The motto of the City of Hialeah is "La Ciudad Que Progresa" - the city that keeps progressing. An…read moreexample of such progress, of having "made it", is having a wine & food (or food & wine) tasting. This past Saturday February 8th, my friend and I had the chance to attend Hialeah's first Food & Wine festival. Held in the historic Hialeah Park Racetrack & Casino, the venue provided an awesome setting for this event. The string lights over the tasting area, the classic cars & historic clubhouse for photo opps (and the practicality of potty) along with photo booths & set pieces along the food tasting area made for a fun night. But let's get to the main part of the title - food & wine! Pretty much right from the start we were greeted by a mix of chains and local Hialeah eateries. Our first bites were a spicy garbanzo and short rib made in the famous "Caja China" by Trigo. La Bodeguita (another fav) showcased their both their manchego as well as a spicy chicken croquetas, as well as vino of course. Fresa Francesa, Hialeah's first trendy retaurant had a yummy risotto. The Outback "en la 49" treated us to a delicious sampler plate of steak, Mac and cheese and of course, wine! Oh and Hialeah institution Molina's Ranch had moros and lechon. For those of us who grew up in the area, it was great to try Hill's Cafe. Why the nostalgia? Well Hillary the owner used to be a manager at Miami Lakes' institution Beverly Hills Cafe. From what I understand, the plan is to bring back some of the nostalgic favorites. The caprese skewers I tried were fresh, and provided a great tease of their salads and other dishes. Can't wait for them to officially open! Of course, there was plenty of wine, cocktails and a commemorative wine glass. Rum, Reds, Whites, all you want! There was even colada and cortaditos. Here's looking forward to their next edition!

Wednesdays is the most daunting day of the week; because Mondays have drained you of life and…read moreFridays are too far in the future to lift your spirits... That's until the Jazz in the Gables concert series came along. Put a little hoodoo into your humpday from January through April. Piano priests, drum doctors, and saxophone shamans cast musical spells that compel you to evacuate the office and liven up your lunchtime. For five consecutive seasons, The Miami Jazz Cooperative has summoned a cast of entertainers that includes the likes of the buoyant Brian Murphy Trio, flashy FIU Jazz Ensemble, and nouveau New World School of The Arts' Jazz Quartet. For those who can't make midday escapes, there are occasional soul-shaking performances Sunday afternoons. Make music part of your weekly ritual at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday.

This was so much fun and the varieties of food delicious…read more The entertainment was great and the music selection was even better we might be taking a Caribbean vacation in September

What a fun night! Super opportunity to sample tasty treats prepared by culinary teams from a…read morevariety of Caribbean islands, coupled with rum drinks, beer, and other drinks. Music, dance, even raffles to win trips to Caribbean resorts. Can't wait to go back next year...

Somebody once told me that Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to bring visual arts to Parisians by…read moredecorating Paris with paintings and sculptures. I don't know how much of this is true, but what is true is that over and over again someone creates an event where common people are allowed to enjoy fine art. Whether it is at a mall, at a hotel or at a government building, the trend is present and has lasted for hundreds of years. Fast forward to 2012, location Miami, Florida. Viernes Culturales is an event where restaurants, galleries, clubs and street vendors, among others, participate. Starting on 17th Avenue and down to 13th Avenue, merchants set up on the streets of Calle Ocho to turn it into what looks like a street fair. The City of Miami sets up an event area in the alley next to the Tower Theater to host DJs, performers, artists and sellers. Sponsors set up booths around here and offer free tastings and free gifts. Down by the McDonald's on 14th Avenue a mini market is set up where jewelers and carpenters are offering their goods. The restaurants that occupy the vicinity are all open for business. Probably this time of the month is the most active for them, though they don't offer anything special other than their regular menus. The most notable ones are Catharsis and Casa Panza, the latter making a giant paella outdoors. Almost all restaurant have performers playing Latin music or DJs either inside or outdoors. At one of the larger eateries I saw a whole orchestra set up outside. Probably the businesses that benefit the most are the art galleries. Some display the works of many local artist, some are owned by artists displaying their work. Most artwork is for sale, and some is just on loan for the occasion. Many studios also offer complimentary food and beverage, normally paid by a sponsor. The largest gallery of the bunch had a jazz trio when I visited. The band, along with the free wine, made things upbeat and sophisticated. Nightclubs and bars also have their doors open, regardless of the time of day. If you walk down the streets, you'll be able to buy drinks like "mojitos" and "Cuba libres". If you feel like getting down to boogie, you won't have a problem finding a good spot, let alone the fact that people are dancing on the streets. Cigars shops close the roundup, surprisingly hosting performers and smokers alike. If you show up you will definitely have a great time. If you want to have dinner at Viernes Culturales I would recommend checking the restaurants' info prior to arrival. The galleries showcase some amazing artwork, and the streets are filled with beautiful knick knacks. The crowds are large but not suffocating, making it good for kids. Some bars are hosting great parties, and last but not least, you can stop by one of Miami's best ice cream parlors called Azucar.

