Concerts

The Best Things to Do in Miami This Weekend

Courtesy of the Aqua Foundation
You've made it! It's the weekend, Miami — time to let your hair down and get a little weird. From pool parties to bike rides to brunch, here are the best ways to spend those precious hours before Monday morning.
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Courtesy of the Aqua Foundation
Friday

Aqua Girl at Various Locations
Did your prom experience involve crying in a public restroom and then drunkenly skinny-dipping in a hotel swimming pool? It's OK — Aqua Girl is here to give you a second chance with its Barely Legal Prom. To celebrate the queer women's festival's 18th birthday, the three-day charity event is also throwing three pool parties, a cabaret show and reception, and a couple of dance parties for good measure. Go to support the Aqua Foundation, a nonprofit aiding LBT women in South Florida, but stay for a performance by Beth Malone and tunes from DJ Mo, the State Of, and many other acts at the Barely Legal Prom.

Hoppy Birthday at Concrete Beach Brewery
A birthday is an opportunity to celebrate the joy of existing. And what brings you more joy than sipping locally brewed beer in the hippest neighborhood on Earth? Concrete Beach's Hoppy Birthday party is here to let everyone in on the born-day fun with free doughnut cake from the Salty Donut, food by Grumpy Greg's BBQ, rare beers from Concrete's craft-brew brethren, four surprise beer releases, and the usual Friday half-priced growler fills. It's OK — you can get a little sentimental while guzzling the goodness. 

Saturday 

Out to Brunch at Soho Studios
Here at New Times, we're all about solutions. We don't want to just expose skeezy politicians or balk at sexism; we also want to do something about them. This is why we're tackling a problem so divisive, so utterly gridlocked, it simply must be addressed: Where should you get brunch? Our Out to Brunch roundup of more than 30 local restaurants is the solution. Don't settle for $25 carafes of mimosas or mediocre eggs Benedict — our mimosas and bloody marys are unlimited, and we'll offer fried duck, for crying out loud! We don't give half-assed answers. Join us.

March Against Monsanto at Adrienne Arsht Center Metromover Station
Biodiversity is key to sustaining life on this planet. If you grow only one kind of wheat, some caterpillar will evolve to eat all of that wheat, and then people would starve and the whole economy would be destroyed. But Monsanto doesn't care! In India, for instance, the agricultural corporation bought the patent for native seeds and encouraged farmers to minimize the diversity of their crops. Monsanto wants to genetically modify the food you eat, without knowing the implications. The organizers of the March Against Monsanto, Miami want to make it more difficult for the company to do so. It's part of a series of nationwide protests against the Bayer/Monsanto merger. The event is peaceful and kid-friendly and will end with some tunes at the Toejam Backlot afterparty in Wynwood. So bring your little activists, clever signs, and hand drums.
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Phillip Pessar via Flickr

Donk Day Car Show at the RC Cola Plant
For the uninitiated, a donk is a 1971-76 Chevy Caprice or Impala with big wheels slapped on it. You probably saw Rick Ross driving one through North Miami in his "Don't Like" video a few years ago, although the trend is said to have started in Liberty City. Whether you're an enthusiast or just miss Pimp My Ride, the Donk Day Car Show should be a gleaming, spinning, flashing showcase of Southern-style glam that only the Magic City could pull off with such style. If you don't get enough during the show, return Sunday for the parade.

Del the Funky Homosapien at Churchill's Pub
You can whet your palate for the Gorillaz' III Points show coming this fall when the Oakland-born MC Del the Funky Homosapien performs onstage at Churchill's this week. The alt rapper was featured on the group's 2001 eponymous album, giving rhyme and real meat to the still-omnipresent hit "Clint Eastwood." Though he still releases solo albums, he's well known for his Deltron 3030 collabo with Dan the Automator and Kid Koala. Del's last album, Iller Than Most, came out in 2014, so if you haven't, download it and memorize verses before the show.
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SlingShotMenace

Pizza Zoo at Sidebar
You're headed home in the wee hours of the morning after a half-dozen drinks and a few hours of dancing. Before you can fall blissfully onto your mattress, you know you need something carb-laden, greasy, and delicious to nourish your party-weary body. But why wait until late-night? Pizza Zoo extends your stamina and therefore the debauchery with more than 300 boxes of cheesy goodness to pass around the club. For its Miami premiere, the NY-based party will bring Frankie's Pizza for eight hours of dancing punctuated by a pizza-eating contest. Even if someone pukes, the night will still be epic.

#HialeahNow Beats & BBQ Bash at Unbranded Brewing Co
If you've ever wondered if you can celebrate the arts with barbecue, #HialeahNow has the answer. And it's a yes. The Leah District's ongoing series presented by Jameson is not taking any breaks for six months. Its Beats & BBQ Bash offers the community nourishment, a location, and music with which to enjoy the new works coming out of this unlikely arts hot spot. Expect break dancing by members of the Catalyst Hip-Hop Crew to honor one of their own, the late Joel Stigale. A mentor to at-risk youths in the area, he inspired them through hip-hop and positivity.

Sunday

Leading Ladies Gables Bike Tour at Coral Gables Museum
Riding a bike in the summer in Miami is a chore. So take advantage of the last few days of spring by enjoying a ride in a beautiful city in honor of something totally worthy: women's history. The Leading Ladies Gables Bike Tour will show off the actions taken by women to grow the Gables since its inception. All are welcome to pedal and be enlightened, so bring the men in your life so they can learn that not only is the future female, but so is the past.
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Chris Carter @_chris_carter

Lazy Sunday BBQ at the Standard Spa
Sundays were made for lounging by the water, getting day-drunk, and eating without worrying about fitting into normal clothes later. To fulfill all of that criteria, head to the Lazy Sunday BBQ at the Standard. DJs EXZ, Lemurian, and Manumat will spin till the sun goes down while you doze in the near-summer heat. If you're feeling flush by the end of the weekend, sign up for the late-night Hamam Sound Session, scheduled right after the barbecue.
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Taylor Estape

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