Hundreds of American flags are giving Giralda Plaza a patriotic new look, transforming one of Coral Gables’ most recognizable public spaces into a tribute to the nation’s 250th anniversary and the men and women who have served in its armed forces.
The overhead display brings a red, white and blue finale to a year of colorful installations above the downtown pedestrian promenade. It will also provide the setting for the city’s inaugural Salute to Veterans on Wednesday, Nov. 11, when a 101-year-old World War II Navy veteran will deliver the keynote address.
For residents and visitors accustomed to seeing Giralda Plaza adorned with floating umbrellas and suspended artwork, the American flags offer a new expression of a familiar idea: using the sky above a city street to create a public gathering place.
A patriotic addition to Giralda Plaza
The installation builds on the success of the city’s Giralda Sky public art program, which has turned the 100 block of Giralda Avenue into a destination for residents, shoppers and visitors.
The concept dates to 2018, when hundreds of colorful umbrellas were suspended above the plaza in an installation that drew widespread attention and became a popular backdrop for photographs.
The city revived the concept this year with two successive installations. From May through July, Cielo Tejido: A Woven Sky filled the space with colorful handwoven textiles made by women artisans from Etzatlán, Mexico. From August through October, Giralda in Bloom replaced the textiles with a canopy of floral-patterned umbrellas.
Now the American flag takes center stage.
The patriotic display emerged from the city’s planning for the nation’s semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
At a May 13 Communications Committee meeting, Communications Director Martha Pantin described preliminary plans for a flag-themed installation in November, possibly in partnership with the Coral Gables Community Foundation, as the Gazette reported at the time.
Mayor Vince Lago subsequently pressed for a broader display of American flags downtown, including along Ponce de Leon Boulevard and above Giralda Plaza. At the June 2 City Commission meeting, he proposed taking advantage of the overhead structure already installed on Giralda to extend the city’s anniversary celebrations.
The commission voted 5-0 to authorize patriotic displays and direct the city manager to prepare a budget and implementation plan.
The result gives Giralda Plaza a distinctly American appearance at a time when communities across the country are marking 250 years of independence.
The flags also create a fitting setting for the city’s first dedicated Veterans Day ceremony.
Honoring veterans beneath the flags
Coral Gables’ inaugural Salute to Veterans will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, on Giralda Plaza.
Commissioner Richard Lara sponsored the initiative, which city officials hope will become an annual tradition. The gathering will recognize the service and sacrifice of military veterans, with representatives of the armed forces, live music and family activities.
“It’s especially meaningful to hold our first Salute to Veterans in the year America celebrates 250 years of independence,” Lago said in the city’s announcement. “I hope our neighbors will join us on Giralda Plaza to thank the men and women who have served our country and to begin a Veterans Day tradition in Coral Gables.”
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Harold “Hal” Silberman, a longtime Coral Gables resident who turned 101 on May 1.
Silberman served during World War II as a communications and decoding officer aboard the battleship USS Arkansas. According to Coral Gables Magazine, he is among the relatively few surviving veterans who served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
The Arkansas supported the Normandy landings in 1944 before moving to the Pacific, where it bombarded Japanese positions at Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945.
After the war, Silberman completed his medical education at Johns Hopkins with assistance from the GI Bill. He moved to Miami in 1951 and went on to establish PrimeCare in Coral Gables and Clinical Research of South Florida.
At 101, he remains active in community life. Silberman lives at The Palace in Coral Gables with his wife, Susan, where he edits the residents’ newsletter, chairs the welcome committee, organizes lectures on senior health and leads a morning exercise class.
The City Commission recognized him in May as an honoree for the inaugural Veterans Day celebration. His participation gives the ceremony a personal connection to the generation that served during World War II.
The Coral Gables Senior High School JROTC honor guard will present the colors. Veterans in attendance and members of the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution will also be recognized.
A community celebration downtown
The Veterans Day ceremony is part of a broader series of events recognizing the nation’s 250th birthday.
Since February, the City Commission has invited veterans to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at its meetings, beginning with Marine Corps veteran Sgt. Tomas Salcedo of the Coral Gables Police Department. The city has also featured historical presentations called Semiquincentennial Moments.
The gathering on Giralda Plaza will bring that observance into the heart of downtown, combining military recognition with the public art and community activity that have become hallmarks of the pedestrian promenade.
Giralda Plaza is located between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Galiano Street. Attendees are asked to enter from the east end at Galiano Street. Garage 6, at 51 Aragon Ave., provides nearby parking.
Residents will have another opportunity to honor veterans on Sunday, Nov. 8, when the Coral Gables Merrick House hosts a Veterans Concert and Community Picnic from 1 to 3 p.m. The afternoon will feature ragtime jazz, patriotic music, a flag-raising ceremony and picnic activities on the lawn.
The flags above Giralda Plaza commemorate a country that has reached its 250th year. On Veterans Day, they will frame a gathering honoring the people who helped defend it, including a Navy veteran whose life spans more than a century of its history.
Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff
Originally established in 1996 and relaunched as a digital publication in February 2025, the Coral Gables Gazette is an independent local news organization dedicated to factual, objective and accountable community journalism. Our newsroom reports on the people, policies, institutions and events shaping Coral Gables, Florida, providing residents with timely, informative coverage of the issues affecting their community. Our reporting includes City Hall, local government, municipal elections, public spending, real estate development, business, education, arts and culture, and neighborhood affairs throughout the City Beautiful. We follow City Commission decisions, examine public records and report on the businesses, organizations and individuals contributing to Coral Gables. We believe informed residents are essential to a healthy, engaged community. Stories published under the Coral Gables Gazette News Staff byline are prepared or compiled by the publication's editorial team. We strive for accuracy, fairness, transparency and clear distinctions between news reporting, opinion and advertising. Readers are encouraged to submit news tips, corrections, editorial inquiries and story suggestions through our Contact page and learn more about our standards through our Editorial Policy.
