If you can’t believe it’s autumn, you’re not alone. Miami Spice extended its run through Halloween – an official declaration that shorts remain appropriate civic attire. Still, the cultural tide is rising like the king tides. The moon pulls people into Fairchild after dark, theater serves up an anxious weather girl, and Saturday offers live music from the Grove to Coral Gables to Miami Beach.
By the middle of next week, the calendar gets even more serious: a community meeting, a toast to fearless journalism, salsa in the park, movies on the Barnacle lawn and the first stirrings of Noir Week. Use the Spotlight’s new Add to Calendar feature that lets you paste the event information right into your phone or desk calendar. Then share with your friends and it’s even more special.
Friday, September 25
Save Me a Place–to Call Home. Greater St. Paul A.M.E. Church is accepting inquiries for affordable apartments at 3680 Thomas Avenue. Applications are by appointment only, with screenings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Eligibility is based on income, qualification and application timing; bring identification, income and employment documents. There are fees and deposits which the good folks at St Paul’s will explain. Email or call 305-448-2742.
Moonlight Over Fairchild. This is soooo romantic. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden stays open after dark for candlelit paths, moon viewing in the Astronomy Zone, night tram tours and walking tours through the Garden. There’s also a bar lounge for a drink beneath the full moon. Dude, you’ve got this. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road. Friday 9/25, 7:30–10:30 p.m. Tickets. Add to Calendar.
Sunny With a Chance of Existential Dread. Fresno weather girl Stacey is paid to smile through forecasts for a planet that seems increasingly determined to prove her wrong. In the blistering dark comedy Weather Girl, that relentlessly sunny disposition begins to crack—and something more primal emerges. Named one of The New York Times’ best plays of 2025, the play gets its regional premiere at GableStage before a planned screen adaptation. GableStage at The Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave. 9/25–10/18. Tickets. Add to Calendar
Saturday, September 26
The Titanic Rises. As UM returns to life, so do the bands at Titanic Brewing Company, the neighborhood brewpub that has been pairing beer with live music since long before some of those students were born. Frix & Friends takes over Saturday night with a genre-hopping mix shaped by Miami, New York, Colombia and Mexico—with plenty of room for musical surprises. Titanic Brewing Company, 5813 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 9/26, 9 p.m.–midnight. Full schedule here. Add to Calendar
Jamming in the Library. La Biblioteca Sessions leaves the whispering behind for a live, recorded concert spanning jazz, Venezuelan music and Afro-Caribbean fusion, with the Grove’s ever-popular French Horn Collective, Vielka and Fernando Fuenmayor. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door; free parking. Koubek Center, 2705 SW 3rd St. 8 p.m. Saturday 9/26. Add to Calendar
Just 90 Miles Away. Grammy and Latin Grammy winner Aymée Nuviola opens Hispanic Heritage Month with 90 Millas, her musical journey across the short stretch of water—and enormous emotional distance—between Miami and Cuba. Salsa, son, timba, jazz and bolero carry a program about memory, family roots and the Cuban culture generations have kept alive on this side of the Florida Straits. Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Ave. Saturday 9/26, 7:30 p.m. Tickets. Add to Calendar
Four Composers, Your Price. The New World Symphony Fellows take the stage for a pre-season program that moves from Double Sextet—“a sort of rock and roll piece”—to Stravinsky’s winds and Shostakovich’s deeply personal wartime lament. They’re showing off. 😉 Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, starting at $1. New World Center, 500 17th St. Miami Beach. 7:30 p.m. Saturday 9/26. Add to Calendar
Sit and Watch the Tide Come In. Miami’s fall king tides are rising. If your usual route sits low , especially near the bay or drainage trouble spots (think South Bayshore Drove, Kennedy Park and Myers Park), remember that a blue-sky day can still come with water in the street. Prime dates: 9/26–9/30, 10/7–10/13, 10/24–10/30, 11/6–11/9 and 11/23–11/26. See the City’s king tide information. Highest tides occur three hours after moonrise and three hours after moonset..
Sunday, September 27
Peek Behind the Curtain. Actors’ Playhouse throws open the doors of the Miracle Theatre for a free family afternoon of backstage exploring, live performances and a first look at its 2026–27 season. Meet the casts of Jekyll & Hyde and The Wizard of Oz, catch preview performances, wander backstage and see how the magic happen. Cookies, decorating, a DJ and cocktails for the grownups round it out. Free with reservation. 4–6 p.m. Sunday 9/27. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. Actors’ Playhouse At The Miracle Theatre Reserve your spot Add to Calendar
Miami Spice Gets an Encore. Good news for gourmets, gourmands–and the rest of us. Miami Spice has extended its record-breaking run through Saturday 10/31. Stretch out both your schedule and your waistline with specially priced meals at restaurants in Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and throughout Miami. Find participating restaurants. Three-course menus are $40 for brunch or lunch and $50 or $65 for dinner. Can’t decide when to go?
