Naranja’s 320-Home Affordable Community Is Open, and Family Apartments Are Leasing

🏠 Naranja’s 320-home affordable community is open

🏁 Free race day comes with a $20 parking bill

🍦 Downtown’s next ice cream shop is taking shape

🐾 A Homestead grad is building a vet-career bridge

💵 Florida’s wage floor is now $15

Heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway for race day? A little preparation goes a long way.

From shade and cooling essentials to portable power and race-day gear, we pulled together practical picks to help you stay comfortable, charged and ready for the action.

👉 Shop the Race Day Picks

October 4

GOT AN EVENT YOU WANT US TO PROMOTE?

If rent is eating too much of your paycheck, Naranja Grand is worth a direct call. The $115 million community opened in September with 320 income-restricted apartments on the site of a former trailer park. Phase I provides 120 homes for residents age 55 and older, while Phase II adds 200 family apartments. The family building lists 90 one-bedroom, 98 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom homes. Its leasing page says Section 8 vouchers are accepted and homes are reserved for qualifying households at or below 60% and 70% of area median income. A nearby bus stop and the Naranja Branch Library make the location more workable for households that share a car or rely on transit. Availability can move quickly, so treat this as a call-now housing lead rather than a promise that a particular floor plan is open.

🕐 Time: Leasing office lists Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. by appointment
📍 Location: Naranja Grand II, 28050 SW 147th Ave., Homestead, FL 33032
🌐 Website: Naranja Grand II

You can watch a full Sunday of racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway without buying an admission ticket. FARA’s Homestead 250 closes with Formula FARA, Prototype and GT racing, Pro Spec Miata and trophy presentations. The organizer also lists food vendors and a family-friendly atmosphere, and coolers are welcome. The catch is parking: Sunday parking is $20 plus sales tax and the ticketing fee. That makes carpooling the easiest way to keep the outing inexpensive. The public listing does not give a first-race time, so check the event page and arrive early rather than guessing. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible, which makes sun protection, water and a radar check part of the plan.

🕐 Time: Ending at 9 p.m.
📍 Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway, One Ralph Sanchez Speedway Blvd., Homestead
🌐 Website: FARA Homestead 250

Students who love animals may soon have a clearer way to turn that interest into real experience. Homestead Senior High graduate Alexandre Contreras is developing VetTrackEDU to connect students, schools and animal hospitals. The platform is designed to coordinate clinical placements, record volunteer hours and document practical skills. An initial pilot involves four students at Homestead Senior High. Contreras’s larger goal is a network of participating Homestead veterinary clinics that can help young people build credible experience before college or technical training. His PetTrio Charity has already supported local pet-food distributions and organizations including Redland Dog Sanctuary. Clinics, veterinary educators and school partners can help this grow by following the project and asking how to participate.

🕐 Time: Pilot development is underway
📍 Location Homestead, with an initial Homestead Senior High pilot
🌐 Website: VetTrackEDU

A New Ice Cream and Candy Shop Is Taking Shape on Krome

Downtown Homestead has a new dessert-shop clue to watch. The Homestead Community Redevelopment Agency approved a $55,000 relocation and expansion grant for Hamsa Management LLC to help open Ice Dream and Co. at 51 N. Krome Avenue. Up to $30,000 can support a grease trap, with up to $25,000 for other eligible improvements. That investment is meant to turn a vacant storefront into an ice cream and candy shop. State corporate records list Hamsa Management as active at the same address. No opening date, menu or public hours were available in the sources checked, so this is a business watch rather than an opening announcement. The useful move is to keep the address on your downtown radar and wait for a verified launch before making a special trip.

🕐 Time: Opening date and hours not yet announced
📍 Location: 51 N. Krome Ave., Homestead
🌐 Website: Homestead CRA redevelopment projects

A $15 R&B Day Party Runs Until Midnight on Krome

Adults looking for a Sunday night out can keep the drive short. A Sundresses & Bow Tie R&B Day Party is listed at Sakpase on North Krome Avenue from 6 p.m. to midnight. The event page promises R&B, mimosas, food and a dressed-up “grown and sexy” atmosphere. Tickets are listed from $15. That is a lower entry price than many Miami nightlife options, though food, drinks, tax and fees can raise the total. The listing comes from a third-party event page, so confirm the event with the organizer or venue before paying or heading downtown. Plan a sober ride home if alcohol is part of the night.

📅 Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
🕐 Time: 6 p.m.-midnight
📍 Location: Sakpase, 134 N. Krome Ave., Homestead
🌐 Website: Sundresses & Bow Tie R&B Day Party

Florida’s Wage Floor Just Hit $15, and Olive Garden Posted Five Homestead Roles

Every hourly worker and employer should check the new number on the pay stub. Florida’s minimum wage rose to $15 an hour on September 30, completing the voter-approved step increases. The direct cash wage for tipped employees is $11.98, with tips making up the permitted credit. Employers must display the current state notice, and workers remain protected from retaliation for asserting minimum-wage rights. For anyone looking to turn the change into a fresh application, Olive Garden posted five Homestead openings on October 1: host, server, prep cook, busser and dishwasher. The employer lists flexible schedules, weekly pay, a limited-menu employee meal and benefit eligibility that varies by role and tenure. Applicants should ask for the base rate, tip structure, expected weekly hours and training schedule before accepting an offer.

📅 Date: Wage effective September 30, 2026
🕐 Time: Apply while listings remain open
📍 Location: Olive Garden, 2575 NE 8th St., Homestead
🌐 Websites: Florida minimum-wage information | Olive Garden Homestead jobs