By Coral Gables Gazette staff
The Underline will host a free Family Day this Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its plaza in Coral Gables, offering an afternoon of art, music, movement, and mindfulness activities for residents of all ages.
The event arrives at a moment when South Florida’s civic conversation around public space and community wellness is growing louder. Made possible by a sponsorship from The Kirk Foundation — a Miami-Dade County philanthropic organization with a decades-long commitment to arts, education, and youth development — the day is entirely cost-free and open to the public. It marks The Underline’s latest step in its ongoing mission to transform the 10-mile linear park beneath Miami’s Metrorail into a living civic corridor.
A partnership rooted in wellness and women’s leadership
This year’s Family Day features a collaboration with FFGAINS — formally known as Fitness + Financial Gains — a Miami-based community wellness organization and athleisure brand founded in 2022 by Afro-Latina entrepreneur Jessyka Castillo. The organization has built a regional following through its dual focus on physical fitness and financial literacy, blending structured workout events with coaching sessions, community mixers, and women-centered programming across Miami, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
FFGAINS will lead movement and mindfulness activities throughout the morning, with all sessions guided by women. The partnership reflects a broader trend in South Florida civic programming: bringing purpose-driven organizations into public space to offer residents accessible, high-quality wellness experiences outside of traditional gym or studio settings.
Castillo has described FFGAINS’ ethos in terms that carry particular resonance for community events like this one. The brand was born, she has said publicly, from her own experience healing through movement — a personal story that has shaped the organization’s emphasis on mental health, body positivity, and the idea that fitness is a tool for life transformation, not just physical conditioning.
What attendees can expect
The event is designed to offer something for every member of the family. Mindfulness stations will provide quiet creative space for journaling, art-making, and a photo-booth drawing hybrid intended to invite playful self-expression. These art therapy-adjacent activities sit alongside the movement programming, creating an atmosphere that blends calm reflection with physical energy.
Complimentary food and beverages will be available throughout the morning, provided exclusively by women-owned vendors. A women DJ will supply the musical backdrop, keeping the day’s energy light and celebratory without drowning out conversation or activity.
The event takes place at The Underline Plaza, located at 140 Ruiz Avenue in Coral Gables, directly accessible by foot, bike, and public transit via the Douglas Road Metrorail Station. Bike racks are available on site. Drivers may use metered parking in the Douglas Road Station lot on Peacock Avenue, where 226 spaces are available via PayByPhone at code 30985. The Underline is fully wheelchair accessible.
The Kirk Foundation and the civic case for free programming
The Kirk Foundation, established in 1999, operates with an explicit mission to partner with nonprofit organizations within Miami-Dade County to improve the lives of county residents through long-term program funding. Its philanthropic portfolio centers on youth development, arts, and education — a focus consistent with its decision to underwrite this Family Day.
The foundation’s history in South Florida is substantial. It was established by R. Kirk Landon, who helped found Arts for Learning Miami more than two decades ago, providing that organization’s first financial gift and serving as its founding board chair. Rosa Santiago serves as president of the foundation today.
The decision to bring that legacy to bear on a free public event reflects a straightforward civic calculation: high-quality arts and wellness programming should not be limited to those who can pay for it. At The Underline, that principle finds an appropriate home.
The Underline: a linear park as civic platform
The Underline is one of South Florida’s most ambitious urban infrastructure projects in recent decades. The organization describes its mission as delivering and activating a 120-acre linear park spanning 10 miles beneath Miami’s Metrorail, with a goal of transforming regional mobility and celebrating diversity, culture, and lifelong learning. The park links Brickell to Dadeland South, threading through Coral Gables along its path.
Programming is central to that vision. The Underline runs a regular calendar of free events — fitness classes, artist talks, community markets, and family days — treating its trail and plazas not as passive green space but as activated civic infrastructure. Recent programming has included a residency by Miami artist April Bey and recurring fitness series along the park’s Inter Stage and Vizcaya Station Plaza destinations.
Saturday’s Family Day fits squarely within that framework. It positions the Underline Plaza as a space where neighbors can encounter art, movement, music, and community in a single Saturday morning — all within walking or biking distance of large parts of Coral Gables.
Looking ahead
Family Day is free and open to the public. Reservations are available through The Underline’s Eventbrite page. Organizers advise attendees to bring water, sunscreen, and light snacks, as the event takes place in an outdoor space. In the event of significant rain or lightning, The Underline will notify registered attendees by email up to two hours before the scheduled start time.
For residents considering the broader context of South Florida’s public space investments, Saturday offers a low-stakes but meaningful opportunity to see what a well-activated urban trail can look like on a weekend morning — and to assess whether the civic promise of projects like The Underline is being realized in practice.
Event details
What: Family Day at The Underline
When: Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: The Underline Plaza, 140 Ruiz Avenue, Coral Gables
Transit: Douglas Road Metrorail Station (exit South). Fully wheelchair accessible.
