Thursday, February 13
We could probably just fill this entire calendar item with quotes from Mean Girls. In fact, let's do it right now: "Stop trying to make 'fetch' happen!" "Get in, loser — we're going shopping!" "Four for you, Glen Coco! You go, Glen Coco!" "On Wednesdays, we wear pink!" "I'm not a regular mom; I'm a cool mom!" "She doesn't even go here!" "Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George." OK, that's enough. Mean Girls will screen in Maurice A. Ferré Park (AKA Museum Park) as part of the NightLight305 outdoor movie series. Food trucks, along with plenty of wine and beer, will be available. 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Maurice A. Ferré Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets cost $11 to $17 via eventbrite.com.
Friday, February 14
You know what would really impress your Valentine's Day date instead of a shitty, overpriced prix fixe at a South Beach restaurant? Classical music. Think about it: What's a better mood-setter than paying upward of a hundred bucks for a concert hall full of string musicians to serenade you and bae? The New World Symphony is about to give you just that with Fire and Romance. The program will include three pieces from the Romantic era: Schumann's Symphony No. 3, Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2, and Liszt's Prometheus. Seriously, if there's anyone who knows about romance, it's Liszt, the guy who had a medical condition named after him because his music was so irresistible. 7:30 p.m. Friday at the New World Center, 500 17th St., Miami Beach; 305-673-3330; nws.edu. Tickets cost $38 to $135.
Valentine's Day can be a minefield of hollow Hallmark cards and overpriced gatherings marketed to only cis-hetero couples. It doesn't have to be that way. This Valentine's Day, head to the Spot Wynwood for its LGBTQ Lovers & Friends Showcase, the debut of what's slated to become a weekly get-together for Miami's queer community. All LGBTQ entertainers, vendors, local artisans, and business owners are welcome. The event organizers hope the market-cum-meetup will be a safe space to network and support local businesses. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for the poetry slam and mingling session, followed by a Q&A session with Bobby Lytes of VH1's Love & Hip Hop Miami and celebrity stylist and designer Raquel the Label. Stick around till 10 p.m. for the afterparty, Lytes Out, which will offer drag performances, DJ sets, and other diversions. 7 p.m. Friday at the Spot Wynwood, 3201 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 786-200-2017; thespotwynwood.com. Tickets to the networking/poetry event and Q&A cost $20, and admission to Lytes Out costs $10. VIP options are available.
Since 2015, Panache Booking has partnered with Planned Parenthood — America's trusted provider of sex education and reproductive healthcare — for the annual party and benefit Village of Love. Whether you're looking for a fun date idea or just an escape from the frequently cringe-worthy holiday, the Village of Love has what you're looking for. The lineup includes electronic dance duo Afrobeta, experimental-rock outfit Donzii, surf-noir rock band Haute Tension, and grunge pundits Las Nubes. With a stellar lineup of Miami musicians and a worthy cause, this event is a must. 7 p.m. Friday at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; gramps.com. Tickets cost $20 via eventbrite.com and $25 at the door. All proceeds go to Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida.
Well, here it is — the first Gatsby party for this round of '20s. Taking over the Design District's Palm Court, an appropriately swanky setting for such a decadent theme, the Deco Swing Ball will be a fabulous night full of Roaring Twenties-inspired activities. Food and specialty drinks will be served at Politan Row Miami (formerly known as St. Roch Market) beginning at 7:30, followed by a beginner's swing dance lesson at 8:30. The party will kick into high gear at 9 with a live jazz band. Vintage attire is encouraged (but not mandatory), so dust off your flapper finery. 7:30 p.m. to midnight Friday in Palm Court, 140 NE 39th St., Miami. Tickets cost $20 via eventbrite.com.
Saturday, February 15
Before Art Basel lured the world's most tasteless and wealthy denizens to Miami to traffic in fine art, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival gave locals a taste of culture in a much less pretentious setting. Now in its 57th year, the festival will be plenty of fun even if you don't intend to buy art. Some of the planned events include culinary demonstrations from the likes of Ralph Pagano and Michael Beltran, live entertainment, a family zone, and much more. Gates open 10 a.m. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 2700 S. Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove. Tickets cost $15 per day; discounts are available at cgaf.com.
This could just be the most Miami event ever. The 11th-annual Model Volleyball event is set to return to the sand this Saturday and Sunday, the latter of which the City of Miami Beach has officially ordained "Model Volleyball Day." The coed beach volleyball tournament — which pits the city's top modeling agencies and a sprinkling of professional volleyball players against one another — is expected to attract 15,000 voyeurs and participants for this year's event. Beauty, beaches, and balls — what more could you ask for? 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Eight Street on the oceanfront, Miami Beach; modelvolleyball.com. General admission is free, but VIP options are available from $250 to $2,500 via eventbrite.com.
