Greetings {name},

Friday, August 5, the First Friday in August, is International Beer Day, which requires no further explanation. Not surprisingly, International Hangover Day is celebrated, or perhaps tolerated, on the following day.

Sunday, August 7 is Purple Heart Day, an opportunity to pay respects to fallen soldiers, to listen to the stories of soldiers and veterans, and to thank them for their service to the nation.

Tuesday, August 9 is Book Lovers' Day. Reading is educational, informative, and relaxing. It makes us both smarter, and happier people.

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

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

The stunning design and artistic rendering of the Alhambra Water Tower's facade is a treasure.

click on the image to see enlargement.

Coral Gables scenic photo illustrations © Robin and Robert Burr.

Now Streaming

Audubon Birdsong Project

Produced by Grammy Award-winning music supervisor Randall Poster, the collection features all-new tracks by outstanding artists, celebrating the joy of birds. This project brings attention to the environmental threats we all face, and benefits Audubon’s mission to protect birds and the places they need.  https://www.audubon.org/birdsong-project

August and September

Miami Spice Months

Savor a mouthful of diverse flavors from the best chefs in South Florida during Miami Spice Restaurant Months this August through September. Lunch and brunch are just $28, and dinner specials are only $45 or $60. Make your reservations online.

Genealogy Resources

Trace the Past Using Library Assets

Whether you're researching the local legacy of your relatives or want to learn more about individuals who died in our community, the Miami-Dade Public Library's Obituary Index can help. The free online index provides names and obituary dates for more than 915,000 people whose obituaries or death notices were published in local newspapers from 1896 to 2008. For more details, email: genealogy@mdpls.org or visit the web site. https://obituaryindex.mdpls.org

Thursday, August 4 at 7pm

The Genome Defense - Jorge L. Contreras

Books & Books presents an in-person event with Jorge L. Contreras discussing his new book, The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA. In this riveting, behind-the-scenes courtroom drama, a brilliant legal team battles corporate greed and government overreach for our fundamental right to control our genes. The Genome Defense is a powerful and compelling story about how society must balance scientific discovery with corporate profits and the rights of all people. Meet the author at Books & Books, 265 Aragon at 7pm. Call 305-442-4408. Get details and RSVP online.

Thursday, August 4 at 8pm

Christian Sands - Jazz Piano

Five-time Grammy nominee with staggering piano technique and insights brings a fresh look at the entire language of jazz. Solo jazz piano illuminates a memorable summer night at the Congregational Church. Christian Sands' Be Water II albums has been nominated for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Instrumental Composition. Get details and purchase tickets online.

Friday, August 5 at 7pm

Fleming's Earth, Wine, Fire Dinner Event

One Night, Two Culinary Experiences at Fleming's wine dinner event of the summer. Choose from two 3-course culinary experiences — the plant-forward Earth Menu or their signature Filet Fire Menu. Your palate will be tantalized by these seasonal flavors paired with a decadent selection of three wines from the Wagner Family Portfolio. The cost is $105. https://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/wine-dinners/fire-encore

Friday, August 5 at 2 and 7pm

Disney's Descendants: The Musical

The Actors’ Playhouse “On Broadway” Advanced Camp is proud to present Disney’s Descendants: The Musical for two performances only on Friday, August 5 at 2 and 7pm. Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films. Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost -- home of the most infamous villains who ever lived -- the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off the island... until now. When the four troublemakers are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good? The Miracle Theatre is located at 280 Miracle Mile. For complete details, call 305-444-9293. https://www.actorsplayhouse.org/childrens-theatre/

Starts Friday

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

A new adaptation of Paul Gallico's beloved novel about a cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior. She scrimps and saves, gambles and starves, until she finally sets off for Paris in pursuit of her dream. On her journey, she transforms her life and that of everyone she meets -- and returns home to further surprises. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/mrs-harris-goes-to-paris/

Saturday, August 6 from noon to 7pm

Veranda Garden Pop-Up Sale

Veranda Plants and Gifts will host a delightful pop-up plant sale at 216 Miracle Mile with plenty of discounted orchids, ferns, fiddle leafs, succulents and more. https://www.floridaveranda.com

Saturday, August 6 at 9pm

Rollerball - James Caan

Shot in Munich to make use of the city's futuristic Olympic architecture, Rollerball is a classic slice of dystopian filmmaking, mixing high-octane action sequences with gripping (and thoroughly prescient) social commentary. This screening is presented in remembrance of legendary actor James Caan. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/rollerball/

Monday, August 8 at 8pm

Monday Jazz - Matt Wigler Band

Every Monday, the Miami Jazz Coop presents great musicians representing a wide range of jazz with cabaret style seating to ensure an intimate jazz experience at the UU Congregation of Miami, 7701 SW 76 Avenue (Ira Sullivan Way). Matt Wigler Band, featuring Jamie Ousley on bass and John Yarling on drums, gets started at 8pm. Get details and tickets online.

