Greetings {name},

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

Bordered by Snapper Creek, the R. Hardy Matheson Preserve and Montgomery Botanical Center, the Four Fillies Farm (once the Smathers Estate) is a lushly landscaped University of Miami housing development for faculty.

Saturday, January 20 at 10am
30th Annual Redland Riot Road Rally
Every third Saturday in January, since 1994, this fruity, tropical history tour through the Redland agricultural region has delighted hundreds of families, history buffs, foodies and nature lovers with a whimsical adventure through the countryside. Dozens of car teams go searching for clues and enjoying the bounty of the Redland, stopping at wonderful places along the way. Meet at Cauley Square at 10am to get started. The big finale is at Schnebly Redland's Winery in the Miami Brewing Company Tap Room at 5pm. Get details and register your car team on the Redland Riot web site.

Saturday, January 6 is Feast Of The Epiphany on the Christian calendar, commonly known as Three Kings’ Day in the United States.

Wednesday, January 10 is Peculiar People Day, a chance to recognize the strange and quirky people in our lives and to gain an appreciation for all unique and different people.

Monday, January 15 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an extended weekend federal holiday to celebrate equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. The holiday became law in 1983, but was not observed in all states until the year 2000.

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 -- including restaurant row in the 100 block of Giralda. 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

Support The Bierhaus
Keep Fritz & Franz in Coral Gables
Send a message to the City Officials showing your support to renew the long-term lease for Coral Gables favorite German-Bavarian venue. Sign the petition online.

Support Another Year of Music
Seraphic Fire Celebrates 2024 Milestones
The new year brings a special celebration of Seraphic Fire's 20th Anniversary, along with four world premiere commissions, and the release of their 17th album -- The Apple Tree: Christmas With Seraphic Fire. Learn how you can support this award-winning choral program based in Coral Gables. Get details online.

Thursday, January 4 - All Day
Key Largo / Plantation Key Christmas Bird Count
Participate with the Tropical Audubon Society's annual bird count in the upper Florida Keys, coordinated by Emily Johnson. Count volunteers follow specified routes , counting every bird they see or hear all day. Get details online.

Thursday, January 4 at 2pm
Anatomy Of A Fall
For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel's suspicious death is presumed murder, and Sandra becomes the main suspect. Little by little, the trial becomes not just an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel's death but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel's conflicted relationship. Get details online.

Thursday, January 4 at 6pm
A Good Book Book Club
Join fellow readers on First Thursdays in person at the Pinecrest Library or online via Zoom to discuss the month's chosen title -- Tropic of Stupid by Tim Dorsey. Registration is required. For online event, a Zoom link will be emailed to registrants within 24 hours of the event start time. Call the branch at 305-668-4571 or email: booke@mdpls.org. Ages 19 year and older. Get details online. Get details online.

Friday, January 5 at noon
Fremont
Each morning Donya (Anaita Wali Zada) leaves her tight-knit community of Afghan immigrants in Fremont, California. She crosses the Bay to work at a family-run fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. Donya drifts through her routine, struggling to connect with the culture and people of her new, unfamiliar surroundings while processing complicated feelings about her past as a translator for the U.S. government in Afghanistan. She communicates her loneliness and longing through a concise medium: the fortunes inside each cookie. Get details online.

Friday, January 5 at 2pm
La Syndicaliste
An investigative thriller set in the world of nuclear power and politics, La Syndicaliste follows the true story of Maureen Kearney (Isabelle Huppert), the influential head union representative of a French multinational nuclear powerhouse. Get details online.

Friday, January 5 from 6 to 10pm
First Friday - Coral Gables Gallery Night
Coral Gables galleries and participating art venues open their doors on the first Friday of the month from 6 to 10pm as part of Coral Gables Gallery Night. At this monthly event, attendees can enjoy live music and fine art while enjoying a night out in the City Beautiful. Visitors are encouraged to use the City's trolleys or Freebee on-demand vehicles to travel between galleries. Get details online.

Friday, January 5 at 7pm
Anselm (3D)
Presented in 3D - Southeastern U.S. Premiere. The Friday opening night event includes a reception with wine and light bites at 6:30pm before a screening of the film at 7pm. In Anselm, Wim Wenders creates a portrait of Anselm Kiefer, one of the most innovative and important painters and sculptors of our time. Shot in 3D and 6K-resolution, the film presents a cinematic experience of the artist’s work which explores human existence and the cyclical nature of history, inspired by literature, poetry, philosophy, science, mythology and religion. For over two years, Wenders traced Kiefer’s path from his native Germany to his current home in France, connecting the stages of his life to the essential places of his career that spans more than five decades. Get details online.

