Miami Entertainment Tips
Read these 19 Miami Entertainment Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Miami tips and hundreds of other topics.
Santa's Enchanted Forest
Florida may be the Sunshine State, but even die-hard warm-weather loving Miamians need a winter fix every now and then. Santa's Enchanted Forest is sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit when it opens in November for the winter season. At the center of the self- proclaimed “World's Largest Christmas Theme Park” is a 90-foot Christmas tree decorated from top to bottom with lights. Also there to entertain are more than 50 carnival rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, 9 live shows and, of course, Santa himself. The park is open every day from early November to early January, 5 p.m. to midnight. Admission is $18.22 & tax for adults, $12.15 & tax for children.
The Best Latin Music in Town
There's no shortage of Latin dance clubs in Miami, but for what many hail as “the best Latin music in town,” there's only one choice – La Covacha. Blaring salsa, merengue, and Latin rock, this club stays open till the wee hours of the morning. The main language spoken here is Spanish -- Miami's second language -- but the universal language of music will be understood by all who walk through the doors. If you want to catch a bite before dancing the night away, the kitchen is open until 7:30 p.m.
Fourth of July in Miami
Miami's spectacular skyline becomes even more illuminated with professional fireworks every Fourth of July. The best views come from Key Biscayne and Bayfront Park. Fireworks begin after nightfall against a backdrop of the Greater Miami Symphonic Band.
Club Space for 24-Hour Partying
South Beachers like to brag that their club scene is the best, but downtown Miami's Club Space is doing its best to prove them wrong. Touting itself as “the #1 Dance Club in the World,” Club Space boasts a 24-hour liquor license, stellar DJs (world-renowned spinners such as Carl Cox and John Digweed have made appearances), and a bi-level dance room in the space of four converted warehouses make Club Space Miami's wildest dance club.
Ancient Spanish Monastary
Those who like a little history with their travel will be pleased to find the Ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach. The oldest building in the Western Hemisphere, the monastery was built in Spain in the 12th century and served as a home to Cistercian monks for nearly 700 years. In 1925 William Randolph Hearst bought the monastery, dismantled it stone by stone, and brought it to the Miami area, where it was rebuilt in the 1950s. These days, the North Miami Beach monastery is host to weddings every weekend, along with an annual art festival in November.
Moonlight Concerts
Miami residents looking for an inexpensive night of entertainment would be crazy to miss the Moonlight Concerts at the Barnacle State Historic Site. Held once a month (on or near the full moon), the Barnacle State Historic Site hosts a concert in the backyard of its charming 1908 Coconut Grove bungalow built on the waterfront. Music varies from classical to blues to folk. Listeners are encouraged to picnic and take in the wonderful setting for a mere $5.
Miami's Homestead Rodeo
If the Wild West is more your thing, come on down to Miami's Homestead Rodeo. Featuring clowns and other entertainment along with bucking bronco competitions, Homestead is held in late January and early February at the Doc DeMilly Rodeo Arena in Homestead, Florida. Cowboys and cowgirls from the Miami area and beyond are welcome to enter. And with admission at $14 for adults and $6 for children, this event is fun the whole family can afford.
Miami International Film Festival
Winter is a great time to visit southern Florida, and will probably convince you to relocate and find a luxurious florida home! Film lovers have one more reason to make a trip and stay. The Miami International Film Festival features 10 days of world premiers of domestic, Latin American, and other foreign and independent films. Actors, producers, and directors hold Q&A session with fans in addition to plugging their latest works. Now in its 21st year, the Miami International Film Festival is held in late January-early February. For a complete program, visit http://www.miamifilmfestival.com.
Miami City Ballet
Those who enjoy the theater will always find something to love at the Miami City Ballet. In addition to the annual production of The Nutcracker, the ballet's schedule for the rest of the 2004-2005 season includes Coppelia, Ballet Imperial, La Valse, Afternoon of a Faun and much more. The Miami City Ballet rotates its shows at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, and the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach. Tickets are available at the Ballet's website at www.miamicityballet.org.
Bongo's Cuban Café
If the only salsa you're familiar with is the kind you put on your tacos, head on over to Bongo's Cuban Cafe, the hottest salsa club in Miami, where Miami's most talented salsa dancers will teach you how to move your two left feet in the right direction. Come early for a traditional Cuban dinner, then pull out your dance shoes when the restaurant converts to a nightclub at 11 p.m.
