Soccer mania continues across Miami this coming week, but Friday is your last chance to visit Play the Grove, a sculptural playground inspired by the World Cup that’s proving to be a fan favorite among the younger set (and their parents). Also on tap this coming week: a back-to-school event with free giveaways at Elizabeth Virrick Park, an art workshop at Vizcaya, and the unveiling of a new legacy garden at the Barnyard.
Friday July 10
Last Chance… to visit Play the Grove, an interactive art installation at CocoWalk Plaza inspired by the movement, color and happy chaos of World Cup. A deconstructed soccer pitch becomes a place for kids to climb, explore, play and burn off energy. CocoWalk Plaza, 3015 Grand Avenue. Free and open to the public. The show’s last day is 7/10 and there’s no extra time added.
Back to School… Believers of Authority Ministries in the West Grove hosts Back to the Hood, a youth empowerment event at Elizabeth Virrick Park. The event includes keynote speakers, school supplies and giveaways for students. Students under 13 must be accompanied by an adult to receive giveaway items. Friday at 10 a.m. at Elizabeth Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street.
Moonlight Racing on Biscayne Bay… The Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s evening race is open to everyone, even landlocked civilians. Sign up as a volunteer crew member and get placed on a boat. Crew and boat assignments are set by 3:00 p.m. Friday, so there’s still time to raise a hand. Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive. Registration required. More info here.
Saturday July 11
World Cup Watch Party… Think you’ve got World Cup fever? Shenandoah Public Library is going all in, hosting watch parties on World Cup game days (except Sundays) so fans can settle in for true tournament immersion. Shenandoah Branch Library, 2111 SW 19th Street. PANINI Sticker Swap for kids on Monday July 13 and Wednesday July 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. Free. Check the library schedule for dates and times.
Sunday July 12
Studio Vizcaya: The Fruit We Bear… Artist Shawna Moulton leads a free hands-on workshop where participants create large-scale fruit sculptures with papier-mâché, because sometimes mangoes need to do more than just fall from the trees. 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Vizcaya Village, 3250 S. Miami Avenue. Free with registration.
Vizcaya Village Market… Vizcaya’s farmers market runs on adjusted summer hours through September 27, with local vendors offering fresh-made delicacies, hand-crafted goods, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and vegan products inside Vizcaya’s historic farm and village. Vizcaya Village, 3250 S. Miami Avenue. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Free Summer Meals for Kids… Free, nutritious meals are available at Vizcaya Village for children and teens 18 and under, with no ID, application or advance registration required. Families can simply show up while meals last. Vizcaya Village, 3250 S. Miami Avenue. Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (breakfast) and 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. (lunch). Learn more here.
Monday July 13
Beat the Summer Heat… Before you or your family gets flush with the heat, head to one of the local city or county Cooling Centers. The Virrick Park and Shenandoah libraries are among several nearby. (Pro Tip: Take a Circuit shuttle so you don’t have to drive or park.) Hours vary, but typically when the sun’s up. Full list and schedules are here.
Wednesday July 15
The Barnyard gets a Legacy Garden… ECO Planet Earth celebrates the unveiling of a Legacy Garden at The Barnyard – the organization’s second raised-bed garden with water recycling technology in Coconut Grove (the first was installed at Greater St. Paul AME Church). More information. Wednesday, 7/15 from 3 to 6 p.m. The Barnyard, 3870 Washington Avenue.
Shark Tanks… Actors’ Playhouse presents The Shark Is Broken, a sharp-witted comedy from behind the scenes of Jaws, where feuding co-stars, bad weather and a malfunctioning mechanical shark threaten to sink the movie before it bites. Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Wednesday 7/15 through Sunday 8/9. Tickets.
Thursday July 16
“B” is for Bertha… Hurricane season started last month, but it’s never too late to start preparing. Wait, scratch that. It can definitely be too late. If you wait, it may not be pretty, or comfortable, or safe. Grab a handy preparation guide and spend some well-worth-it moments getting ready. Follow those with peace of mind and a cold drink.
Follow the yellow brick road… In this Prince Street Players adaptation, the Wizard of Oz follows the crew as they set off to find the Wizard and get home before the Wicked Witch has a meltdown. Funny, clever and built for munchkins large and small. Actors’ Playhouse brings Oz to the stage at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, Saturdays and Sundays through 7/25, and a sensory-inclusive performance Sunday 7/12. Tickets.
