Saturday, October 18

Breakfast And Brunch At Novecento
Enjoy the outdoor patio or have breakfast indoors at Novecento, 121 Alhambra from 8am to 11:30. Brunch is served until 4pm on Saturday, with an extensive kid's menu. Call 305-557-0900. http://www.novecento.com

Essential Elements of Parliamentary Procedure
Attend a workshop on Essential Elements of Parliamentary Procedure with MaryScull Brown. Attendees will be prepared to be more effective leaders and participants in organizations and meetings through a better understanding of Robert's Rules of Order. The event takes place at Coral Gables Central Christian Church at 222 Menores from 9:30am to 2pm. The cost of $25 includes lunch. Call MaryScull Brown, South Dade Parliamentary Law Unit at 305-448-9928, or e-mail marscuprp@aol.com

Students: SAT Test Prep Courses
If you're planning to take the SAT tests on December 6, consider a special SAT Test Prep Course on Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm at Mind Works Learning Center, 7250 Red Road. Monday and Wednesday courses are also available from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Call 305-669-8383. http://www.learnatmindworks.com

Bachelor of General Studies Open House
You are cordially invited to attend the University of Miami's Bachelor of General Studies Open House at 10am in the Allen Hall building, room #101. Learn more about the new Saturday format for the Bachelor of General Studies degree program at this morning Open House; refreshments will be served. Designed for nontraditional students, this liberal arts-based degree offers students the option of completing the last 45 credits of their degree through Saturday classes, leaving weeknights and lunch hours free. For more information on the BGS program and the special Saturday BGS program, call 305-284-2727. http://www.miami.edu/bgsdegree.

Actors' Playhouse: Preview The Wizard of Oz
Back by popular demand, Actors' Playhouse kicks off their new season of family entertainment with The Wizard of Oz. Enjoy a preview of this magical tale that is unforgettable to the whole family. The wondrous world of Oz enchants and captures the hearts of audiences of all ages as a tornado whisks Dorothy away to the magical Land of Oz, where she befriends a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodsman and a Cowardly Lion. Together they avoid the Wicked Witch of the West and find the mighty Wizard who can help send Dorothy back home. Come and see the characters you love in this heartwarming version at the Miracle Theatre, Saturdays at 2pm through November 8.

Kids And Families: Come To The Scout's Cookout
The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts in Coral Gables are hosting a cookout for the community, serving BBQ sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs, delicious side dishes, drinks and Cold Store ice cream. Your $10 donation to the George Merrick Foundation will help maintain the historic scout house property. Bring the family and meet up with friends for this all-you-can-eat affair from noon to 4pm at 1107 South Greenway Drive, in the middle of the Granada Golf Course. Kids 5 and under are free. Call me at 305-443-7973 for more information. Tickets can be purchased at the event, or in advance online at http://www.georgemerrick.org/CookoutTickets.html

Afternoon Tea and Brunch At Theine
Enjoy Afternoon Tea, featuring three courses for $35 and breakfast served all day at Theine Tea Salon, 119 Madeira Avenue. Reservations are necessary. Call 305-774-0228. http://www.theineteasalon.com

Miami Piano Circle: Pianist William Villaverde
Enjoy a free performance by pianist William Villaverde at 2pm at Steinway Piano Gallery, 4104 Ponce, featuring the works of Tchaikovsky, Barber, Albeniz, Chopin and Bach. Admission is free and children are welcome. http://miamipianocircle.com

Live Music Series at The Village of Merrick Park
Enjoy live music in the garden at the Village Of Merrick Park every Saturday from 2 to 6pm, with a multicultural mix of Jazz, Bossanova, World Music, Flamenco, Classics, Pop Melodies, Contemporary and Latin Grooves. Guests can listen to the light musical stylings while enjoying all the shopping center has to offer including world-class boutiques, fine dining and light bites. This event is free and open to the public. Call 305-529-0200.

