Festival season and cultural events shift into high gear

The festival season has begun and so many great events attract visitors to South Florida this time of year.

The Junior Orange Bowl Committee, one of the world’s largest youth festivals, and the Orange Bowl Festival with its football game and other events are major economic impacts for South Florida. It was wonderful to see the current presidents of those two organizations, Lisa Albizu-Vazquez and Yvonne Johnson-Phillips, MD, respectively at Miami’s Community Newspapers breakfast featuring Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on Nov.15, at Casacuba in South Miami. While the Orange Bowl is planning events leading up to the big BCS Bowl game, the Junior Orange Bowl has its International Tennis and Golf Invitational as well as Basketball Classic, and more. Look to see these two on upcoming Gloria’s Gab LIVE podcasts in December at cnews.net. Also, don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Junior Orange Bowl Parade, scheduled Dec. 10, at www.juniororangebowl.org.

The 2023 Junior Orange Bowl Basketball Classic is scheduled for Dec. 28-30 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) at Westminster Christian School, 6855 SW 152 St, in Palmetto Bay. Basketball chair and past JOBC president Chuck Little encourages everyone to attend the games for some great basketball. Each day games will be at 10 and 11:30 a.m.; 1, 2:30, 4:30, 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m. Championship games will be on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 7:30 p.m. (Girls) and 9 p.m. (Boys). For specifics on all the Junior Orange Bowl activities visit wwwjuniororangebowl.org

On the cultural scene, there are many upcoming events that you won’t want to mis. Actors’ Playhouse opened Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas with preview nights leading up to opening night performance on Nov. 10. Sweet Goats & Blueberry Señoritas by playwrights Richard Blanco and Vanessa Garcia is a lovely nostalgic play about a Cuban-American baker in Maine who is well established there and then tackles the option of staying put or moving to reunite with her estranged mother. The play will run through Dec. 3.

On opening night, guests enjoyed a Bacardi Bar and light bites by Vicky Bakery. Among the many enjoying the evening were Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (she is everywhere), former Coral Gables Mayor Raul Valdes Fauli, Commissioner Melissa Castro, Dr. Marta Perez, Rita and Saesha Tennyson, Marti Bueso, Jeneissy Azcuy, Jeffrey Solomon, Teresa Portales, and photographer Alberto Romeu.

On Nov. 30, 8-10 p.m., RK Cultural Productions presents The Dragon of Wantley, an operatic 1736 masterpiece that is a hilarious farce about the excesses of Handelian opera.

The all-new production by BEMF’s GRAMMY-winning musical directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs and acclaimed stage director Gilbert Blin, will be performed at FIU Wertheim Performing Arts Center, 10910 SW 17 St. The production includes an all-star cast including Grammy nominee Teresa Wakim with Emily Star and Douglas Williams with lavish costumes and sets and lots of laughs.

On the fundraising front, Coral Gables Woman’s Club’s monthly Gringo Bingo on Nov. 13 raised $1,600 to be shared with the Alzheimer’s Association. Almost 40 people gathered for this party night at Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen in Coral Gables to play bingo, sing along with DJ Germain and enjoy the antics of emcee and bingo caller Gringo Steven Bradley. Aside from lead sponsor Lillian Ser/ Ser & Associates other ongoing sponsors ensuring a successful event were Dr. Hal Wanless and Lynn Bauer, Jerry Kavulich, Carlos and Mayra Rossi, and Miami’s Community Newspapers. Among the many enjoying the night were Dr. John Fernandez, Frank Sexton, Stuart Debowsky, Zach Evangelista, Jelibel Pena, Dr. Jose Chaviano. Julia Irvin, Cary Diaz, Kim Davison, Margaret Romero, Jessica Treto, and Dr. Larry Lesperance.

Until next time, share your talents, count your blessings and not your challenges, and make a difference.

 

 

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A graduate of the University of Florida with a major in Spanish, Burns has an extensive background in advertising, marketing and reciprocal trade, travel , non profit consulting and management. Before joining Miami's Community Newspapers as a columnist and marketing specialist, Gloria was the Executive Director of the Jr. Orange Bowl Committee (6 yrs.) and first Executive Director of the Coral Gables Community Foundation (14 yrs.) and the Pinecrest Community Foundation (1 ½ yrs) . Burns' volunteer activities led her to become a columnist for Community Newspapers writing Gloria’s Gab, that focuses on the non-profit activity, and a host of an online show, Gloria's Gab LIVE. Gloria serves the board of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables as Civic and Charity Chair, and is involved in the club's International Committee. She is an active Life Member of the Jr. Orange Bowl Committee and is Secretary of the Merrick Festival. She serves on the board of directors of the Coral Gables Woman' Club as Publicity Chair and also coordinates the club's monthly fundraiser for various charities with Gringo Bingo at Clutch Burger. In addition, Gloria participates in numerous other charitable events and is a member of the Business Forum Group, Profit Inc., the Greater Miami Festival & Events Association and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. In other volunteer activity, Gloria helps Miami Christian School with fund-raising and PR; is an Ambassador and volunteers for events for A Safe Haven for Newborns. She is an active member of the Music Ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church where she enjoys singing in the choir every weekend.