Miccosukee Indian Village
History buffs in the Miami area might also be interested in the Miccosukee Indian Village. Located 30 minutes west of Miami in Dade County, the village allows visitors to experience how the Miccosukee Indian tribe lived – and still lives today -- in the “Heart of the Everglades.” Visitors can take tours highlighting the history, culture and lifestyle of this tribe, exploring demonstrations and exhibits of woodcarving, patchwork, beadwork, basket weaving and doll making. At the end, they can purchase crafts such as Miccosukee patchwork and beadwork, Cherokee moccasins and Navajo silver jewelry gift shop. The Indian Village is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Coconut Grove Goombay Festival
If you can stand the heat of a Miami summer, the Coconut Grove Goombay Festival is not to be missed in early June. One of the nation's largest black heritage festivals since the 1970s, Miami's Bahamian bash features lots of dancing in the streets, arts and crafts, marching bands and, last but not least, its famous, free-flowing Goombay punch. As part of an effort to expand, the festival has also included such events as a golf tournament, sailing regattas, fishing tournaments and international performers in recent years.
Blues Festival
Miami may not be well known as a hot scene for the blues, but the Blues Festival at Fort Lauderdale's scenic Riverwalk will make your own personal blues go away in early November. Three main stages provide the backdrop for performances of top-notch musicians over the three-day multicultural event, which in the past has featured big-name acts like John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and Jaco Pastorius Big Band. Local bands also have the chance to showcase their talents.
Murder, Mystery and Mayhem
Need to satisfy some morbid curiosity? For a glance of Miami's sleazier side, try the Murder, Mystery and Mayhem tour, a three-hour bus ride exploring the former haunts of the city's most celebrated criminals from the 1800s to today. Among the stops: the Miami Cemetery, murdered designer Gianni Versace's home and the beach house of gangster Al Capone. The tour departs the Miami-Dade Cultural Center every Saturday at 10 a.m. and costs $35.
Miami's Music, Theater, Opera, and Ballet
Miami Entertainment boasts a Performing Arts Center with two major auditoriums. A 2,500-seat theater for ballet and opera and a 2,200 seat concert hall. The Miami City Ballet is a national cultural treasure and the fastest growing ballet company in the country. The New World Symphony is a world-class orchestra training program teaching the next generation of elite musical virtuosos. If opera is your passion, enjoy performances by the Florida Grand Opera at Miami-Dade County Auditorium. You can also take in a show at the world famous Jackie Gleason Theater and the Coconut Grove Playhouse.
Miami Sports
They love their sports in Miami. Miami is home to the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Panthers, the Florida Marlins and the Miami Heat. If college sports is your ticket, there's the Miami Hurricanes and the Orange Bowl classic. For golfers, there is hardly anyplace on earth with more or finer golf courses than Miami. Tennis courts are also a ubiquitous part of the Miami lifestyle, and don't forget miles and miles of luxurious Florida beaches.
Miami International Boat Show
Nearly a quarter of a million attend Miami's International Boat Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, February 17-21, 2005. Gawk at some of the world's priciest mega-yachts, speedboats, sailboats, and schooners -- or, if you're one of the lucky few Miamians who can afford to, purchase one. More than 2,000 marine industry manufacturers, from Maimi and around the world, will exhibit their newest boats and accessories as well. For more information, visit http://www.discoverboating.com/miami/home.asp.
Everglades Alligator Farm
Florida's most notorious creature, the alligator, has several entire attraction devoted to it. The largest, Everglades Alligator Farm, is home to about 3,000 of the creatures, along with crocodiles, snakes and other local wildlife. The smaller gators are kept in pens; the large ones live in “breeding ponds” where they are free to roam about. A visit to the farm, located just outside Miami's Everglades National Park, includes an airboat tour into the Everglades, as well daily alligator shows, where guests can hold baby alligators and have their picture taken with the snakes. The Park is open every day except Christmas; admission is $17 for adults, $10 for children 11 and under.
Winterfest Boat Parade
Winter blues got Miamians down? They might do well to check out the Winterfest Boat Parade along Fort Lauderdale's Intracoastal Waterways in December. At this parade, over 100 boats are decked out in their holiday best as they gracefully glide up and down the water. Music and lights -- along with the Miami skyline -- provide a magnificent backdrop. The best views – aside from the boats themselves -- are from the restaurants that dot the waterfront.
