Thursday
Connan Mockasin is truly a man of the world. He was born in New Zealand. He's lived in London and Los Angeles. He resides in Tokyo. And he's coming to the 305 this Thursday. Spacey at its core, his music often nods to psychedelia, pop, rock 'n' roll, and seemingly everything adjacent. His latest and greatest album, Jassbusters, dropped last year and foreshadows a film he created, Bostyn 'n Dobsyn. 10 p.m. Thursday at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; eventbrite.com. $10 to $30.
Friday
Here's a combo you don't see every day: music and boxing. It'll happen when FNT Vol. 5 hits LMNCTY this Friday. Expect live jams from the likes of Venus X, Silent Addy, Sean Bang, Kamari Esson B2B Latenight, and Yazmine. And, yes, there will live MMA, Muay Thai, and K1 battles. Either way, get ready to rumble. 8 p.m. Friday at LMNCTY, 295 NE 59th Ter., Miami. Tickets cost $20 to $35 via eventbrite.com.
Last September, news broke that O Cinema and the Wynwood Yard would have to close to make way for an apartment building. Now it's time for the Wynwood Yard's final weekend blowout. YardFest will offer everything you've come to love about the pop-up entrepreneurial hub over the years: yummy culinary treats, delicious beverages, family-friendly activities, and more. Throughout the weekend, enjoy jams from the likes of local bands Spam Allstars, Locos por Juana, and Xperimento. Try not to cry. Friday through Sunday at the Wynwood Yard, 56 NW 29th St., Miami; thewynwoodyard.com. Admission is free.
Saturday
Bust out the sombrero and prepare for tequila. It's fiesta time, amigos. Cinco de Mayo Brickell is offering a two-day affair loaded with mariachi performances, confetti drops, mechanical chili rides (yes), and mucho mas. Your general-admission ticket includes party favors and a souvenir cup to fill with a giant margarita. 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday at Brickell Waterfront Lot, 609 Brickell Ave., Miami. Tickets cost $15 to $30 via cincodemayobrickell.com.
Continuing the Cinco de Mayo shenanigans, Cinco de Wynwood is a two-day shindig offering cerveza galore, a number of food trucks, artisan vendors, and the Thrifter Market. The main attraction: a giant piñata suspended from a 40-foot crane and loaded with tens of thousands of treats for partygoers. Pro tip: RSVP to get a free Dos Equis. ¡Que bueno! Noon to 3 a.m. Saturday and Noon to 10 p.m. Sunday at Wynwood Marketplace, 2250 NW Second Ave., Miami. Tickets range from free to $12 via evenbrite.com.
Cinco de Mayo gets a lot of love, but don't forget this Saturday is Star Wars fans' biggest day of the year. At the Miami-Dade Main Library, the May the 4th Family Festival & FandomFest will go down for all to enjoy. Among the Star Wars-inspired fun are special performances, themed games, and crafts. Show up in your best Star Wars garb for memorable cosplay action. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Main Library, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami; mdpls.org. Admission is free.
Who will be crowned the winner of this year's Kentucky Derby? Your guess is as good as ours. Regardless of which horse wins, you can be the real winner by hitting up American Social's Kentucky Derby Watch Party. The Brickell and Fort Lauderdale locations will serve $6 Kentucky Bourbon Ales and $8 Maker's Mark mint juleps. If you like free things, the first 50 folks to RSVP online get a free mint julep. 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at American Social Brickell, 690 SW First Ct., Miami, and American Social Las Olas, 721 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free; RSVP via eventbrite.com.
The two Miami chefs behind USBS (United States Burger Service) have a special delivery for you: a gourmet burger that will blow your mind. A pop-up burger restaurant that's been hitting spots in Miami since October, USBS was born from a brainstorming session among friends Dave Bailey, Agustin Gamboa, and Michael Mayta. You can find the USBS pop-up most Saturdays at Boxelder in Wynwood beginning at 5 p.m. Priced from $6 to $8, this burger is easily one of the best for less than $10. Order a single or double patty — appropriately dubbed "ground" or "two-day" — and your burger arrives fresh off the grill in a USBS-branded bag. It's topped with nothing but the chefs' own sauce: a blend of two cheeses spiked with a touch of salt and a dash of mustard seed. It comes between slices of a locally made bun that's a cross between a Parker roll and potato bread. 2817 NW Second Ave., Miami; facebook.com/usbsmiami. Saturdays 5 p.m. until sold out.
Sunday
Hundreds of piñatas are waiting to be destroyed. What are you waiting for? For a second consecutive year, Sombreros on the River: Miami's Biggest Piñata Party will happen at the Wharf. In addition to piñatas galore, there will be performances by DJ Irie and a mariachi band. Bonus: You get a free Corona every time you buy a shot of tequila. ¡Ay dios mÃo! Noon to 3 a.m. Sunday at the Wharf, 114 SW N. River Dr., Miami; eventbrite.com. Admission is free.