Kids: The Little Prince At Youth Center
Since its publication more than 60 years ago, Antoine De St. Exupéry's The Little Prince has delighted readers with its absurd images, charming characters and deeply moving story of the prince's long journey in search of meaning. It is very much an existential French fairy tale -- and one well suited to the talents and interests of the Miami Children's Theater. Performances begin at 3 and 8pm at the Coral Gables Youth Center, 405 University Drive. Call 305-274-3595. http://www.miamichildrenstheater.com

Hurricanes Football Vs Duke
Miami returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play as the Hurricanes travel to Durham, N.C. to take on Duke at 3:30pm at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Hurricanes are coming off a 20-14 non-conference home win against UCF. In the Blue Devils last outting, they fell at Georgia Tech, 27-0. The game will be aired on ESPN. Call 305-284-CANE or 800-GO-CANES. http://www.hurricanesports.com

Shakra Saturday Specials
Visit their beautiful and serene Yoga Studio for Hatha Yoga at all levels from 10-11:30am. Enjoy their Zen and fully equipped locker rooms as well as class props for free. The first class for new students (Florida Residents) is always free at Shakra Relaxation Oasis, 271 Alhambra Circle. Call 305-774-1355. http://www.shakramiami.com

Perla Sarabia Johnson: Global Warning
In Perla Sarabia Johnson's Global Warning (Publish America, $19.95), danger lurks in Dallas and spans around the planet. Creatures undergo a strange transformation. Dustin Jones must find a way to keep humans safe from these constant threats. In 2028, he goes to Miami to share his vision, but Mother Nature paves a deadly path for revenge. Meet the author at Books And Books, 265 Aragon at 5pm. Call 305-442-4408. http://www.booksandbooks.com

The Fairchild Rare Event: Bidding Against Extinction
The Rare Event is an auction of hard-to-find plants and one-of-a-kind contemporary art works with the objective of bidding against extinction, which takes place at the Garden House and Lawn of Fairchild Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road from 6 to 10pm. Guests have the opportunity to obtain plants and art for their collections that are not easily available, in the case of the plants; or one-of-a-kind pieces, in the case of the art. Fairchild members: $75 per person; non-members: $100 per person. To purchase tickets or for sponsorship information, please contact Mari Novo at 305-667-1651 x3357. Email: atmnovo@fairchildgarden.org http://www.fairchildgarden.org

Imaginative Journey At Steinway Gallery
The "Imaginative Journey", an exclusive performance by Russian-born pianist Damira Feldman, will feature works among others the Prelude, Fugue and Variations by Frank, Impressoes Seresteiras from Ciclo Brasileiro by Villa Lobos, Chaconne by Bach-Busoni, the Spanish Suite "Andalucia" by Lecuona at Steinway Piano Gallery, 4104 Ponce at 7pm. Call 305-774-9878.

November At GableStage
This hilarious play, which premiered on Broadway last January, takes place in the Oval Office. It centers on fictional President Charles H.P. Smith several days before his bid for re-election. November involves civil marriages, gambling casinos, lesbians, American Indians, presidential libraries, questionable pardons and campaign contributions. The play continues thorough November 16 at GableStage, 1200 Anastasia. Call 305-445-1119. http://www.GableStage.org

1776 Musical At Miracle Theatre
The liberty bell tolls and the stars and stripes fly on Miracle Mile as Actors' Playhouse opens the 2008-2009 season on the eve of a national election with a stunning spectacle of patriotic display in the Tony-Award Winning Broadway musical, 1776. With music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone, 1776 is a vividly passionate and often humorous drama about the events that sealed America's birth as a nation and forever changed the course of history. 1776 chronicles the story of our nation's forefathers as they struggle to write the Declaration of Independence and shape the destiny of our country. This timeless story of liberty, passion, and politics will ring out the patriotism in all Americans. The play continues through November 2. Call 305-444-9293. http://www.actorsplayhouse.org

