SPIRIT OF THE GROVE CELEBRATION SATURDAY

      We're having a party at the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station tomorrow, Saturday, April 2.  We're celebrating the new Underline Park that will be created beneath the rails overhead.
       We're calling our three-hour gathering (9 a.m. to noon) "Spirit of the Grove".  It will include a few things that make our village special.
 They put me in charge of sailboat racing.

     JOIN THE EDITABLE ARMADA 

   You'll be able to build a boat, race it, then eat it.  Choose from carrots, celery sticks, and peppers. 

I just built the first prototype. I call this red beauty, "Sargent Pepper".  While she sails nicely, an hour from now she may be diced up in a salad. 

      HELP PAINT A MASTERPIECE

    I'll be spreading out a large canvas that you can help paint.  When we finish our group creation,"Spirit of the Grove", we will mount it next to U.S. 1.  We intend to leave it there for the next month, or, until someone steals it.

     The U.M. architecture have created an outstanding work of art, "Slow-Ride", for the Underline celebration.  They put 1000 Coconut car air-fresheners on sticks. They wave in the breeze at passing cars. I did the same thing with hot dogs in my 1978 epic Super-8 film, "Wienies in the Wind". 
 

      Hank Resnik is Mr. Bicycle in Coconut Grove. He has attached a bike-powered mixer to his Schwinn. If you pedal his stationary bike you can make you own, free, smoothie.

       Hank is also in charge of the 11 a.m. "World's Slowest Bicycle Race" in  the parking lot.  Next to that, The Memphis Kelly Band will play all morning.

       Need to stretch your tired body?  There will  be a free beginner's yoga class at 10 a.m.  Bring a towel or mat.
        The crowning achievement of this happening is our special guest. The Grove's Last Hippie,  Allen "Jellyfish" Aunapu, will take his rightful place on the Grove Station throne. "Jelly" will offer sagely advice and share hard-to-believe stories from his colorful past. 
    I once defended him for riding his bicycle on I-95. ("Why do you do it?" asked the judge.  Jellyfish answered, "I like visiting my mother in Ft. Lauderdale. It's the fastest way to get there".
    Allen has worn nothing but tie-dye for over 50 years.  Come see him and the rest of the Grove gang on Saturday morning. They're all a part of  the spirit of the Grove.
                                ______

For more detailed information, behold the event's official press release:

Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, is shaping up to be a great way to celebrate the “Spirit of the Grove” at the Coconut Grove Metrorail station. The event is part of the larger Bike the Underline/Bike305 celebration that will link the Brickell, Coconut Grove, and South Miami stations in a linear festival spanning several miles.

 

Bike Coconut Grove will offer a varied menu of activities that embody the “Spirit of the Grove” theme. They include:

 

·       Guided “Safe Routes to Transit” bike rides beginning at the Bookstore in the Grove (3390 Mary St.) at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. These rides are designed to help novice or less skilled riders feel safer and more comfortable biking on our streets. Riders who show their bike helmets before leaving on the ride will earn a 10% discount on food at the Bookstore (for this event only). To sign up for one of these rides click on the following:
Safe Routes to Transit ride 1 Begin at 9 a.m. at the Bookstore.

Safe Routes to Transit ride 2 Begin at 10 a.m. at the Bookstore.
Safe Routes to Transit ride 3 Begin at 11 a.m. at the Bookstore.

·       Live music and songs by the Memphis Kelly Band, a rock group based in Coconut Grove. (9:30 a.m. to 12 noon)

·       Participatory Painting on a giant canvas. (9 a.m. to 12 noon)

·       Bike decorating with boxes of supplies and trinkets to make your bike even more beautiful. (9 a.m. to 12 noon)

·       Free bike-generated smoothies. Bike Coconut Grove has purchased the only pedal-powered smoothie machine in Miami, and this will be its first public use. Click here to view a demonstration of the machine. (9 a.m. to 12 noon)

·       Free yoga classes—easy and relaxing for beginners. The classes will begin at 10 a.m. on the Coconut Grove Metrorail station plaza and will offer brief exercises to relax both the body and the mind.

·       The Slowest Bike Race—winners are those who come in last without ever stopping. (10 and 11 a.m.)

·       Edible Armada Sailboat Races in a miniature Biscayne Bay. (10:30 and 11:30 a.m.)

·       Conversations with the Grove’s Last Hippie. (9:30 a.m. to 12 noon)

·       Spirit of the Grove information table—a treasure trove of information about local Grove activities, shops, restaurants, and art galleries. (9 a.m. to 12 noon)

 

Our sincere thanks to Grass River Property for their generous sponsorship of this event.

 

For more information and updates go to our website or Facebook page.