From now through Thanksgiving, most free events in Doral happen at one of two places. The City of Doral runs its Saturdays out of Doral Central Park at 3005 NW 92nd Ave. CityPlace Doral at 8300 NW 36th St. has the Sundays and the evenings. On one Saturday, October 24, both are busy on the same afternoon.

Most of the restaurants and shops that opened this year are somewhere else. Four of the five new spots below have addresses west of NW 100th Avenue, around Doral Commons, Doral Marketplace and NW 41st Street. A good fall weekend here means one stop at an event venue and one stop out west for food.

Saturdays start at Central Park

The Doral Central Park Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The city's schedule shows five Saturdays left after this post goes up: October 24 and 31, then November 7, 14 and 21. The city describes it as fresh produce, prepared food, artisan goods and local vendors.

On October 24, the park stays busy into the evening. The city's free Fall Festival runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Central Park, with Trunk-or-Treat, pumpkin picking, a Pumpkin Carving Contest and composting activities. At 7:30 p.m. the amphitheater shows Minions & Monsters, presented by Downtown Doral.

The city's November calendar fills in from there. On Tuesday, November 10, History of Art at Doral Central Park is a conversation with William Alonso about Dadaism, Surrealism and Action Art through the work of Duchamp, Dalí, Magritte, Oppenheim and Beuys. Two days later, on Thursday, November 12, Art After Dark: Kitchen Couture is a hands-on Thanksgiving workshop where participants decorate their own apron. On Saturday, November 21, the same day as the last farmers market on the fall schedule, Doral Pickleball Club leads a free Pickleball Clinic at Doral Glades Park, 7600 NW 98th Place, presented by Baptist Health. Details are on the Parks and Recreation special events page.

CityPlace takes Sundays and evenings

The Sunday Market at CityPlace Doral runs weekly from September 20 to December 27, so it continues after the farmers market's fall schedule ends. That makes Central Park on Saturday morning and CityPlace on Sunday the easiest weekend routine through the end of November.

CityPlace's biggest event of the season is its fifth annual Day of the Dead Celebration. Día de los Muertos décor goes up in October and stays through November 3, with sugar skulls, hanging decorations and photo spots around the plaza. The free event is on Sunday, November 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Fountain Plaza. It includes a procession through the center with folkloric dancers, stilt walkers, mariachis and oversized calavera and Catrina puppets. Comedian Rafael Leidenz hosts, including a tribute impersonation of Juan Gabriel, and the Baila Conmigo Kids youth dance group performs. Face painting is free, CityPlace restaurants hand out food samples, and the "El Mercado" vendor market is open. CityPlace asks guests to register through its event page, even though the event is free.

Food Truck Friday happens on the third Friday of each month from 6 to 10 p.m. October's was on the 16th, so the next one is Friday, November 20.

The Doral Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning also happens at CityPlace. The CityPlace event page lists November 27. The organizer's registration page gives Thursday, November 26, which is Thanksgiving, with the 5K and 10K both starting at 7:30 a.m. Run Doral, Leon Sport and RaceTime produce the race. Go by the registration page when you set an alarm.

October 24 is the day both venues are busy

Most weeks, the two venues keep to their own days. On Saturday, October 24, the hours line up so you can do both, one after the other.

The Super Hero Bash ends at 5 p.m., the same time the Fall Festival opens. For a family with costumes already on, that means market in the morning, a break, CityPlace in the afternoon, then the park for Trunk-or-Treat and the movie.

Where the new food and shops opened

None of this year's new openings below are at either event venue. Most are on the city's west side.

Lucca Trattoria, Doral Commons, 7450 NW 104th Ave. Lucca opened on July 3. WhatNow Miami reported that this is its first Florida location, after Aruba, Panama and Venezuela. The menu has house-made pastas, pizzas from a Marra Forni brick oven, and gelato from a Carpigiani machine. There's a pergola-covered terrace outside. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Doral Commons is a 138,000-square-foot open-air center anchored by Publix that opened in 2017. In the same WhatNow piece, Eric Hines of Jamestown called Lucca "a natural fit to our lineup of offerings at the property."

Flor De Sal, 1455 NW 107th Ave. This Mediterranean restaurant was open by the time The Infatuation reviewed it on September 10.

Whole Foods Market, 10700 NW 41st St. The Doral store was announced to open July 2. Its store page lists hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The company's opening announcement mentioned a bakery, fresh seafood and meat, prepared foods, pizza, sandwiches and sushi. If the Saturday market runs out of something by 2 p.m., Whole Foods is open until 10.

Warby Parker, Doral Marketplace, 10805 NW 40th Street Rd. The Doral store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. It sells glasses, sunglasses and contacts and offers eye exams.

Redhead Burger, Plaza 87, 5755 NW 87th Ave., Suite 104. This is the one opening farther east. It held its grand opening on Friday, July 17. Its Doral ordering page lists smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, tater tots and milkshakes.

For pairing: Lucca's later weekend hours work for dinner after the Fall Festival lets out at 9 p.m. Redhead Burger, on NW 87th Avenue, is the closest new stop to Central Park and CityPlace.

Two more on the way, with no opening dates

Two more food spots are planned for Doral, but neither had an opening date by early October.

WhatNow Miami reported on October 7 that Miam Café was getting ready to open at One Park Square, 3470 NW 82nd Ave. The menu covers breakfast, lunch, snacks and made-to-order food and drinks, plus a small selection of boutique grocery items. Its address puts it closer to the CityPlace side of town than the summer openings.

Sanguich, the Cuban sandwich shop, is planning a Doral location, according to WhatNow Miami on October 2. That report gave no address and no confirmed opening date. The menu includes Cuban sandwiches, croquetas, empanadas, Cuban coffee and batidos.

The full run to Thanksgiving

Our team works in Doral and across South Florida in English and Spanish, and we keep track of what changes around the city from season to season. If you have questions about your part of Doral, or about owning or renting out a home near Central Park, CityPlace or the west-side centers, reach out to Sandra Valenzuela. Contact Us.