Here's a glimpse of what our city has to offer this weekend, so get up and get ready.
Friday:
- Dr. Bill & John's Excellent Bottle Share at J. Wakefield Brewing: One night ahead of its first-anniversary celebration, Wakestock 2016 — a day of peace, love, and countless local and out-of-state brewery appearances held at GastroPod — J. Wakefield Brewing invites beer enthusiasts of all breeds to Dr. Bill & John’s Excellent Bottle Share. Longtime beer figure Bill Sysak, AKA Dr. Bill, will bring his 30 years of experience in the craft beer community to Wynwood for a night of unique tastings. The evening will highlight more than 60 rare and exclusive bottles handpicked by the pairing master and JWB founder Jonathan Wakefield from the brewery owner’s private cellar.
- Art Wynwood at Art Miami Pavilion: As Wynwood continues its transition from burgeoning arts neighborhood into a paint-covered landmark, Art Wynwood is about to launch its fifth-annual fair. Fair director Grela Orihuela explains, “Miami is a cultural destination — with the private collections, collector base, museums, and the international equity that’s been built with Art Week [in December], it was only natural to pursue a standalone fair that signified a true evolution for Miami and the Midtown/Wynwood Arts District.
- "Take The Good With The Bad" at University of Miami: The University of Miami presents "Take The Good With The Bad," A Master of Fine Arts exhibition by Dennis Loucks.
- Miami International Boat Show at Miami Marine Stadium: Break out your sunscreen and Top-Siders. The Miami International Boat Show is back and hoping to be bigger than ever this Presidents' Day weekend. Organizers estimate 100,000 visitors will descend upon the show for its 75th year, bringing one of the grandest displays of watercraft you've ever seen.
- Noches Tropicales at Tropical Park: Indulge in a noche tropical at Tropical Park. Now in its tenth year, Noches Tropicales is a free concert series copresented by Miami-Dade Parks and Target, aimed at uniting Miami’s communities through diverse cultural arts.
- Miss Kittin at Heart Nightclub: French EDM icon Miss Kittin (AKA Caroline Hervé) has been rocking the scene since the '90s. But so far, her discography has consisted exclusively of records written in collaboration with producers like the Hacker, Tobi Neumann, and Golden Boy. In 2013, however, we finally got to see Miss Kittin come into her own as a soloist with her self-produced album, Calling From the Stars. "I started some tracks at home in order to bring them to a bigger studio, but my producer friend said they were finished — no need to retouch them," Miss Kittin told New Times back in 2013.
- Claude VonStroke at Trade: For Claude VonStroke, founder of house and techno label Dirtybird Records, his first investor shared a house and a bed with him. "[My wife] paid all the rent and bills for that [first] year," he says. "So all the money I wanted to put into the label actually was then able to go into the label instead of to rent. That provided me the freedom, which is the most valuable asset to have at the starting days of a new venture."
- Hated For Loving at Gramps: Sometimes, you'll be hated for loving. And Miami's Ordinary Boys — the only Smiths and Morrissey tribute band in the entire 305 — have come to accept and embrace that. That's why they're celebrating the day of love with a night of your fave songs, from "This Charming Man" to "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." Take that, haters.
- Cupid’s Undie Run at Mana Wynwood: Seeing strangers wearing next to nothing is not an unusual occurrence in Miami. Brazilian bikinis and banana hammocks are common sights on an average afternoon walk along South Beach. But running in your undies is another experience altogether, and that’s the genius of Cupid’s Undie Run. Just before Valentine’s Day, you can join a few hundred strangers baring it all as you bounce around Wynwood.
- Gilberto Santa Rosa and Willy Chirino at James L. Knight Center: Cuban-American singer Willy Chirino is no stranger to Miami audiences. Chirino began his artistic career in Miami, releasing his first album in 1974 and has since recorded more than 20 albums. Known as “El Caballero de la Salsa” (“The Gentleman of Salsa”), Puerto Rican-born Santa Rosa has been a prominent bandleader and salsa/bolero singer for decades. Since his solo debut in the 1980s, he has racked up awards and acclaim for his innate grasp of the traditional salsa sound. Latin-music lovers will get to experience both greats at their tour stop this Saturday at 8 p.m.
- Coconut Grove Arts Festival at Peacock Park: For the second year in a row, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF) has partnered with MNew Times, which will once again take over the main stage to present live entertainment for the three-day fest. Aside from the music showcase and in true CGAF fashion, more than 360 artists will show their works — from paintings to jewelry to patio decor, you name it and you’re likely to find it for sale in one of the white tents set up along McFarlane Road. Plus, there will also be food from plenty of vendors. The music lineup is an exciting one, with notable acts such as the London Souls, the Nth Power, and the Deaf Poets headlining the series.
