If you associate with the Ferrari community long enough, you’ll hear the three most important seasons of the year repeated on cue: before Cavallino, after Cavallino, and at Cavallino. After 35 years, the South Florida weekend remains one of the most influential moments on the social calendar and everyone wants in. Beyond rubbing shoulders with the industry’s who’s who, Cavallino serves as a real-time study of where the brand is heading: a carefully engineered social experience.

Curation is Canossa’s specialty. Through global expansion, partnerships, and elevated lifestyle programming, Luigi Orlandini’s team has positioned Cavallino as something far larger than a once-a-year gathering. It now operates as a global luxury platform. Beyond the cars, the question becomes: what makes the weekend feel so special?

The entertainment industry would call the atmosphere at Cavallino 35 a “vibe” or an intangible emotional experience prioritized over product consumption. That idea feels counterintuitive in the house Enzo built, yet it works precisely because the baseline is opulence. Canossa normalizes Ferrari to the degree that guests focus on each other over the vehicles. It becomes difficult for one owner to out-peacock another when $700 hooded sweatshirts are synonymous with loungewear at the Ferrari boutique. All weekend long sweatshirts quietly sold, not because anyone needed them, but because the environment allowed it. Cavallino is demanding from stocking guest retreats to the show field aesthetics, luckily Canossa understands how to deliver.

Ferrari North America goes to great lengths ensuring that its showrooms are visual perfection and Cavallino translated these elements to the field. Thoughtful use of space made the show inviting and easy to navigate. Classes were grouped together with ample room for doors to open during judging. As opposed to many golf course shows, Cavallino focused on the visual breadth rather than depth of the field. This resulted in a forward-facing panoramic view with all cars within sight. On par with the theme of the weekend, one-off examples dotted the field, finally comfortable among peers. The subplot of Cavallino was easily public exposure to new models highlighted by an impressive tailor-made Icona congregation. Notably, major awards found new homes with vintage examples over the well-stocked modern classes.

Hosting the Cavallino crowd is no easy task, yet The Boca Raton Resort operated in lockstep. Cavallino is no longer simply a concours. It is an environment. Recently renovated resort grounds felt open, navigable, and intentionally casual. Use of the Mizner Center throughout the event allowed attendees a place to socialize away from general resort traffic, while reminders of the weekend’s theme appeared throughout the property. Canossa confirmed suspicions that The Boca will host the event for another handful of years; extended residency would not be surprising.

One venue continuing its role is Mar-a-Lago, which hosts Classic and Sport Sunday in West Palm Beach. Historically, the event showcased local non-Ferrari automobiles during Cavallino weekend, creating a broad mix from Harley to Allard. Canossa bills the Sunday show as a ‘light’ concours with a charity brunch, supporting the Cavallino Foundation. Attendees gather for drinks and bites around the pool while mid-morning judging takes place. Following morning socialization, the buffet style brunch doubles as awards reception in the grand ballroom. Since Canossa’s modernization of Cavallino, this portion of the weekend has remained largely unchanged and serves as the perfect exhale after an otherwise heavy few days.

Canossa understands in today’s market, luxury is less about unobtainable objects and more about unpredictable moments. All weekend long the scene was set for meaningful experiences surrounded by family and community. The success of Cavallino has never been measured by the rarity of the cars on the lawn but by the ease with which they disappear into the background. For those who have heard 35 years of the Cavallino playlist on repeat, location was never the draw.

Before Cavallino. After Cavallino. At Cavallino. The mantra is deafening because the brand has grown beyond a date on the calendar into something closer to infrastructure, a place where Ferrari culture gathers, connects, and moves forward. Cavallino is the destination and that distinction may ultimately define its next chapter.

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It has been a busy few weeks here in the offices of the Ferrari Market Letter. I wished I could have made it down to Florida for Cavallino, but it was not to be. Every new website has its teething problems, and we have been working through each issue.

Is it perfect? No, it is a work-in-progress. At least we are getting the backroom items sorted and fixed. I appreciate the support from all subscribers as we make this transition. I hope to be back to writing soon and bringing stories and information on a regular basis.

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Jim Weed