmela's Coffee & Toast, which is giving a free coffee to the first 10 guests. Fleet Feet will run a hydration station, Sprockets will hand out trail bars and a guest discount, and a T Club tent will offer giveaways. The Treasure Coast Wildlife Society plans to bring a gopher tortoise, an eastern screech owl and a box turtle.
Parking is at the park, with overflow at the Horseshoe lot. Tradition residents can use the TIM shuttle, and Seville and Cadence residents have a ride-hailing service, both starting at 8:30 a.m. Tradition asks guests to RSVP through the event page.
The rest of the day in Tradition
A morning at the trail or an evening at the plaza pairs easily with Tradition Town Center on SW Discovery Way, where two restaurants opened this summer. TCPalm reported in late August that Field of Greens had opened in the former Robek's Juice and Smoothie bar by the Heart of Tradition. Port Tradition, which TCPalm reported open on Aug. 26, serves Mexican-Mediterranean fusion at 10380 SW Discovery Way.
Southwest Port St. Lucie's park network is also getting larger. Tradition Regional Park, a separate 110-acre project at 13120 SW Tradition Parkway, is still under construction. The City estimates completion in late 2026 or early 2027. Its BMX facility is being built now. A dog park, disc golf, an adventure playground, nature trails, a canoe and kayak launch, and a space for food trucks and art events are listed as planned or potential features, according to the City's project page. Until it opens, Stars & Stripes Park is the newest open space in Tradition, and the Nature Trail behind it will join it on Nov. 7.
If you are curious how Tradition's parks, trails and Town Center tie into the homes and communities around them, Ashley Washburn would be glad to walk you through it. Let's Connect.
