Miami, Florida, a paradise on the Atlantic Ocean. Miami is a multicultural city with Spanish and Cuban influences that date back to the 1500s. The city is an enclave for art, culture and music. Warm nights and hotter days make Miami the perfect vacation destination. All year-round there are exciting things happening in the city. You can plan a trip around any of these events, or just go for the beautiful beaches and wonderful things Miami has to offer any time of the year. From late night clubbing to taking in the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to swimming with dolphins at the Seaquarium or visiting the Art Deco Historic District, there’s something in Miami for everyone.
When it comes to choosing a place to stay, the Iberostar Berkeley on Miami Beach is the perfect place to stay for beach lovers who appreciate luxury, with its beautiful art deco design, uber-chic guest rooms and location on Collins Avenue, on South Beach. Enjoy its range of amenities, which include a fitness room, to stay active on your trip and a rooftop pool with sundeck patio, to take a dip and bask in the sun without even having to leave your hotel.
MARCH
For those who want to get a taste of Miami’s Hispanic culture, March offers the Calle Ocho festival. The event, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, takes place on Miami’s famed 8th Street on March 11. The block party features food, music and dancing.
For sports lovers, there is the Miami Open which begins March 19 and is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world. The event features 79 men and 79 women facing off over two weeks. It brings in some of the world’s premier tennis talent including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep. These men and women are seeded atop the world rankings. The event will also feature Venus and Serena Williams. It takes place at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park on Key Biscayne. This gorgeous island connected to Miami by bridge features picturesque beaches, tropical forest and wildlife. Over the years tennis greats like Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova have graced the courts at the Miami Open.
Miami also has a gigantic music event in March called the Winter Music Conference, that begins March 20. The conference is host to a ton of events for electronic music artists and enthusiasts. It is a great time to catch DJs spinning in clubs all over the city late into the night. One of the top industry highlights of the conference is the International Dance Music Awards.
The most famous part of the conference is the Ultra Music Festival which takes place March 23-25. The festival attracts artists and concertgoers from around the world to Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. The festival started in 1999 and is named after a Depeche Mode album. The festival has seen crowds of over 100,000 people. This year’s lineup includes Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox, The Chainsmokers, Eric Prydz, Flosstradamus, Virtual Self, RL Grime, Marshmello, Empire of the Sun, Steve Aoki and others
APRIL
As the weather warms up, so does Miami. If you enjoy county fairs, at the beginning of the month you can catch the tail-end of the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition. The countywide fair features rides and cultural exhibits. Musical guests at the fair include TLC and Nelly.
April features one of the largest gay pride festivals in the U.S. The Miami Beach Gay Pride festival is a week-long celebration of Miami’s LGBTQ community. It starts April 2 and runs until April 8. The 10th annual parade for the event takes place on the 8th. On April 7 is Miami’s Riverday Festival which celebrates Miami’s historic river. The event features boat tours, historic reenactments, food and music.
In the middle of the month, on April 14 and 15, there is the Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival for music, food and beer. The festival will also feature classic cars and motorcycles. For those looking ahead to what’s new in media, the city also features the Miami Web Fest. The festival awards episodic web series and often features creators that are rising in the media.
MAY
Miami Fashion Week typically happens in May each year—while not New York or Paris, Miami boasts its own group of creatives and dedicated fashion professionals. Miami’s fashion week also features a showcase of resort wear, given its sunny locale and the city’s clientele.
Florida is home to a number of military bases and personnel and their hardware is shown off during the Air and Sea show and Music Explosion over Memorial Day Weekend. The event features an air show with some of the U.S. military’s most advanced jets and planes. The show billed as the “greatest show above the earth” features service member from all five branches of the military performing aviation aerobatics and boat racing and stunts.
JUNE
As the summer sun really begins to heat up, events slowdown in Miami so people can focus on soaking up the sunshine and staying cool. If you plan on visiting Miami in the hottest months, be sure to bring sunscreen and plan for some days at the beach.