Beer nerds, listen up: J. Wakefield Brewing is set to put on its fifth-annual Wakefest this weekend. Nearly 30 JWB brews will be on draught in addition to chow from your favorite local food trucks. If you're looking for a rare brew, you'll find it here: 120 independent craft brewers, some of whom visit Florida only once a year, will be on hand to serve their wares. Simply bring your ID and your smiling face and get ready to beer down. Noon Saturday at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-0371; manawynwood.com. Tickets cost $75 via jwakefieldbrewing.com.
Sunday, February 16
If you feel like checking out the Miami Concours this weekend, you'll get a look at some extremely rare, extremely pricey vintage and exotic automobiles. We're talking James Bond-, Steve McQueen-grade stuff here, the kind of whips that get GQ editors salivating. Let's be clear: The people you'll see at this event will be disgustingly rich, but we recommend it for no other reason than to stimulate the little kid with a Lamborghini poster on his bedroom wall who still lives within all of us. 11 a.m. Sunday in the Design District, NE 39th to 41st Street, Miami; miamidesigndistrict.net. Admission is free, but if you touch the cars, you might regret it.
One of the biggest Latinx LGBTQ festivals, Gay8, will take over Miami's historic SW Eighth Street with a block party shutting down the stretch between SW 14th and SW 17th Avenues. Little Havana's main drag, AKA Calle Ocho, will be transformed into a pedestrian promenade to make room for specialty arts-and-crafts booths, vendors, dance parties, and a stage where headliner Albita Rodriguez will perform at 8 p.m. Several local venues and restaurants will participate in the festival, which celebrates the diversity of South Florida's community. The legendary live music venue Ball & Chain will open at 11 a.m. and offer performances by a band throughout the day, in addition to free salsa lessons at 9 p.m. The Gay8 Festival Film Showcase, whose theme is gentrification, will screen Medicine for Melancholy, Battle of Soho, Moonlight, and other films at the Tower Theater. 11 a.m. Sunday on SW Eighth Street between SW 14th and SW 17th Avenues, Miami. General admission is free and open to the public; VIP tickets cost $75 via gay8festival.com.
Monday, February 17
School's out this Presidents' Day, and the kids are bored. What to do? Look up for inspiration: The party will be in the sky during the annual Kite Days Festival at Haulover Park. It begins Saturday and ends Monday for three days of high-flying fun. With hundreds of colorful kites available for rental, you can try your hand at flying one with the help of verified experts or simply sit back and enjoy the view. Noon to 5 p.m. Monday at Haulover Park, 10800 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-893-0906; skywardkites.com. Admission is free; rental and parking fees may apply.
Tuesday, February 18
Hamilton, the musical that took Broadway and the world by storm, will finally arrive in town this Tuesday for its highly anticipated Miami debut at the Adrienne Arsht Center. The story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as told by Tony Award-winning triple threat Lin-Manuel Miranda has ricocheted through popular culture and continues to rest on the tip of theater enthusiasts' tongues five years since its debut. Act fast and get your tickets for the show's limited run — several performances have already sold out. 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, March 15, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 786-468-2000; arshtcenter.org. Tickets start at $99.
Wednesday, February 20
In addition to countless armchair experts and producers searching for the next great untold true-crime story, academic fields are also dedicated to analyzing the subject. The research agency Forensic Architecture tackles cases of human rights violations — such as the police-involved killing of Harith Augustus in Chicago — by using advanced spatial and media investigations as well as presenting architectural evidence pertaining to buildings and urban environments. You can learn more about this field of study with the opening of "Forensic Architecture: True to Scale." The exhibition will include a Q&A with Forensic Architecture founder Eyal Weizman, who will offer insight into how techniques such as photogrammetry, augmented reality, and 3D modeling aid him and his colleagues in their research. 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Museum of Art and Design at the Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-237-7700; moadmdc.org. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.
The biggest food event of the year is here. The South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) hits the sand and beyond for five days of refined food, drinks, and celebrity chef sightings. Some of the greatest culinary talents in the world are converging on South Florida for more than 100 events in a whirlwind five days, so check sobewff.org and miaminewtimes.com for all the info you'll need to tackle this beast of a feast. Wednesday through Sunday at multiple locations throughout South Florida. For ticket and event info, visit sobewff.org.
