5 Stars all around for this BBQ and wine festival! They had so many tasty bbq items at the…read moredifferent restaurant booths! Once you arrive in the area on the beach you are overwhelmed at how big the place is. There's a DJ midway through and live band at the far end. There's an overhang so if it rains you at least have some coverage. Guy Fieri was amazing at being the host. He had one of his chicken booths and gave out the awards at the end to the top 3 restaurants that everyone voted on with the wooden chip they give you once you enter.

We were lucky enough to attend 4 events at SoBeWFF 2020 (Barilla Italian Bites, Taste Jamaica, Goya…read moreGrand Tasting, and Beachside BBQ) and this was the last of the 4. We felt like we had kinda gotten things figured out. Get there early and try to experience most things before "everybody else" arrived. This strategy had worked quite well on the other events, but NOOOOO luck on this one. Geez Louise. Perhaps this is the one a lot of folks paid for early entry or else "everybody else" also got there by the 7 start time. Or perhaps I was overtired and fussy from all the eating/drinking that we had done for the last 2 days. ;-) I would have to call this one #OverSold. I honestly felt afraid in the big tent there were so many people and so little room. There was at least one guy smoking (!?!?) a cigarette at a table in the tent. And there was no rhyme or reason as to where the lines formed. Perhaps a few switchbacks might help to keep lines from going straight out into the walkway? Not sure. The opening band was very good but we didn't stay for opening act. And the volume was actually okay (as opposed to many of the other tents during the festival that had such loud music you couldn't even hear/talk to the bartender of the nice folks at the food booths). We did find a way to try several BBQ options. I do wish people would move away from the serving area once they have their sample. Lamb Chops were sold out by 8pm. Seemed kinda early for things to already be gone. Also, needed more drink stands with bourbon, etc. We enjoyed the Old Fashioneds! The beer stand never seemed crowded. But I did appreciate the access to bottled water.

Fleurs De Villes is a 10 day cultural arts event held at Bal Harbour Shops in conjunction with…read moreWomen's History Month. Local florists cover mannequins in a stunning array of flowers and plant materials. This is the world wide launch if this year's theme, Flora. While the flower installations are mainly at the mall they are also at several other locations throughout Bal Harbour including the beach, hotels, parks, and Village Hall. Flora is the Roman Goddess of spring and this year the theme celebrates fashion and rebirth. Floral designs were created by Aniska Creations, Anthology Co. LLC, Atala Miami, Blake Roses, Connections and Creations, Formaneta, Hydrangea Flowers and Events, Isáchi Flowers & Crafts, Jk Bouquet Floral Design, Jassi & Co Creative, MOLLY Flowers & Decor, Petunia's, Something Blooming, W & W Flowers & Events Design Group, Indigo Hues Designs, Petal Productions, and Gilded Group Decor. My two favorites mannequins were by Jassi & Co, located by the escalator and and the pink rose dress on the first floor by Aniska Creations but honestly they were all amazing. I also tried to take in a few of the other installations throughout Bal Harbour. This is one of my favorite events every year. In conjunction with the floral displays, Bal Harbour Village offered a number of events including floral pastries at the St. Regis Bar, afternoon tea at La Gourmandise, botanical spa treatments at the St. Regis Spa, and a flower crown-making workshop and a hand-tied bouquet at Waterfront Park. Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end so hurry in as the last day is March 8th.