Friday, January 5 From 7 To 11pm
First Friday Giralda Live
Enjoy live music on the plaza at Giralda Plaza's Restaurant Row on the first Friday of the month with plenty of outdoor seating in a delightful al fresco atmosphere. As you enjoy curated delicacies from premier local eateries, explore local artists, vendors, and enjoy lively music throughout the night, presented by Diageo and the City of Coral Gables. Pamir Guanchez is a true sax player master and a flute virtuoso. Having played with great Latin performers like Oscar D’Leon and Celia Cruz, Pamir will take to the Giralda Live stage with La Pachanguisima. Get details online.

Starts Friday at 9:15pm
Fallen Leaves
Award-winning filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki makes a masterful return with Fallen Leaves, a timeless, hopeful and ultimately satisfying love story about two lonely souls’ path to happiness -- and the numerous hurdles they encounter along the way. Set in contemporary Helsinki, and shot through with Kaurismäki’s typically playful, idiosyncratic style and deadpan humor, this tender romantic tragicomedy is a timely reminder of the potency of movie-going from one of cinema’s living legends. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for multiple Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture. Get details online.

The Virtual Experience
H. Benitez Fine Art Gallery Online
The H. Benitez Fine Art Gallery Virtual Gallery is now live. With this new feature to the gallery website, experience a selection of limited edition reproductions in different settings. Get details online.

Saturday, January 6 from 10am to 2pm
Wellness Extravaganza at the Woman's Club
Attend Vivid Vibration: An Invigorating Wellness Extravaganza at the Coral Gables Woman's Club with interesting talks about nutrition, energy healing, homeopathy, a yoga program, ear acupuncture, meditation, and group past life regression. Plus, tables with information about aromatherapy, Bach Flower Therapy and more. A healthy lunch is included in the $20 admission. Get details online.

Saturday, January 6 at 3pm
Dinna Fash - Getting Started with Scottish Genealogy
Join the Genealogical Society of Greater Miami (GSGM) to learn techniques on how to research family and historical information. Cheryl Gowing will discuss methods and avenues for searching your Scottish ancestry. Call 305-668-4571 or email: booke@mdpls.org. Ages 13 years and older. Get details online.

Sunday, January 7 from 1 to 3pm
Family Painting Class: Butterflies
Share a fun, artistic, and educational painting session and celebrate the new year by painting butterflies at Fairchild Garden. In this class children and parents learn fun, easy painting skills with Raquel Torrent of Art and Juice. Supplies will be provided. The final product will be a frame-able canvas painting. Get details online.

Sunday, January 7 at 1pm
12 Angry Men
Selected by Steven Krams. After working in the fast-paced world of live television, director Sidney Lumet transitioned to the big screen by adapting Reginald Rose's award-winning teleplay to create a masterpiece of nail-biting suspense and moral purpose. Restricted to a cramped jury room on the hottest day of the year, the film is animated by Henry Fonda's commanding and iconic performance as the lone dissenting voice battling to convince his fellow jurors of "reasonable doubt" -- with a teenage defendant's life on the balance. Get details online.

Sunday, January 7 from 2 to 4pm
The King Mango Strut Parade
Commodore Plaza and Main Highway in Coconut Grove is the place to be for the annual King Mango Strut Parade, a totally family-friendly, tongue-in-cheek cavalcade of eccentricity unique to Coconut Grove -- putting the NUT in Coconut Grove since 1982. Get details online.

Monday, January 8 at 7:30pm
Old Wicked Songs: The Play I Had to Write
From Carol Burnett to Michael Douglas, Jon Marans has written for the biggest stars on the biggest stages. Join GableStage producing artistic director Bari Newport in an intimate conversation with Marans, a Pulitzer Finalist and Guggenheim Fellow. As a college student at Duke, Jon relished in the opportunity to study abroad in Vienna. Years later, Jon would write about this experience in Old Wicked Songs, his award-winning play that will have its Miami premiere when it is produced by GableStage. Get details online.

Monday, January 8 at 8pm
Jazz Mondays - The Lost Melody
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). The Lost Melody -- Joe Davidian, Austin McMahon and Jamie Ousley -- begins their performance at 8pm. Get details and purchase tickets online.