Tuesday, August 9 at 7:30pm

Thief - James Caan

New digital restoration from a 4K film transfer of the director’s cut, approved by Michael Mann. James Caan stars in one of his most riveting performances as a no-nonsense ex-con safecracker planning to leave the criminal world behind after one final diamond heist, but escape proves harder than he anticipated. Finding hypnotic beauty in the neon lights and rain-slicked streets of Chicago, Thief established the moody stylishness juxtaposed with realism that would define Michael Mann's later work. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/thief/

Wednesday, August 10 at noon

Genealogy 101 - Research Assistance

Get help starting your family history research at the library. Looking to learn about your family history but don't know where to start? Join the Miami-Dade Public Library System's Special Collections team for an online series on how to use the Library's vast historical resources to help you in your genealogical research. A new topic will be discussed each month. Ages 19 years and up. Get details and register online.

Wednesday, August 10 at 2pm

National Lampoon's Vacation

The Summer Matinee Series presents National Lampoon's Vacation with 2-for-1 Beer and Wine and $8 Tickets every wednesday at 2pm. For Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) of Chicago, 50 weeks of work and routine will soon be rewarded with a fortnight of freedom as the family drives west to America's greatest theme park, Walley World. Mom and the kids would rather fly, but Clark insists on driving, enamored with the idea of the open road and hoping to bond with his family along the way. This outrageous comedy was originally panned by critics who found its crude humor distasteful, but -- like Clark Griswold himself -- National Lampoon's Vacation was undeterred and went on to become an absolute classic that spawned several sequels. https://www.gablescinema.com/events/national-lampoons-vacation/

Thursday, August 11 at 7pm

James Chapin - Ride South Until The Sawgrass

In four tales, the paths of the Primrose and Quinto families cross, separate, and inevitably intertwine in this virtuosic debut set during the tumultuous years of the Florida Territory’s Second Seminole War and early statehood. From the moment Nat Quinto and his wife Lucy set foot in the Florida Territory, they can’t seem to steer clear of Jake Primrose, a rancher whose schemes to increase his already plentiful wealth ensnare everyone around him. Between Primrose’s greed and the brutal conflicts brewing in the Territory surrounding them, will the Quinto family be able to stay true to themselves? Meet James Chapin at Books & Books, 265 Aragon at 7pm. Call 305-442-4408. Get details and RSVP online.

Saturday, August 13 from 9 to 11:30am

Native Plant Field Trip: Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve

Florida Native Plant Society invites you to a field trip at the Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve (formerly Tamiami Pineland), a 120-acre Miami-Dade County Environmentally Endangered Lands preserve on SW 124 Street at approximately 130 Ave. This is one of the largest expanses of natural area left in suburban Miami and presents the opportunity to observe the area's landscape heterogeneity prior to widespread human development. This preserve is uniquely characterized by expanses of sandy soil and limestone outcroppings, with the ecotone between pineland and prairie present here. It is one of the most biodiverse sites in the county with at least 275 plant species -- a habitat for endangered, rare and interesting native plants such as Brickellia mosieri (Florida Brickell-bush), Ipomoea tenuissima (rockland morninglory), Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed), and Physostegia purpurea (false dragonhead). The preserve recently burned and will be at 3-months post burn when we visit. https://dade.fnpschapters.org/events/

Saturday, August 13 at 10:30am

Lighthouses of Biscayne Bay Cruise

After departing from Deering Estate, a Biscayne National Park Ranger guides you on a journey through Biscayne Bay to see the iconic Cape Florida, Fowey Rocks, and Boca Chita lighthouses and learn about the history that surrounds them. You cut though the alluring Stiltsville and go to Boca Chita Key to get up close to Biscayne National Park’s iconic Boca Chita Lighthouse. You may also have the opportunity to see wildlife, including dolphins, sea turtles, and many shore birds. The vessel complies with Coast Guard Regulations and is ADA accessible. The cost is $80 per person, plus tax and a processing fee. Advance reservations are required. https://deeringestate.org/event/lighthouse-cruise/2022-08-13/

Starts August 24

Now And Then at Miracle Theatre

From the author of Actors’ Playhouse’s signature plays Making God Laugh, The Tin Woman, and Married Alive... Now And Then is an inspiring story of love and life. Sometimes what happens after the last call just might change your life. Jamie is a young aspiring pianist working as a bartender. He is closing up for the night when a desperate last-minute customer enters and offers him and his girlfriend Abby two thousand dollars to sit and have a drink with him. What follows is funny, moving and captivating. Who wouldn’t take it? Get details and purchase tickets online.

Fritz And Franz Bierhaus

The Iconic Bierhaus Of Coral Gables

This is where friends meet to enjoy a good time. Fritz And Franz Bierhaus offers authentic German and Bavarian cuisine, a fantastic selection of imported beer on tap (order Das Boot size if you dare). There's a fine selection of wine and a full liquor bar with cocktails. Customers rave about the wiener schnitzel and oven roasted pork shank weekly specials, the gourmet burgers, the brats, Swabian käsespätzle pasta, the Rib-Eye Steak Au Poivre, and the best German potato salad in South Florida. After the meal, try a shot of schnapps or honey liqueur. The outdoor plaza -- home to many of Coral Gables' best holiday special events -- is an ideal setting for gatherings. Call 305-774-1883. https://bierhaus.cc