When does winter start in Coral Gables? On paper, it starts in November. The city's FY27 fee schedule, published September 15, 2026, has a line for the Venetian Pool labeled "Single Daily Admission- Winter (November – March)."
For anyone hosting family over the holidays, the winter line has one feature to know. Resident admission is the same in both seasons. The entire winter discount goes to nonresidents, which in practice means your guests.
The winter rate is a discount for guests
Here is how the city's fee schedule prices a day at the pool this fiscal year:
| Ticket | Summer, April to October | Winter, November to March |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, resident | $7.00 | $7.00 |
| Adult, nonresident | $23.00 | $18.00 |
| Child, resident | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| Child, nonresident | $18.00 | $12.00 |
A resident household pays the same $7 per adult in January as it did in July. A visiting adult now pays $5 less, and a visiting child pays a third less. Take two resident adults with two visiting grandparents and two visiting kids. Under the summer rates, that afternoon cost $96 in admission. Under the winter rates it costs $74, and the whole $22 difference comes off the guests' tickets.
The city's pool page still shows nonresident prices of $23 for adults and $18 for children, with no seasonal split, so check the price that comes up in the booking system before you pay. The Venetian Pool FAQ adds two rules that matter for hosting. Online tickets cannot be bought on the day of the visit, and onsite sales stop once the pool reaches capacity. If your guests land on a Friday and want to swim Saturday, buy the tickets Friday.
Current posted hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The pool is closed Mondays.
The pool's winter season may be short
The discount lands in the months the pool has traditionally been closed. The city's FAQ still says the Venetian Pool closes for annual maintenance "from December to January."
Last winter broke that pattern. The pool closed in October 2024 for a $6 million renovation and reopened on December 9, 2025, in time for holiday swimming. As the Miami Herald reported, city community recreation director Fred Couceyro said that because the closure had run so long, the pool was expected to stay open until "late 2026."
Late 2026 is now. The city has not posted dates for a 2026–27 maintenance closure. It also has not said the pool will skip one again. For anyone planning around the pool, that leaves November as the only stretch of the winter discount window with nothing pointing toward a closure. The city is clearly planning to run the pool this month. Its adult swim lessons include a session from November 7 to 21.
Some details from the Herald coverage are worth sharing with first-time visitors. The pool opened in 1924 as the Venetian Casino and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Every day it is filled with 820,000 gallons of spring water from the Biscayne Aquifer, and the water is drained back to the aquifer after closing. That water usually sits around 76 degrees. The renovation added a recirculation pump system, a first for the Venetian, and kept the historic look. In the year before the 2024 closure, nearly 65,000 people visited.
Dinner after the pool, in rooms that came back
The places where guests can eat this winter changed over the past six weeks. Most of the news came from familiar addresses changing hands within the same circle of operators.
Havana Harry's reopened in Coral Gables on Monday, October 19. Miami New Times reported that the renovation lasted about a year and produced a new dining room. The restaurant, at 4612 Le Jeune Road, had been closed since August 2025. The restaurant marked 30 years in business in 2025, and its own reopening slogan, as The Burn Miami reported, was "New look – Same Cuban soul." For relatives who remember it from an earlier visit, the reopening means the menu they ask for is available again.
Imoto, Chef Clay Conley's Japanese and Asian sister concept to Buccan, opened at 100 Miracle Mile in October. According to The Burn Miami, its entrance is believed to be around the corner on Galiano Street. The menu covers sushi and sashimi, dumplings, tempura, and teppanyaki. By October 16, reports had it officially open. Across the Mile, Bonsai Sushi opened at 111 Miracle Mile in late September, The Burn Miami reported.
Galiano lost a dining room this fall but kept its operators. Sra. Martinez, at 2325 Galiano Street, served its last night on September 26, almost two years after opening in December 2024. Chef Michelle Bernstein and David Martinez said they will keep the space and may bring a new concept there, per The Burn Miami.
La Pecora Bianca is the new arrival to watch at the Shops at Merrick Park. Miami New Times lists its address as 360 San Lorenzo Avenue, Suite 1430, and The Burn Miami reported that management targeted November without naming a day. Until it announces a date, don't count on it for a reservation the night your guests arrive.
A few smaller changes help with errands and kids, all reported by The Burn Miami. Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop opened at 154 Giralda Avenue in the former Candle Land space. MELI Frozen Yogurt opened at 6601 South Red Road. If you are heading for the slice of cheesecake you remember, Canelita Cheesecake has closed its shop at 374 Miracle Mile ahead of a move into Miami proper.
Everything else on the calendar already has a date
Unlike the pool, nearly everything else in the season has published dates, so it can be planned around a single open question. In order:
- November 6 to 8, Gables Cinema. Once Upon a Time in Harlem on Friday. Ida and Body Double on Saturday. The Color Purple on Sunday. The cinema's calendar is the place to confirm showtimes.
- November 7 to 21, Venetian Pool. Adult swim lesson session.
- November 13 to December 24, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. "Holidays at Fairchild," with holiday décor, Santa visits, and storytime with Mrs. Claus, listed on Fairchild's events page.
- November 18, The Biltmore. Bourbon & Beef, an open-flame culinary event at 1200 Anastasia Avenue, on the Biltmore's calendar.
- November 28 and 29, Fairchild. The annual South Florida Palm Society Show & Sale, the weekend after Thanksgiving.
- December 1 to 20, Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. A Christmas Carol, The Musical, with tickets through Actors' Playhouse.
- December 2 to 8, 550 Biltmore Way. The Merrick Festival Caroling Competition, with local high school students performing carols.
- December 4, City of Coral Gables. The city's ticketing system lists a Christmas Tree Lighting VIP event for 2026, from 5 to 10 p.m.
- December 31, The Biltmore. New Year's Eve Dessert Soiree & Fireworks.
Look at the list against the pool. Fairchild, the Biltmore, the Miracle Theatre, and the caroling stage all have fixed dates through New Year's Eve. The Venetian Pool, the one place whose prices now favor visitors, has no posted schedule after November.
Planning a guest week around the open date
If family arrives before Thanksgiving, start with the pool. Buy online the day before, plan around the Monday closure, and pay the winter nonresident rate if the booking system shows it. Dinner at Havana Harry's or Imoto is a short drive afterward. The Fairchild holiday program opens November 13, so a mid-November visit can cover both the garden and the pool.
If guests come for Christmas week, plan the trip around the parts with dates: A Christmas Carol runs through December 20, Holidays at Fairchild runs through December 24, and the Biltmore's fireworks are on December 31. Check the Venetian Pool page that week before promising anyone a swim. Last December the pool reopened after a renovation. This December it may go back to its usual maintenance closure.
At 1 Nation Realty, we track the calendar in Coral Gables as closely as the listings. If your holiday guests are starting to ask what it would take to have their own key in the Gables, request a private consultation with Todd Nation and we'll start with the streets you've already walked them down.