Vizcaya Village Market. This is the last weekend for Vizcaya’s eclectic farmers market on its adjusted summer hours, with local vendors offering fresh-made delicacies, handcrafted 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. Add to Calendar
Monday, September 28
Save Me a Booth. The general election is Tuesday 11/3. Check your registration, review your ballot, find your polling place and consider your voting options before Election Day. Miami-Dade voter registration closes Monday 10/5. Check your voter registration status. Build your plan with VOTE411 or Miami-Dade Elections. Add to Calendar
A Good Book and Better Company. The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove Book Club is looking for fellow readers, fresh perspectives and perhaps a little literary arm-wrestling. Sally Willits leads the conversation at the Coconut Grove Branch Library. Registration required; ages 19 and older. Monday 9/28, 1:30–3 p.m. Discussing All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley. For registration, call 305-442-8695 or email [email protected]. Add to Calendar.
Tuesday, September 29
Rewind the Mystery. The Barnacle and Miami-Dade Public Library System bring back AV Club, projecting curated 16mm films from the library’s Special Collections on the lawn. The catch? They still aren’t saying what they’re showing, but it’s always a hit. Museum registrar Vincent Nastasi leads from 6:30–7:30 p.m. Free; ages 14 and older. Bring a picnic, lawn seating or blanket; no pets. Details. The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. 6:30–9:30 p.m. Tuesday 9/29. Add to Calendar
Little Havana as Your Muse. See Calle Ocho through an artist’s eyes on a guided sketch walk with Miami muralist Ashley Gutierrez, using the neighborhood’s murals, architecture and landmarks as your subjects. No great artistic ambitions required—just bring something to draw with and a willingness to look a little more closely. $10. 7 p.m. Tuesdays through 12/29. El Jardin Inn, Little Havana. Register Add to Calendar
Chess Club. The Virrick Park branch library hosts a chess club for players of all levels, ages 8 to 18, 4:30 to 6 p.m. 3255 Plaza St. For information, contact the branch at 305-442-7872. Add to Calendar
Wednesday, September 30
Grove, Your Turn at the Mic. Tree canopy, permits, Live Local, zoning, flooding and the everyday municipal mysteries that keep a neighborhood group chat humming: Commissioner Damian Pardo is hosting a community meeting to hear what’s on your mind and explain where things stand. Miami City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive. Wednesday 9/30, 6–8 p.m. Questions? Call 305-250-5333 or email [email protected]. Add to Calendar.
A Toast to Fearless Journalism. Raise a gin martini—three olives, naturally—to Bill Baggs, the civic-minded journalist whose name still greets visitors at Cape Florida. The birthday bash includes the unveiling of the Bill Baggs Fearless Journalism Award, local journalism folks worth mingling with, lighthouse tours, a holographic visit with Baggs, a documentary screening and signed biographies. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, by the historic lighthouse. Wednesday 9/30, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Tickets and details. Add to Calendar.
Salsa, No Partner Needed. Commissioner Rosado’s office is offering free salsa classes every Wednesday at Manolo Reyes Park. Beginners are welcome, and you don’t need to bring a partner—just yourself and perhaps a willingness to discover which foot goes where. Free; registration requested. 7–8 p.m. Wednesdays. Manolo Reyes Park, 6030 SW 2nd Street. Register for salsa classes Add to Calendar
Free Tutoring and Homework Help. Miami-Dade County Library System’s free tutoring sessions begin this week with support for K-12 students. Led by certified teachers, the sessions help students sharpen their skills, build confidence and boost performance. Online one-on-one Tutoring: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., through May. In-person group tutoring on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 28 library locations (including Shenandoah and Virrick Park) through May. For a full list of participating libraries or to register for an online session, visit www.mdpls.org/tutor. Add to Calendar
Thursday, October 1
A Criminally Good Weekend. Noir Week Miami gathers more than 10 international writers, filmmakers, journalists and artists around the darker side of storytelling, with book presentations, photography, debates, short films, music and improv. Free; full program coming soon. Koubek Center, 2705 SW 3rd St. Thursday 10/1–Saturday 10/3. Add to Calendar
Fund Your Climate Idea. Got a 15-to-24-year-old with a plan to cool a hot block, fight flooding or cut waste? Miami’s Youth Climate Action Fund is offering $1,000–$5,000 microgrants to turn those ideas into real projects, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Applications are open now and close Friday 10/2; projects must be completed by 3/31/27. Apply and find help sessions. Add to Calendar
Friday, October 2
Breakfast With the Chief. Pull up a chair, grab some coffee and bring your questions for Miami Police Chief Edwin Lopez during this open public Q&A. Chapel at the Plymouth Church, 3400 Devon Road. Friday 10/2, 9–11 a.m. Add to Calendar.
