The Best Free Events in Miami This Week

It's time for your last pool party of the season, 'cause fall is officially here. That doesn't necessarily mean there won't be anymore pool weather, but swimming will probably go out of style until all the Art Basel celebrities get here, so squeeze in South Beach Brewing's Pop-Up Brunch Pool Party. While you're at it, head to Plantainfest at Concrete Brewery to savor the last non-pumpkin-flavored beer to be released for the next three months.

Wynwood Shop Grand Opening. By gathering local craftspeople and other artisans in one place, the folks at Wynwood Shop provide exposure for makers while keeping their costs low through shared retail space. Lucky for you, that means there's a one-stop shop for unique clothes, jewelry, accessories, and art made right here in the 305. At this event Thursday, the Wynwood Shop will unveil work by more than 30 creatives and provide complimentary beer from Concrete Beach and Veza Sur Brewery and cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka. 1 p.m. Thursday, October 12, at Wynwood Shop, 196 NW 24th St., Miami; wynwoodshop.com. Admission is free with RSVP. 

Nerd Nite Third Birthday at Gramps. Though past Nerd Nites might have been on your radar, this one is extraspecial. Not only can you participate in three informative and fun lectures — "Hurricanes Now and the Future" by Canes on Canes, "Keeping Dade County Wild" by Lloyd Brown, and "Stress and the Mind-Body Connection" by Tina Parlato — but you can also drink alcohol to celebrate the local chapter's third year of educating the populace. Come nerd out and party. 6 p.m. Thursday, October 12, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; miami.nerdnite.com. Admission is free.

Brian Kuan Wood at the Institute of Contemporary Art. Maybe math isn't your strong suit. Thankfully, we can look at numbers conceptually and still feel supersmart and engaged in something vaguely like arithmetic. Brian Kuan Wood, editor of the journal E-flux and professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York, will give a lecture about the significance of numbers in our computing age. "Perhaps we should look more closely at the great power that numbers hold," Wood says. "Do numbers in fact reflect forces that are extremely difficult (or even impossible) to control?" 7 p.m. Thursday, October 12, at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 4040 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-901-5272; icamiami.org. Admission is free with RSVP.
Plantainfest at Concrete Beach. Let’s be real: We all wish the maduro sides at Pollo Tropical were larger. But instead of hoping to change the unchangeable, we can get our sweet-plantain overload at Plantainfest. Jimmy’z Kitchen will offer plantain dishes, Azucar will be onsite with plátano maduro ice cream, and Conjunto Pepe Montes will play tunes, all in celebration of the release of Concrete Beach’s sweet-plantain Dunkelweizen, Plantain Pícaro. And if you’re really serious about those banana cousins, sign up for the plantain-eating contest. One dollar of each special beer sold will be donated to the Unity Coalition. 8 p.m. Friday, October 13, at Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-796-2727; concretebeachbrewery.com. Admission is free.
DWNTWN ArtDays at various locations. As a result of Hurricane Irma, DWNTWN Art Days rescheduled its events for this weekend. For three days, you can visit the hub at the Miami Center for Architecture & Design (100 NE First Ave., Miami) for activities and information about the citywide exhibitions, performances, tours, and workshops that aim to connect Miami with the myriad arts and cultural institutions within it. Highlights include kite-flying at the Frost Science Museum, a Fringe Projects guided tour, and Microtheater Miami’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Friday, October 13, through Sunday, October 15, at various locations; dwntwnarts.com. Admission varies by event, but most are free.
Ugly Prom Night at Lincoln’s Beard Brewing. Not all of us can go viral on Instagram in our prom gowns. Some of us spend $40 on a dress and then spend half the night crying in the bathroom. It happens. But as adults, we can avenge our teenage selves at events such as Ugly Prom Night at Lincoln’s Beard. So bust out your tackiest taffeta and enjoy a night of tunes from the Morrissey/Smiths cover band Ordinary Boys, plus tacos. The best part: You won’t have to chug all the alcohol in the limo beforehand. 9 p.m. Saturday, October 14, at Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Company, 7360 SW 41st St., Miami; 305-912-7390; lincolnsbeardbrewing.com. Admission is free.

South Beach Brewing Pop-Up Brunch Pool Party at Kimpton Surfcomber. Need a little hair of the dog after all of that Friday-night partying? South Beach Brewing Company has a cure: the Pop-Up Brunch Pool Party, pairing brunch and brews. Let the pool rehydrate you, dance to the sounds of DJs, and munch on food that’s infused with the brewery's signature beers: South Peach Shandy, Strawberry Orange Mimosa, and Sunset Blood Orange IPA. And if you need a little privacy, you can rent a cabana. 11 a.m. Saturday, October 14, at Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel, 1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; surfcomber.com. Admission is free.

Truth and Reconciliation at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. We have to create art to make sense of this topsy-turvy world. The Little Haiti Cultural Complex's art gallery and Future Roots Collective are exhibiting "Truth and Reconciliation," organized by curator-in-residence Marie Vickles. The show explores our collective and individual memories of justice and reparation and how we seek the truth and find peace despite injustices. This is the gallery's seventh in a series of shows presenting local artists. 4 p.m. Sunday, October 15, at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Ter., Miami; littlehaiticulturalcenter.com. Admission is free.