This is your reminder. Not the subtle one your sibling sends after they’ve already made brunch reservations. The real one. Mother’s Day is 48 hours away, and “I was going to do something tomorrow” has undermined many a Sunday. So make a plan now. Something elegant at Vizcaya. Something sweet and handmade at the library. Something that says, yes indeed, a calendar was consulted and affection was applied with intention. Future-you will be extremely grateful. Your sibling will be impressed. Now wasn’t that worth it?
Then head to the pool to splash, lap, stretch and score. And maybe you can take the new free shuttle to get there.
Friday May 8
Summertime, here we come! The new Verneka Sturrup Silva Pool at Virrick Park is open! Hurrah! The pool is open for lap swimming Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., with water aerobics weekdays from 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. Weekend lap swim is 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street.
Saturday May 9
Youth water polo can transform your tadpole into an Olympian. And you need look no further than the new Verneka Sturrup Silva Pool. Youth water polo (ages 6 to 13) happens weekly from 8:00 to 9:00 on Saturdays. Call the aquatic manager at 305-329-4791 for details. Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street.
Wolverines in the Park. Grove elders get a helping hand and steady arm as they walk through Kennedy Park each Saturday morning on a leisurely stroll. Accompanied by the young men of Belen Jesuit High School, the group meets near the restrooms at the southwest corner of the park. The Walking Together program strolls for about 45 minutes with time to rest, chat and share stories along the way. Kennedy Park, 2400 South Bayshore Drive. Saturdays beginning at 9:00 a.m. Free. Just show up and ask for Nathan Samuels, the founder and organizer. Well done, Nathan!
Kids can sip tea with mom and paint a personalized tote bag for her at the Coconut Grove Branch Library’s Mother’s Day Tea Party Celebration, with materials provided and registration required because even handmade sweetness needs a head count. Coconut Grove Branch Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Free. Ages 6–12. Call 305-442-8695 or email Librarian Jennifer Hernandez.
Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami brings Ballet in the Gardens to Pinecrest Gardens’ Banyan Bowl for the first time, with works that look ready to conspire with the setting: Ben Needham-Wood’s Apollo and Daphne, Rafael Ruiz del Vizo’s moonlit Phases, excerpts from Four Seasons and In Bloom, all unfolding under the geodesic dome within the garden’s glory. Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Road. 8:00 p.m. Affordable advanced tickets.
Sunday May 10, Mother’s Day
Hmmm… Wasn’t there something special that you wanted to remember about today? Well, friend, if you can’t remember, your mother certainly will. Even if she says not to, make a big fuss over her on Mother’s Day. And there’s no better way than to spring for Vizcaya’s elegant High Tea on a perfect Sunday afternoon. This adults-only event affords the quiet moment and setting to speak from the heart. She’ll be listening. First seating at 11:00 p.m.; second seating at 1:30 p.m. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, 3250 South Miami Avenue. TIckets, information.
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. Bring your own… blanket, chairs, drinks, dance moves. There you’ll find great tunes and new friends.
Monday May 11
If you never got around to learning how to swim, this summer’s the time. Check out the Learn to Swim program at – you guessed it – the new Verneka Sturrup Silva Pool at Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street. Classes are offered Mondays / Wednesdays or Tuesdays / Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. After school or after work, the pool makes it easy and comfortable to join with others learning confidence and safety in the peaceful waters. Call the aquatic manager at 305-329-4791 for details.
The free electric shuttle service Circuit (finally!) starts its service. Someone else drives you. You don’t have to find parking. And for the first three months it’s free for everyone. How? Where? The Ride Circuit app is the ultimate source of info and access. The ribbon cutting celebration launches the program from CocoWalk near the fountain. Thanks, Grove BID! 3015 Grand Avenue. 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday May 12
With three public libraries nearby, and a whirlwind of activities, classes and activities inside, it’s forgivable that you can’t keep up. But that time is past. The library system has a simple build-your-own calendar tool that arrives just in time for planning how to keep the kids busy and your sanity intact. Dial in your favorite branch(es), dates and activities and they’ll present a custom, downloadable calendar for your fridge. Here’s a sample for the coming week. Free.
Friday May 15
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 an unwanted 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.
A world built for dogs? Well, they already know that’s true. Prove it to yourself and escort Fido to Woofstock-after-Dark 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. 5:00p.m. – 9:00 p.m. $7 admission, free for kids 5 and under. Advanced waiver required. Friday, 5/29. Rescheduled after a rained out first attempt. If you already paid for the rain-out, your ticket is still good. If you want a refund, email here.
Tchaikovsky under the stars has a pretty unfair advantage. The Miami City Ballet Orchestra makes its debut at Sanctuary of the Arts with Ballet Classics Under the Stars, mixing Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Serenade, Polovetsian Dances and live dancers. Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables. Friday 5/29 and Saturday 5/30 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 5/31 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets and information online.
