Local attractions with large budgets and prime locations, such as the Seaquarium and Miami Art Museum, tend to dominate our consciousness, overshadowing other equally entertaining and educational attractions that many locals don’t know exist. One of them is the Fruit & Spice Park (24801 SW 187th Ave., Homestead). With 37 verdant acres featuring 500 varieties of fruits (including 150 varieties of mango and 75 types of banana), vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts, it’s the only tropical botanic garden of its kind in the nation. Overseen by the Tropical Fruit & Vegetable Society of the Redland, this quiet, no-frills attraction is one of the best places in Miami-Dade to spend a quiet morning or afternoon. Of course, even the wallflower wants to go to prom, so once a year, the unassuming park puts on a two-day festival when the normally serene landscape gets “wild.” This year’s Redland Summer Fruit Festival will showcase local fruits and agriculture, and vendors will sell food and rare fruits. And we mean rare. These aren’t the fruits your abuela picks up at Sedano’s.
Sat., June 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., June 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2013