Greetings {name},

Tuesday, March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, with commemorative events like wreath-laying ceremonies, speeches, and luncheons held to mark the occasion.

Friday, April 1 is April Fool’s Day, dating back to 1582, when it is traditional to play hoaxes or practical jokes on others in a humorous manner. When the Gregorian calendar moved the first day of the year from April 1 to January 1, those that neglected to observe the change were labeled as April Fools. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with "hunting the gowk," in which people were sent on phony errands.

Saturday, April 2 is the beginning of Ramadan, a month of fasting for many Muslims in the United States.

As always, make plans to enjoy the great outdoors in our little city. Walk down Miracle Mile, experience the live theatre and the best movies, browse the book stores, look into the art galleries and meet up with friends at the restaurants. Visit the parks and public spaces to appreciate the bounties of nature. 

Enjoy the best of Coral Gables in the coming days.

Robert and Robin Burr

Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24

Miami Wine & Spirits Festival

Enjoy a weekend of fine wine and spirits at the intersection of South Bayshore Drive and Mary Street as the Miami Wine & Spirits Festival comes to Coconut Grove. Taste amazing food from miami's top restaurants, with craft beer, fine wine and craft spirits, plus live entertainment and exhibits. https://www.beerwinespiritsfestivals.com

please enjoy this image that reminds us of the beauty and serenity of our majestic city

the artful elegance of DeSoto Fountain circle

Coral Gables scenic photo illustrations © Robin and Robert Burr.

Final Curtain

The White Card at GableStage

The Florida premiere of Award-winning poet/playwright Claudia Rankine's first published play, The White Card comes to GableStage, posing the essential question: Can American society progress if whiteness remains invisible? https://www.gablestage.org/production/

Encore Week

Parallel Mothers at Gables Cinema

Contemporary melodrama, a bold color palette and a sublime Penélope Cruz in the lead role: these elements combine in Pedro Almodóvar's latest film to form one of the most affecting entries in the celebrated Spanish director's prolific filmography. Cruz stars opposite newcomer Milena Smit, both playing single mothers whose lives intersect in multiple ways after both give birth on the same day in the same hospital. Shocking secrets and painful revelations lie in store for the new mothers and Almodóvar mines the complexity of the situation to explore a deep-rooted trauma in Spain's history, motherhood itself and the inevitability of the truth to out. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/parallel-mothers/

Seraphic Fire Podcast - Episode 16

Professional Choral Ensembles

In this Seraphic Saturday Podcast, Dr. James K. Bass leads the listener through the recent history of professional American choral ensembles with the help of Bass Eric Alatorre, and conductor Craig Hella Johnson. With Eric’s decades-long tenure at Chanticleer, he illuminates the ensemble’s beginnings to its award winning present, while Craig reminisces about Conspirare’s impressive path forging the way for professional choral ensembles throughout the country. https://www.seraphicfire.org/seraphic-saturday-podcast-episode-16/

Friday, March 25 at 7pm

Barkyard Theatre - Disney's Encanto

We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no! But we will be watching Encanto with doggie friends at The Barnacle Historic State Park with Barkyard Theatre returns. The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift -- every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger. The gates open at 7pm, one hour before showtime, so arrive early and bring your dogs, bring your kids, bring your lawn chairs, blankets and goodies, and make sure you come dressed up for the Encanto costume contest to win awesome prizes. Tickets are $10-$20. Each person can bring two dogs.The Barnacle Historic State Park is located at 3485 Main Highway. Call 305-442-6866. http://www.thebarnacle.org

Friday, March 25 at 7:30pm

Biebl: Ave Maria - Music for Men's Chorus

Associate Conductor James K. Bass leads the men of Seraphic Fire in a rousing concert of sea shanties, German partsongs, and the centerpiece of Franz Biebl’s iconic Ave Maria. Biebl wrote Ave Maria for an all-male Bavarian Firemen’s Chorus in the summer of 1959. Seraphic Fire now performs the Biebl and explores the tradition of music for men’s choirs that inspired this singular work. This stirring concert at St. Philip's Church showcases the men of Seraphic Fire in a presentation of favorites as well as new compositions from Ileana Perez Velazquez and Seraphic Fire University of Miami Student Composers-in-Residence, Melissa D’Albora and Sydney Doemel. Get details and tickets online.