Where can you taste blueberry, pineapple and mango wine in a colada shot glass? Where do Cuban…read moreabuelitas and their family mingle with German tourists, Argentinian jugglers and same sex couples? What about entrancing yourself in a toque de santo while sampling cigars? All this and more can be had for about your $5 parking at Calle 8's Viernes Cultural! The "Viernes Cultural" (or Cultural Fridays) occur the last Friday of every month on about 3 block stretch of Calle 8 (SW 8th Street) between 14th and 17th Avenues during the early evening. For those 3 hours you get to check out street performers, established exilio artists, as well as artists just arrived from Cuba (i.e. the kitty painting). There's also the $3 mojitos and Cuba Libres (rum and coke), as well as the opportunity to check out various restaurants. A couple of the streets had street musicians jamming out to salsa, son and merengue standards, one supposedly with Luis Enrique's drummer. True, the street outside one a couple of the clubs can get a raunchy reggaeton vibe similar to the better known Calle 8 festival, but still it's fun. Heck, one of the times I even saw a couple easily in their late 60's jamming out to Daddy Yanqui "Lo Que Paso Paso" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thw0WQSn7_8 Ah, the beauty of Miami's melting pot!

Beautiful museum located in design district and just blocks away from Wynwood and Little Haiti…read more Shops ,boutiques and restaurants align the streets and corners and there's a parking garage that only charges $4 for the first 3 hours across the street. I came specifically for the NOULA art event which was an exhibit all about Haitian culture. Being that I am Haitian American and its Haitian heritage month I thought it would be wonderful to see beautiful and distinct art all about my culture. The glass doors were covered in Haitian religious symbols and the curator was there to greet you as soon as you entered. The first thing to notice is the billboard stating some historical facts about Haiti and other countries whom we have helped in the past. I needed a minute as tears came to my eyes. It was so lovely to learn some history of how people from different cultures, countries, and backgrounds worked together and helped each other instead of tearing eachother down. As you walk through the spacious art gallery there were many beautiful pieces and you should really just give some time for each. It was very moving for.me and truly all the pieces were unique and touching. I recommend everyone to come and learn a little history of my people and you may even learn a little about yours.

America..America..America Heck Yeah!…read more Like every kid that's watched Top Gun, the A-Team, Crimson Tide etc. I have respect, admiration and a hint of "wannabe" for our Military. Therefore, whenever there's a public event I try to attend. The fact that it's right on the sand of south beach on a sunny Memorial Weekend? Even better! The way the event is organized, the different branches of the military put interactive displays of the "exciting" units (special forces, air defense, tanks, fighter pilot) to let people try out and sign up for recruiting lists (I'm sure). They also have fitness contests where for example, this here late 40's dude, can do 40 pushups for military swag such as water bottles and take pictures with different hardware. I also got to play around on a simulated missile battery and wear cool helmets. The best way to see the air show and parachute jumpers is buying a ticket to be able to access the fenced-in area on the ocean (similar to what is done for SOBEWFF and the like.) Operating just off the water, myself and others were treated to displays such as the SEAL team boarding a ship, checking out the paratroops and of course seeing some pretty fast planes! They also had a display of vintage military aircraft. Getting to the beach has both general admission and various VIP tiers. With GA you basically get a front seat to all the action and have to buy everything else as you go. Springing for "basic" VIP gets you seating in one of the tents, included well drinks (basics like rum and coke) and a lunch plate (Churrasco & couscous). The VIP also gets you one re-entry to the area. The drawback to the tent did limit seeing some of the flights though. The only other snafu was that the printed ticket showed the entrance on 10th and Ocean when in reality it was on 13th.. Oh well, at least I got some PT going in. I could also stay on the beach after the show and catch up on my tan as well!

