On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 8 p.m., carved jack-o'-lanterns will float on the water at the Coral Gables Country Club pool, 990 Alhambra Circle. Prizes will go to the scariest, the most creative and the cutest. The Pumpkin Float is a small event. The timing is what makes it worth noting. In July, the City Commission approved a contract to renovate this pool, and the city's own memo sets a goal of reopening the pool facility in May 2027.
The pool has company. The city runs this year's Halloween program from Saturday, Oct. 17, through Saturday, Oct. 31. Three of its venues are city recreation sites that are about to be renovated or are under formal planning review. Seen that way, the two-week calendar shows which of the city's places are about to change.
Fifteen Days, Spread Across the City
Before Oct. 31 pulls everyone downtown, the city's Halloween calendar moves from one neighborhood to the next. These are the dates before the 31st, as the city published them on Sept. 28:
- Saturday, Oct. 17. The Pumpkin Patch at Ponce Circle Park, 2810 Ponce de Leon Blvd., runs 2 to 6 p.m. It has hundreds of pumpkins, decorating, face painting, live music, a harvest market and family photo spots.
- Sunday, Oct. 18. Bike Walk Coral Gables leads a morning bike tour through Pinewood Cemetery, the oldest cemetery south of the Miami River and the resting place of many of Dade County's early pioneer settlers. Costumes are encouraged.
- Friday, Oct. 23. The Adult Activity Center, 2 Andalusia Ave., holds its Halloween Spooktacular from 1 to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. Three events fill the day. The Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave., hosts its first Kiddo-Ween Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gentle Trick or Treat, a calm setting for children with sensory needs, runs 1 to 3 p.m. at Ruth Bryan Owen Waterway Park, 3940 Granada Blvd. The Pumpkin Float follows at the Country Club that evening.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27. Gables Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., screens Wicked at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30. The gym at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, becomes the Nightmare on 405 haunted house from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., Glow in the Dark Zombie Golf begins at Granada Golf Course, 2001 Granada Blvd., to benefit the Coral Gables Woman's Club's philanthropic work.
Three of these venues are the Country Club pool, Granada Golf Course and the War Memorial Youth Center. All three appear in the city's current capital and planning documents.
The Pool Has a Contract and a Target Date
On July 7, 2026, the City Commission adopted Resolution 2026-194. It waived competitive bidding and hired John Bell Construction for the Coral Gables Country Club pool repairs and renovation. The cost is estimated at $1,591,988 and may not exceed the available budget. The city informally asked three general contractors for bids, and John Bell Construction was the only one that submitted a proposal. The cover memo explained why speed mattered:
"Various components of the pool deck, pool equipment room, and related areas require structural repairs and the installation of new finishes. To achieve the targeted reopening of the pool facility in May 2027, construction activities must commence no later than October 2026."
The contractor's bid describes the work. Existing deck finishes and pavers come out. Then comes structural and concrete repair, new waterproofing, stone deck and coping finishes, plumbing for the pool perimeter and storm drains, and new pool and deck lighting. The equipment room and cardio room also get work. John Bell estimated five months to substantial completion and one more month to close out.
The schedule has since moved. The July memo required work to start by October. The agenda for the Sept. 10 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board said construction on the Country Club Pool Deck was expected to begin in November. A November start still leaves room for six months of work before May 2027. However, none of the published documents say whether the pool will close completely or stay partly open while the work goes on. Swimmers who use the pool regularly should ask the city directly.
For the Halloween calendar, the timing means the Pumpkin Float on Oct. 24 is one of the last scheduled public events at the pool before the contractor starts.
Granada and the Youth Center Are Also Up for Review
The Zombie Golf course and the haunted-house gym have their own planning histories. At the advisory board's May 14 meeting, Assistant Director Espino announced a master plan for the whole Country Club campus. It covers the Coral Gables Golf & Country Club, Granada Golf Course, the tennis facilities, maintenance operations, the Boy Scout House and other recreation sites. The Sept. 10 agenda also said construction on the Granada Rain Shelters was expected to start within 30 days.
