Thursday
Well, who really did frame Roger Rabbit? If you don't know or simply want to experience the classic flick, head to Wynwood this week. To honor the 30th anniversary of director Robert Zemeckis' classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit? O Cinema will host a special screening for one night only. The fun begins at 8 p.m. with retro games and vintage trading cards for sale from 80sCards.com. The movie starts at 9 sharp. 9 p.m. Thursday at O Cinema Wynwood, 90 NW 29th St., Wynwood; o-cinema.org. General admission costs $12.
Fun fact: The Miami Book Fair is a year-round affair. That means cool literary people are always coming through our neck of the woods. The latest writer extraordinaire to hit Miami is the Atlantic national correspondent Ta-Nehisi Coates. He'll be in conversation with WLRN reporter Nadege Green for an evening that will touch on President Barack Obama's eight years in the Oval Office as well as the ideas and voices that emerged from his tenure. 7 p.m. Thursday at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami; miamibookfair.com. Admission costs $30, which includes a copy of Coates' book We Were Eight Years in Power.
If you've been slacking on your New Year's fitness resolutions, perhaps it's time for some motivation. Wodapalooza, the four-day fitness extravaganza for competitive athletes and spectators alike, kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday at Bayfront Park. With more than 1,500 athletes representing 30 countries participating in every fitness competition imaginable, you'll certainly leave inspired. Thursday through Sunday at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; thewodapalooza.com. Tickets start at $50.
Friday
Your artsy-fartsy heart will soon be overjoyed. The Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco Weekend is back with more than 85 free events over three days. From a classic car show to a dog show to an art deco dance, there is something for the entire family. And as icing on the cake, nearly all of the events come with a beautiful beachside view. Friday through Sunday on Ocean Drive between Sixth and 13th Streets, Miami Beach; artdecoweekend.com. Admission to most events is free. Read "The Best Things to Do During Art Deco Weekend."
It's never a bad time to geek out, and Paradise City Comic Con is no exception. Running Friday through Sunday at the Miami Airport Convention Center, the show boasts cosplay contests galore, videogaming, unique parties, and other fun. This year's celeb guests include Pilou Asbæk of Game of Thrones, comedian Andy Dick, and WWE legend Mick Foley. Friday through Sunday at Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave., Miami; paradisecitycomiccon.com. Admission costs $20 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, and $30 for Sunday; multiday passes are also available.
An adventure outside of reality would be a nice retreat from all the crap happening in the world. The Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival is set to take you on a magical, four-day journey. The festival will screen a number of microdocs, shorts, and full-length films, including family-friendly options. For those in the industry, workshops will show you how to make dough in the biz and how to fine-tune your craft. Friday through Monday at the Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; miscifi.com. Festival passes start at $45.
Miami City Ballet's Program Two might end up being number one in your heart. Beginning Friday, the company will host three performances at the Arsht Center. The program includes Jerome Robbins' choreography of "The Cage," "Circus Polka," "West Side Story Suite," and others. For those who can't make the Arsht performances, MCB will hit the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale at the end of the month and then the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach at the beginning of February. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; miamicityballet.org. Tickets start at $25.
Saturday
It's a landmark year for one spectacle of a producer. Lee "Scratch" Perry is now in his 80th year on God's green Earth and is honoring the 40th anniversary of his iconic album, Super Ape. As part of the celebration, Perry will be joined by dub-masters Subatomic Sound System and DJ Kiva for an intimate show at the Ground. If you've ever been into Marley, the Heptones, or a number of other reggae icons, you should be there. 8 p.m. Saturday at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; ticketfly.com. Tickets cost $25 to $35. Read "The Tao of Lee 'Scratch' Perry" for more about him.
Here we are in 2018, and there are still plenty of problems with our society. In an effort to spotlight injustices and equip locals with knowledge and the tools for action, the Miami Workers Center will host Femme Saturdays, a gathering that seeks to answer "How We Get Free." Organized by Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward's Tiffany Burks, the event will highlight black feminism with a focus on the Combahee River Collective — a group that made major waves beginning in the 1960s. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Miami Workers Center, 745 NW 54th St., Miami; facebook.com/miamiworkerscenter. Admission is free.
Contrary to what Christmas songs may tell you, January is actually the most wonderful time of the year in South Florida. It's stone crab season. Honoring the peak of the season is the seventh-annual Stone Crab & Seafood Festival. Find a feast of flavors from Lauderdale faves such as Southport Raw Bar, Grille 401, the DownTowner, Shuck-N-Dive, and others. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in Esplanade Park, 400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; goriverwalk.com. Admission is free; food starts at $5 per dish.
It's time to get your ha-has for the fourth year in a row. The Miami Festival of Laughs returns to the James L. Knight Center, presenting performers such as Mike Epps of Next Friday and The Hangover, Sommore from Soul Plane and Dirty Laundry, Tommy Davidson from In Living Color, Tony Rock, among other big-name comedians. 8 p.m. Saturday at James L. Knight Center, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami; jlkc.com. Tickets start at $52.
Some events stand the test of time. The Beaux Arts Festival, for instance, has been going strong since 1952, when it was called the Clothesline Sale. A product of UM's Lowe Art Museum, it has given young artists face time with buyers for 66 years. It currently includes a juried exhibition, student showcase, Beaux Arts Ball, the children's art celebration Hands On!, and a pavilion for little ones. This weekend-long fest is a laid-back way to introduce your kids and yourself to the less ostentatious arts community in South Florida. 7 a.m. Saturday at 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables; beauxartsmiami.org. Admission is free.
Loved The Shape of Water? Need a new sci-fi fix? Hit up the Coral Gables Art Cinema's after-hours screening of the 1973 animated classic Fantastic Planet. Not only is it still totally cool-looking 45 years later, but also the theater will augment the engrossing visuals with a live score by Mystvries from Bribery Corporation. The flick takes on the horrors of the Holocaust and dictatorship of World War II, so it's still politically relevant. The event will kick off with a screening of a contemporary short film and is part of the 21st-annual Miami Jewish Film Festival, running January 11 through 25. You get free popcorn with admission, so that $8 will go far and take you to wild and wondrous places. 11:15 p.m. Saturday at Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; gablescinema.com. Admission costs $8.