Last Weekend

Farmers' Market At City Hall

Enjoy Coral Gables' iconic farmers market from 8am to 2pm featuring fresh fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, baked goods, flowers and plants, free tai chi classes, gardening workshops, cooking demos, and activities for children. https://www.coralgables.com/farmers-market-at-merrick-park

Saturday, March 26 at 9am

Fighting Climate Change With Butterflies

Mary Benton, founder of boundbybeauty.org, sponsors childrens programs called Swale Celebrations and Parking Lot Safaris to introduce them to the wild plants in our lawns that host butterflies. She is also sponsoring butterfly circles in Miami Shores. The web site contains a list of these plants beautifully illustrated with the butterflies they host.

Saturday, March 26 at 10am

Sustainable Trees For A Sustainable City

Mr. Jorge Rivera, the man in charge of trees in Coral Gables will speak about the role of our trees in the city and the importance of maintaining our urban forest. Trees are a vital part of our infrastructure, conserving energy, sequestering carbon, cooling the environment and creating a habitat for birds and lots of wildlife. They are also a key element in the definition of City Beautiful.

Saturday and Sunday

The Heiresses at Gables Cinema

Directed by the legendary Márta Mészáros, who was the first woman to direct a film in Hungary. The brilliance of a young Isabelle Huppert lends quiet intensity to this piercing period elegy. Budapest, 1936: Szilvia, a wealthy heiress to an enormous family fortune, befriends Irén, a young shopgirl of modest means. Unable to give birth, Szilvia offers Irén money in exchange for conceiving a child with her husband on her behalf -- a transaction that blurs the boundaries of the two women’s social roles and leads all involved into an explosive moral, emotional, and romantic minefield. Set amidst the glimmering decadence of a pre-war Europe being consumed by the encroaching rot of Nazism, The Heiresses is a coolly harrowing dissection of class and the cost of motherhood and a haunting vision of lives on a collision course with history. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/the-heiresses/

Saturday, March 26 at 7pm

Plan B Conservation Concert

Ever-popular Plan B returns to the Doc Thomas House Keystone Stage this month, performing a repertoire of classic and contemporary Rock 'n' Roll with a dash of the unexpected. Attendees can perch under the Audubon oaks to enjoy the Plan B's depth of Classic Rock hits paired with Bird Bar wine and brew selections courtesy of Republic National Distributing Company. Also on the playbill: Featured Food Trucks. A pair of Birding Binoculars will be raffled by Dade Heritage Trust to mark triple milestones: the Doc Thomas House 90th Anniversary, the Tropical Audubon Society 75th Anniversary and Dade Heritage Trust's 50th Anniversary. Gates open at 7pm; music begins at 7:30pm. $10 donation; children 12 and under free. Get details and tickets in advance online. https://support.tropicalaudubon.org/a/plan-b-conservation-concert

Saturday, March 26  at 7:30pm

American Brass Quintet at Gusman Concert Hall

The American Brass Quintet is internationally recognized as one of the leading chamber ensembles of our time. Winners of multiple awards including the 2013 recipient of Chamber Music America’s highest honor and the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award, the Quintet’s plentiful legacy includes performances around the world, nearly sixty recordings, and the premieres of more than one hundred fifty contemporary brass works. Price: $35. Call 305-284-2400. https://events.miami.edu/event/american_brass_quintet

Saturday, March 26 at 9pm

Desperately Seeking Susan

In 1985, Susan Seidelman blessed the planet with Desperately Seeking Susan, a screwball East Village fantasia about amnesia, Egyptian artifacts, mob killings, mistaken identities, jacuzzi sales, magic acts, suburban ennui, Nefertiti's earrings, and an extremely rad jacket. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/desperately-seeking-susan/

Sunday, March 27, from 2 to 5pm

A Proper Garden Tea at Merrick House

As part of its Sundays on the Porch with George event series, the Coral Gables Merrick House is hosting A Proper Garden Tea event. On exhibit will be the House linen collection, antique quilts and a unique display of sewing and needlework items. The afternoon will also feature tea and treats, lectures, demonstrations, purveyors of vintage and vintage-inspired collectibles, lawn games and more. It's all part of a celebration of Victorian textiles, treasures, tools and trades. Completed in 1910, the Merrick House is home to many fine examples of furniture and fabrics of the Victorian era (1837 to 1901). Get tickets in advance online.