The Rant At New Theatre
New Theatre presents its first World Premiere of the season with Andrew Case's thriller, The Rant making its World debut at 8pm. An investigator assigned to the murder case of a 16 year old African American boy shot and killed by an NYPD police officer must wade through prejudice, deceit, and a volley of anonymous threats to find out where culpability and truth really lies. Under the direction of New Theatre's Artistic Director, Ricky J. Martinez, returning Silver Palm Award winner for The Mission Ricky Waugh will grace the stage along with a stellar cast which includes Patrice DeGraff-Arenas, Reiss Gaspard and Pilar Uribe who will be making their New Theatre debut. The plays continues through October 26. Call 305-443-5909. http://www.new-theatre.org

Festival Miami: The Music Of The GRP Big Band
The Frost Concert Jazz Band, conducted by Dante Luciani, will be joined by Eric Marienthal and Greg Gisbert. One of the world's major jazz saxophonists, Marienthal was a member of the GRP All-Star Big Band. His new album, "Just Around the Corner," went to #1 on the R&R Smooth Jazz Chart and his performances have won him accolades across the nation and around the globe. The concert begins at Gusman Hall at 8pm. Call 305-284-4940. http://www.festivalmiami.com

Trouble The Water At Cosford Cinema
In this 2008 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner, filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal recount a surprising tale of heroism in New Orleans, where a wannabe rapper and her husband brave the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina to rescue their neighbors. Featuring live video diary footage from the couple, the film is both a poignant portrait of a family's will to survive and a startling document of Katrina's devastating power. The film begins at 8pm at Cosford Cinema on the second floor of the Memorial Classroom building on UM campus. Cash only. Call 305-284-4861. http://www.com.miami.edu/cosford

State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America
Enjoy this film screening and discussion, starting at 8pm at Books and Books. State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America (Ecco, $29.95) features the reflections of 50 prominent authors and artists. Each contributor addresses one state, for example, Sarah Vowell on Montana, Jonathan Franzen on New York, and Dave Eggers on Illinois. The brainchild of editors Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey, State by State resurrects a project from the 1930s, when the WPA created the Federal Writers' Project, commissioning America's best writers to describe their states. Tonight, Books & Books is screening a 42-minute feature starring many of the book's most prominent contributors, a film that will be screened in upwards of 100 cities and towns around America as the 2008 election approaches, serving as a catalyst for powerful conversation and personal connection in communities large and small. Is America truly so divided between blue regions and red? What remains of the country that Saul Bellow, John Cheever, and Zora Neale Hurston wrote about seventy years ago? Have we changed beyond recognition? As a momentous election fast approaches, State by State looks at the nation anew through some of its most articulate, insightful, and engaging storytellers. Meet the filmmaker at Books And Books, 265 Aragon at 8pm. Call 305-442-4408. http://www.booksandbooks.com

Saturday Special At The Bierhaus
Never a cover charge at the Bierhaus. The Saturday dinner special is fresh roasted pork loin with sauerkraut and red cabbage at Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, 60 Merrick Way. Call 305-774-1883. http://www.bierhaus.cc

Live Music at JohnMartin's
Drop into your favorite Irish Pub to hear the best live music at JohnMartin's, 253 Miracle Mile every Saturday evening. Enjoy the Blacksmith, a refreshing combination of Smithwick's Ale and Guinness. Call 305-445-3777. http://www.johnmartins.com

Titanic Presents Live Music
Enjoy excellent pub food and drink, plus live music starting SAturday evening at 10pm at Titanic Brew Pub, 5813 Ponce. Call 305-667-ALES. http://www.TitanicBrewery.com

Live Rock & Roll At The Bar
Coral Gables' legacy pub presents live Rock & Roll each Saturday evening, with drink specials including 48 bottled beers, 10 great brews on tap and the best comfort food at The Bar, 172 Giralda. Call 305-442-2730. http://www.gablesthebar.com