SAturday, October 4

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

Fairchild Member's Day Plant Sale
Annually during the past 70 years, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has distributed plants to Fairchild members for use in the South Florida gardens and landscapes. Once again the time has arrived for Garden members to enjoy an exclusive benefit of membership. Through the years, Fairchild's horticulture staff have observed, evaluated, and introduced beautiful, interesting, and diverse trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers to the community. A concerted effort has been made to identify plants that are well adapted to our climate and soils, are non invasive, and will provide a welcome addition to the yards and gardens of South Florida. The sale takes place from 9am to 1pm in the Fairchild Palmetum, 10901 Old Cutler Road. Call 305-667-1651. http://www.fairchildgarden.org

Cooking Class At Two Chefs
Join Two Chef's staff in preparing a wine maker's tasting luncheon. The food will be based on grape varietals and the menu will be determined upon seasonal availability and number of guests. Two Chefs is located at 8287 S. Dixie Hwy. Call 305-663-2100.

Hispanic Heritage At Barnes & Noble
Adults and children are welcome to join Barnes & Noble at 11:30am in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Barnes & Noble will be spotlighting Spanish-language literature with a special bi-lingual storytime with Barbara Rosales, author of "Tito, El Conejo De La Oreja Verde." at 11:30am, famed author and romance therapist, Mabel Iam of "La Dieta Del Amor" at 3pm and local author Ligia Houben of "Transforma Tu Perdida…" at 5:30pm. Adults will enjoy a book discussion with the authors, while the kids can enjoy storytime alongside Tito the Rabbitt and fun arts and crafts. Barnes & Noble is locaed at 152 Miracle Mile. Call 35-446-4152. http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Hurricanes vs Florida State Seminoles
Cheer on your University of Miami football team as the 'Canes take on arch-rival Florida State Seminoles at Dolphin Stadium at 3:30pm. This is the second of three back to back home games in Miami. 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

Come Play in the Park with Your Family
Village of Merrick Park, along with hostesses Tina Boresow-Dougherty, Kristen Munroe, Blair Sonville, and Boo (Province) Zamek, invite guests and their families to join in the festivities of "Come Play in the Park with your Family," a day of fun and shopping at the Village of Merrick Park from 2 to 4pm. The day's celebrations will feature engaging activities especially for children, including shopping bag "creation stations," balloon artistry, and an airbrush artist. Pottery Barn Kids will be celebrating Family Day by giving away "Clancy the Bear" stuffed animals in their store while supplies last, and Borders will be hosting a story time in the garden. Additionally, other select stores will offer special in-store promotions throughout the event. Kids and parents alike will groove to the beats of an interactive children's DJ. Popcorn, lemonade, and cotton candy will be served. http://www.VillageofMerrickPark.com

Oktoberfest Continues
Meet up with friends to celebrate the annual Coral Gables Oktoberfest celebration at Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, 60 Merrick Way, continuing through Monday, October 13. The festivities include live music, special Oktoberfest beer from Bavaria and a holiday menu. Call 305-774-1883. http://www.bierhaus.cc

Philip Smith: Walking Through Walls
After a full day of creating beautiful interiors for the rich and famous, Lew Smith would come home, take off his tie, and get down to his real work as a psychic healer who miraculously cured thousands of people. For his son, Philip, watching his father transform himself, at a moment's notice, from gracious society decorator into a healer with supernatural powers was a bit like living with Clark Kent and Superman. Walking Through Walls is Philip Smith's astonishing memoir of growing up in a household where séances, talking spirits, and exorcisms were daily occurrences, and inexplicable psychic healings resulted in visitors suddenly discarding their crutches and wheelchairs or being cured of fatal diseases. While there are benefits to having a miracle man in the house, Philip soon discovers the downside of living with a father who psychically knows everything he is doing. Surrounded by invisible spirits who tend to behave like nagging relatives, Philip looks for ways to escape his mystical home life -- including forays into sex, surfing, and even Scientology. By turns hilarious and profound, Walking Through Walls recounts Philip Smith's often bizarre but always magical coming of age in a household that felt like a cross between Lourdes and the set of Rosemary's Baby, and shows how he managed to map out his own identity in the shadow of a father who, truly, loomed larger than life itself. Meet the author at Books And Books, 265 Aragon at 7pm. Call 305-442-4408. http://www.booksandbooks.com

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

World Premiere Of 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

Cabaret at Ring Theatre
Jerry Herman Ring Theatre kicks off its new season with the multiple Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret, a ground-breaking Broadway show that seamlessly blends together elements of music, comedy, sex and drama. Set against the dark backdrop of pre-World-War-II Berlin, the action takes place in the seedy Kit Kat Klub where pimps, prostitutes and brash showgirls would rather drink, party and dance than face up to the growing menace around them. The show's score was lauded by the N.Y. Times as one of the few Broadway scores "with the kind of lingering power that comes from pungent musicality tied to memorable emotions." Performances run through October 11. Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are priced at $18-$22 general admission; $16-$18 seniors and UM faculty, staff and alumni; and $8-$10 for students. Warning: Contains strong adult language and themes. Call 305-284-5426 or buy tickets online. http://www.miami.edu/ring

Banned Books Week Celebration
Enjoy reading banned books? Books & Books celebrates Banned Books Week with short readings by staff and friends, including Nicole Swift, Victor Santiago, Susie Horgan, Michael Hettich, Mia Leonin, Andrea Askowitz, Emma Trelles and few surprise guests. Readers have picked their favorite book from a list of the fifty top banned books of history, reminding us that the freedom to read cannot be negotiated. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups -- or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature. According to the American Library Association, more than 400 books were challenged in 2007. What's your favorite banned book of all time? Bring it with you and join us for a celebration of the values we hold dear at Books And Books, 265 Aragon at 8pm. Call 305-442-4408. http://www.booksandbooks.com

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