On June 2 and 3 there is the Champion Cup Series motorcycle racing at the Homestead- Miami Speedway to get your blood pumping. For something slower and to beat the heat, June is also Film Month in Miami, where visitors can check out a film at a discounted rate.
At the end of the month is the party for the Miami New Times’ annual best of Miami edition. The weekly publication rates the best of food and culture each year in Miami.
JULY
Catching a 4th of July fireworks display from one of the city's beaches is a necessity if you’re staying in a hotel in Miami during Independence Day. The fireworks kick off at night, but you can spend the day taking in reggae music and swimming. Get away from hamburgers and hotdogs traditionally served on the 4th of July by exploring Miami’s Cuban and Latin cuisines.
The Miami swimwear fashion show happens annually in July. Get a preview of next season’s must haves for beachwear. The show happens between July 12 and 17.
AUGUST
Miami Spice begins in August, the annual event showcases Miami’s culinary delights. Participating restaurants allow patrons to try a menu for a fixed price.
August is also a great time to explore Miami’s different beaches. The 21st–45th Street Beach is Time Out Miami’s favorite beach. Miami New Times’ readers voted Lummus Park Beach their favorite last year, while the paper’s staff picked Haulover Park. Miami has a number of great museums as well including Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami.
For lovers of dance Miami also hosts the International Ballet Festival, with performances starting Aug. 4.
SEPTEMBER
As kids go back to school, flights to Florida get cheaper, so the end of summer might be the best time to visit Miami. The Miami International Auto Show happens each year in September. If you’re interested in the fastest vehicles and cutting-edge technology on the roads this is where you should be. The auto show first began in 1933.
OCTOBER
Sam Adams holds an annual OctoberFest in Miami that takes place this year from Oct. 6-8. The free festival is one of the largest beer festivals in Southern Florida.
To celebrate Caribbean culture, Miami is home to the Carnival parade and festival happening Oct. 7 this year. The event features music and food that celebrate the Caribbean culture that has had such an influence over Miami. Listen to steelbands, Soca music and Calypso music while chowing down jerk chicken.
NOVEMBER
November in Miami has NASCAR'S Ford Championship Weekend on the 17th and 18th. The weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway features three high octane races: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200, NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300, and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400.
For something lower key, the Miami International Book Fair also happens this month. This year the street fair portion will take place Nov. 16-18, but events leading up to the weekend will happen all over the city starting Nov. 11. The fair will feature 450 authors speaking about their work.
DECEMBER
Miami’s crown jewel event every year is Art Basel Miami Beach. It is one the world’s largest showcases of contemporary and modern art. People from all over the globe travel to Miami to see what’s cutting edge in the art world and attend the festival’s notorious parties.
JANUARY
Dive into Miami’s history with the annual Art Deco Weekend. Miami hosts the largest Art Deco collection of architecture in the world. It was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Art Deco Historic District is made up of hundreds of buildings constructed between 1923 and 1943. Architects of the movement include Albert Anis and Henry Hohauser.
World Cup Series Miami also happens in the city in January every year. It is the premiere sailing event for U.S. Sailing.
FEBRUARY
One of the coolest things about Miami being surrounded by water are all the boats, especially the racing boats. An annual event that’s worth checking out is the Progressive Miami International Boat Show. This year it’s taking place from February 15-19. The event is a trade show where you can get up close and personal with what’s new in boating. This year at the event Mercedes-Benz unveiled a brand new $2 million cigarette racing boat that tops out at 140 miles per hour. If motorboats aren’t your thing, the event features a sailboat section with hands-on skills training and food trucks from around the city.
If you are a major foodie, February also features the South Beach Wine and Food Festival presented by Food Network and Cooking Channel. The event takes place from February 21-25. The festival is made up of a bunch of smaller events. Some stars of the culinary world that will be there include Bobby Flay, Andrew Zimmern and Guy Fieri. The festival features tastings, dinners, wine seminars and some late night parties.
JOE DIFAZIO I 12/03/2018
Photography by Cordon Press and D.R.
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