Okay, so I gotta tell you about my adventure trying to catch the Coral Gables tree lighting in 2023. It was a whole thing, let me tell you!
Planning (Or Lack Thereof)
First off, I heard about this tree lighting thing from a friend. They were like, “It’s magical, you gotta go!” And I’m all about festive vibes, so I was in. Problem was, I didn’t really, you know, plan.
I Googled “Coral Gables tree lighting 2023” like, the day before. Found a couple of mentions, mostly old news articles from previous years, which gave me a general idea. I figured, “It’s probably at Merrick Park, that’s where they usually do stuff, right?” Big mistake, maybe.
The Great Parking Hunt
So, I drove down to Coral Gables. Traffic was, shall we say, spirited. Everyone and their grandma seemed to have the same idea. I circled Merrick Park like a vulture for a good 30 minutes. No parking. Nada. Zip.
Finally, I gave up and parked like, ten blocks away, in a residential area. I hoped I wouldn’t get towed. Fingers crossed!
Following the Crowd
I started walking towards what I thought was Merrick Park, basically just following the stream of people all bundled up in (mildly) winter clothes. It’s Miami, so “winter” is like, 65 degrees.
The Revelation (Finally!)
After a few more minutes and after asking for several directions, finally!I saw the location. I see City Hall and a very crowd. I went there, found the crowd, and enjoyed the special moment with my friends. What a beautiful night!
