Nudist Group Forced to Cancel Nude Year's Festival on Beach

A non-profit nudist group — B.E.A.C.H.E.S Foundation Institute (Beach Education Advocates for Culture, Health, Environment & Safety) — has been forced to cancel its "Nude Year's Festival"  due to municipal rules. The group had intended to hold a three-day event over New Year's Eve that would include fire dancing, tent decorating, and naked yoga. 

The group, which supports the rights of people to be nude in "appropriate natural settings," had planned to meet up at clothing-optional Haulover Beach, just south of Hallandale in Miami. But according to B.E.A.C.H.E.S., the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department has an "unwritten policy" of not allowing camping in its beach parks.

B.E.A.C.H.E.S. says they tried to speak with the county to try and get an exception, but simply ran out of time to do so.

"We appealed this restriction through the management ranks of the Parks Department and to a senior advisor to the top level of County Administration, to no avail," the group said in an email to its members. "With key event planning milestones approaching, we ran out of time to get a personal audience with the County Mayor or his Chief of Staff to request an exception. We have a plan to pursue through the County Commission a special resolution to remedy this situation for future events."

The group did note that the Director of the Parks Department recently offered to review existing camping facilities within certain county parks away from the beach, and could possibly allow special clothing-optional events there in the future. 

"It could be an intriguing option for residents and visitors that we look forward to cooperating with the county to explore further," Shirley Mason, Executive Director of B.E.A.C.H.E.S. says. 

For now, the group is focusing on its "Big Nude Boat" cruise sailing from from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean on February 6-16. 

B.E.A.C.H.E.S. is holding a fundraising raffle and the grand prize winner will get two tickets to that cruise. The money raised will go to raising money for naturist education, beach advocacy, and capital improvements to the nudist beach at Haulover or other clothing-optional beach sites.