The holidays are here, and so are the celebratory events we look forward to every year at Pinecrest Gardens, and this year is no exception.
The next two weeks offer a range of holiday music, dance, extraordinary art offerings and even a holiday family movie. So grab a pencil and your calendar and start marking the dates that will bring joy to you and your family in this “most wonderful time of the year.”
South Motors Jazz
You don’t want to miss this next installment of South Motors Jazz on Saturday, December 9, 8:00 p.m. when Grammy Award Winner, Brian Lynch With The Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble and Vocalist Nicole Yarling take the stage. Quotes Neil Tesser of Jazziz, “You won’t find a better display of jazz trumpetry…”- and the New York Times…“When you’re as dynamic and flexible a trumpeter as Lynch, everyone wants you.” Two-time Grammy Award Nominee and Grammy Award Winner Brian Lynch brings to his music an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience. An honored graduate of two of the jazz world’s most distinguished academies, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he has received wide acclaim during his long tenures with Latin Jazz legend Eddie Palmieri and straight ahead master Phil Woods. As a bandleader and recording artist he has released over 20 critically acclaimed CDs featuring his distinctive composing and arranging, and toured the world with various ensembles. Tickets are $35 and $30 at pinecrestgardens.org or call 1-877-496-8499.
Dance
Two wonderful holiday dance performances will be featured on the Banyan Bowl Stage.
Maria Verdeja School of the Arts presents The Nutcracker Ballet on Saturday December 2, at 6:00 p.m. Tchaikovsky’s music transports you to a world of wonder where mischievous mice are foiled by toy soldiers that come to life, and a blizzard of ballerinas who reveal the enchanting Land of Sweets. Tickets are $20 Adult; $10 Children 12 years and available at the gate on performance nights.
Another wonderful dance concert will be presented by Conchita Espinosa’s Miami Dance Futures. Their 3rd Annual Christmas in the Gardens happens on Sunday, December 3, at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy a magical holiday evening of music and dance by young artists from Conchita Espinosa Conservatory of the Arts, featuring cherished Christmas carols, a trip around the world with Navidades Flamencas, and other wonderful selections. Tickets are $20 Adults, $15 Seniors, $15 Children (12 and under) and can be purchased on line at pinecrestgardens.org or at the gate the night of the event.
Family Friday Movie
Hop aboard the Polar Express on Friday, December 8 and enjoy one of the most enchanting holiday movies of all times. A young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express. During his adventure he learns about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas. The gates open at 6:30 for flashlight romps through the Gardens, hot dogs, popcorn and a wonderful feature film starting at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 general admission, children under 2 years enter free.
Orchestral Music
Pinecrest Gardens Chamber Serenade Series presents Greater Miami Youth Symphony Chamber String Ensemble under the direction of Huifang Chen, Music Director on Friday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. Join us for an evening of Chamber music in the beautiful Banyan Bowl of Pinecrest Gardens, South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park. The program will feature music of Mendelssohn, Bach, Anderson and more. This wonderful concert is free for all who attend.
Pinecrest Sprouts will perform their 2nd Annual December Concert on Tuesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. This wonderful evening of music featuring 46 young artists from the three Pinecrest Elementary Schools, Pinecrest Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, and Howard Drive Elementary is a new initiative launched this year directed by Palmetto Senior High School music teacher, Mr. Jorge Padron.
Through collective music making, young children explore new avenues and realize their full potential. This program is designed to guide students from beginner group instruction to eventual orchestral performances over time, building life skills and community from a shared love of music.
Family Fun Concerts
Introduce your children to the wonderful and magical world of classical music when Orchestra Miami under the direction of Artistic Director, Elaine Rinaldi, presents their second Family Fun Concert of the Season. Meet the Brass Quintet on Sunday, December 10, at 3:00 p.m. features Brian Neal and Brass Miami. This wonderful concert will familiarize children and their families to the brass section of the orchestra. Trumpets, French horns, trombones and tubas combine to create an unforgettable afternoon of music, featuring classics and holiday favorites.
Art
November 30, 6-9:00 p.m.
Join us for the much anticipated official unveiling of our site-specific monumental sculpture, Stickwork, created by internationally acclaimed artist, Patrick Dougherty. Dougherty builds fantastical monumental shapes that ignite a sense of exploration with rich associations to childhood play and the shelters built by animals by intertwining twigs and branches. The sculpture is comprised of truckloads of community sourced saplings. This sculpture is ephemeral, and will hopefully grace our garden for a period of about two years. Also on November 30, 6-9:00 our Artist in Residence, Xavier Cortada will unveil his new show “Epoch” in the Hibiscus Gallery. In this solo show Cortada portrays the life that has existed on our planet over the past 500 million years. The exhibit invites the audience to ponder what life forms will inhabit the Earth in the Future. Finally, there will be a showing the same evening at our Concession Tower of a new Tile Mural entitled Tropical Punch by artist Patsy Rodriguez.
On Thursday, December 7, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Xavier Cortada will unveil is permanent exhibit, “Longitudinal”. This participatory art piece captures voices from 24 individuals across the globe who have been impacted by Climate Change. Celebrate Art Basel in your own backyard on this wonderful evening where the “Longitudinal” exhibit will be one of three extraordinary exhibits featured along with “Epoch”, Stickwork and Tropical Punch. All art openings are free of charge and offer refreshments for your enjoyment.
Community
Cultural Marketplace at Pinecrest Gardens is a very special celebration on Sunday, December 4 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. We will host a very special edition of the Sunday Farmer’s Market to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Knight Arts Challenge. Then everyone is invited to go beyond the market stalls, enter the gardens and find the latest installation by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, live music and kids art and maker faire workshops. The Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities, and foster the arts. Through its arts program, the foundation seeks to weave the arts into the fabric of communities, to engage and inspire people, and to contribute to a sense of place through shared cultural experiences. The foundation seeks innovative ways to reach, engage and increase audiences for the arts.