Another Free Cultural Gem. The Lamar Louise Curry Concert Series returns to First UMC Coral Gables with the Allie Biancoviso Jazz Orchestra, and an evening that moves easily among jazz, contemporary sounds and Cuban influence. Original compositions and arrangements share the program with familiar favorites, with plenty of room for the orchestra’s individual players to shine. Free. First UMC Coral Gables, 536 Coral Way. 10/2, 7:30 p.m. Info. Add to Calendar
Saturday, October 3
Plant One Anyway. Martin Luther is credited with saying, “If tomorrow were to be my last day, today I would plant a tree.” Miami is giving away 600 fruit trees, hardwoods and shrubs over three October mornings, with one stop right here in the Grove. Free for City of Miami households; bring proof of residency. 9–11 a.m. Saturday 10/3. Kirk Munroe Park, 3101 Florida Avenue. Add to Calendar
Sunday, October 4
Make the Extra Effort. Really, this is no effort at all. Join the hoi polloi for the New World Symphony’s opening weekend and Ravel’s Boléro—it’s perfectly okay to wear the tux and gown to this one. Tickets are accessible, the Frank Gehry-designed venue is spectacular and Lincoln Road awaits before the snowbirds return to their roosts. Pro tip: Terrace seats above and behind the orchestra were still available as the Spotlight went to press, offering an unparalleled view of the musicians at work—but they will sell out. Tickets. New World Center, 500 17th St. Miami Beach. 7:30 p.m. Saturday 10/3; 2 p.m. Sunday 10/4. Add to Calendar
Let Books Be. Books & Books kicks off Banned Books Week with a celebration of the freedom to discover, question, love—and simply read—the books we choose. This year’s theme says it neatly: “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” Sunday 10/4; Banned Books Week runs 10/4–10/10. Details to come. Add to Calendar
Save Me a Seat
Think that thou shalt never see a poem as puzzling as a teen? A teen who stares at screens all day and tells the ’rents to go away. Miami-Dade teens ages 13–18 can put all that mystery to work in the library system’s poetry contest: write an original 14-line sonnet for a chance at prizes. Entries are due by midnight Saturday 10/17. Contest details and entry.
Good Doc, Bad Doc. Dr. Henry Jekyll has a perfectly reasonable idea: separate the good in mankind from the evil. What could possibly go wrong? Jekyll & Hyde brings Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic tale to the stage with murder, obsession, split personalities and a thunderous pop-rock score as Jekyll’s experiment unleashes an alter ego he can no longer control. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. 10/7–11/1. Tickets. Add to Calendar
A Little Extra Support. Give new and gently used bras a second life—and send the worn-out ones somewhere better than a landfill—at the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove’s donation and textile-recycling drive. Everyday, sports and specialty bras in all sizes are welcome; damaged bras and loose straps go to recycling. Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, 2985 South Bayshore Drive. At the club meeting Thursday 10/8. Details Add to Calendar
Get in the Loop. Miami’s growing network of trails and greenways comes together for the Miami Loop Summit, with updates on projects including the Ludlam Trail and a chance for residents to weigh in on what comes next. Free. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday 10/10. Miami Dade College, Chapman Conference Center. Add to Calendar
Stop and Smell the Umbrellas. Giralda Plaza is blooming overhead again, this time beneath hundreds of flower-patterned umbrellas suspended across the pedestrian promenade. The free Giralda in Bloom installation comes from the creators of the original Umbrella Sky project—so wander over, look up and bring a camera. Through October. 100 block of Giralda Avenue, Coral Gables. Info. Free.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road. You know the crew, but Actors’ Playhouse is giving their trip to Oz a fresh musical spin in this adaptation by Jim Eiler. There’s still a tornado, a Wicked Witch and a Wizard who may—or may not—have all the answers, but this funny new production gives even those who know the story by heart another reason to follow that yellow brick road. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile. Saturdays, 10/10–10/31, 2 p.m. Tickets. Add to Calendar
CGTFest Wants Your Next Big Idea. South Florida playwrights and directors can now submit work for CGTFest 2027, the Coconut Grove Theater Fest’s celebration of new plays, bold ideas and local theatre artists. Enter here by Tuesday 10/13, 11:59 p.m. Add to Calendar.
The Phantom Returns to the Grove. Broadway’s longest-running Phantom, Franc D’Ambrosio, opens the St. Hugh–Steinway Concert Series with Broadway favorites and Great American Songbook standards, joined by pianist Roberto Berrocal. Complimentary parking, plus a reception with wine and appetizers. St. Hugh Catholic Church, 3460 Royal Road. Friday 10/16, 8 p.m. Tickets. Add to Calendar.
