Saturday morning: the market at The Abbey
The Abbey market, Aventura Mall weekend options, permit-fee changes, HCA AI hub status, and Waymo expansion near the mall.
The Abbey's Saturday market runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m. across the first level, with makers, growers, roasters, artists, and vintage sellers in the mix.
The clearest plan for Saturday morning is the collective market at The Abbey at Aventura, which runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. across the first level throughout the building. It isn't strictly a farmers market. The Abbey frames it as a curated mix of makers, growers, roasters, and creators, with handcrafted ceramics, small-batch wines, specialty coffee, rare books, work from local artists, and even vintage tee-shirt collectors in the rotation. If you want a single anchor for the weekend that's local and walkable, this is it.
A weekend at Aventura Mall
Aventura Mall has a mix of retail activations, family activities, and pet adoptions running into the weekend.
Aventura Mall, at 19501 Biscayne Boulevard, has several things going at once this weekend.
The Schutz Summer Club runs through Sunday, May 31. To mark its High Summer collection, Schutz is giving away a complimentary Summer Club beach bag with any full-price in-store purchase from May 28 through May 31, while supplies last. It's a gift-with-purchase activation rather than a public event, so go in knowing what it is.
Tory Burch's Summer Capsule wraps up Saturday with a Splash Popsicle Cart celebrating the brand's limited-edition jelly drop. The cart is out from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.
For families, the mall has indoor options regardless of weather. Bluey x CAMP: Bluey's Backyard lets kids step into Bluey's world through guided activities inspired by games like Shadowlands, Rug Island, and Pizza Girls, with a chance to meet Bluey. The mall's listing doesn't post firm dates, so treat it as an ongoing option and confirm at the door. New this week, No Tech Kids Activities is listed as active starting May 29, on the Lower Level near Nike, with hands-on slime making and painting. Exact daily hours aren't published, so plan to check on arrival.
The Humane Society pet adoptions continue Wednesday through Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m., on the Upper Level near Tesla, if you're even casually considering adding to the household.
Sunday: brunch and the farmers market
Jarana has Sunday brunch programming at The Abbey, while the Aventura Farmers Market returns to the mall Sunday.
Sunday has two reliable stops. Sunday Brunch at Jarana, located at The Abbey, runs live music from noon to 3 p.m. alongside Peruvian brunch dishes and drinks. This is recurring Sunday programming, not a one-off, so it's a dependable plan most weeks.
The Aventura Farmers Market returns Sunday, May 31, at Aventura Mall, billed as the largest indoor market in South Florida and a fixture of local farmers and artisans for more than 20 years. If you're writing exact hours into your day, confirm them on the event page first.
HCA Florida Aventura named an AI innovation hub
HCA has named HCA Florida Aventura as its third AI innovation hub, joining sites in Lake Nona and Tennessee.
On the institutional side, HCA Florida Aventura is now one of HCA's AI innovation hubs. In a KFF episode published May 26, HCA's Dr. Michael Schlosser said the company recently launched its third such hub at Aventura, joining sites at UCF Lake Nona Hospital and TriStar Hendersonville in Tennessee.
Schlosser described the hubs as a way to bring engineers and innovation leaders into hospitals and involve care teams in product development, with HCA-wide examples including ambient clinical documentation, staffing tools, and nurse handoff. The designation is the news here; it does not confirm which specific tools are running at the Aventura campus.
A new high school moves to the design table
Aventura commissioners moved a proposed 1,000-student high school into schematic design with a $360,336 work authorization.
The most consequential local news this week came out of the city's May 21 special meeting. Aventura commissioners moved to authorize the city manager to execute a $360,336 work authorization with Currie Sowards Aguila Architects for schematic design services on the proposed Aventura high school.
The plan describes a new 1,000-student high school located immediately west of Don Soffer High School at 3151 NE 213th Street. The authorization covers the schematic design phase, which includes architectural site, floor, and roof plans and elevations, plus structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, civil, storm drainage, and landscape conceptual plans. The work is set to be completed within three months of its effective date.
To be clear about what this is: it's a design authorization, not construction approval. There's no opening date and no final design yet. But it is the first concrete step toward a second public high school in the city, and the next phase is the one to track.
A permit-fee change coming July 1
A state-law change taking effect July 1 will alter how Aventura can structure building inspection and private-provider permit fees.
If you're a homeowner, condo board member, contractor, or developer, this one is practical. At a May 21 workshop, city staff discussed Florida's House Bill 803 and a proposed transitional permit fee schedule, with a draft schedule marked effective July 1, 2026.
The law, effective that date, requires that inspection fees reflect actual costs and expressly prohibits local governments from basing building inspection fees on the value of a project. It also requires fee reductions of at least 25% when inspections are handled by a private provider, and at least 50% when a private provider does both plan review and inspections. Staff was still analyzing fiscal impacts and interpretations, so final adopted rates aren't locked in yet. Watch for a resolution before assuming your permit costs have changed.
Waymo says service is expanding near the mall
Waymo says its South Florida service area is expanding near Aventura Mall, though it does not change weekend travel yet.
Finally, a transportation note. NBC 6 reported May 13 that Waymo is expanding its driverless service by another 50 square miles, bringing its regional footprint to 150 square miles. The company said it will begin expanding to Hard Rock Stadium and near Aventura Mall. NBC also noted Waymo is adding select highway travel, including I-95, SR 836, and SR 826. Nothing here changes how you get around this weekend, but it is a concrete transportation expansion near Aventura.