For the entire month of September, the areas finest restaurants including Cafe Boulud, Ruth’s Chris, Renato’s, Charley’s Crab, Talay Thai, iii Forks and other Palm Beach County eateries will offer special three-course, price-fixed menus at $20 for lunch and $30 or $35 for dinner.

The dining showcase kicks off Friday, Aug. 26 with a party for food enthusiasts on the Great Lawn – the centerpiece of Downtown West Palm Beach’s spectacular Waterfront, proceeds will benefit the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.

In addition to an assortment of culinary delights, Flavor Palm Beach’s kick-off will offer live entertainment by The String Theory Band, dance performances from Palm Beach Atlantic University, strolling painted models and a light show.

The party is $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Sponsors include the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Beluga Vodka, Golden Bear Realty, Convention and Visitors Bureau, 97.9 WRMF and American Express.

For info on Flavor Palm Beach, a complete list of participating restaurants, or to make reservations, see www.flavorpalmbeach.com.

“Florida’s state parks protect a number of federal and state designated historic landmarks, demonstrating our commitment to preserving Florida’s heritage,” said Florida State Parks Director, Mike Bullock in a press release.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is the 39th Florida state park to receive designation on the National Register of Historic Places. In order to be on the list, a property must pass the National Register criteria. This criteria includes age, integrity and historical significance and is coordinated through State Historic Preservation Offices.

General Joseph Hernandez, a Floridian of Minorcan descent, purchased the land that now comprises the park in 1818 and named it “Bella Vista,” meaning “beautiful view” in Spanish. Hernandez was a militia general who commanded troops in north Florida during the Second Seminole War. On his many land holdings, Hernandez raised cotton, sugar and crops to feed his family and staff.

Much of what remains in the park today was left by Mr. Owen D. Young and his wife Louise, who bought the property in 1936 as a winter retreat. Mr. Young helped found Radio Corporation of America and became Chairman of the Board of the General Electric Company in 1922. Mrs. Young donated the property to the state of Florida in 1964 following the death of Mr. Young.

Today’s visitors to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park can enjoy hiking and biking, nature trails, wildlife viewing, beaches, fishing and interpretive exhibits in addition to the park’s gardens.

The National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. The national program, authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, coordinates and supports public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America’s historic and archeological resources. To learn more about the National Register of Historic Places, visit www.nps.gov/nr.

To follow Florida’s state parks on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/FLStateParks. For more information about Florida’s state parks, visit www.floridastateparks.org.

HIALEAH – The storied Miami Jockey Club racetrack, one of the great landmarks of the Roaring Twenties, will reopen November 28.

Hundreds of workers are preparing the racetrack for opening day.

The club began in 1924, when Joseph M. Smoot established the Miami Jockey Club and constructed a racetrack and grandstand adjacent to an existing greyhound track. The track that opened on January 15, 1925 consisted of a clubhouse, an administrative building, a paddock area and stables. The park also had jai-alai and rides.

Through its history, it has been known as the world’s most beautiful racecourses.

The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and has been deemed eligible for being named a National Historic Landmark, both of which convey significant tax benefits. It declined in recent years, and finally closed in 2001. Virginia internet entrepreneur Halsey Minor has been attempting to reopen the park.

Horses began arriving at the park again Nov. 12 for the track’s 40-day meet, according to Bloodhorse.com.

Find out more at SaveHialeahPark.com.

One of the most extraordinary items found on the site is the Caravaca Cross, which is believed to have become popular in the 17th century to celebrate the end of the plague. In July of 2002, archaelogists found the cross in a trash pit. Named for a hillside town in southeastern Spain, it was found with other artifacts from around 1650, which dates it from early Spanish occupation and made it a candidate for one of the great early icons of Florida.

Leslee Keys, executive director of the Ximenez-Fatio House, told the local papers at the time that the cross was found on the “10th dig on the property. We didn’t expect to find anything that unusual,” Keys said. “The greatest value to all of us is that it’s so rare and so early.” She said the cross predates the Castillo de San Marcos which was begun in 1672 and the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine begun in 1793.

Contact: Ximenez-Fatio House, 20 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, 904-829-3575; if you like the cross you can Order a replica online

In connection with the festival, a limited edition CD will be sold to benefit the Nashville-based Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. The proceeds will be used by the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation to support educational programs and to foster opportunities for young, aspiring songwriters.

The limited edition CD is a collection of eclectic songs by multi-hit, performing songwriters. The CD features Desmond Myers and Kelsey Mula, alumni of Heart & Soul’s Noise! Camp, which is an annual two-week summer camp held at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, that aims to give students a first-hand look into the music industry. The CD also features several current number-one hit singles including:

• Kylie Sackley and Gary Burr — Nothin’ Bout Love Makes Sense — as
  made famous by LeAnn Rimes
• Jamey Johnson — In Color
• Tim Nichols — That’d Be Alright — as made famous by Alan Jackson
• Bob Dipiero — Till You Love Me — as made famous by Reba McEntire
• David Lee and David Turnbull — Lucky Man — as made famous by Montgomery Gentry.

Only 1,000 copies of the CD will be sold at the festival. The cost will be $20 per CD, while supplies last, and all proceeds will go towards the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. Any remaining quantities of the CD will be available for purchase on the Heart & Soul Foundation’s website, heart.muzak.com, beginning May 5, 2009.

“We are deeply honored to be the first-ever charity partner for the Better Angels Key West Songwriters Festival,” said Bob Cauley, President of the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. “This is a unique event that, like our limited edition CD, highlights the talents of songwriters. The CD, which will be available at the festival, features hit songs audiences know, sung by the songwriters themselves. We are excited to be working with Better Angels Music and to be a part of the Key West Songwriters Festival. Our foundation also looks forward to giving back to the Key West community with a surprise on the stage of the Big Show on Saturday night.”