Ahoy, Matey! Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s annual fall regattas send two fleets onto Biscayne Bay for a full weekend of racing: One Design and BBYRA boats on Saturday, followed by PHRF racing Sunday. Then it’s back to the club for beer, refreshments and trophies—and a good excuse for the rest of us to watch the sails fill the Bay. Saturday–Sunday 10/17–10/18. Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive. Add to Calendar
Coffee, Conversation and Voting Rights. The University of Miami School of Law’s Center for Ethics & Public Service and ACLU Florida bring their Voting Rights Coffee Chat Series to Miami for two conversations on educating, strategizing and amplifying. Sunday 10/18: St. James Baptist Church, 3500 Charles Avenue, at 10 a.m. Add to Calendar; and St. Matthew Community Baptist Church, 3616 Day Avenue, at 1 p.m. Add to Calendar.
¿Hablas Español? Sí, Puedes. Dust off the vocabulary and keep the sentences moving at the library’s relaxed Spanish Conversation Circle. All skill levels are welcome, whether the goal is fluency or simply staying conversational. Free; registration required. Ages 19 and older. Register or call 305-442-8695. Coconut Grove Branch Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. 4–5 p.m. Thursdays 10/22, 11/19 and 12/17. Add to Calendar
A Good Book and Better Company. The Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove Book Club meets at the Coconut Grove Branch Library for its monthly page-turner session. Registration required; ages 19 and older. Monday 10/26, 1:30–3 p.m. Discussing The Maid by Nita Prose. Plan ahead for How to Read a Book by Monica Wood 11/23 and God of the Woods by Liz Moore on 12/28.For registration, call 305-442-8695 or email [email protected]. Add to Calendar.
Move for Parkinson’s. Moving Day Miami marks its 15th anniversary by bringing families, caregivers and friends together to walk, move and raise money for Parkinson’s care and research. Registration is free, and there’s plenty of time to build a team—or simply show up and add your steps to the cause. 9 a.m.–noon Saturday 10/31. Tropical Park Stadium, 7900 SW 40th Street. Parkinson’s Foundation Join or support the walk Add to Calendar
Save the Date. The Pianist Can Come Later. Chopin for All announced its new concert season dates, with the first free Sunday afternoon performance November 8 at Granada Church. The artist hasn’t been announced yet, but last season brought a parade of top-ranked pianists, so it’s okay to claim the date before you know who will be sitting at the keyboard. Free concert, free parking and straight down Bird Road. Granada Church, 950 University Drive. Sunday 11/8, 3:00 p.m. Info. Add to Calendar
Fitness, Health and Unity. Get moving with a beginner-friendly, no-equipment workout at St. James Baptist Church. Expect a full-body class, a judgment-free room and no pressure to arrive already in Olympic shape. St. James Baptist Church, 3500 Charles Avenue. Saturday 10/24, 1–2 p.m. Add to Calendar. Saturday 11/14, 1–2 p.m. Add to Calendar.
Two Wheeled Sundays. Coral Gables Museum’s monthly bike tours offer very different excuses to get pedaling: a costumed pre-Halloween spin through historic Pinewood Cemetery on 10/18, and a ride along the Gables’ old bridle paths and equestrian landmarks on 11/15. Bring your own bike; tours depart at 10 a.m. from the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue. $10; $5 for museum members and children under 12.Info. Register Add to Calendar
Still Playing
Bring Your Own Muse. Artists of every skill level can bring a favorite medium, a bagged lunch and whatever they’re working on to the Woman’s Club’s weekly Open Studio. Members and prospective members welcome; $10 suggested donation. Details or 786-512-6336. Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, 2985 South Bayshore Drive. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Wednesdays 10/7–10/28. Add to Calendar
First Draft. A new monthly First-Thursday open-mic night is starting at Emissary Café, giving Grove writers, storytellers and other brave souls three minutes to get something new, rough or vulnerable out into the world. Read in English or Spanish, or just grab a coffee or glass of wine and listen while somebody else takes the risk. Sign-ups start at 6:30 p.m.; the mic opens at 7. Emissary Café, 3308 Mary St. 6:30 p.m**.** Register.
The Doctor Is In. More than a century after Miami-Dade’s first female physician, Dr. Eleanor Galt Simmons, treated patients from a tiny limestone office, Meg Wallace becomes the first artist invited to exhibit inside it. Out of Darkness: The Ecology of Care places antique medicine bottles and archives in conversation with painting, sculpture, poetry, sound and a new film about South Florida’s mangroves, exploring how care sustains both people and ecosystems. Advance reservations recommended. The Kampong, 4013 South Douglas Road. Community preview 12:30–3:30 p.m. Saturday 9/12; exhibition continues through 9/11/27. Add to Calendar