Wax, pigment, collage, wildlife, weather, water — Andrea Clement’s South Florida comes in layers. At Deering Estate, the Miami-based artist and educator discusses Stratum: A Layered Perspective of South Florida, her photo encaustic exhibition exploring Florida’s fragile landscapes and local ecology. In one piece, scratch marks on ancient Tequesta pottery inspire the first layer; from there, environmental themes build into a landscape, then a constellation. Deering Estate Visitor Center Theater, 16701 Southwest 72nd Avenue. Artist talk 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Free tickets online. Through 7/20.
Macedonia keeps summer reading moving… Macedonia Community Outreach Ministry’s free Summer Reading Program runs through Friday, July 24, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 3515 Douglas Road. The program, for students in grades K-12, includes reading and math literacy, fine arts, field trips, music lessons, swimming lessons, African American history and more. Space is limited. For more information, call 305-445-6459 or email [email protected].
Coral Gables Dresses Up… Giralda Plaza goes over the top with Cielo Tejido, a canopy of handwoven textiles created by artisan women from Etzatlán, Mexico and suspended above the pedestrian boulevard in bright, moving color. Public art with shade-adjacent benefits, cultural craftsmanship and absolutely no ticket counter. Giralda Plaza, Coral Gables. Daily from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. through Friday 7/31. Free.
We the Readers… The Miami-Dade Public Library System’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge gives readers 18 and younger a patriotic little nudge to keep pages turning, with this year’s America 250 theme, We the Readers. Any reading counts, a generous policy a summer brain can support. Track reading from June 1 through August 1, earn weekly rewards and sign up for a grand prize drawing. Miami-Dade Public Library System. Through Saturday 8/1. Free.
Kit Pancoast Nagamura lived her first four years at The Kampong as the great-granddaughter of plant explorer David Fairchild, and When We Come to Paint brings her back with a multigenerational exhibition pairing her parents’ artistic legacy with her own layered botanical observations. The Kampong, 4013 South Douglas Road. Admission is included with regular Kampong admission; online reservations required. On view from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekdays through Saturday 8/15.
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 arrived 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.
Standards with serious swing. Grammy-nominated drummer Nomar Negroni brings The Great American Jazz Standards to Sanctuary of the Arts, stepping out as bandleader with award-winning vocalist Tanya Maria and an all-star ensemble of Miami musicians for an evening of elegance, improvisation and beloved jazz classics refreshed with new energy. Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables. 7/17, 8:00 p.m. Tickets.
A little opera, a little zarzuela, a little romantic chaos under carnival lights. Carrousel of Hearts spins together famous arias, live vocals, jealousy, heartbreak, reconciliation, and the emotional volatility of couples who probably should have talked things through earlier in the evening. Somewhere between melodrama and swooning is exactly where this kind of music thrives. Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 7/18 and 3:00 p.m. Sunday, 7/19. Tickets here.
Studio Vizcaya’s Fruitful Finale. 7 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 25, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, 3251 S. Miami Ave. Modestly priced admission. Children discounts.
Candidate Forum. Hear it from the candidates themselves. Shenandoah Miami Neighborhood Association gathers those running for office. Shenandoah Park. 8/10, 7:00 p.m. Free.
A relaxed Open Studio invites you to draw, paint, sketch, stitch, or collage – all of which are more satisfying than scrolling. Bring your preferred art medium, a bagged lunch and a $10 donation; all skill levels are welcome. Contact Sally Willits at [email protected] or 786-316-1456 to confirm. Coconut Grove Woman’s Club, 2985 South Bayshore Drive. Almost any Wednesday (check with Sally) 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. $10 suggested donation.
Make your beach day a little taller. After a multi-year renovation, the Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne is open again for visits Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to noon. A weekday visit is perfect if you want to avoid the weekend crowds. Weather can affect access, especially when lightning is nearby, and visitors must be at least 42 inches tall, wearing shirts and shoes, and dry and sand-free to enter the historic tower. You can see the lighthouse from the Grove; now climb up and look back at the Grove and Miami from the heights. There is a nominal fee to enter the park.
