Two Jewelry Fairs, Two Weekends, One Dinner Key Hangar

"Our studio is just steps away from The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, and so much of our collection is inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us every day." Nancy and Dakota Badiah, co-founders of the designer jewelry brand Buddha Mama, told Forbes why they signed up for COUTURE Coconut Grove.

A Grove studio exhibiting a short walk from home is a small detail. It matters because of where the shows are being held. Over two weekends in November, a city-owned seaplane hangar on Dinner Key hosts a pair of consumer jewelry fairs promoted together as "Glitter in the Grove." One of them is the first public show ever staged by an organization that has run a trade-only event in Las Vegas for more than three decades. Both fairs take place under a commission waiver that expires when 2026 ends. That makes this November's calendar a good look at what The Hangar has become, at the point where the city has yet to settle what it should be.

Two shows, one organizer, seven days apart

Both fairs come from Forge, a new company that formed when two B2B events and publishing companies, Emerald and Questex, were combined. Forbes reported the merger was announced on August 19 after funds managed by Apollo acquired both companies in July. Forge runs U.S. Antique Shows, including The Original Miami Beach Antique Show, as well as COUTURE. So the two weekends were planned as a pair. The first looks backward to signed and period pieces, and the second looks forward to living designers.

On the Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show's ticket page, the Thursday VIP experience costs an extra $200. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau's event listing says advance registration with the code PARTNERGMCVB gets complimentary show tickets, and that both valet and self-parking are available.

Weekend one: the estate case

U.S. Antique Shows launched the Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show in 2025, and its first announcement in National Jeweler described 80 exhibition spaces. For the second edition, Forbes lists Aaron Faber Gallery, Aletto Jewelers, David Rovinsky, Dover Jewelry & Antiques, Faerber New York, J.S. Fearnley and Windsor Jewelry among the dealers. Their pieces carry names like Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, David Webb, René Boivin and Suzanne Belperron.

The organizer has deep roots in South Florida. Forbes notes that The Original Miami Beach Antique Show is in its 63rd year and is among the longest-running antique and vintage jewelry fairs in North America. The Grove show is a smaller fall addition from the same company, and this year it gets a second weekend straight after it.

Weekend two: COUTURE opens to the public for the first time

COUTURE is the reason the jewelry trade is watching the Grove in November. National Jeweler reported in April that Coconut Grove would be the show's first event open to the public, expanding on the trade-only Las Vegas gathering it has held for more than three decades. Organizers told their community, "For years we've been asked to expand the energy of Couture to a broader audience." Forbes describes Las Vegas as an invitation-only B2B fair that brings luxury retailers together with independent designers and international brands. In Coconut Grove, consumers can meet many of those designers and buy from them directly.

Forbes named these exhibitors:

• Lalaounis, the multigenerational Greek house known for gold work inspired by classical culture
• Alexander Laut, a high jewelry house built around large, rare colored stones such as spinels, alexandrites and tourmalines
• Lydia Courteille, the Parisian jeweler known for thematic collections and unusual gemstones
• Buddha Mama, the Grove-based studio quoted above

The show's official site also lists Saboo, Karina Choudhrie Jewels and Alessa. Tony Goldsberry, founder of Rock House, which represents Alexander Laut, Saboo Fine Jewels, Loquet, Melinda Risk and Alessa, told Forbes that "each designer we represent absolutely delights in sharing their stories with individuals who connect with their designs."

Retailers are taking part as well. Jay Hartington, owner of Marissa Collections in Naples, told Forbes his team will bring clients and stylists to see the full collections of brands they already carry. According to National Jeweler, space on the floor is "extremely limited," with a selection of "best-in-class" brands. Trade members with credentials may qualify for complimentary tickets online. Consumers pay $25 online by Nov. 20 or $40 at the door.

A seaplane hangar with an open question about its calendar

The building's history explains why two luxury fairs here count as news. The venue's own site dates the hangar to 1918 and says Pan American flying boats used it in the 1930s and '40s. In its reporting, the Coconut Grove Spotlight describes the venue as built in 1934 to house seaplanes. The Sun Sentinel dates the Dinner Key Naval Air Station to 1917 through 1919. It says Pan Am took over the site in 1929 and flew its last Dinner Key flight in 1945.

Grove Bay Investment Group operates the Regatta Harbour complex under an 80-year lease, signed with the City of Miami in 2014, covering seven acres of city-owned land. City records list The Hangar at 20,000 square feet, and the Spotlight reports that Fire-Rescue has seen it hold as many as 1,600 people. The Spotlight's reporting found that the building was presented to voters as marine retail and services, and that the venue lacked a certificate of use specifically authorizing events.

The 2026 calendar shows how that question has played out so far. According to the venue's events page, this year's lineup has included Montreux Jazz Festival Miami from Feb. 25 to March 1, two South Beach Wine & Food Festival nights in February, McLaren Racing Live from April 29 to May 3, Bay Skate Miami from May 8 to June 14, and Sumo + Sushi from Oct. 16 to 18. A city-owned facility is normally capped at ten special events a year.

In April, commissioners again waived the city's annual 10-event limit for The Hangar through the end of 2026. It was the second consecutive year the cap was suspended, at the request of District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo.

That summary comes from the Spotlight's July 20 report. The same story covered a separate citywide ordinance. It would have let designated historic buildings operate as event venues on an ongoing basis through an exception from the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. The Hangar was its most visible potential beneficiary. Residents near South Bayshore Drive had complained about traffic, amplified music and late-night disruption from large events. According to the Spotlight's recap, the commission withdrew that proposal on July 23.

The two November fairs therefore fall in the final weeks of a waiver that runs from its April approval through December 31, with no permanent framework in place. They are quieter daytime shopping events, a long way from a three-day jazz festival, and they show the kind of programming The Hangar can carry. What happens to its calendar after December 31 is a matter the commission has not yet taken up.

Getting to Pan American Drive

The Hangar is at 3385 Pan American Drive. Here are the options for residents who would rather not drive:

1. Freebee. The Coconut Grove fixed route stops at Regatta Park, 3500 Pan American Drive. It runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
2. City trolley. The City of Miami trolley is free. The Coconut Grove route runs 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, with no Sunday service. That matters for the Nov. 15 and Nov. 22 show days.
3. Parking. The Miami Parking Authority lists the Regatta Harbour Garage at 3351 Pan American Drive.

The jewelry show's Saturday also lines up with an afternoon at The Barnacle, 3485 Main Highway. The fifth annual Holiday Barkzaar runs there Nov. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., presented by Equipaws Pet Services and The Barnacle Society. Admission is $7, and children 5 and younger enter free. The night before, Nov. 13, The Barnacle's Moonlight Concert features The 18 Wheelers. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the music starts at 7. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for ages 6 to 17, and picnics and BYOB are welcome.

If the walk from Pan American Drive back up through the Grove has you wondering what the homes near Dinner Key are worth today, Kimberly Rodstein is happy to arrange a private market consultation or an exclusive listing preview.