South Beach is a beautiful setting for the Air & Sea Show. Lummus Park is great because it is…read moreclean, has a shady grassy area and there's the beautiful beach with nice white sand. (Plus the weather was absolutely perfect....definitely hot because it is Miami, but there was a 0% chance of rain!.). Anybody could attend the show but with the VIP ticket you have a fenced off section and access to a shady tent where there are food and beverage concessions..

I went to this beautiful place for a nice life coach conference from the people of Coaching Hub…read more First of all, I loved the fact that they had free parking. Yesssss, free parking in Wynwood! There's one room where we waited there with chairs and sofas and I thought that the master live talk was going to be at that room, but like an hour after I got there, they opened the red curtains and we all went inside another room prepared with a stage, wonderful sound system, and chairs. The bad thing was that we had poor or no signal inside the room. I enjoyed this conference very much at this great place. Fui a este hermoso lugar para una agradable conferencia de coaching de la gente de Coaching Hub. Antes que nada, me encantó el hecho de que tenían estacionamiento gratis. ¡Sí, estacionamiento gratuito en Wynwood! Hay un salon donde esperamos con sillas y sofás y pensé que la charla del master talk en vivo iba a ser en esa habitación, pero como una hora después de llegar allí, abrieron las cortinas rojas y todos entramos a otra habitación preparada con un escenario, un maravilloso sistema de sonido y sillas. Lo malo fue que tuvimos poca o ninguna señal dentro de la habitación. Disfruté mucho esta conferencia en este gran lugar.

This is an excellent place to come to specially if you are looking to change up your routine and do…read moresomething different. This is a unique ways to see plays; you have the option of 15 minute plays that are offered through the night or there is also one hour plays. The website is always updated and has the option to buy tickets online. We bought our tickets on site without a problem. I will definetly be returning monthly to see the new plays. Highly recommended

Haitian Heritage Museum (HHM) was founded in 2004. HHM's Adult Admission is $10 & the Student…read moreAdmission is $7. Visiting here for the first time during a summer trip in July, it was an accidentally found pleasure in a mall in the Design District - a place that has a blend of trendy shops/boutiques as well as casual restaurants - eateries. Haitian Heritage Museum is w/ in a quaint, intimate space towards the end of the mall-esque area. When you enter, you are gievn a warm greeting, HHM's history is explained, and then you are able to view the exhibit(s). The "Nostalgia Primitive D'Haiti" exhibit that was viewed started in the beginning of Haitian Heritage Month (May 2023) and ended in November 2023. The exhibition consisted of beautiful, colorful, vibrant oil on canvas paintings created in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Artists that included Dambreville, Dave Millevoix, Sully Obin, Rodrigue Richard, Frantzy, etc. Created artwork that depicted country life, everyday in all its beauty as well as painting of gorgeous people & landscapes. Two favorites are artist Rodrigue Richard's "Schoolyard Recess" & "Wedding Day." Absolutely Cool! HHM Hours of Operation - Tues. - Fri. 10am - 5pm Website - haitianheritagemuseum.org Instagram - @HaitianHeritageMuseum HHM also has Facebook & Twitter (X) pages. One can go onto HHM's website to check out their blog, to link to H.A.P.S. (Haitian Arts Podcast Series), to view their online giftshop, to obtain an HHM Membership, to book a group visit to the museum, etc. Haitian Independence Day is 1/1/1804, and the 220th Anniversary of Haitian Independence Day will be celebrated in 2024! Hairian Heritage Museum (HHM) will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2024!

After following the Haitian Heritage Museum on Instagram for years, I was determined to finally put…read moredown my phone and make the trip to Little Haiti Miami to see the art on display in person. We were warmly greeted once inside, given a brief introduction to the exhibition, and then began to look around. Sabrina Gustin's photography of La Sud or The South of Haiti was relatable and captivating. Yet, I wanted more. I am grateful that HHM exists and recognize the undeniable effort made to realize but also sustain this dream despite gentrification. However, I would love to see the growth of this museum's footprint over time given the magnitude of our contributions to Miami and the U.S. as a whole. Whenever I return to Miami, I will look forward to visiting HHM as part of the self-guided tour of Little Haiti Miami that I did not have the time to complete. Kenbe la HHM!