Just as summer prepares to slow everything down, the fastest guys on four wheels rev up the Grove. This week brings race-week noise, a brand-new neighborhood pool, dogs with social calendars, dancers on the rise, mahjong in the garden, Deadhead moonlight and a street concert for Ronnie. Pace yourself. The engines may be loud, but the calendar is louder. 3
Friday May 1
When you hear the words ‘Lando’ and ‘Oscar’ and there’s only one possible image that roars into your brain, then you already know where this is going. And fast. McLaren F1 takes over Regatta Harbour for a full fan zone built around race week — showruns with real cars, simulators that test your nerve, garage-style displays, the 2025 Constructors’ Trophy, and giant screens carrying every session live so you don’t miss a millisecond. It runs all week, so you can drop in, double back, and stay as long as the noise holds you. Regatta Harbour, 3415 Pan American Drive. Fans zones are free. Through Sunday, May 3.
Saturday May 2
Join the first splash at a pool that’s been waiting for its moment. The new Verneka Sturrup Silva Pool at Virrick Park gets a proper welcome with a neighborhood-style pool party — families, music, food, and the kind of cannonball energy that tends to take over once the water’s in play. Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street. 10:30 a.m.
Yes. You deserve to be smug when you join this gang. Head out by boat to Clarington Island with the Coconut Grove Sailing Club and spend the morning hauling trash, protecting Biscayne Bay. Closed-toe shoes required, registration is a must, and students can pick up four community service hours along the way. Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive. Check-in from 8:30 to 8:45 a.m.; departure at 9:00 a.m., return around 11:00 a.m. Free. Info and required pre-registration here.
Sunday May 3
A world built for dogs? Well, they already know that’s true. Prove it to yourself and escort Fido to Woofstock at the Barnacle. There your best friend will find lure courses, kiddie pools, doggy yoga, a play zone, vendors, music, and enough sniff-and-greet action to wear out even the social ones. There’s a Blessing of the Animals in the mix, plus food and drinks for the humans, and it all supports Paw Patrol Animal Rescue and the park. The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. $7 admission, free for kids 5 and under. Advanced waiver required.
Golden Ticket holders are drawn to the virtuosity of the free-for-all Chopin concert series. The next recital performs 3:00 p.m. Granada Church, 950 University Drive, Coral Gables. Register for tickets.
Catch the next generation mid-leap before they get booked and hard to find. Armour Dance Theatre’s Seeds of Our Future brings a contemporary showcase full of sharp, inventive student choreography. Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables, from 4:00 p.m. Tickets $15.
Tuesday May 5
Bingo isn’t the only retro-hip game in town. Learn the basics of mahjong over light bites, a welcome Bellini and a garden evening that sounds suspiciously civilized. Mahjong 101 takes place at Il Giardino inside Mr. C Miami, 2988 McFarlane Road, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets required before they sell out. Tuesday 5/5 and Thursday 5/7.
Thursday May 7
Mahjong encore.. Learn the basics of mahjong over light bites, a welcome Bellini and a garden evening that sounds suspiciously civilized. Mahjong 101 takes place at Il Giardino inside Mr. C Miami, 2988 McFarlane Road, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets required before they sell out. Thursday 5/7.
Friday May 8
Maybe you missed the Dead the first time around, or maybe you didn’t and the details are still wandering somewhere outside the parking lot. Will Thomas brings an acoustic Grateful Dead night to The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Friday 5/8. Super modestly priced tickets online. Bring your own picnic.
Your pup could break the world record. For cuteness – that’s a given. But Chewy is turning Bark Park into a full-on dog-day spectacle with pool dips, cool treats, games, prizes, and a frankly heroic amount of tail-wagging chaos as pups and their people try to set the record for the largest dog pool party. The Underline, 4500 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 9. RSVP required
Happy Birthday, Ronnie! Campo Deluxe Band rolls out live music in the street to celebrate Ronnie Brooks, with drums, vocals, guitar and bass carrying the afternoon into early evening. Shipping Avenue between Mary Street and Virginia Street, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Sunday 5/10. Bring your own… blanket, chairs, drinks, dance moves. There you’ll find great tunes and new friends.
Too much of a good thing. A little fertilizer may make the plants greener. A lot of it can help turn the bay into soup. Miami’s fertilizer prohibition period starts May 15, when anything containing nitrogen or phosphorus is banned through October 31, a seasonal timeout meant to keep runoff, algae blooms, and fish-killing muck out of local waterways. Information online.
Eureka Day drops you into a Berkeley school board meeting where militant inclusivity rules — until a mumps outbreak forces the one thing nobody wants to do: decide. What starts as satire infects the room with something uncomfortably familiar, and the laughter comes fast and as sharp as a needle. Fresh from Broadway and already selling out. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables. 5/15-6/14. Showtimes and tickets.
The insider hipsters won’t talk about it in public, but Bingo Night at the Woman’s Club gathers the glitterati of the Grove for retro fun. Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, 2985 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove. Doors at 6:30 p.m., games at 7:00 p.m. $15 admission, $10 door plus cards. Pro Tip: The table in the far back corner has the hottest players. Thursday, 5/28.
