Arts & Entertainment

Calle of the Wild

You can’t deny the Calle Ocho festival, even if you try.

By Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik 

It’s Sunday, and you’ve got your usual weekend chores. Shopping for groceries, doing laundry, and catching up on sleep await, but who are you fooling? Today’s the Calle Ocho festival, meng! You know where you’re bound to inevitably wind up – strolling down Little Havana’s main thoroughfare with a million of your closest friends.

You know every year it’s more or less the same thing -- an overflowing mass of people, pounding music, and richly spiced food for sale. Locals love to complain about it, but deep down you know you love it. Why? Because the Calle Ocho celebration is an ultimate expression of Miami. It’s where the bros and the chongas party alongside the abuelas and turistas. Plenty of arepas y mucho cerveza will be consumed, and you can expect to completely sweat through your shirt. But unless you’re agoraphobic, you can’t help but have a blast. The fete has expanded, and this year’s musical lineup features something for everybody – from Feneiva and Ivan Oballe at the Radio Caracol stage (on 11th Street), to Wyclef Jean and Shaggy at the Power 96 stage (on 12th). And what’s this we hear about Chaka Khan and Rihanna at the Flash Energy Drink stage on 17th? No frickin’ way. We are so there! Also check out the children’s corner with amusement for the little ones, and for kids at heart, there’s the ESPN Deportes ¡En Vivo! Experience, where players can participate in interactive virtual football and soccer games. For those who prefer more traditionally Latin forms of entertainment, try out the Old Spice domino tournament, where you can compete for $25,000 in prizes. This year’s goal is to establish the Guinness World Record for most people playing dominoes, so if for no other reason, come out in numbers to help put our festival on the global domino map! For a complete rundown of events and locations, visit www.carnavalmiami.com/calle8.
Sun., March 16, 2008