Dominican folkloric dance, traditional hair braiding, children's book readings and handmade artisan dolls will fill the Coral Gables Museum on Saturday, Aug. 15, when the monthly Family Day on Aragon takes on a Little Santo Domingo theme.
The free event, running 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 285 Aragon Ave., is co-presented by the Miami-based Allapattah Collaborative Community Development Corporation and the Coral Gables Museum. It honors the Dominican cultural enclave known as Little Santo Domingo with a full day of programming for all ages.
Fernando Ortiz, the Allapattah CDC's preservation and community development manager, will lead a 10 a.m. Children's Book Reading Hour featuring two picture books: "Plátanos Are Love" by Dominican and Puerto Rican author Alyssa Reynoso-Morris and "The Secret Footprints" by Dominican-American novelist Julia Alvarez. Ortiz will also guide a noon walking tour of the museum's bilingual exhibition "Many Voices, One Nation: En Nuestras Palabras."
That exhibition was developed through the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street initiative as part of the national commemoration of America's 250th anniversary. It originated as a permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, according to the Alabama Humanities Alliance, with community organizations across the country developing locally focused versions.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., Dominican salonera Francisca Rondón will offer traditional braiding styles through 2 p.m. A game hour and scavenger hunt follow at 1 p.m.
The afternoon block, led by Melody J. Then, president of Fundunife Inc., a nonprofit that amplifies Dominican culture through arts workshops, includes a Dominican folklore dance class from 2 to 3 p.m. covering merengue and bachata with traditional güira, tambora and accordion. A floral bouquet workshop runs 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Food trucks serving traditional Dominican dishes will park in the museum's courtyard from noon to 4 p.m. Throughout the day, the Allapattah CDC will sell handmade Muñecas Artesanales Dominicanas, crafted by women in Baní, Dominican Republic, through the Centro de Madres Nuestra Señora de Regla, an organization that teaches traditional arts while creating economic opportunities for women artisans.
No registration is required.
The museum is at 285 Aragon Ave., steps from Miracle Mile.
Upcoming at the Coral Gables Museum
- Through Aug. 17: Photo contest submissions accepted (details)
- Saturday, Aug. 15: Little Santo Domingo Day / Family Day on Aragon, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., free
