Homestead sits between two national parks, and this week both are running programs that start at visitor centers with Homestead addresses. Biscayne National Park gives over Saturday, Oct. 24, to migrating birds, with a free beginner's bird walk, an outdoor art session and an afternoon fishing clinic. On the Everglades side, the nonprofit Everglades Institute runs a Halloween-themed sunset van tour on Friday and Saturday. Back downtown, Villa Preparatory Academy's K through 8 students take over the Seminole Theatre stage on Thursday night. Here is what is happening from Oct. 19 to 26.

Saturday at Biscayne: a free migratory bird morning

Biscayne National Park is celebrating fall's migratory birds with back-to-back programs at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point on Saturday, Oct. 24. The day opens at 9:30 a.m. with an Introduction to Birdwatching walk. Rangers will show newcomers how to use binoculars, then lead the group around Convoy Point looking for migrating birds, covering local species and how casual birders can contribute sightings to science. Meet on the visitor center's upstairs porch by 9:30. The walk ends at 10:30.

At 11 a.m. the group slows down for Bird Art, a one-hour session where participants sketch or paint while watching birds. The park will have supplies on hand, and anyone who prefers their own materials can bring them. The group gathers on the same upstairs porch before walking to the spot where they will work.

The afternoon switches to the water. From 2 to 4 p.m., park staff run a beginner Fishing Clinic at the Fishing Bridge, with lessons that can include casting, removing a hook, local species and fishing rules, knot tying and the area's fishing history. The clinic is scheduled again on Saturday, Oct. 31.

All three programs are free, and Biscayne National Park charges no entrance fee. Rangers also lead drop-in Ranger's Choice programs at the visitor center on most days this week at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., rotating among guided walks, science labs, nature journaling and history talks. For that day's topic, call 786-335-3620.

Friday and Saturday in the Everglades: a spooky sunset van tour

The Everglades Institute, the nonprofit that runs guided programs in Everglades National Park, is adding a Halloween version of its Royal Palm van tour. Spooky Van Tour: Demystifying the Everglades leaves the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24. A naturalist leads the group through the legends and folklore of the River of Grass and the facts behind some of its most misunderstood animals, including alligators and spiders, while the park changes over from day to night.

The regular version of the tour runs 3.5 hours with stops at Royal Palm, the Nike Missile Site and the Pa-hay-okee Overlook, in an air-conditioned, wheelchair-accessible van that holds up to 14 people. The Institute notes that restoration work at the Nike Missile Site may limit access there. Standard fares are $60 per adult and $40 for ages 5 to 11, and the Institute says the spooky edition is offered at a discount. Riders must be at least 5 and not need a car seat or booster. Park entrance is not included, and guests must show a pass at check-in by the flagpole outside the visitor center, 15 minutes before departure.

Free ranger walks at Royal Palm

For a shorter visit, Everglades rangers lead the Anhinga Amble at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 24. The 0.7-mile, wheelchair-accessible stroll on the Anhinga Trail lasts about 45 minutes, and alligators and wading birds are often easy to spot. A 20-minute Glades Glimpse talk follows at 1:30 p.m. on the same days, in the shade at the Royal Palm benches, with a different topic each day. Both are free once you are inside the park. Royal Palm is a left turn 4 miles past the Homestead entrance.

Everglades entrance costs $35 per private vehicle and covers seven consecutive days. One day after this week's window, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the park waives entrance fees for U.S. citizens and residents in honor of Theodore Roosevelt's birthday.

Thursday on Krome: a Hispanic Heritage show at the Seminole

Villa Preparatory Academy's students, from kindergarten through eighth grade, take the stage at the Seminole Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. for a Hispanic Heritage Month show. The program features music, dance and cultural presentations drawn from Hispanic and Latino communities, and the show runs until about 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person through the Seminole Theatre box office, and every attendee needs a ticket regardless of age.

Practical details

  • Migratory bird day, Biscayne National Park: Saturday, Oct. 24. Birdwatching walk 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Bird Art 11 a.m. to noon, Fishing Clinic 2 to 4 p.m. Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead, FL 33033. Free, no registration listed. 786-335-3620.
  • Spooky Van Tour, Everglades Institute: Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, 4:30 p.m. Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034. Book at evernpi.org or call 786-465-4058. Park entrance pass required.
  • Anhinga Amble and Glades Glimpse: Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Royal Palm, Everglades National Park. Free with park entrance ($35 per private vehicle).
  • Villa Preparatory Academy Hispanic Heritage Show: Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 to 8 p.m. Seminole Theatre, 18 N. Krome Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030. $30. Box office 786-650-2073.

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