South Dade Students Can Take the Festival Stage

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📅 Homestead Area Event

🎵 Student performers, vendors and community groups can apply for a major South Dade festival

🏟️ Homestead is negotiating an $8.9 million Harris Field upgrade, but the contract is not final

🍽️ Ordering Casavana through its own app may save you the third-party markup

🎬 Hooky's movies, bowling, arcade and kitchen can rescue a rainy Sunday night

⭐ Redland starfruit is in season, with one important health warning

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Homestead families could eventually see a dramatically improved Harris Field without the city paying the projected $8.9 million construction bill. The City Council directed the city manager to negotiate a full agreement with VSGS Facilities and Sports Performance Hub for synthetic turf, lighting, seating, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. The city would keep ownership and control outside the operator's reserved periods, while local high school football would remain a priority. The proposed operator would receive 40 event days a year plus weekday access from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., maintain the complex and fund a $100,000 capital reserve. The initial term under discussion is 10 years with two possible 10-year renewals, and the city would not receive a share of activity revenue. Current targets call for the stadium portion by Apr 1, 2027 and later training-field phases through Jun 1, 2029. The key phrase is still “under negotiation”: council's direction lets staff work on a contract, not skip final review. Residents who use Harris Field should watch the eventual agreement for public-access hours, event impacts and the exact construction schedule.

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Young performers do not have to wait for a school concert to find a big South Dade audience. The South Dade Youth Music Festival is accepting applications from student soloists, school ensembles and other youth acts for a free community festival at Harris Field Park on Mar 13, 2027. Food vendors, restaurants, nonprofits and community partners can apply too, giving small local organizations a direct way into an event expected to draw families from across Homestead, Florida City, Redland, Princeton, Naranja and Leisure City. Organizers say the wider three-festival youth series could reach more than 5,000 attendees. Applications are due Dec 10, 2026, and groups seeking more than one festival location must submit separate forms. Priority is expected to go to performers and partners connected to the surrounding communities. That makes the smartest move an early application with a clear description of what your student, school, restaurant or group will bring. Admission for the public is planned to be free, so families can also save the event date now.

Apply as a performer, food vendor or community partner through Arts Access Miami.

📅 Date: Mar 13, 2027
📍 Location: Harris Field Park, 1034 NE 8th Street, Homestead | Free admission planned

Cuban comfort food may cost a little less when you skip the delivery marketplace and order straight from Casavana. The Homestead restaurant says its own app offers pickup and delivery without third-party prices. That matters for a family order, where markups and platform fees can turn an easy dinner into a surprisingly expensive one. Casavana serves Cuban breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus family meals built for sharing. The practical play is to compare the app total with your usual delivery service before checking out, including taxes, fees and tip. Pickup can stretch the savings further if you are already near NE 8th Street. A direct order also keeps the restaurant relationship local when you need help with timing or a large meal.

📅 Hours: Check live hours before ordering
📍 Location: 2814 NE 8th Street, Homestead
☎️ Phone: 305-248-6101
🌐 Website: Casavana Cuban Cuisine

A cloudy Sunday does not have to end with everyone scrolling on a different couch. Hooky Entertainment puts movies, bowling, arcade games, dinner and a bar in one downtown Homestead stop. Its current film board includes newer family and action choices, but schedules can shift, so the live showtime page should make the final call. This works especially well for mixed groups because one person can catch a movie while others bowl or play games. In-theater dining and luxury recliners can also turn a basic screening into the whole evening plan. Sunday hours are listed from 10 a.m. to midnight, leaving room for an early family outing or a later adults' night. Check movie times, lane availability and any age rules before leaving home.

Build a movie, meal and games plan from Hooky's live listings.

📅 Sunday: 10:00 a.m.-midnight
📍 Location: 100 S Krome Avenue, Homestead

Redland starfruit is one of those local crops that looks special and asks almost no work in the kitchen. UF/IFAS says carambola has a fall season that commonly runs through September and October, and ripe fruit is best when the ridges have turned yellow. Slice it crosswise and the fruit makes its own stars for salads, lunchboxes or a cold snack. Backyard trees can be productive, but wind protection and annual selective pruning help keep them manageable around eight to ten feet. UF/IFAS also recommends balanced fertilizer during the rainy season and micronutrients when the tree shows a need. There is one serious exception to the easy-snack advice: people diagnosed with kidney disease should not eat starfruit unless their doctor says it is safe. Compounds in the fruit can be dangerous when impaired kidneys cannot clear them properly. Everyone else can use the season as a reason to ask a Redland fruit stand what was picked locally and what is ready now.

Ask where the starfruit was grown, choose yellow-ridged fruit and keep the kidney warning in mind.

📅 Season: September-October
📍 Location: Redland Agricultural Area and South Dade fruit stands

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