Thursday, March 15
God bless Sweden. The Scandinavian country has given us IKEA, Ace of Base, and delicious meatballs. It's also given us the electro-pop group Little Dragon, which will soon play Revolution Live. The South Florida date is one of only four East Coast stops the band is making on its latest U.S. jaunt. Count on lots of energy and some fresh tunes from the group's latest LP, Season High, which dropped last year. 8 p.m. Thursday at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; jointherevolution.net. Tickets cost $23.50.
Every person is unique — even those who insist on buying everything the Kardashians wear. "Obscura," an exhibition of work by Lionel Smit, explores how individuals are shaped and societally placed by their unique identities. Specifically, the show zooms in on those who are multi-ethnic and how their situations are constantly evolving. The result is a thought-provoking display of colorful, symbolic sculptures and paintings. 7 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami; mocanomi.org. Admission costs $10.
It's amazing what might be happening just outside your door. In the case of Neva, a play by Guillermo Calderón, three actors are performing scenes from a play while a regime takes over Saint Petersburg on the street. It's a truly eerie and powerful display of theater's relationship with current events and history. Neva made its English-language premiere in New York City in 2013 and has since hit high-profile theater spaces throughout the nation. You won't want to miss its 305 stint. 3 p.m. Thursday at MDCA On.Stage Black Box Theatre, 2901 W. Flagler St., Miami; miamidadecountyauditorium.org. Tickets cost $25.
Friday, March 16
According to the World Happiness Report, the U.S. is the 14th happiest country. Clearly, we can do better. The World Happiness Summit is here to help. The multiday affair is full of sessions and workshops designed to help people achieve and maintain happiness. Speakers include former Google chief business officer Mo Gawdat and happiness coach Giancarlo Molero, among others. Friday through Sunday at the Shalala Center at University of Miami, 1330 Miller Dr., Coral Gables; happinesssummit.world. Three-day passes start at $599; discounts are available for students, teachers, and nonprofits.
For some of us, the question "Where are you from?" is an easy one to answer. For others, not so much. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Award winner Junot Díaz's latest book, Islandborn, explores a girl's quest to learn about her roots. Though she knows she is from "The Island," she doesn't fully know how it has shaped her life until she embarks on an educational journey with family and friends. In addition to chatting about the book, Díaz will also sign copies. 6 p.m. Friday at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Auditorium, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami; eventbrite.com. Tickets cost $17.99.
Twenty-five years ago, the film Leprechaun debuted, and it was creepy AF. Today it remains creepy AF with its terrifying leprechaun exacting revenge on an unsuspecting family. To celebrate the big two-five and Jennifer Aniston's film debut, O Cinema Wynwood will host a special anniversary screening. Immediately following the flick, guests can participate in a live Q&A with writer/director Mark Jones via Skype. 11:30 p.m. Friday at O Cinema Wynwood, 90 NW 29th St., Wynwood; o-cinema.org. Tickets cost $12.
The ladies sure as hell know how to rock. For the 11th consecutive year, FemmeFest Miami will hit Churchill's Pub. The event boasts three stages of live tunes, spoken word, poetry, live art, and comedy from the likes of November May, Maria Marocka, Drawing Bored, and Rose Dickeson. If you can't handle the estrogen, stay home and grow a pair. 8 p.m. Friday at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission costs $10.
Saturday, March 17
If you want to get sloshed in Miami's hottest neighborhood on St. Patrick's Day, you're in luck. St. Pat's Wynwood is an all-day block party offering a pop-up beer garden, DJs galore, food trucks, and a fashion market. It's basically the most Wynwood St. Paddy's event you can imagine, letting you celebrate your Irish heritage and/or drunkenness while perusing crafts and street art. Noon Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Wynwood; stpatswynwood.com. Admission is free; drink packages start at $19.
Soon the streets of Brickell will run green with beer. Fado Irish Pub will once again throw a massive St. Patrick's Day block party in Mary Brickell Village, where outdoor bars will flow with Irish booze and DJs spinning around the clock. The party's tag line is "Be the legend." Exactly how you become that legend amid the madness is up to you. 11 a.m. Saturday at Fado Irish Pub, 900 S. Miami Ave., Miami; fadoirishpub.com. Admission costs $25.
The Miami Film Festival knows how to party, so it shouldn't surprise you that the fest is wrapping up with three events in one. The multiparty evening will kick off at the Olympia Theater at 7 p.m. for the festival's awards-night ceremony. From there, it's across the street for the awards-night party at the Alfred I. duPont Building. And to cap off the evening, head to Pérez Art Museum Miami for a late-night bash offering grub, cocktails, and plenty of opportunities to shake your rump. 7 p.m. Saturday at Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; miamifilmfestival.com. Tickets cost $225.
Does your hungry soul need some feeding? Jazz in the Gardens has a feast for you. The fest offers jazz, R&B, and soul heavy-hitters live at Hard Rock Stadium. This year, the two-day event will present the sparkly-eyed Smokey Robinson, funk queen Chaka Khan, chanteuse Anita Baker, and many other legends. Plus, gorge on the '90s-inspired lineup of big names such as Salt-N-Pepa, Kid 'n Play, Biz Markie, and Trick Daddy. 3 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens; jazzinthegardens.com. Admission starts at $96.