Sunday, March 27 at 7:30pm

Alhambra Orchestra - Unheard Melodies

In the historic sanctuary of Coral Gables Congregational Church, members of the Alhambra Orchestra will explore enchanting works for 3-5 players created by often-overlooked composers including Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn. Bring friends and family to this free event and enjoy this sampler of intimate music for strings, winds and piano from the Romantic era and beyond. Pieces by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Amy Beach, Rebecca Clarke, and Darius Milhaud complete the repertoire. Coral Gables Congregational Church is located at 3010 DeSoto. Call 305-668-9260. Get details and tickets online.

Monday, March 28 at 7:30pm

French Modernism - Flute and Piano

Enjoy a musical recital by Jennifer Grim, flute and Inesa Gegprifti, piano at UM Weeks Center's Clarke Recital Hall. French aesthetics has been the cornerstone of taste, elegance, vanguard, and individuality for centuries. Particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries, we find French composers dabbling with exoticism, avant-garde techniques, extra-musical references, and more. The program includes some of the most beloved French compositions alongside lesser-known works that reflect the immense variety of styles. Enjoy Claude Debussy's iconic Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Maurice Ravel's delightful Sonatine; Lili Boulanger’s vibrant D’un matin de printemps; Guillaume Connesson's unique musical depiction of a segment from the Genesis in Le Rire de Saraï; Kaija Saariaho's NoaNoa that includes texts from painter Paul Gaugin's years in Tahiti; Erik Satie’s irreverent eccentricity in Embryona desséchés; Olivier Messiaen's darkly colorful Le Merle noir; and Tristan Murail’s otherworldly spectral sonorities in La Mandragore. Clarke Recital Hall is located at 5479 San Amaro Drive. Watch the recital in person or on YouTube. Get recital details online.

Tuesday, March 29 at 9am

City Commission Meeting

The City of Coral Gables will be holding its Regular Meeting at City Hall Commission Chambers. Members of the public may participate in person but are also able to participate online via Zoom. Get the agenda online.

Tuesday, March 29 at 6pm

Mary Beard - Twelve Caesars Reception

From the bestselling author of SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, the fascinating story of how images of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture, and the representation of power for more than 2,000 years. From Beard’s reconstruction of Titian’s extraordinary lost Room of the Emperors to her reinterpretation of Henry VIII’s famous Caesarian tapestries, Twelve Caesars includes fascinating detective work and offers a gripping story of some of the most challenging and disturbing portraits of power ever created. Meet the author at Books & Books, 265 Aragon at 8pm. Call 305-442-4408. https://www.booksandbooks.com/event/in-person-twelve-caesars-happy-hour/

Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30pm

Homeland - Concert To Benefit Ukraine Citizens

Experience a musical journey evoked by the concept of nostalgia and memory to benefit the citizens of Ukraine at Kislak Center at University of Miami. Co-presented by the University of Miami's Libraries and School of Communication, and the Miami Chamber Music Society, "Homeland" is a special event designed to show solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine in their effort to bring peace to their country. Miami Chamber Music Society will donate all proceeds from ticket sales to this performance and additional monetary contributions to the non-profit organizations United for Ukraine and Doctors Without Borders in Ukraine to benefit the citizens of Ukraine. Tickets are $25. Get details and tickets online.

