Performing Arts Season Preview : October 2026

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Editor’s note

History in the Making

These are exciting, historic times for the City of Coral Gables.

Arguably the most important event of the season is the alignment of city elections with national elections. The city has always held its municipal elections in April. They will now be held on the first Tuesday in November, along with the elections for Congress, state officials, and the presidency (next time). The idea behind this move, approved by Gables residents in a referendum earlier this year, is to dramatically increase voter participation, and hence avoid the election of city officials by slender minorities.

Another moment in history is the acquisition of 5.5 acres of open land from the University of Miami, permitting the creation of Centennial Park at the intersection of Granada and South Ponce de Leon boulevards. This enormously valuable piece of land (worth as much as $90 million to a developer) now becomes the largest park in the city. It will also be protected as open space in perpetuity, especially if voters approve a referendum on the November ballot prohibiting the future sale of any public property in the Gables. Our thanks to Mayor Vince Lago for spearheading this effort (see story page 66).

A more subtle moment in history is something we highlight in our Performing Arts Preview: the advent of the Sanctuary of the Arts. While it is now several years old, not enough residents are aware of this major addition to the city’s cultural platforms. Among other things, the Sanctuary adds the missing component of live dance performances to a city which already had stages for live theater and music. Just as importantly, the Sanctuary is now programming scores of performances each year by classic and contemporary musicians at a truly affordable price, with easy access across the street from City Hall. Kudos to arts patron Mike Eidson for creating this valuable addition to the city’s cultural mix, and to its principal managing director Rafi Maldonado-Lopez, himself a master of the dance, for invigorating the Sanctuary as a home to resident companies. Read our story on page 76 to learn more.

Now it’s time to rack up historic numbers of patrons attending arts events, so important for the cultural vitality of the city. This month you can learn more about all that the arts contribute to the Gables by attending our State of the Arts morning symposium October 6 at the Sanctuary. Free of charge, including breakfast provided by Bagel Emporium. Join us to learn and enjoy.

JP Faber
Editor-in-chief
Coral Gables Magazine