A hearty shout-out to The Kampong, newly recognized (about time!) by The New York Times as one of the nation’s finest urban gardens. Not that Grove neighbors needed reminding — but the rest of the country had to find out sooner or later (sigh). Wander among orchids, tropical fruit trees, mangroves and the occasional strutting peacock. A hidden favorite? The ylang-ylang that serves as the secret ingredient to Chanel No. 5. The Kampong is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission fees vary, with discounts or free entry available to many visitors. Well done, Kampong!
Follow your garden stroll with Miami Spice – two months of specially priced dining at many of the neighborhood’s most interesting restaurants. Coconut Grove boasts 23 participating restaurants, although the special menus aren’t offered at every meal, so thoughtful diners will want to plan ahead. Share your favorites in the comment section at the end of this article. Don’t keep them all to yourself. 😉
Friday August 7
Watch a Miami Play Change Before Your Eyes. Coconut Grove Theatre Festival and ARRAE Gallery bring performance and visual arts together for an open rehearsal of If These Walls. Surrounded by the work of ARRAE Volume III, actors will perform a scene from the play, discuss it with the audience and reshape it in real time. The evening also includes a raffle for two original art prizes. Seating is limited for this one-night collaboration. Reserve your seat here.
Let Your Love Shine. Cape Florida Lighthouse’s 200th birthday — Climb Miami-Dade’s oldest standing historic structure for sweeping views and explore the newly reopened museum inside the Keeper’s Cottage once occupied by founding Grovites. The evening is filled with activities and crests with a recognition ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Free, but advance tickets are required. 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back to the Theater. Escape the summer heat with The Shark Is Broken. This sharp-witted comedy imagines the feuding, drinking, gambling and behind-the-scenes chaos among the stars of Jaws as bad weather and an unreliable mechanical shark threaten to sink the production — before anyone realizes they are making cinematic history. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Saturday August 8
Yoga at the Kampong. Set your intention and spend an hour stretching to reach it with instructor Sam Reynolds at the last class of summer before the long Labor Day weekend. Class is rain or shine, and you’ll need to bring your own yoga mat, water bottle and insect repellent (if needed). Register here. The Kampong, 4013 S. Douglas Road. 10:00 a.m.
Start the School Year Strong. Families can pick up free school supplies, enjoy activities and giveaways, and connect with community resources at two back-to-school events this Saturday – at Miami-Dade College’s Gibson Education Center, 3629 Grand Ave., from 1 to 3 p.m., and at Greater St. Paul AME Church, 3680 Thomas Ave., starting at 1 p.m.
Sunday August 9
Vizcaya Village Market. Vizcaya’s eclectic 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 village. Vizcaya Village, 3250 S. Miami Avenue. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Special Sensory Performance. Escape the summer heat with The Shark Is Broken (for show details, see the listing above). Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. Sunday’s performance at 3:00 p.m. makes special arrangements for the visually impaired. Tickets here. For accessible accommodations, call 305-444-9293 x 2.
Monday August 10
Candidate Forum. With early voting already in progress and the election fast approaching (Tuesday 8/18), the Shenandoah Neighborhood Association’s candidate forum is your best chance to see the candidates in person and judge them yourself. Candidates running for County Commission District 5 and State House District 113 are expected to attend. The full ballot is linked here. Monday, 8/10, 7:00 p.m. sharp. Shenandoah Park, 1800 SW 21 Street. Free to attend but coupled with a very high cost for not participating.
Tuesday August 11
READy, Set, Read. Little listeners and their grown-ups can share stories, songs and playful activities designed to build vocabulary, participation, comprehension and an early love of books at the Coconut Grove Branch Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. Presented with The Children’s Trust Parent Club and FIU’s Center for Children and Families for ages 0–5. Tuesday, August 11, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Free.
Thursday August 13
What? Wait! Already? The first day of school seems to start earlier each year, but you can’t miss it. Why? The traffic jams everywhere through the neighborhoods and harried parents trying to rush to work. So, drivers, please take it easy, and youngsters, look both ways. Public schools start 8/13. Private schools follow in the coming days.
Saturday August 15
Final day: 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 S. 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.
A Safe Place to Be Strong. Women are invited to an evening of faith, encouragement and fellowship focused on building healthy relationships, finding purpose and replacing fear, pressure and doubt with confidence and spiritual strength. Hosted by Shameeka Cheeks at St. Matthew CMB Church, 3616 Day Avenue. Thursday, August 20, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free.
A New Jazz Voice Takes the Stage. Kate Kortum, winner of the 2025 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, brings one of jazz’s most exciting young voices to the Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series. Praised for interpretive skills that make familiar music sound fresh, Kortum performs in the intimate setting of the historic Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Boulevard, across from the Biltmore Hotel. Thursday 8/20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets.
The Standards Swing. Grammy-nominated drummer Nomar Negroni leads an ensemble through the timeless songs of the Great American Jazz Standards, joined by vocalist Tanya Maria for an evening of elegant arrangements, spirited improvisation and musical storytelling at Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue. Saturday, August 22, 8:00 p.m. Tickets.
Ahoy! Able-bodied Crew Come Aboard! The Sailing Club’s Moonlight Racing series continues to introduce landlubbers and salty dogs alike to the adventure of racing on Biscayne Bay. “Oh, I’ve already been on a motorboat (or daysailer or on a cruise ship),” you might think. But as the Spotlight’s intrepid reporter described, there is nothing like being on the crew of a racing sailboat. Embrace the new adventure in this low-stress evening on the Bay. You’ll have endless stories to tell your mates. Save the date now and the sign up link will follow shortly. Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive. Friday 8/28 after work. Free.
Hit RESET. AI can’t replace dance. Can it? In this original physical-theater production, breathtaking choreography, absurdist humor and striking visual effects explore what resilience, vulnerability and our shared capacity for personal reinvention might mean for your future. More dancing, perhaps? Free valet parking at the Koubek Center, 2705 SW 3rd Street. Friday 08/28 and Saturday 08/29 at 8:00 p.m. Modestly priced tickets.
School may have started, but the pool’s still open. The City of Miami has 12 aquatic facilities including the new Verneka Sturrup Silva pool at Elizabeth Virrick Park in Coconut Grove. The pool is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for seniors, and free for kids 17 and younger. For information about the pool’s learn-to-swim programs, lap lanes, water aerobics, and more, call 305-329-4791.
