Thanksgiving is a day when family and friends come together to give thanks for what they have, be it food on the table or a roof over their heads. We are so very thankful for having Pinecrest Gardens here in our community. It’s a special place where we can all come together to celebrate special occasions, to learn, to laugh, to be enlightened and to be entertained. It is a place for recreation and a place for peaceful contemplation. Here at the Gardens we give thanks each and every day for our patrons and visitors who support us, attend our programs or walk our magnificent botanical paths.
We would like to extend a personal invitation to make the Gardens a part of your Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Below are highlights of the programming leading up to Thanksgiving Day, but if it’s just a little peace and quiet you are seeking away from cooking or football or holiday shopping we are open every day including Thanksgiving Day.
JAZZ
As a prelude to this holiday season the SOUTH MOTORS JAZZ SERIES welcomes Paquito D’Rivera, Saturday, November 19, 8:00 p.m. Neil Tesser of the Chicago Reader says, “Anyone who’s heard Paquito D’Rivera even once knows about his explosive virtuosity on both clarinet and alto sax.” The National Endowment for the Arts website affirms “he has become the consummate multinational ambassador, creating and promoting a cross-culture of music that moves effortlessly among jazz, Latin, and Mozart.”
Paquito’s magic continues on Sunday, November 20 at 1:00 p.m. when you can observe Paquito on stage with gifted jazz students from the New World School of the Arts in a special workshop that is part of our SOUTH MOTORS GEN-NEXT JAM series. Through the generosity of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and our title sponsor South Motors, select artists will participate in a special program on the Sundays following their Saturday night performances. South Motors Gen-Next Jam is an educational initiative where renowned jazz artists mentor gifted students from the New World School of the Arts High School Jazz Program under the direction of Jim Gaisor. This workshop is held in the Banyan Bowl and open to the general public for observation free of charge with general park admissions.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
On Sunday, November 27 at 2:00 p.m. join us for a chamber music concert presented and performed by students from the New World School of the Arts College Music Program. Our Sunday Chamber Serenade will feature musical works by Antonin Dvorak, Max Bruch, and Felix Mendelssohn. Our Farmers Market will be buzzing and bountiful, so come a little early and enjoy the Market for lunch, treat yourself to the harvests of our local growers, then join us for this lovely FREE concert with regular park admissions.
ART
On Wednesday evening, November 17 from 6-8:00 p.m. come meet our Gardens Gallery featured artist, Tracy Ellyn. Her magnificent show, “On the Undulation of Trees” will be on exhibit through December 7. Tracy Ellyn creates universal, global expressions of her world travels and life experiences in the form of fine art, photography and mixed media gallery pieces. She has been selected by the American Arts and Medicine Blog as a “Top American Artist in the Art for Healing Genre,” and was recently juried into the Exposure 2015 Exhibition at The Louvre Museum in Paris. Her most recent exhibition was at SCOPE/Art Basel 2015. Tracy Ellyn’s show has been generously sponsored by Greenspoon Marder to benefit cancer venues and chemotherapy rooms throughout South Florida.
HORTICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND ART EDUCATION
If it’s Friday, it must be Little Lizards! Every Friday afternoon from 1- 3:00 p.m. children ages 3-10 can join in on Little Lizards learning made fun. This informal drop-in program features new activities every week relating to a monthly theme. Lizards will read, explore, create and imagine while learning about the wonders of nature. No prior registration is necessary. The month of November is all about Garden Edibles and the Harvest, and what better time to learn about edible gardening in Florida than the fall harvest time. Our Little Lizards will be planting a veggie bed for the season and will be able to take home their very own vegetable seedlings.
Our children’s art class series, AMAZING ART Session 2, will begin on Sunday, November 13, 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and continue November 20, December 4 and December 11. This session is titled “The World of Trees” and there’s no denying that art and nature are our two most favorite subjects! Your child will discover and create works of art inspired by our planet Earth’s amazing Flora. These wonderful classes are all-inclusive taught by VSAFL’s Certified Teaching Artist, Jackie Wimberly. Pre-registration is recommended, with a limit of 15 participants at each class. For information and questions you can contact Jackie at 305-962-7402. The fee for all four sessions is $50 and siblings pay $45 each. If class space allows, same day walk-ins are welcome for $15 per student. Class fees include art materials and entrance to the Gardens where you can enjoy all of our amenities before and after the class.
MOVIES
To wrap up our pre-Thanksgiving activities, this month’s Family Friday features Kung Fu Panda 3, November 18, 8:00 p.m. Whether you’re looking for things to do with guests visiting from out of town, or you just want to get your children out of the house it’s a fabulous time for the entire family. Enjoy hot dogs, popcorn and other movie theater fare. The evening begins with a flashlight adventure through the lower garden and concludes with the full length feature film. Enjoy the very best theater amenities in a safe, clean and magical outdoor setting. Gates open at 6:30, and flashlight fun starts after 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person and children under two years enter free.
For information visit www.pinecrestgardens.org.
