Pinecrest Gardens is offering $10,000 in cash awards to juried artists accepted into its 2027 Art & Design Fair, part of a fall season that spans a new exhibition, family classes, workshops and live concerts at the historic park.

The call for artists, now open at pinecrestgardens.org/adfair, invites creators to exhibit contemporary art and handcrafted works beneath the tropical canopy of the 14-acre former Parrot Jungle site. No application deadline has been announced publicly.

The art fair is one piece of a lineup that fills the calendar through spring 2027, according to a programming announcement published Aug. 12 in the Pinecrest Tribune.

Hispanic heritage exhibition opens Aug. 29

"A Tapestry of Voices: Hispanic Legacies in the American Story" opens Saturday, Aug. 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The exhibition features South Florida artists exploring themes of heritage, migration and identity, timed to the nation's 250th anniversary. Details are at pinecrestgardens.org/aig.

Family and education programs

Registration opened Aug. 1 for fall classes at the gardens, located at 11000 Red Road in Pinecrest:

  • Parent & Me (ages 1–3): Movement and creativity classes taught by Pinecrest Dance Project begin Tuesday, Sept. 1.
  • Home School Co-School with The Paper Tree House: An eight-week STEAM labs program for homeschoolers ages 5 and up runs Wednesdays, Sept. 9 through Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Certified instructors lead sessions covering logic games, science and animal encounters.
  • Brave Bites Forward adult workshop: A four-week guided-reflection series created by Jennifer Warren Medwin of JWM Coaching, based on her I.M.P.A.C.T. Method. Sessions run Thursdays, Sept. 10 through Oct. 1, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Drop-ins welcome.

Registration for classes is at pinecrestgardens.org/learn; the adult workshop is at pinecrestgardens.org/workshop.

Live music season

The Banyan Bowl concert calendar kicks off with Hazmat Modine on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. The band blends harmonicas, tuba, horns and banjo into what Pinecrest Gardens describes as "the kind of blues one might have found in a New Orleans barrelhouse had it been built on the shores of the Black Sea." Concert-only tickets are $50–$55; VIP packages pair the show with an Uncorked Wine Tasting.

The Tropical Nights subscription series follows, with Orquesta La Oferta on Saturday, Dec. 19, Baila Nova Plays Jobim on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, and a Cortadito tribute to Buena Vista Social Club on Saturday, April 3, 2027. Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens single-show tickets went on sale Aug. 3, featuring multi-Grammy winner Eliane Elias, Dan Gabel and Allan Harris.

As we reported July 28, the gardens are also collecting old photos and souvenirs from Parrot Jungle visitors for a 30th-anniversary exhibition. Submissions go to [email protected].

Upcoming at Pinecrest Gardens

  • Sundays: Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; free Vinyasa Yoga sponsored by Baptist Health, 8:30–9:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 29: "A Tapestry of Voices" exhibition opening, 11:30 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 1: Parent & Me classes begin
  • Wednesday, Sept. 9: Home School Co-School begins
  • Thursday, Sept. 10: Brave Bites Forward workshop begins
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: Hazmat Modine, Banyan Bowl, 8 p.m. ($50–$55)