Festivals and Events
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Art Deco Weekend
Furniture, history and fashion at street fairs, films, lectures and other events.
http://www.mdpl.org/ADW/overview -
Miami International Boat Show
A quarter of a million boat enthusiasts are drawn to the Miami Beach Convention Center to see the world’s priciest mega-yachts and much more.
http://www.miamiboatshow.com -
Calle Ocho Festival
Miami’s Cuban community let their hair down with a massive carnival party spanning 23 blocks.
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Little Acorns International Kite Festival
A great event for kids and kids at heart on South Beach.
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Fashion Week of the Americas
Under a tent at 21st and Collins on Miami Beach.
http://www.miamifashionweek.com -
Coconut Grove Goombay Festival
Enjoy Bahamian music, dancing, marching bands and refreshing Goombay punch.
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Independence Day
Fireworks illuminate one of the nation’s most spectacular skylines. Best views are from Key Biscayne and Bayfront Park.
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Super Sand Blast
On Ocean Drive, between 9th and 10th Streets, kids and guests can enjoy a sand-castle building competition.
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Festival Miami
The University of Miami School of Music presents a four-week programme of performing arts, classical, jazz and world music.
http://www.music.miami.edu -
Columbus Day Regatta in Biscayne Bay
http://www.columbusdayregatta.net -
Book Fair International
A week-long homage to the written word in downtown Miami.
http://www.miamibookfair.com -
Christmas in Miami
It’s hard to feel festive with the weather so pleasant, but the City of Miami Gardens will help the spirit with the Festival of Carols and a spectacular light display.
Theatre, Cinema and Opera
It used to be said that there was a distinct shortage of decent cultural offerings in Miami, but in recent years, the performing arts scene has improved greatly. The city’s Broadway Series features touring versions of Tony Award-winning shows and there are at least five theatres providing varied productions: the Actors’ Playhouse (musicals); the Coconut Grove Playhouse (international and local drama); the Gables Stage at the Biltmore Hotel (Shakespeare, classic and contemporary theatre); the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre on the main campus of the University of Miami (student productions) and the New Theatre (contemporary plays from the US and Europe). There are a number of local orchestras and operas which regularly offer quality music and world-renowned guest artistes: the Florida Philharmonic, the Miami Chamber Symphony, the New World Symphony and Florida Grand Opera. In addition, the Concert Association of Florida arranges star-packed schedules of high-calibre music. There is also the much-admired Miami City Ballet. As for Cinema, there’s a film festival annually in February and other smaller film events. And Miami has nearly as many multiplex cinemas as it does palm trees. A good listings newspaper will help you make your choice.
Museums and Galleries
Miami can boast some interesting and unusual museums, with special interest for children. The Miami Children’s Museum features two floors of exhibits aiming to teach and entertain toddlers and grade-schoolers alike. www.miamichildrensmuseum.org.
The Museum of Science with the Planetarium is similarly child-friendly and hands-on. www.miamisci.org. The World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum in south Miami is housed in a 45-foot-tall chessboard-like structure and features an interactive history of chess. Also check out these museums:
- Museum of Contemporary Art – internationally-acclaimed art with a local flavour. www.mocanomi.org
- Sanford L Ziff Jewish Museum – chronicling over 230 years of Jewish heritage in Florida. www.jewishmuseum.com
- Wolfsonian-Florida International University – a premier collection of advertising and propaganda art. www.wolfsonian.org
- Bass Museum of Art – a spectacular newish facility with a permanent collection and exhibitions which in the past have included Picasso. www.bassmuseum.org
Miami’s finest art galleries are located within walking distance of one another in Coral Gables along Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Also check out the burgeoning art scene in the Design District.
For Children
Miami provides the perfect location for a family holiday and children of all ages will find plenty to occupy themselves. As Amy Virshup, Escapes Editor of the New York Times, says: “ Miami is a great place to take a kid.” If you can prise them off the beach, there are the activities mentioned above: the Everglades, the Seaquarium, the Metro Zoo, the Parrot Island Jungle and the Children’s Museum. Amy Virshup also recommends a drive south to the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, which she says is a fun, laid-back, old Florida experience with great beaches and bikes to rent. For a comprehensive list of kids’ activities, go to www.miamikids.net/...