Ignite Broward is an annual art festival presented by the Broward County Cultural Division. I…read morebelieve this is the sixth year and it is one of my favorite events. It is free and always amazing. This year it is taking place in this park, Reverend Samuel Delvoe Park in Ft. Lauderdale , Mad Arts in Dania Beach, and at the Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood Airport. All of the installations include a creative use of light and technology so plan on visiting at night. This is the second year that Ignite Broward has presented at Arts Park. Installations included: Sea of Light by Ithaca Studio. Different patterns of light race across the ground,. I could have watched this for hours. Geist by Loop. This is another one I could spend a lot of time staring at. It was inspired by neutrino particle, tiny, almost massless particles believed to make up the fabric of the universe. A mirror illusion is created a to suspend a spherical object of light, viewable 360 degrees around the sculpture. Helix Seats by Pneuhaus. The kids had fun bouncing on this one. Where Are We Going by Onda. You are supposed to open an app on your phone and use it to make music notes but i couldn't get it to work. Ascendance by Studio McGuire is a projection of an astronaut. You can sit on the hill at the amphitheater and relax as you watch it float in space. Clear Vision by Brookhart Jonquil which uses a one way mirror to create the illusion of infinite space. While the exhibit is free you may have to pay a nominal fee for area parking. You have until February 22nd to catch Ignite Broward at arts park at Young Circle in Hollywood.

In 1910 Carl Fisher began to transform Miami Beach into a world class resort destination. The Miami…read moreBeach Improvement Company was founded in 1916 by John Collins and it platted the Oceanfront Subdivision and named the area Miami Beach. In the 1920's during Florida's land boom years, many hotels and mansions were built. The 1930's and 40's were the height of the Art Deco design movement inspired by Paris and many of the hotels were built in this style. By the 1970's Miami Beach was run down by neglect and salt water damage. Things were so bad that the movie Scarface used South Beach as a stand in for a drug infested ghetto neighborhood. Barbara Baer Capitman and a group of activists banded together to preserve the Art Deco buildings of South Beach. Capitman founded the Miami Design Preservation League in 1976 with Leonard Horowitz which started a movement to place one square mile of South Beach on the National Register of Historic Places. Their efforts enabled 800 of the historic Art Deco buildings to be saved. In the late 1980's South Beach had a resurgence. Models and the fashion industry moved in. An area that once had people thinking twice about driving through became home to the wealthy. Today it is walking friendly and generally low crime. As a component of trying to save the Art Deco gems in the 1970's, the Miami Design Preservation League founded Art Deco Week in 1978 to bring attention to saving this area. The event transitioned into an annual free weekend festival celebrating the district's history, arts, and iconic style. Today it is the Preservation League's largest educational outreach program for the city's famous landscape. Although I have visited this area many times, this was my first time attending the festival. My favorite part was being able to walk up and down Ocean Drive since it was closed off to traffic for this weekend. Many of the restaurants extended their normal sidewalk dining into the street creating elaborate outdoor dining areas. In addition to dining specials offered by area restaurants this event also has a car show, artisan market, Jazz Age Stage with live music and dancing, VIP Opening Night Soiree, lectures, and residential and Ocean Drive architectural tours for $40. You can also visit the Miami Preservation League's Welcome Center and Museum. There are fun photo opportunities set up in Lumus park opposite the Versace mansion. Parking in South Beach is always a challenge but as a fan of both history and architecture this festival was right up my alley.

It's a nice way to spend an hour or two. This year the weather couldn't be any better…read more Art Deco Fest start at like 5th street and goes all the way to 12/13th. Lots of food and drink options Making Ocean Drive pedestal not is a brilliant way to appreciate the architecture of the art deco buildings. My kids really liked the car show and arguing about which car was the nicest. I wish there was more interactive activities for the kids and adults that give the everyone a greater appreciation for Art Deco. It has gotten a little too much about the vendors and not enough about the art

This was my first time listening to the New World Symphony in this location! I really enjoyed the…read moreseating and the architecture of the building. The atmosphere was also wonderful and staff were helpful in finding my seat. I will say, I sat on the right side and the seats are a bit turned facing the left so I did have to turn my head slightly to the right. This concert hall is easy to commute through the metro mover and is not too far from downtown if you prefer to walk.

