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The Deering Estate Foundation will host its eighth annual Mistletoe & Martinis holiday event on Friday, December 12, 2025, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Deering Estate. This sophisticated soirée is the estate’s signature holiday event. This year’s event will come alive with the sights, sounds, and libations of the holiday season with a fanciful nod to “Steampunk.” Guests are invited to step into a world where gears glisten and cocktails sparkle.
This December, Mistletoe & Martinis returns with a twist of steampunk fantasy – “Steam, Sparkle & Spirits.” Amid flickering lanterns and brass-bound revelry, toast the season with specialty martinis, live entertainment, and a dash of Victorian intrigue. Dress to impress – corsets, cravats, and clockwork welcome.
Enjoy an evening of strolling the estate, enjoying lavish hors d’oeuvres, delicious martinis and specialty cocktails, exquisite sweets, and a variety of live music and entertainment. Guests can feast on delicious bites from some of Miami’s best restaurants and caterers. As attendees eat and drink, they can spend the evening mingling with family and friends and listening to live music all while admiring the beautiful holiday lights and exploring the lavishly decorated Richmond Cottage.
“This is one of our favorite events of the year and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome South Florida neighbors and friends to the beloved estate as we get in the yuletide spirit,” says Nina Zanella, Executive Director of the Deering Estate Foundation. “We are thrilled to gather together at the beautiful Deering Estate to toast the holiday season and celebrate in a way that is fun and festive for all.”
Co-chaired by Deering Estate Board Members and Trustees, Jo Ann Szaro, Jerrod Sharp, and Beth Person, this evening of merriment is all about community. All night long, guests will be able to feast on delicious bites from some of Miami’s best restaurants and caterers, including True Food Kitchen, Delicious Catering, Catering by Les, Sports Grill, Golden Rule Seafood, Joe’s Stone Crab, Rodbenders Raw Bar and Grill, Platea, bartaco, Vale Healthy Kitchen, Kitchen 57, Josh’s Premium Meats, Old Cutler Inn, Casa Canala, and Chill N Ice Cream. While a variety of other beverages will be available, the title event drink, martinis, will be well shaken and stirred with Zyr Vodka, Voli 305, Cairlinn Bay Irish Whiskey, Don Q Rum, Harry Blu’s Gin, Madame Backlash Gin, and specialty potions created and crafted by the Tipsee Chix.
The beautifully decorated Mistletoe & Martinis event space is coordinated by Aloré Event Firm. The annual silent auction that typically accompanies the event will be digital, via Bidding Owl, and will open on December 5, 2025, allowing both attendees and non-attendees to participate, with bids closing at 11:59 p.m. on December 14, 2025.
The Deering Estate Foundation is especially grateful for the support of its valued event sponsors, including Joan and Joe Sanz, Jo Szaro Family, Ken O’Keefe, Greenberg Traurig, McLuskey, McDonald & Hughes, Tonkinson Financial, George and Karen Hoffman.
Tickets for Mistletoe & Martinis are $175 for Deering Estate members and $200 for non-members. Space is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance, either online or by calling (305) 235-1668, ext. 272. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Deering Estate Foundation’s community, conservation, and cultural programming. This event is for guests 21+ years of age.
This year, the Deering Estate invites you to step back in time and across continents to experience the magic of the season with Historic Holidays “The Golden Age of Travel.” The Richmond Cottage, with surrounding outdoor areas of the Estate, will be adorned with festive decorations inspired by the elegance and adventure of early 20th-century travel. The Historic Holiday Décor will feature destinations visited by Charles Deering in the early 1900’s and the modes of transportation that defined the era. Charles traveled by way of trains, cars, and boats, notably using cars and trains when he was travelling with his family. His vast exploration of Europe is a testament to how the industrial revolution gave travelers new and improved means of roaming the earth. Step into the Golden Age of Travel with rooms inspired by Charles Deering’s journeys, from maps and vintage transportation to European and Asian destinations he loved, including France, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Discover nautical touches recalling his Navy years and a life defined by art, culture, and exploration.
Under the creative direction of the Deering Estate’s Museum Team and in collaboration with the Deering Estate Foundation, 100 Ladies of Deering and volunteers, the Estate will transport visitors to an era of adventure and discovery, celebrating the spirit of travel. The Historic Holiday Décor is on display daily, from November 28, 2025 to January 6, 2026, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information on the holiday season of events at the Deering Estate, please visit the Deering Estate website.
Celebrate Deering all year and gift a membership to family and friends this Holiday Season!
About the Deering Estate
Deering Estate, located at 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Miami, is a 21st Century house museum, cultural and ecological field station, and a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Florida and managed by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. Deering Estate is designated as one of seven Miami-Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.
About the Deering Estate Foundation
For those who treasure the Deering Estate, who advocate for its preservation and wish to invest in its future, the Deering Estate Foundation provides opportunities for individuals and corporations alike to partake in membership, signature events, and one-of-a-kind experiences, all in service of providing vital funding and support to the Deering Estate. Through these efforts, the foundation fulfills its mission to uphold the legacy of Charles Deering’s cherished 1920s-era property, to provide funding for the cultural, educational and recreational experiences it offers, as well as its significant scientific and archaeological endeavors to conserve its diverse flora, fauna and the eight native ecosystems that thrive on its 450 acres, and to ensure its longevity as a prized American heritage site. Established in 1989, The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc. is a community-based charitable 501(c) 3 Florida Corporation and the philanthropic partner of the Deering Estate.