Wednesday, March 30 at 9pm

Last Night in Soho

In acclaimed director Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller, Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker. Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith. https://cosfordcinema.com/event/last-night-in-soho/2022-03-30/

Thursday, March 31 from 6 to 7pm

Women's History - Florida's Female Pioneers

The Pinecrest Branch Library invites you to join historian and author Peggy Macdonald for an engaging talk about women who have shaped Florida, including a physician who ran the first racially integrated free school in Florida, a writer who kick-started Florida's tourism industry, and the first elected female tribal chair of any federally recognized American Indian tribe. Space is limited for this online event. Registration is required. Zoom link will be emailed to registrants within 24 hours of the event start time. Ages 13 years and up. Register online. https://mdpls.org/event/6271094

Friday, April 1 at 8pm

Earth First Fridays - Earth Muted Documentary

Earth: Muted is a documentary set in a valley in Hanyuan, China. There, three families try to farm where wild pollinating insects have disappeared due to overuse of pesticides, and the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse. Bike, walk, or park nearby and stroll over to The Barnacle Historic State Park. The gate opens an hour before the program starts at 8pm. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a picnic on the spacious front lawn. Chairs are available on a first come, first served basis, or you can bring your own. No pets, please. Admission is free. Get details and tickets online.

Saturday and Sunday 2pm

Rapunzel at Miracle Theatre

From David Crane and Marta Kaufman, the creators of the hit TV show Friends, comes a wickedly funny, musical interpretation of this classic Grimm's Fairy Tale. Will the Wicked Witch keep Rapunzel locked in a tower forever? Can the bumbling Prince Charming finally rescue a maiden in distress? If Rapunzel can't leave the tower will her Sweet Sixteen sour? The answers await you in this refreshingly clever musical adaptation. https://www.actorsplayhouse.org/childrens-theatre/

Saturday, April 2 from 6 to 9pm

Commodore's Birthday - A Roaring Affair

Make plans to attend the Commodore’s Birthday Party Annual Fundraising Event presented by The Barnacle Society, featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction. The speakeasy opens at 5pm at The Barnacle. For details, contact Jessica Cabral at 305-442-6866 or email jessica.cabral@floridadep.gov

May 18 – June 5, 2022

Murder on The Orient Express

With a locomotive full of suspects and an alibi for each one, it’s the perfect mystery for detective Hercule Poirot. This new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s masterpiece will take audiences on the most suspenseful, thrilling ride of Actors’ Playhouse’s 2021-2022 Season. Tony Award-winning Playwright Ken Ludwig succeeds in almost driving the Orient Express right off its rails. https://www.actorsplayhouse.org/mainstage/

Fun For The Whole Family

Royd’s on Krome

Bring the family out to the countryside to enjoy the delightful ambience of Royd's, reminiscent of an old Southwestern town, featuring a mix of Latin and Southern comfort food, with fresh fruit milkshakes and home-made desserts. On the weekends, enjoy the mechanical bull rides, pony rides and a farm animal exhibit for the kids, with live music and a festive atmosphere. From the architecture to the agriculture, it's a beautiful family-friendly place --  a charming reflection of the Redland Region where you'll want to return again and again. Royd's is located at 20800 SW 177 Avenue. They're open Wednesday and Thursday from 8am to 5pm; Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 7pm. Call  305-799-8996. https://roydssfl.com

The Season Is Here

Everglades Swamp Tours

Reserve space with Everglades Swamp Tours for an amazing adventure in the wild Everglades -- with your own custom tour of these vast open spaces. Experience the natural wildlife up close and appreciate the serene nature of this pristine environment. https://www.evergladesswamptours.com

Behold Light Transformed

The Hunter Douglas Gallery at Biscayne Décor

Offering a complete shopping experience, with premium displays and a full line of window treatment products and services to enhance and elevate your home. The Hunter Douglas Gallery at Biscayne Décor delivers the utmost in both sophistication and quality. These shades are designed and custom-assembled in the USA, built to your specifications and guaranteed to last. Explore different materials, styles, operating systems, fabrics and colors and choose your perfect window-treatment solution. Behold light transformed. Biscayne Décor is located at 1404 Ponce. Call 305-569-0505. https://www.biscaynedecor.com/

Many of our favorite eateries in the Gables are offering curbside takeout, as well as delivery services. Here's a handy list of choices for Gables residents and friends.

http://www.greatgables.com/CoralGables/ToGo.html