Cue the Barbara Walters voice: This is 2020. The start to your year doesn't need to be boring or expensive; this week's freebies run the gamut from tranquil to wild. On the peaceful side, hit the yoga and mindfulness-oriented Mindful Mondays at Modern Om. With Friday's full moon comes a special ceremony offering astrology and intention-setting at Nautilus by Arlo. For those who aren't fans of namaste, there'll be Bingo at Beat Culture Brewery's weekly Ñooo Que Bingo! And, to close out your week, stop at Books & Books in Coral Gables to pick up Melissa Albert's latest novel, The Night Country, and meet the author.
Here are the best free things to do in Miami this week:
We're less than a week into 2020. How are those resolutions going? If one of them was to become a yogi or simply more mindful, hit up Mindful Mondays at Modern Om in Upper Buena Vista. All you need to bring is a smile, some water, and a yoga mat to enjoy the meditation and decompression activities. 6:30 p.m. Monday, January 6, at Modern Om Bungalow, 5020 NE Second Ave., Miami; modernom.co. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.
The first Tuesday of every month, you can get your bingo on (for free!) at Beat Culture Brewery. The Doral spot's Ñooo Que Bingo! is hosted by Tio Pepe (Danny Reyes) and Carmen Zita (as his sobrina) and is loaded with a lot more fun than you'll usually find at most bingo halls. If you get bingo, yell with pride and win a quirky prize. If you don't get bingo, order a Fight Milk milkshake IPA or Escoozy wheat saison and you'll be a winner anyway. 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, January 7, at Beat Culture Brewery, 7250 NW 11th St., Doral; beatculture.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.
This Thursday and Friday, the State of the World 2020 conference will happen at FIU. Guests from Pew Research, Politico, the George W. Bush Institute, and many others will discuss immigration, human rights, Venezuela, and other global hot topics. 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, January 9, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday, January 10, at Florida International University Graham Center, 11200 SW Eighth St., Miami. Admission is free with registration via eventbrite.com.
Happy birthday to the Wynwood Mexican eatery, Coyo Taco. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the NW Second Avenue hot spot will throw a party Thursday, and it'll offer some freebies. In addition to free admission from 8 to 10 p.m., the restaurant will serve free beer, draft margaritas, and passed tacos. If you hit Coyo outside of that timeframe, enjoy its fifth-anniversary $5 menu, including al pastor tacos, Modelo beer, and guac and chips. 8 p.m. Thursday, January 9, at Coyo Taco, 2300 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-573-8228; coyo-taco.com. Admission is free.
This Friday, the cancer full-moon eclipse will happen, and a special Full Moon Ceremony at Nautilus by Arlo will help you handle the related vibes. Ashlie Redmond will guide you through the experience, which will include intention-setting, high vibrations, astrology, and energy clearing. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, January 10, at Nautilus by Arlo, 1825 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Admission is free with registration via eventbrite.com.
You've seen countless comic strips in newspapers; now it's time to make your own. Radiator Comics is in the heart of a special six-week series offering a comics workshop at Locust Projects. For Saturday's free event, cartoonist and author Drew Lerman will teach you how to make your own four-panel strips. If you're not an artistic genius, don't fret — this one is open to all skill levels and ages. And if you can't make this one, the series runs every Saturday through February 8. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, January 11, at Locust Projects, 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-8570. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.
In addition to cofounding Barnes & Nobles' teen blog and writing for MTV, Melissa Albert garnered a slew of fans with her first novel, The Hazel Wood. The author recently released a followup, The Night Country, which builds on her debut and tracks Ellery Finch's mesmerizingly dark fairy-tale adventure as he tries to make his way back home. Join Albert this Sunday afternoon for a special book-signing, talk, and Q&A at Books & Books in Coral Gables. 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, January 12, at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 305-442-4408. Admission is free with an RSVP via eventbrite.com.