The Best Free Events in Miami This Week

An early cold snap can reinvigorate Miamians faith in humanity and the universe. Let's all be thankful that the past week or so has been cooler than the average early November even if it makes us a little uneasy about the impending catastrophes of climate change. For now, though, we can enjoy the temperate outdoors at the Miami Short Film Festival in SoundScape Park; Lights, Camera, 305 at Gibson Park; Light Up Lauderdale at Esplanade Park; and Danay Suarez at Hialeah Park. Yup, Miamians are headed outside in droves. Let's enjoy it while we can.

Miami Short Film Festival at SoundScape Park. Hey, film directors: No one wants to sit in a theater for more than two and a half hours. If you want to tell a story in 150-plus minutes, take a cue from Ken Burns and make a miniseries. The Miami Short Film Festival ensures viewers never get bored. The 16th-annual fest will kick off with free flicks under the stars in Miami Beach's beautiful SoundScape Park. Expect whimsy, music videos, animations, and other diversions with reasonable run times. 7 p.m. Monday, November 6, at SoundScape Park, 400 17th St., Miami Beach; miamishortfilmfestival.com. Admission is free.

Tech, Beats, and Bytes at the Wynwood Yard. We can't all work at Google, where napping pods and lunch patios abound, but a laid-back event where tech brains can come together to eat, drink, and network over relevant conversations about the industry is the next best thing. Tech, Beats, and Bytes is a weekly event run by Derrick “Chef Teach” Turton and Micahel Hall of Digital Grass, an organization that works to improve inclusivity in local tech industries. This week's conversation will be with sex therapist Jenifer Smith and founder of the Millennial Project, Christian Guerrier. 6 p.m. Monday, November 6, at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Wynwood; thewynwoodyard.com. Admission is free. 

Mark Handforth for ICA. The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami presented its first solo show by a local artist when it opened Mark Handforth's exhibition in 1996, four years after the artist moved to Miami. Handforth is still based here despite exhibiting his art worldwide. Hear him talk about creating large-scale, installation-style sculptures that engage public spaces and ask viewers to question the cultural, geographical, and contextual aspects of everyday objects. 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, in Palm Court, 140 NE 39th St., Third Floor, Miami; icamiami.org. Admission is free with RSVP.
Lights, Camera, 305 at Gibson Park. The Knight Foundation has been funding local artists for ten years through its Knight Arts Challenge, which has galvanized 335 arts and culture projects in Miami. The foundation has curated a lineup of events to celebrate this landmark, this first of which is Lights, Camera, 305. O Cinema, Third Horizon, and the Black Lounge Film Series are bringing a dozen films that will be shown on three screens that viewers can tune in to using Silent Revolution headphones. Grub from Jackson Soul Food and Greenhouse Cafe will be available for purchase. 7 p.m. Thursday, November 9, at Gibson Park, 401 NW 12th St., Miami; knightfoundation.org/10. Admission is free with RSVP.

Light Up Lauderdale: Get Lit at Esplanade Park. As always, we're gonna skip the holidays of gratitude and go straight to the holidays of acquisition. To get yourself juiced for all the gift-giving, watch the City of Fort Lauderdale flip the switch up on its light display at Light Up Lauderdale's Get Lit. Drive or boat to the Riverwalk, where two and a half miles of the brick pathway will be decorated in festive displays. Enjoy live music, kids' crafts, face painting, and train rides. 6 p.m. Thursday, November 9, at Esplanade Park, 400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-468-1541, ext. 208; goriverwalk.com. Admission is free; register at eventbrite.com.

Patrick & the Swayzees at Blackbird Ordinary. People used to go dancing because it was about the most sexual thing you could do, in public or otherwise. That was back when rock 'n' roll was considered blasphemous because it compelled you to shake your hips. Patrick & the Swayzees have brought energy and style back to the classics, and they're coming up from the Keys to show everyone how it's done. Whether you don't have the booty for twerking or you just enjoy a rockabilly kind of party, see the band at Blackbird Ordinary, where you'll also enjoy 50 percent off drinks till 10 p.m. 9 p.m. Friday, November 10, at Blackbird Ordinary, 729 SW First Ave., Miami; 305-671-3307; blackbirdordinary.com. Admission is free.
Danay Suarez at Hialeah Park. After teaming up with X-Alfonso, Danay Suarez began a career that so far has seen her nab four Latin Grammy nominations for her latest album, Palabres Manuales. The Cuban rapper and songstress can pull off a pop ballad as well as reggae-tinged R&B, which should keep even the uninitiated interested during her two sets this weekend. Bring an appetite for grub from the Cuban Guys food truck. 8 p.m. Saturday, November 11, at Hialeah Park, 100 E. 32nd St, Hialeah; 305-885-8000; hialeahparkcasino.com. Admission is free.

Family Day: Harry Potter Anniversary at Coral Gables Museum. This week marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. (For those who don't know, that's the original British book title, published a year before Sorcerer's Stone was released in the States.) During this month's family fun day in Coral Gables, you can make your own wand, purchase Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans, and hunt for goodies in Diagon Alley. As with all Potter-themed events, you know you won't be the only adult there, so have no shame. 2 p.m. Saturday, November 11, at Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 305-603-8067; coralgablesmuseum.org. Admission is free.