Weekends are always a time to get away from the monotony of our lives, to put aside the mundane and escape a world of clock watching and commitments. And three-day weekends, especially ones wrapped around a holiday, well, that's added incentive to forget your troubles.

This Fourth of July weekend, which starts tonight, Miami welcomes a horde of fantasists which will not only take you away from your everyday troubles, they'll make you forget the normal constraints of reality. A Las Vegas-style show featuring a world renowned mentalist debuts in Sunny Isles Beach, then there is the Cirque du Grove with acrobats and street performers, and throughout the weekend you can enter the fiefdom of nerdiness at Supercon. And just before you have to go back to work next week, you'll be able to bask in patriotism as fireworks explode all around the county. (Check our fireworks show guide here.)

Friday

• Israel-born mentalist/illusionist Guy Bavli can stop

  his heart, predict election results, and bend metal objects with his

  mind. And now he's succeeded in magically bringing a Las Vegas quality

  show to the Trump International Resort on Sunny Isles Beach. Catch his

  debut performance. 

• Remember

  when martial arts was exclusively for those wearing gi's and took place

  outside of octagons? If you don't, check out the 2011 Judo World Cup at

  the Doral Resort and Convention Center starting Friday night. 

• Want

  to get you Fourth of July party started a little early and a little

  dirty? Join Rick Ross at King of Diamonds at 9 p.m. Fourth of July

  celebration but make buy American...lap dances.

Saturday

• Comic

  conventions have long been the stomping ground for socially inept

  misfits who substitute fantasy characters for real life relationships.

  But who are we kidding, that describes most of us these days with

  Facebook and Twitter dominating human interaction. Join the freaks at

  this weekend's Supercon, which features a film festival and live music as

  well as comic book dorkiness.

• Love

  the idea of Cirque Du Soleil but hate the prospect of letting go of a

  week's paycheck to see it? The next best thing might be Cirque Du Grove

  with a bunch of acrobats and street performers performing amazing feats

  on the streets of Coconut Grove for free on Saturday and Sunday. But

  don't be a cheap skate; drop a tip when they pass the hat around.

• More than a few have compared the enjoyment of art to that of a spiritual experience, but Sandra Gamarra's exhibition at the Bass Museum of Art, "At the Same Time (Al Mismo Tiempo) will have you believing. Her works provide an artistic mirror where observers get a look into their own soul.
• Ever

  seen pictures of South Beach pre-1990 and wondered what the hell

  happened? Well you can get real time version of what the neighborhood

  used to be like about 60 blocks north when you take the Miami Design

  Preservation Leagues MiMo on the Beach Walking Tour.

  
  

Sunday

• Miami's

  street hierarchy is all about your ride and sound system, which makes 

  99Jamz Summer Jamz 2011 Concert, Car, Truck and Bike Show, at Sun Life

  Stadium the place to be starting at noon. Badass hoopties and even better tunes are the stars of the show.

• Like

  to get splattered with non-toxic goo while dancing trance-like to the

  tunes of Sidney Samson, Bingo Players, David Solano, and others? It's

  time to get your Dayglow on at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables

  this Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

Monday

• It

  might be sacrilege to go watch a Brit and Aussie on America's birthday,

  but when we're talking about Fatboy Slim and Dirty South, respectively,

  at the Surfcomber Hotel then exceptions can be made. 

• The

  Fourth of July is all about celebrating your country and watching

  fireworks. And in South Florida there are plenty of choices, including

  South Beach, Bayfront Park, Coconut Grove, and a bunch of other spots.
  

• Things To Do