The War Memorial Youth Center, which turns into Nightmare on 405 on Oct. 30, was also on that agenda. It carried the first presentation of a Youth Center Master Plan, after Community Recreation Director Fred Couceyro told the board in August that a concept for future improvements would be shared with members.
A master plan is not a construction schedule, and none of these documents set dates for changes to Granada or the Youth Center. Still, the overlap is real. On Oct. 30, golfers playing a glow-in-the-dark round and visitors walking through a haunted gym will be using two places the city is formally studying for their next form.
October 31 Moves Downtown
On Halloween itself the program shifts from the neighborhoods to Miracle Mile and Aragon Avenue, with events scheduled into the evening:
- 2 p.m. The Wizard of Oz at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, and a Halloween dog costume contest at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave.
- 3 to 6 p.m. Trick-or-Treat on the Mile at participating businesses on Miracle Mile, with face painting and balloon art at 3:30 p.m. and a magic show at 5 p.m.
- 3:45 p.m. Actors' Playhouse's Spooktacular Musical Miracles performance, followed at 4:30 p.m. by the Kiddie Costume Parade.
- 5 to 10 p.m. A Day of the Dead celebration at Ponce Circle Park, presented by the Consulate of Mexico, with traditional performances, music, dance and food.
- 6 p.m. A Y2K Halloween party at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., and Drink-or-Treat, a self-guided happy-hour crawl for adults 21 and older at participating Miracle Mile businesses.
The Coral Gables Trolley runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. that day, and Freebee service is also available. The city has scheduled Ponce Circle Park twice this season. It hosts the Pumpkin Patch to open the program on Oct. 17 and the Day of the Dead celebration to close it on Oct. 31.
Downtown Is Changing Too
The commercial side of downtown has also shifted since last Halloween. Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband and business partner, David Martinez, served the last dinner at Sra. Martinez, 2325 Galiano St., on Saturday, Sept. 26. They said they will keep the space and are already working on what comes next. The restaurant had returned to the Gables on Dec. 13, 2024, 12 years after the original closed, in the former Open Stage Club space with a covered patio, cocktail lounge and live-music stage.
Two new restaurants are expected this fall. Miami New Times reported on Sept. 23 that Imoto plans to open at 100 Miracle Mile, next door to Buccan, serving sushi, sashimi and small plates. The same report said La Pecora Bianca is set to open in November at the Shops at Merrick Park, 360 San Lorenzo Ave., Suite 1430. Both dates are targets, not confirmed openings, so neither restaurant may be serving by Halloween.
Street work is also scheduled. In an Oct. 2 advisory, the Public Works Department said it would begin building a new roundabout at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Santillane Avenue on Monday, Oct. 5. The intersection is to be closed during construction, with detours in place for about a week. If that schedule holds, the detours should end before the Pumpkin Patch opens on Oct. 17. Public Works takes questions at 305-460-5000.
What Continues Into November
Several recurring events last past the Halloween program. The Coral Market at Merrick House, 907 Coral Way, sells vintage housewares, furniture, fashion and collectibles, and the city lists it from Sept. 26 through Nov. 14. Gallery Night is held on the first Friday of each month, and the current listing runs through Dec. 4. Giralda Live is also a first-Friday event at Giralda Plaza, 120 Giralda Ave., from 7 to 11 p.m., with live music from 8 to 10. The next first Friday is Nov. 6.
According to the Sept. 10 parks agenda, construction is expected to begin that same month at the Country Club pool where the jack-o'-lanterns floated on Oct. 24. The city's goal is to reopen the pool facility in May 2027.
At Coltrane Miami Group, we follow the City Commission files and advisory board agendas behind places like the Country Club, Granada and the Youth Center, because master plans and capital projects change how a neighborhood works long before construction starts. If you would like to know how the city's recreation planning could affect your part of Coral Gables, Request a Confidential Consultation.