- Second Saturday Art Walk at Wynwood Walk: While the art plays a lesser role than it used to, Wynwood's Second Saturday art walk continues to pull in massive crowds who come for the creative chaos that takes over the neighborhood.
- Around the World In 80 Minutes at Aventura Arts and Cultural Center: Take a trip Around the World in 80 Minutes for V-Day without ever leaving Miami. One of fewer than 50 professional countertenors in the world (that's a man who sings higher than tenor, which is the highest vocal range for dudes) and a former member of the Grammy award-winning ensemble Chanticleer, Terry Barber will be singing all the classics, including "Danny Boy," "La Vie en Rose," and "Besame Mucho," in ten languages.
- Strangers & Friends Valentine's Day Party at Space: Valentine's Day isn't just for lovers — it's also a chance for lonely strangers to become close friends. Drink and dance your way to the Hallmark holiday of the year with the Magic City's party animals at Space. Who knows? Maybe you'll be struck by Cupid's arrow on the dance floor.
- Theo Parrish at Electric Pickle: Theo Parrish is a producer's producer. The Detroit techno veteran's experimental flair puts him as much in the realm of avant-garde sound art as that of electronic dance music. After all, Parrish was creating sound sculptures and installations as a student at the Kansas City Art Institute before he was dropping beats at the club. And these days, fellow Motor City residents can often catch him roaming the streets with a microphone in hand, searching for quirky new samples to record and bring into the studio.
- Jessie Andrews at Bardot: If romance isn't your thing, you can always head over to Bardot for Jessie Andrews' Anti-Valentine's Day Party. Sure, it may sound like a no-love fest, but actually, this rager is going down on Galentine's Day, meaning the former porn-star-turned-DJ will be actually be celebrating friendship and girl power this V-Day. And to that, we drink.
- Martin Solveig at LIV: He'd hardly been to the States, let alone as a superstar DJ. The experience was one he'd never forget. "The first time I came into the room, I remember thinking, 'Wow, it is a really, really big room,'" Solveig says. "It was in the very early 'Hello' days, and on a club level, I was very impressed." He'd been a fixture of the French scene for years, but "Hello," his collaboration with indie darlings Dragonette, broke his disco-influenced Francophone sound on an international level. It was his first but far from his last worldwide hit.
- Live at the Yard: Motown Edition at The Wynwood Yard: There's always room for love, even among the monthly madness of Art Walk. Escape the arty party and get in the Valentine's Day mood with tunes from Alejandro Elizondo and Shira Lee, fresh roses, and tasty chocolate from Whole Foods. Because nothing says "I love you" like music, flowers, and candy.
- Kite Day at Haulover Beach Park: Go fly a kite on Valentine’s Day. It’s an activity that works equally well for singles, couples, and families. Kite Day returns to Haulover Beach Park for its 24th edition. Enthusiasts and novices alike will unite and turn their eyes to the sky while flying everything from paper kites made onsite to enormous famous fliers.
- Nicole Henry at Collins Park: Let's be real — Valentine's Day can get expensive. But for you hopeless romantics out there with shallow pockets, we have a solution. "A lot of my repertoire is from the jazz standards, but I sing classic soul and folk songs," Nicole Henry told New Times last summer. Sounds like the appropriate V-Day soundtrack. And being that her show at Collins Park is free, you'll have enough money left over to take your significant other out for a swanky dinner.
- Kinky Friedman at Luna Star Cafe: Kinky Friedman was politically incorrect well before the term entered the popular idiom. After all, when you name your band the Texas Jewboys and boast signature songs like "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore," "Ride 'Em Jewboy," and "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed," it's safe to say you won't be invited to the White House anytime soon. Irascible, outspoken, and still full of verve some 40 years after embarking on his precarious career, this cigar-smoking, wisecracking singer/songwriter is back on the road and making music once again.
- Renee Olstead at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Nothing's more romantic than spending an evening under the stars with your lover, surrounded by exotic flowers and plants, listening to the dreamy sounds of Grammy-nominated vocalist Renee Olstead.
- Andrea Bocelli at Hard Rock Live: As a hopeless romantic, Valentine's Day is near and dear to Andrea Bocelli's heart. "It is a special day," the Italian tenor told New Times last year. "It is an opportunity to celebrate love, which is the engine of the world. I believe in the strength of anniversaries, provided that they are filled with meaning, that they are given their true value."