Remember when the Dade County Youth Fair was all about farm animals, the Gravitron, and seeing your poem on display with a blue ribbon? Somewhere between then and now, the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition stepped it up and added badass nostalgic concerts to the affair. This Saturday, the Main Street Stage will feature Ginuwine and the Sugarhill Gang. Pack the kids into the car and tell them you're going to the Youth Fair just for them. They don't need to know you just want to ride that pony one last time. 8 p.m. Saturday at the Fair Expo Center, 10901 Coral Way, Miami; 305-223-7060; fairexpo.com. Admission starts at $14 and includes access to standing areas for concerts; concert seat tickets cost $10 to $25.
And you thought your relationship was tense. In Florida Grand Opera's Orfeo, a wife travels all the way to Hell to uncover her husband's level of devotion to her. Lucky for her, Orfeo is a poet and musician, so he's a pretty emotional character. Full of love, he heads to the underworld to rescue his lady. Keep an ear out for the famed aria "Che Farò Senza Euridice," sung by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as Orfeo. 7 p.m. Saturday at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; arshtcenter.org. Tickets start at $25.
Yes, people still read. You're doing it right now. And some pretty cool book events are taking place around town this week, including a contemporary fiction and poetry reading at the picturesque Deering Estate. The estate's literary artist-in-residence, Dana De Greff, will be joined by fellow writers Jaquira Díaz, Keith S. Wilson, and Andrew Boryga for the shindig. 1 p.m. Saturday at Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Palmetto Bay; deeringestate.org. Donations are accepted for entry.
Sunday, March 18
P. Scott Cunningham has done something that once seemed impossible: He made poetry cool. Before launching O, Miami and Jai-Alai Books, basically the only people reading poems aloud in Miami were being forced to do so in high school. Now everyone is clamoring to join the poetry party. Cunningham — whose work has been published in the The Harvard Review, The Awl, and Monocle — has finally released his first book, Ya Te Veo. Enjoy some poetry and support one of Miami's finest writers and advocates this weekend. 4 p.m. Sunday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; booksandbooks.com. Admission is free.
In 1966, Jacqueline Susann's novel Valley of the Dolls took over Americans' imaginations. The book, as well as the film that came out the following year, showed three friends living interesting but sad lives. Their addiction to "dolls," AKA drugs prescribed to housewives at the time, hinders their dreams. Little Haiti's Villain Theater will show the flick as part of its series Reel Hottpants. Miami DJ Hottpants will hilariously narrate the screening, offer giveaways, and interact with the audience. 6 p.m. Sunday at Villain Theater, 5865 NE Second Ave., Miami; villaintheater.com. Tickets cost $10.
Monday, March 19
Everywhere you look, a traditionally fabulous or creatively fantastic drag queen is working her look onstage. These magnificent performers are dominating the nightlife scene in Miami, and thank God, because things can get boring without their color and craft. The Mister and Miss Pride South Florida Pageant, owned and operated by one of RuPaul's queens, Latrice Royale, honors the accomplishments of female impersonators and male entertainers via a contest. The categories are simple: Creative Presentation, Swimsuit, Talent, Evening Wear, and Question & Answer. It's like Miss Universe minus Trump's gross, grabby paws. 8 p.m. Monday at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura; aventuracenter.org. Tickets start at $10.
Chelsea Clinton, the woman who would have been the child of two presidents if the popular vote had mattered, is a powerhouse in her own right. She'll sign her #1 New York Times best-selling picture book, She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History, at Books & Books. Pick up a copy there so you can celebrate the stories of women who were determined to shape history and actually did it, such as Marie Curie, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Viola Desmond. Clinton didn't include herself in the book, but someone will likely include her in something similar one day. 6:30 p.m. Monday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; booksandbooks.com. Admission costs $17.99.
Tuesday, March 20
Every polo-wearing middle schooler in Miami prays to snag a role as a ball boy at the Miami Open. The tennis tournament runs through April 1 and is presented by Itaú. Last year, 300,000 visitors attended. The Open will feature the best players, people even your Dolphins-loving dad would recognize, such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It'll be a whole experience, with green space around the stadium for relaxing, interactive games, booze and beer, music, and even activities for the kids. This is Miami at its most European. 10 a.m. Monday at Crandon Park, 7300 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne; miamiopen.com. Tickets start at $7.
It's baaaack! Miami Music Week is once again delivering big bass to the streets of Miami. The festivities begin Tuesday night, and huge names will deliver bangers every night for the rest of the week. Highlights include Cedric Gervais, Sunnery James, and Ryan Marciano at LIV, and those who prefer pool parties can hit the DJ Mag Pool Sessions at the Surfcomber and Hyde Beach with Luciano. Art Basel attracts the most people to town, but MMW draws the most colorful — and loudest — crowd. 10 p.m. Tuesday at various locations; miamimusicweek.com. Ticket prices vary by event.
Wednesday, March 21
Shock rock will never die. There's just too much fun to be had when you put gore and glam together onstage. Alice Cooper is a golfing Christian in his regular life, but he's the baddest, most ghoulish vampire when he performs. He'll bring blood and guts, along with hits such as "No More Mr. Nice Guy," "School's Out," and "Welcome to My Nightmare," to the Broward Center. Superfans will freak for the $739.50 Front Row Insanity Package, which includes a meet-and-greet with the Godfather of Shock Rock himself. 8 p.m. Wednesday at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets start at $49.50 via ticketmaster.com.
