The Best Free Events in Miami This Week

The turkey turnup was real, but now it's time to get back into the groove and finish the year strong. That means saving up for the Art Basel turnup happening next week. Whether your financial planning is contingent upon your partying habits, the following free events — including the launch party for the second edition of The Wynwood Coloring Book and the grand opening of the Institute of Contemporary Art — should keep you excited, entertained, and grateful for the padding in your checking account. 

Frost Electroacoustic Music Ensemble at Clark Recital Hall. Your kids will certainly think back fondly on their days at Disney World, but if you offer them cultural experiences that extend past Mickey's lair, they'll likely remember them with even more pride. For an experimental cultural time, check out the Frost Electroacoustic Music Ensemble at UM's Clark Recital Hall. It will play music made with analog and digital technologies, everyday objects, music instruments, and toys. Juraj Kojs will direct undergrads and grad students in a boundary-pushing performance. Your future D'Angelos and Brian Enos will thank you later. 7:30 p.m. Monday, November 27, at Clark Recital Hall, 5501 San Amaro Dr., #201, Coral Gables; music.miami.edu. Admission is free.

Merrick Festival 2017 Caroling Competition. The end of Thanksgiving marks the start of Christmastime. And so begins five nights of singing seasonal songs with the Merrick Festival 2017 Caroling Competition on the steps of 550 Biltmore Way. Six local middle- and high-school choirs will croon each night in a contest to win cash prizes. It's a 30-year-old tradition that brings music to the community and financial security to school choirs. The following Tuesday-night award show will present $25,000 to the winner of the 30-choir competition. 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 29, at 550 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables; carolingcompetition.org. Admission is free.
Launch Party for The Wynwood Coloring Book, Second Edition, at the Wynwood Yard. Two years ago, graphic designer Diego Orlandini jumped on the adult-coloring-book craze by compiling a collection of outlines based on murals in Miami's ultracolorful Wynwood neighborhood. The result, The Wynwood Coloring Book, was a hit. Now Orlandini is back with a second edition, containing pages by mural artists such as Ron English, Okuda, and El Seed. He'll celebrate the sequel's official launch with a party at the Wynwood Yard, offering music, live painting, coloring stations, and artist signings. For every book sold, a free textbook will be given to a child in need. 6 p.m. Thursday, November 30, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; wynwoodyard.com. Admission is free.

Behind the Walls: Canvas Pop-Up Preview. Why pay $60 to rub shoulders with a bunch of rich art collectors when you can see the down-to-earth, for-the-people artwork of urban artists from all over the world? The Canvas Collection is offering a free first look to those of us who call Miami home before the droves of Basel-bound tourists clog up our streets and galleries. There will be cocktails, food by Doggystyle Miami, and tunes from DJ Kumi. 9 p.m. Thursday, November 30, at the Canvas Pop-Up Gallery, 90 NE 17th St., Miami; aedistrictmiami.com. Admission is free with RSVP at aedistrictmiami.eventbrite.com.

SoundBite's Must-See Music Showcase at Las Rosas. You can always count on the folks at Soundbite Magazine to bring you free local music. The Must-See Music Showcase happening this Thursday will offer Orlando-based surf rock from Gary Lazer Eyes, some piquant indie pop from Miami's Mustard Service, and bluesy soul from singer-songwriter PJ Aviles. Start your weekend early at the adjacent Allapattah haunts Las Rosas and B-Side, where you'll look and feel cool simply by walking in. 9:30 p.m. Thursday, November 30, at Las Rosas, 2898 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 786-780-2700; soundbitemagazine.net. Admission is free.
Institute of Contemporary Art Grand Opening. The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) had a fantastic fling at the Moore Building, its former Design District home. It was a perfect rebound building for the former Museum of Contemporary Art staffers who founded ICA: historic, unique, and located in a flashy, creative neighborhood. But the Moore Building was never long-term-partnership material. Instead, the ICA will open its newly constructed, hotly anticipated permanent museum this Friday, just in time for Art Basel. Few outsiders have gotten a look at the space, but all signs indicate it's a marriage made in art heaven. A grand-opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place at 9:30 a.m., before the museum opens to the public at noon. Noon Friday, December 1, at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, 61 NE 41st St., Miami; 305-901-5272; icamiami.org. Admission is free.
Women Run Wynwood 5K at the Wynwood Yard. Wynwood will be abuzz with the art world's nosiest and most in-the-know during Miami Art Week. But another event will coincide with the art fairs: the Women Run Wynwood 5K. So lace up your sneakers and get to the area to remind the art snobs that the bodies hidden under all of that asymmetrical clothing can do amazing things. This Triple Threat Fit event is an empowerment run, giving women drive through exercise and nutrition. It'll also include guest speakers, vendors, food trucks, and other diversions. 9 a.m. Sunday, December 3, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; triplethreatfit.com/women-run-wynwood. Admission is free. Sign up for the run at triplethreatfit.com/run-5k.

Cultural Marketplace at Pinecrest Gardens. If you've never made it to Pinecrest Gardens' farmers' market, you're missing out. Past the sea of soccer-mom SUVs and military-grade strollers, you'll find an oasis of specialty foods and fresh produce. This Sunday only, the Knight Foundation is adding to the bliss with its Cultural Marketplace, in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Knight Arts Challenge. Show up for pop-up exhibits, workshops, live music, and an installation from Knight Arts Challenge winner Patrick Dougherty. 9 a.m. Sunday, December 3, at Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Rd., Pinecrest; 305-669-6990; knightfoundation.org/10. Admission is free.