5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting “Flavors of South Florida”
This annual meeting of the Miami Beach Garden Conservancy is free
and open to the public, with a members-only reception starting at 5:30. The
general meeting will begin at 6:30 where Board Members will be elected. At 7:00
the program begins. This year’s theme is “Flavors of South Florida” with guest
panelists Gary Feinberg-Co-Founder of the Little Haiti Community Garden, John
Richards-Director of the Miami Culinary Institute, Laura Lafata “La Diva”-Culinary
Entertainment Expert, and Melissa Contreras-Founder of the Urban Oasis Project.
Zak the Baker will be there too, along with local authors signing their books
on gardening in South Florida. Click here to see the invitation.
12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Hatha Yoga Classes
These 45 minute sessions are FREE for members with a suggested $10
donation for non-members. The classes encompass a blend of strengthening,
stretching, and relaxation. The instructor, Kiki Fries, is known for her
versatile classes which cater to individual interests, levels, and requests.
Whether you have never practiced yoga before or you are an advanced
practitioner with an area of injury, Kiki will ensure that you leave her class
feeling refreshed, revitalized, and harmonized. A yoga practitioner for 14
years, Kiki trained at Ayama Yoga in Aventura, FL and teaches a variety of yoga
classes throughout Miami. Trained and certified in Holistic Health
Counseling, Integrative Nutrition, and Reiki, Kiki helps students to strengthen
the body and the spirit while relaxing the mind.
Friday, May 38:30 p.m. to Midnight
Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
This night is a two-part feature, with the movie I Am Divine starting at 8:30 p.m.
and the High-Heel High Hair party starting at 10 p.m. The synopsis of I Am Divine: Young Harris Glenn Milstead
liked musicals, was drawn to feminine pursuits, and was bullied. He was privately
playing dress-up games in his mother's clothes. By 1963, Glenn was brave enough
to show up at a party dressed as an astonishingly passable Elizabeth Taylor.
After meeting a crowd of gay hipsters, Glenn starts camping it up, and meets the
man who changed his life, John Waters. Click here for tickets, or see the movie’s trailer.
Birds, Butterflies and Wildlife Walk & Talk
Nature enthusiasts are invited to
explore the Garden’s natural and landscaped environments in search of local
wildlife, especially native butterflies and birds. Gil Pettigrew will lead the
group through the Garden after a brief discussion in the Butterfly Room beforehand.
Participants will be observing the habits, habitat, and behavior of the animals
they find, as Mr. Pettigrew discusses each species’ basic ecological
significance and evolutionary origins. Dress comfortably to be outside for up
to 1.5 hours. Dr. Pettigrew is a naturalist, science,
educator, scientist, creative writer, and photographer based in Miami, Florida. He is currently a biology
instructor at Nova Southeastern University’s Kendall Campus, and Volunteer
Steward of Rare Butterfly Habitat Creation with Miami’s Urban Paradise Guild,
where he heads the Atala butterfly monitoring project at Oleta River State
Park. He holds an M.S. in biology, focusing on ecology and organismal biology,
especially butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and is a published poet
and photographer.
Saturday, May 4
Rain Barrel Workshop
The Miami Dade Cooperative
Extension Service will be giving a free rain barrel making workshop after the
Wildlife Walk & Talk. Florida receives an average of 52 inches of rainfall
per year. Learn how you can reuse this water to benefit your home and garden by
making a rain barrel to store runoff from your roof and other impermeable
surfaces. The first 50 participants will also receive a FREE rain barrel made
from repurposed Coca-Cola syrup containers. In addition to the workshop,
residents will be able to exchange three old light bulbs for energy saving
compact fluorescent light bulbs, and exchange up to two water-wasting showerheads
for water-efficient models. Email patriciabocio@miamibeachfl.gov
to register.
Tuesday, May 7
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Point Foundation Cornerstone Fundraiser
The Miami Cornerstone event is an opportunity to join the Point
Foundation’s Cornerstone Society ($500 annually), a group of dedicated
individuals who are revolutionizing the face of the LGBTQ community through the
impact of education. Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to
achieve their full academic and leadership potential with these funds. Tickets
for the event are $30 and can be purchased at www.pointfoundation.org/Miami. At the
Cornerstone Fundraiser, you’ll hear amazing stories of courage, promise, and
potential from Point Scholars and Alumni while enjoying complimentary cocktails
and appetizers.
Friday, May 10
National Public Gardens DayPublic gardens are a fun activity for families, couples, and enthusiasts, providing a low-cost, entertaining, and beautiful community outing while providing important resources, education and research on environmental stewardship and conservation. National Public Gardens Day is a national day of celebration to raise awareness of America’s public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education in communities nationwide. Visit www.nationalpublicgardensday.org for more information.
Sunday, May 12
4 to 6 p.m.
Mother’s Day Chamber Music
Concert
Join the South Beach Chamber
Ensemble for a relaxing session of classical string music in the Garden. This concert’s theme is “Scandinavia Explored”,
with guest soprano Anna Hersey, a recent Fullbright fellow,
singing songs by Grieg, Frumerie, Nystroem, Alfvén, and others, arranged with
string quartet accompaniment. Click hereto purchase tickets and for more info.
Tuesday, May 14
Miami-Dade County Special Elections
The Garden is a polling place for precinct 034 in the Miami-Dade
County Special Elections. Voting is the most impactful way to have a say in
important issues that affect our community. This is an opportunity for
Miami-Dade voters to cast their ballot regarding the modernization of Sun Life
stadium. Click here for more info and a sample ballot.
Tuesday, May 14Noon to 2 p.m.
Green Book Club Discusses American
Canopy
American
Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation,
(2013) by Eric Rutkow discusses the many captivating stories of trees
throughout our country’s history: the Liberty Trees, where colonists gathered
to plot rebellion against the British; Henry David Thoreau’s famous retreat
into the woods; the creation of New York City’s Central Park; the great fire of
1871 that killed a thousand people in the lumber town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin;
the fevered attempts to save the American chestnut and the American elm from
extinction; and the controversy over spotted owls and the old-growth forests
they inhabited. The Green Book Club reads and discusses environmentally-themed
books chosen and read during the month preceding each meeting. This will be the
last meeting for this season until November. Newcomers are always welcome.
Contact Benjia Morgenstern at benjiamo@the-beach.net for more info.
Friday, May 31
8 p.m.
8 p.m.
Dance Under the Stars
Be prepared to be wowed by performances throughout the Garden by Dance NOW! Miami’s internationally acclaimed dancers and a special performance from past Summer Intensive talented scholarship recipients, 25 and counting… $75/Single, $100/Couple, this Gala Fundraiser is held in honor of Mayor Matti Bower, and benefits the Dance NOW! Summer Intensive Scholarship Fund. Click here for tickets.
Be prepared to be wowed by performances throughout the Garden by Dance NOW! Miami’s internationally acclaimed dancers and a special performance from past Summer Intensive talented scholarship recipients, 25 and counting… $75/Single, $100/Couple, this Gala Fundraiser is held in honor of Mayor Matti Bower, and benefits the Dance NOW! Summer Intensive Scholarship Fund. Click here for tickets.