Pinecrest Gardens' 2026-27 Season Ends in May 2027, and So Does the Deadline to Bring the Birds Back
Pinecrest Gardens' 2026-27 calendar opens this Saturday, October 17, and its last listed shows fall in May 2027. Friends of Pinecrest Gardens has a fundraising deadline in that same month. It needs to raise $550,000 in private money by May 2027 to build aviaries for birds coming from Jungle Island, the attraction that began on this site as Parrot Jungle. Between now and then, the Gardens is booking new musicians, opening a history exhibit built on residents' own photographs, and raising money for the birds' return.
Parrot Jungle opened at 11000 Red Road on December 20, 1936. It was founded by Franz and Louise Scherr. The Village bought the property on December 17, 2002, and Pinecrest Gardens opened as a municipal park on March 8, 2003, according to the Pinecrest Tribune. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places. The campaign page says that for more than two decades, visitors have asked when the birds will return.
The current plan, called "Bringing the Birds Home," is set out on the Friends of Pinecrest Gardens page:
The page says no tax dollars will pay for the birds' care or operations. Gifts go through Friends of Pinecrest Gardens, a 501(c)(3) acting as the campaign's fiscal agent. The figures don't fully add up on the page. The Village's $200,000 plus the $550,000 still to raise comes to the $750,000 construction budget. The page doesn't say how the $250,000 care endowment will be funded.
The plan has shrunk since it was first studied. A feasibility report dated May 30, 2025 described bringing back 40 to 50 parrots. Its species list included blue-and-gold macaws, green-winged macaws, hyacinth macaws, sulphur-crested cockatoos, red-tailed black cockatoos and African greys. The Miami Herald reported that the report put three enclosure options at $1 million to $3 million. WLRN cited an estimated annual operating cost of about $80,000. The current campaign plans for fewer birds and budgets $750,000 for construction, below the low end of that range. Neither source explains why the plan changed. No final species list, construction start or opening date has been published.
The design is also unsettled. In July 2025, the Miami Herald described a possible open aviary in the lower garden near the main entrance, but final plans had not been set.
The timing comes from Watson Island. Miami voters approved a redevelopment proposal for Jungle Island's site in November 2024. The plan calls for two residential towers and a 13-acre public park. Miami Today reported that the city commission approved the deal on July 24, 2025. It covers 18.7 acres at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail: 5.4 acres would be sold for $135 million, and 13.3 acres would go back to the city for a waterfront park.
That does not mean Jungle Island has closed. When the Herald reported on the bird talks in July 2025, Jungle Island was still open, and the paper said redevelopment could be months or years away. The campaign page puts it more gently: Jungle Island is planning for its animals' futures, and some birds, including species dating back to the original Parrot Jungle years, need permanent homes.
The Gardens is also building a history exhibit from the community's own photos. Wings, Scales & Wonder: Pinecrest's Legacy of Living Attractions covers Parrot Jungle, the Serpentarium and Rare Bird Farm. It opens January 16, 2027, and runs through the end of May. The exhibit page asks for donated or loaned photographs, artifacts and memories. It specifically mentions snapshots with Pinky, the flamingos, or beneath the banyans. Photos and a short note go to [email protected], and selected submissions may appear on the Village's social media as well as in the exhibit. The Pinecrest Tribune ran a call for the same exhibit on July 30, 2026, with reader photos such as a 1988 preschool visit.
The exhibit closes in the same month as the aviary fundraising deadline.
The Banyan Bowl, which Miami New Times named Best Outdoor Venue in its 2025 Best of Miami, starts its fall season this week. The jazz series has been completely replaced. Last season's six headliners were Cécile McLorin Salvant, Troy "Satchmo" Anderson & The Hot Five, the Arturo O'Farrill Quintet, the Ashley Pezzotti Quartet, the Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project and Nu Deco Ensemble. None of them are back in the jazz series. Tropical Nights, now in its fifth season, also has all-new acts.
Here is the season by month:
Prices below include processing fees, as listed on each series page.
| Series | Single ticket, Level A | Single ticket, Level B | Full subscription, A / B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz, 6 shows | $55–60 | $45–50 | $275 / $250 |
| Tropical Nights, 3 shows | $55–60 | $45–50 | $150 / $135 |
| Sound Sessions, Hazmat Modine | $55 | $50 | Not listed; VIP tasting and concert $120, $100 early bird |
At the top level, a jazz subscription works out to about $46 a show, which is $9 to $14 below the single-ticket price. Regular admission to the grounds is $8 for ages 2 through 64 and $5 for seniors. Children under 2 get in free, as do active military members and their immediate families with valid ID. Membership prices are Individual $55, Dual $95 and Family $145, unchanged since October 1, 2023. That may change. The Village's 2026–2031 strategic plan sets a 2026 goal to review membership levels and add contributing tiers. No new prices have been announced.
The holiday festival has fewer nights this year. Nights of Lights ran from December 5 to 28 in 2025. For 2026, the Gardens lists 13 nights, all ending by December 23: December 4–6, 11–13 and 17–23, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. That leaves no nights between Christmas and New Year's, when out-of-town family is most likely to be visiting. Opening night on December 4 includes Santa, a tree lighting, carolers, Maria Verdeja School of the Arts' "The Legend of Frosty," crafts and story time. Ticket prices were still marked "coming soon" when this was written.
On Sundays, the farmers market continues through the season. The market page lists hours starting at 8:30 a.m., along with a free Baptist Health Vinyasa class from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The page shows hours in two places that don't match, so it's worth checking before you go.
The season's last listed show is May 9, Wings, Scales & Wonder closes at the end of May, and the private fundraising target for the aviaries is due by May 2027. The Village's capital projects page, last updated in August 2026, does not list a Pinecrest Gardens project. For now, the plan to return the birds runs only through Friends of Pinecrest Gardens.
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