This renowned concert hall within the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami is known for its acoustics. We…read moreprepaid for parking on the Arsht website for $10 in a lot about two blocks away. It was raining and puddles while walking to the center. I usually sit in orchestra but had tickets in the balcony. It is so difficult to see the performance with being so far back and the people sitting in the seats in front of me were also blocking the view. I was also disappointed in the Flamenco show. I was expecting extravagant costumes and more dancing but it wasn't that. Hopefully I can enjoy another show or concert in this beautiful concert hall in the future.

What a waste of $25 (cost of tickets for 2). It took us 5 minutes to see the art and another 5 at…read morethe store. If you stand at the stores entrance and look in you see the whole museum for free, you're welcome! Honestly the art was good but it is ONLY that. I'm guessing they change exhibits, there was nothing about the museum itself or that talked about Art of HipHop in general. Their Graffiti museum was 20 times better.

The wall of boomboxes is fresh and they get points for having Redman's first four album covers on…read moredisplay but this museum is an EP when it should be a double album. Most of the limited floor space was dedicated to the artist Cey when I went. I probably wouldn't have even ventured over here but I got offered a discounted ticket as part of a twofer over at the Museum of Graffiti. That place is super cool but is similarly light on floor space. Maybe one day the two can combine and form like Voltron as Method Man said. Maybe add a breakdancing gallery and a bunch of other stuff. This isn't a bad little museum but for the money I can barely even recommend it as part of the combo with the Museum of Graffiti around the corner.

Located in Miami's Brownsville neighborhood, the Historic Hampton House was once known as the…read more"Social Center of the South." Originally built in 1954 as the Booker Terrace Motel, it became a premier place for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era and remains one of the few surviving Negro Motorist Green Book hotels in Miami. Published by Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, the Negro Motorist Green Book was an indispensable travel guide for African Americans, listing hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and businesses where Black travelers could expect safe and respectful service. At a time when segregation and discrimination made travel dangerous, the guide provided a lifeline for families on the road. Publication ended after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed legal segregation, making the guide's mission increasingly unnecessary. The Green Book later inspired the title of the 2018 Academy Award-winning film Green Book. The Hampton House also gained renewed attention through the 2020 film One Night in Miami, which dramatizes the evening of February 25, 1964, after Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston to win his first heavyweight championship. The film imagines Ali celebrating at the Hampton House alongside Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. According to local history, it was here that Ali enjoyed the famous bowl of vanilla ice cream he had promised himself after the fight. More than just a motel, the Hampton House became an important gathering place during the Civil Rights Movement. It welcomed influential figures such as Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who is said to have practiced an early version of his "I Have a Dream" speech here in 1960. Its renowned pool and jazz club also attracted legendary performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, and many others who could entertain audiences on segregated Miami Beach but were prohibited from staying there overnight. Following desegregation, economic activity gradually shifted away from Brownsville, and the Hampton House closed in 1976 before falling into decades of neglect. Thanks to determined preservation efforts led by the Dade Heritage Trust and local community advocates, notably Dr. Enid C. Pinkney, the Historic Hampton House was saved from demolition in 2002. Miami-Dade County purchased the property, and a $6 million restoration project transformed the abandoned motel into a museum and cultural center, that opened in 2015. In 2022, it was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today you can tour the two-story, fifty-room, modernist style inn featured a jazz club, restaurant, and swimming pool. Tickets are $25 for a 45 minute tour but they sometimes host events with free tours. Check their website for dates and details. As someone who loves history I appreciate this time capsule of mid century modern design but more importantly the Hampton House is an important symbol of resilience, civil rights, and Black history that continues to educate and inspire.

I visited the Historic Hampton House today and received a splendid, history tour from Nyota. The…read morehistory deserves to be told and shared of its origin, renovation and significance today. Highly recommend visiting this remarkable place.

From the moment the show started, everyone was hooked. The belly dancer was incredibly talented,…read moreand the fire performance brought so much excitement to the night. They were easy to work with, arrived on time, and made our event feel truly special. I would absolutely hire them again.