With Miami-Dade public school students back in class since Thursday, Aug. 13, a packed stretch of community events gives Coconut Grove residents plenty of reasons to step outside the carpool lane.

Here's what's coming up in the next two weeks.

Tree ordinance workshop: Thursday, Aug. 20

The City of Miami wants residents' input on its tree ordinance rewrite. A public workshop runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hangar at Regatta Grove, next to City Hall on Pan American Drive.

The stakes are real: Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board has fielded at least 14 tree removal permit appeals since January, according to the Coconut Grove Spotlight, up from just one in all of 2025. The city expanded HEP Board meetings from monthly to twice monthly to keep up, and a newly formed Tree Ordinance Advisory Committee is expected to recommend changes to the permitting process.

Peacock Park cleanup: Saturday, Aug. 22

Miami Waterkeeper and the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District are co-hosting a Back-to-School Community Cleanup at Peacock Park from 10 a.m. to noon. Cleanup supplies will be provided, though participants can bring their own gloves and trash pickers. Local Grove businesses are providing refreshments.

Mark Burns, executive director of the Grove BID, has framed the district's event programming as central to the neighborhood's identity. "Coconut Grove has always been about community, and this is one of those moments where that really comes to life," Burns said in June during the BID's World Cup watch party series at Peacock Park.

Sign up through the Miami Waterkeeper volunteer portal.

Free library tutoring: starting Wednesday, Aug. 26

The Miami-Dade County Library System launches free K-12 tutoring on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Online one-on-one sessions run Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. through May 27, 2027. In-person group tutoring meets Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 28 branches, including the Virrick Park branch at 3255 Plaza Street and the Shenandoah branch. Sessions are led by certified teachers and cover reading, math and science. Register at www.mdpls.org/tutor.

Moonlight Racing: Friday, Aug. 28

The Coconut Grove Sailing Club's Moonlight Racing series returns Friday, Aug. 28, after work at 2990 South Bayshore Drive. The event is free and open to newcomers with no prior sailing experience. The club, founded in 1946, will post a sign-up link on its website closer to the date.

Vizcaya Village Market: Sundays through Sept. 27

The Vizcaya Village Market continues on adjusted summer hours every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Vizcaya Village, 3250 S. Miami Ave. Local vendors sell fresh produce, baked goods, hand-crafted items and vegan products inside the historic farm village. The market runs through Sunday, Sept. 27.

More on the calendar

  • Chef Oscar del Rivero cookbook launch — Friday, Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m. at Books & Books Coconut Grove, 3409 Main Highway. Tickets $38 with book, free without. After-party at Jaguar Restaurant.
  • Woman's Club book club — Monday, Aug. 24, 1:30–3 p.m. at the Coconut Grove Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. Discussing "We the Women" by Nora O'Donnell. Registration required.
  • Virrick Park chess club — Tuesdays, 4:30–6 p.m. for ages 8–18. Next sessions: Aug. 25 and Sept. 1.
  • Grovites For Life Annual Gala — Saturday, Sept. 5, 5–10 p.m. at Virrick Park. Tickets $50. Fundraiser for the nonprofit preserving the historic West Grove. Info: 786-918-1656.
  • Verneka Sturrup Silva pool — Open weekends, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. at Elizabeth Virrick Park. Adults $3, seniors $1, children 17 and under free.