Some truly wacky and fly cars zoom around the streets of South Florida. You can see a good chunk of them in one place when Lowrider Magazine's Custom Car Super Show rolls into town. Hundreds of colorful, bouncy, hydraulic-boosted rides will be onsite for your gawking pleasure. If you think your whip has what it takes to be displayed, get moving — there are limited spots left for entry. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Miami-Dade County Expo Center, 10901 SW 24th St., Miami. Tickets cost $25 via eventbrite.com.
Ready to get funky? Havana's Afro-Cuban funkster, Cimafunk, is on a U.S. tour, and he'll stop in Miami Sunday. Funk is in his name, and delicious Latin jams are his game. He's been inspired by everyone from James Brown to Al Green to Beny Moré. A quality preshow listen is his first solo album, 2017's Terapia. 6 p.m. Sunday at 1-800-Lucky, 143 NW 23rd St., Miami; 1800lucky.com. Tickets cost $35 to $40.
Need a good read? It's waiting for you at the Little Haiti Book Festival. But there's also a lot more to this shindig than book sales, including craft talks, workshops for writers, poetry, dance performances, live tunes, and opportunities to mix and mingle with authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. Best of all, this oversize dose of culture is free to attend. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Ter., Miami; miamibookfair.com. Admission is free.
Out in the Tropics, the local performing arts series focused on gender, sexuality, and identity topics, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As part of the festivities, the series will host the world premiere of Macho Man XX1, by Mexico's Tania Pérez-Salas Dance Company. The 60-minute piece is a provocative look at gender violence in Mexico's exotic yet chaotic culture. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at On.Stage Black Box at Miami-Dade County Auditorium, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami. Tickets cost $30 via fundarte.us, and discounts are available.
Chicano Batman has rocked Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Conan and toured with Jack White and Alabama Shakes. Now you can see the L.A. psychedelic outfit for free. During its ten years in the biz, the foursome has produced three full-length albums, including 2017's Freedom Is Free. For a preconcert playlist, check out Chicano Batman classics "Black Lipstick," "Cycles of Existential Rhyme," and "Magma." 7 p.m. Sunday at Hollywood ArtsPark, 1 Young Circle, Hollywood. Admission is free with RSVP via rhythmfoundation.com.
Cerveza, mezcal, and chapulines are on the menu during GRO Wynwood's Cinco de Mayo Festival. The outdoor event, which is free and family-friendly, will celebrate the culture south of the border with a handful of Miami's best local vendors. Rally your friends and family for an afternoon of food trucks, local music, dancing, and local vendors. Plus, RSVP for a free beer. Noon Sunday at GRO Wynwood, 2700 NW Second Ave., Miami. Admission is free; RSVP via eventbrite.com.
More than a dozen soul-food chefs will unite for the Vegan Takeover, a brunch experience on the Miami Urban Contemporary Experience (MUCE) Campus. During this kickoff of MUCE's fifth cultural season, enjoy live music, spoken-word performances, and art while digging into a selection of creative, plant-based eats. Menu highlights, which are subject to change, include cashew dip, veggie skewers, vegan chili, Impossible burger bites, and curry red lentil soup with naan. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the MUCE Campus, 246 NW 54th St., Miami; muce305.org. Tickets cost $40 via eventbrite.com. Clarissa Buch
Tuesday
Tame Impala is set to rock the Fillmore in what is easily one of the hottest shows to grace South Florida this year. The Australian psychedelic-rock band, led by Kevin Parker, recently headlined Coachella, so to see Tame Impala in such an intimate venue is truly special. The 2015 LP Currents and its 7.5-minute lead single, "Let It Happen," are a delight to hear whether you can or can't get into this show. 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Verified resale tickets start at $199 via livenation.com.
Wednesday
Wednesday is shaping up to be an international evening at the Fillmore when Kali Uchis and Jorja Smith host a coheadlining spectacle. Both ladies' debut albums dropped in 2018, and both were hits. Colombia's Uchis saw her Isolation dubbed one of Billboard's "Top 50 Albums" of the year. And Smith, who hails from England, found success with the Top 50 album Lost & Found. 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $79 via livenation.com.
"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!" What is this, you ask? It's the opening call of The Lion King, and you can hear it onstage at the Arsht Center. This summer, the timeless Disney movie is getting a computer-animated remake starring talents such as Donald Glover and Beyoncé, but the Broadway show is spectacular. It's taken home six Tony Awards (including best musical), and its Garth Fagan-crafted choreography truly brings the wild to life. 8 p.m. Wednesday and select dates through May 26 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; arshtcenter.org. Tickets cost $25 to $150.
Drunken Dragon, a Korean barbecue spot in South Beach with an accompanying tiki-themed cocktail bar, is behind a weekly event worth dodging tourists for: Frita Wednesdays. Cooked up by the restaurant's new executive chef, Sergio Rivera, the special puts a Japanese twist on the Cuban classic. For every frita, the kitchen places a patty made of Wagyu and Chinese sausage on a steamed bao bun and adds garnishes such as spicy ketchup, tomatoes, and taro chips. 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays at Drunken Dragon, 1424 Alton Rd., Miami Beach; 305-397-8556; drunkendragon.com.
