Wellington Kept the Price on Its November Dinner Show and Rewrote Everything Around It

If you went to the Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at Wellington Community Center in either of the last two Novembers, the price and the room on Saturday night will be familiar. Almost everything else is new.

The Village has replaced the murder mystery with The Mystery Behind the Magic, an evening of magic and mentalism on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 12150 Forest Hill Boulevard. Tickets are still $60 per person, the event is still 21 and over, and it is still on the first Saturday in November. The details that made the old event easy for a group of eight are mostly gone, though. This year the decision that matters is where you sit, and you make it at checkout.

Three Novembers, side by side

The murder mystery had a steady format. In 2024 it was "Totally Killer '80s Prom" on Nov. 2, and in 2025 it was "A Royal Betrayal" on Nov. 1. Both ran 6 to 9 p.m. at the Community Center with doors at 5:30. Here is how this year's announcement compares with the Village's notices from those two years.

The $60 price is the one line that stays the same, and it now buys a different kind of evening. The old ticket covered appetizers, dinner, beer and wine. The new one starts with a cocktail reception on the outdoor Promenade, then moves into what the Village calls the "newly renovated Grande Ballroom" for a banquet-style three-course dinner. Wine and Prosecco are provided by sponsor Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants. The 2026 announcement doesn't mention beer, so if beer was part of your plan, don't count on it.

The table discount is gone, and seating now works differently

The group deal is the change most likely to catch a returning party off guard. In 2024, a reserved table of eight cost $420, which is one ticket cheaper than eight separate seats. In 2025 the Village kept the same idea and told buyers to "buy a table of eight and save the price of one ticket." The 2026 announcement doesn't offer a table rate.

Instead, each guest buys an individual seat at one of 22 tables and picks the table while registering. The Village asks people coming as a group to coordinate early so they end up together. On Wellington's CivicRec registration page, each table is its own $60 item, listed as "Mystery Behind The Magic- Table 02," "Table 03," and so on.

For a group of friends from inside the gate, that changes how you buy:

1. Pick one person to choose the table before anyone else buys.
2. Have everyone buy seats under that same table number, not just "a ticket."
3. If your table fills before the last person checks out, move the whole group to another table rather than splitting up.

Ticket buying has also moved online. In 2025 the Village sold tickets in person at Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road, and at the Community Center. This year registration runs through CivicRec, and tickets went on sale at midnight on Sept. 30.

Two sold-out years make the timing matter. The Town-Crier reported the 2024 show was sold out, and the Village calendar later listed it as sold out with a waitlist. The Town-Crier called the 2025 edition sold out too. Seats for Saturday have been on sale since Sept. 30, and CivicRec shows what is still open table by table, so check it before you text the group.

What you're actually watching

The murder mystery used a cast. The Town-Crier credited Standing Room Only Productions with both recent editions. In 2024, actors played out an '80s prom scenario and guests worked out who did it. In 2025, the medieval-court version had guests questioning suspects for clues. The 2025 cast included Cathy Rollins, MC Josh Pearl, C. Todd Villum, Patricia Shelton, Robert Kan and Andrew Brown, according to the Town-Crier's recap.

This year there is one performer. David Frost is a magician and mentalist whose act, in the Village's description, mixes sleight of hand, mind-reading, psychological illusion and modern technology. His own site says he is based in South Florida, has performed internationally for more than 20 years, and has done shows for Microsoft, Amazon, Ferrari and Cadillac. The Village event listing says he ranked among the Top 3 Close-Up Magicians in North America at FISM NA 2024.

The phrase "close-up" ties back to the seating. The Village says Frost's style "brings magic and mentalism directly into the audience," and guests may become part of the show "right at your table." The murder mystery asked the whole room to solve one case. This show comes to the tables, so your table choice also decides who sits with you while it happens.

Dress code and childcare, for parents

Plan a different outfit. In 2025 the Village said to "keep it casual or dress it up," with prizes for the best costumes. For 2026 it suggests formal attire to match the Roaring '20s theme and doesn't mention a costume contest.

Childcare is still offered for ages 5 to 12, and the Village pitches it as "A Night Out for Parents, Too," with supervised programming while adults are at the 21+ dinner. The 2025 notice was more specific. Childcare was free, came with pizza, and was held in a room separate from the event. The 2026 announcement doesn't use the word "free" or give a price. It says registration details and any requirements will be on CivicRec. If you have kids in that age range, sort out their spot before Saturday, not at the door.

Saturday at a glance

• When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 6 to 9 p.m.
• Where: Wellington Community Center, 12150 Forest Hill Boulevard, Wellington, FL 33414
• Cost: $60 per seat, no table rate listed
• Ages: 21 and over, with childcare available for ages 5 to 12
• Dress: Formal suggested, Roaring '20s theme
• Booking: CivicRec, choosing a seat at one of 22 tables
• More info: the Village's event page

If you're building a fall calendar around Forest Hill Boulevard, this fits alongside the Fall Festival changes and comedy nights at Palm Beach Improv's new Wellington Green home. For more on the area around the gate, see our Wellington and Wycliffe neighborhood pages.

Ruby Teich follows Wellington's calendar as closely as the Wycliffe market, because both shape what life near the gate is like. If you have questions about the community or a Wycliffe home, call 561‑418‑0708 or email [email protected].