Stephen P. Villa, Chief Executive Officer of Muzak and member of the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation Board of Directors, said, “The Key West Songwriters Festival is an opportunity for Muzak and our Heart & Soul Foundation to celebrate songwriters and their music. It is also the perfect venue to increase awareness about the importance of music education. In our 75th year of operation, Muzak is dedicated to continuing the success of the Heart & Soul Foundation in order to give back to the communities we serve and to advance the foundation’s mission of redefining and supporting music education.”

About Muzak Heart and Soul

Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to redefining and supporting music education. Heart and Soul helps students channel their passion for music into real world opportunities by providing educational programs on all aspects of the music business. Established in 1998 by Muzak, a leading provider of business, music, and other sensory branding services that believes in the power of music education to change and better lives, the foundation grants over $100,000 annually to school music programs around the country.

About Muzak

Muzak creates experiences that reach more than 100 million people daily. Some of the biggest brands in business work with Muzak to enhance their brand image. More than 80 core music programs and an endless variety of custom programs are distributed through a national network of sales and service locations, from Muzak’s library of approximately 2.5 million tracks. For more information, visit www.muzak.com.

The April opening was featured on the trendsetting website The Selvedge Yard; they snapped a photo of Lilly in a story on the opening entitled Pink-a-palooza. The store opened April 17, 2009; it is the second company owned store in Palm Beach County.

Lilly Pulitzer, the company, was born in Palm Beach, started by Lilly Pulitzer. She ran a citrus stand in Palm Beach, and legend says that she came up with the bright prints to hide juice stains.

The company gained fame when Jackie Kennedy wore her famous shifts.

Other elements of the “Palm Beach” style include Bonnano and Jack Rogers sandals.

Visit their website at LillyPulitzer.com

“The idea of playing polo on the beach is an exciting concept,” says Sunny Hale, President of the Women’s Championship Tournament and the highest rated female polo player in the world. Rated at an impressive 5-goals in the arena and on the sand, Hale is expected to set the bar for the field of 18-24 players who will be participating in this inaugural event. Joining Sunny Hale on the beach is model Paula Chermont who will be leading a Brazilian team into play. This year the South Beach Women’s Polo Cup will precede the 2009 Miami Beach Polo World Cup.

The 2009 Miami Beach Polo World Cup, one of the world’s largest, will take place for the fifth consecutive year. The excitement filled weekend will wrap up on Sunday, May 3rd with the trophy ceremony, immediately followed by the “Polo Rocks” beach bash at the VIP tent on the sand.

General admission to the tournaments is free. Three and four day packages are also available from $350, which include attendance to the First Annual South Beach Women’s Polo Cup and the V Miami Beach Polo World Cup. VIP ticket holders will enjoy access to the VIP lounge area with catering and open bar provided by Bombay Sapphire and Grey Goose. See www.miamipolo.com or call 866-468-7630.

The Tampa Bay area golf and country clubs Hunter’s Green Country Club, Countryside Country Club, East Lake Woodlands Country Club, and Tampa Palms Country Club have a new joint membership scheme called Cross Bay. This membership opportunity by these ClubCorp clubs allows members full social, golf and tennis privileges at all four Tampa-area clubs.

Members will have access to 99 holes of championship golf designed by top course designers, including Tom Fazio, Arthur Hills, Gary Player and Von Hagge-Devlin.

Additional benefits include discounts of 50 percent on Tampa Palms room rates.

“We are excited at the opportunity to provide our members more bang for their buck at a time when many other golf clubs are offering smaller packages at higher costs,” said John Woodeshick, regional vice president, southeast region, in a PR Newswire press release.

For more information on the Cross Bay membership, please contact Duane Brown at 727-784-8576 or see www.clubcorp.com.

Gary Piattoni has more than 20 years experience in the fine art and antique business. He holds a certificate in appraisal studies from New York University and is a former specialist with Christie’s fine art auction house in New York. He has also appeared as an appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow since 1997, as well as a guest on ABC’s The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC’s The Maury Povich Show, and WGN Radio’s Milt Rosenberg Extension 720.

David McCarron carries more than 25 years of experience as an appraiser and auctioneer for regional and international auction houses, including senior positions at Eldred’s, Sotheby’s, Boos Gallery, and most recently, Freeman’s. His broad knowledge across many disciplines is recognized and respected throughout the auction world. He has also appeared as a popular television figure on The Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN. He has been a regular appraiser on Antiques Roadshow since the show’s premiere in 1997.

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show will showcase collections from more than 1,000 exhibitors including rare and unusual historical art collections and antiques from around the world such as 18^th – 19^th and 20^th century furniture; original paintings and works of art spanning more than three centuries; fine American and European silver; highly sought 19^th and 20^th century art glass such as Tiffany, Lalique, Galle and many others; as well as world-renowned porcelain such as Meissen and KPM.

“We are very excited for Gary and David to offer their appraising expertise at our show,” said Andrea Canady, show director with dmg world media. “This added experience for consumers is something we’ve been asked to provide by our attendees.”

For additional show information, please call (239) 732-6642 or visit www.dmgantiqueshows.com.

The Original Miami Beach Antique Show is just one of more than 300 trade exhibitions, consumer shows and fairs that dmg world media produces every year in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The company also publishes more than 45 magazines, newspapers, directories, and market reports. dmg world media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc, one of the largest media companies in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.dmgantiqueshows.com.