Tuesday, January 9 from 2 to 4pm
Basics of Drawing at Fairchild Garden
Award-winning artist Dan Bondroff leads a three Tuesday series of classes on the basics of drawing, perfect for both beginners and intermediate students. Get details online.

Tuesday, January 9 at 7pm
Ron Magill - Pride Of A Lion
Meet wildlife expert Ron Magill and discover the true survival story of how K’wasi the lion cub overcame unimaginable odds, was saved and nurtured by his adopted mother and family, fathered his own son Atlas, and grew into a magnificent star of Lion Country Safari. Funny, engaging, touching, and thrilling, The Pride of a Lion teaches us about family, resilience, and the meaning of life. Get details online.

Wednesday, January 10 at 7pm
General David Petreaus - Conflict
Books & Books is thrilled to present an evening with General David Petreaus at the Congregational Church for his insightful book, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine. In this deep and incisive study, General David Petraeus, who commanded the US-led coalitions in both Iraq, during the Surge, and Afghanistan and former CIA director, and the prize-winning historian Andrew Roberts, explore over 70 years of conflict, drawing significant lessons and insights from their fresh analysis of the past. Get details online.

Thursday, January 11 at 5:30pm
Music at McBride Plaza - Allie Biancoviso Quartet
Enjoy the sounds of Allie Biancoviso Quartet, talented musicians studying at UM’s Frost School of Music, with their unique Jazz repertoire at McBride Plaza on Miracle Mile from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Get details online.

Fri/Sat/Sun January 12–14
Tamiami International Orchid Festival
The Tamiami International Orchid Festival is Miami’s largest, most diverse orchid show -- a nationally and internationally recognized orchid event, and the largest orchid show in the United States. Get details online.

Sat/Sun January 13–14 from 10am to 5pm
Beaux Arts Festival Of Arts
The University of Miami's Watsco Center will host Miami’s longest-running juried art festival featuring more than 150 fine art exhibitors, a children’s art tent, marketplace, a beer garden, food and live entertainment. This free outdoor community event is ideal for all art enthusiasts, offering artwork in a variety of media and price ranges. Get details online.

Saturday, January 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.

Saturday, January 13 at 2pm
Miami Pioneers - Fred Hand Photo Studio
The Miami Pioneers and Natives of Dade are pleased to welcome Stephanie Garcia and Margarita Mirabal from the Miami-Dade Public Library's digital collections and historic archives, with a program on photographer Fred Hand, proprietor of Miami's first photo studio. A number of historic negatives and prints, as well as significant personal effects, were donated by Fred Hand's great-granddaughter Martha Stevenson. The group will meet at the Pinecrest Library on at 2pm for this presentation. It will also be broadcast on Zoom. Get details and RSVP online with the library.

Wednesday, January 17 at 10:30am
The Art And Science of Growing Orchids
Join Dr. Sandy Schultz, an experienced grower of orchids for over 30 years, for a three class series to discuss the orchid family with an introduction to genera and species and their culture. She will discuss the best locations for growing orchids, repotting, mounting and orchids in the landscape. Also covered will be orchid pests, diseases, and fertilizers. Get details online.

Thursday, January 18 at 11am
Splendor in the Garden
Lush, tropical landscapes become the perfect setting for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s trendiest event of the year -- Splendor in the Garden luncheon and fashion show fundraiser. The event benefits Fairchild’s education, conservation science, and horticulture programs. Get details online.

Sat/Sun January 20-21 from 10am to 5pm
A Festival of Chocolate at Fairchild
Taste your way through chocolate confections, decadent desserts, and savory bites at A Festival of Chocolate, Fairchild Gardens' annual extravaganza inspired by cacao. Experience a weekend filled with all things chocolate, including chocolate pairings, chocolate-themed drink specialties, and a variety of chocolate infused foods all aimed at unlocking flavors, delighting your palate and reminding you of the bounty from the tropics. Cacao trees are available for purchase for your home garden all weekend long as well as 'chocolate scented' orchids. Get details online.

Saturday, February 17 from 10am to 4pm
The Annual Garden Walk of the Upper Keys
Garden enthusiasts are invited to participate in the annual Upper Keys Garden Walk, starting with a fabulous selection of hand-made arts and crafts, orchid accessories and more at the Francis Tracy Garden Center in Islamorada at mile marker 94 Bayside. Tickets for the self-guided tours of these enchanting private gardens are $30. Get details online.