Thursday, May 26
As Queen Bey would say, women need to stick together. That's the idea behind Take a Walk in Her Shoes, an annual charitable event run by females for females. Created by Chapman Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Miami's homeless and disenfranchised, the soiree is all about honoring awesome South Florida women while raising funds to help females get back on their feet, receive job training, and support their families. Philanthropist Lois Pope will earn accolades as the first recipient of the Trish Bell Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will honor her efforts to offer hope and opportunity to those in need throughout South Florida. In addition to awards, the festivities revolve around a vintage fashion show and luncheon. Lisa Petrillo of CBS Miami will serve as MC. So you can eat, applaud, and check out some haute couture while supporting a worthy cause. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the JW Marriott Marquis (255 Biscayne Blvd Way, Miami). Tickets run from $150 to $250. Call 305-329-3092 or visit chapmanpartnership.org.
Friday, May 27
You've been told time and time again how unique and important the Everglades is, but do you really know what that means? You've been on an airboat ride, and you've seen the alligators sunbathing in the sawgrass, but have you ever met the natives who still call the River of Grass their home? Thanks to the Tropical Audubon Society (5530 Sunset Dr., Miami), you can get to know the swampy area better without thrusting yourself into a mosquito breeding ground. And you can do so in a beautiful setting while noshing on food truck offerings and enjoying a little live music. Come through Friday at 7:30 p.m. for a special edition of TAS' Summer Movie Nite, presenting the fast-paced, entertaining, and educational 56-minute documentary The Unseen Everglades. Journey with author and adventurer Charles J. Kropke as he explores hundreds of miles of ecosystem and gets to know the humans, flora, and fauna of the Everglades. He also delves into the slue's role in the region, why it's so unique, and what we are doing to help preserve it. The film begins at dusk, and the event is free. Call 305-667-7337 or visit tropicalaudubon.org.
Saturday, May 28
Wine and pottery-painting nights are so cliché, so structured. The Prism Music Group is stepping up its game by presenting the inaugural Raddest Craft Fair at the Wynwood Yard. At least 12 independent craft-makers — including those skilled in woodworking and calligraphy flower crown-creation — will offer workshops for anyone with a creative spirit who wants to work with their hands. Each activity costs a different amount, from the free build-your-own cards from OpenCardNow to the $40 soap-making class by KatKat Soaps. Additionally, while attendees wait for their canvases to dry and scrubs to congeal, local singer/songwriter Ella Herrera will serenade and entertain. A range of Miami food purveyors will set up pop-up shops, and the Yard's own cocktail bar, Mortar & Pistil, will sling drinks. The Raddest Craft Fair takes place at the Wynwood Yard (56 NW 29th St., Miami) Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. Admission is free, and individual crafts cost $10 to $40. Visit theprismmusicgroup.com.
Namaste your way into the weekend with the inaugural Miami Beach Kundalini Yoga Festival. Two downward-dog-filled days will celebrate all things Kundalini, which is a practice known to improve one's physical strength and flexibility as well as one's nervous and glandular systems. The word means "awareness" or "hidden potential of that awareness." During Miami Beach's first festival, yogis will unlock their individual greatness through guided techniques and teachings. This Saturday through Sunday, various hour-long and two-hour classes, lectures, and gatherings will take place throughout the day. Expect your weekend to be full of mantra, meditation, and music. Miami Beach Kundalini Yoga Festival begins Saturday at 8 a.m. at the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach). Tickets cost $108 for the full weekend, $64 for one day, and $25 for evening activities and music only. Visit miamibeachkundaliniyogafestival.com.
Sunday, May 29
You've probably heard of Edwidge Danticat, the enormously talented Haitian author known for penning titles such as Brother, I'm Dying and Claire of the Sea Light. The author now calls Miami home. But you might not know she's just the tip of the literary iceberg when it comes to arresting novels, short stories, poetry, and other written works of art by authors from Haiti and the Caribbean. If you've been inspired by Danticat's work — or if you're simply hoping to expand your readerly horizons beyond stuff white dudes wrote — you owe it to yourself to explore the Haitian-Caribbean Book Fair, a program of Miami Book Fair International, this Sunday. At the Little Haiti Cultural Center (212 NE 59th Ter., Miami), you can meet writers from the islands, listen to readings in both English and Kreyol, dig into traditional island dishes, and witness Haitian dance. Don't leave the kids at home: A series of StoryArts workshops will pair reading a children's book with arts and crafts for the little ones, because when it comes to discovering the great writers of the world, it's best to start 'em young. The book fair runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. Call 305-757-9922 or visit miamibookfair.com.
Look around you. This city is colorful and vibrant. It's tropical and warm and made every bit more exciting because of its great multicultural presence. Sure, we may scream at one another on the highway, but when we're not driving or jaywalking like a bunch of jerks, we're a wonderful representation of many of this nation's inclusive ideals. From music to fashion and food, Miami is a hub of interesting angles. It's important we take the time to celebrate each and every facet of our community. This Sunday, the group Caribbean Artistic and Cultural Events for the Community (CACEC) invites people of all backgrounds to enjoy its cultural heritage in the form of song, dance, and togetherness. The May Gala Concert will recognize outstanding members of South Miami-Dade's Caribbean community and entertain with brilliant performances of classical, romantic, and Broadway selections, as well as selective poetry readings and a classical ballet performance. The gala begins at 6:30 p.m. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center Black Box (10950 SW 211th St., Cutler Bay), and tickets cost $20. Call 786-573-5300 or visit cacec.us.
Although they're both part of CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), the Colombian and Haitian national football teams couldn't be further apart in terms of expectations. Colombia is ranked fourth in the world, while Haiti is 71st. Colombia reached the quarter-finals during the last World Cup in 2014. Haiti, well, it hasn't qualified for the global tournament since 1974. Still, despite the two teams' lopsided track records, the upcoming exhibition match, Colombia vs. Haiti, at Marlins Park (501 Marlins Way, Miami) should draw a massive crowd and could make for an entertaining game. Miami is home to a huge number of nationals from both countries, a fact addressed by Henry Cardenas, president and CEO of Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN), the group organizing the event. "We know that in Miami, the soccer communities of both Haiti and Colombia are enormous," he said in a news release, "and we are delighted to be able to bring them this exciting match." This will be the fifth meeting between the teams; their last match-up ended in a 2-0 Colombia victory in February 2009. Colombia and Haiti will square off for an international friendly this Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $30. Call 305-480-1300 or visit miami.marlins.mlb.com/mia/ballpark.
Monday, May 30
It's one thing to say you support our troops, to fly a flag from your porch or slap a bumper sticker onto your car. It's another thing to make a real difference in the lives of soldiers who've served our country. These women and men deserve a lot more gratitude than empty gestures. So it's a good thing the museums of Miami-Dade are stepping up. As part of the nationwide initiative Blue Star Museums, a dozen cultural institutions are offering free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families. The collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America runs from this Monday, Memorial Day, through September 5, Labor Day. Participating Miami-Dade museums include the Art Deco Museum, Deering Estate at Cutler, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, HistoryMiami, Institute of Contemporary Art, the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, the Lowe Art Museum, the Old Davie School Historical Museum, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and Pérez Art Museum Miami. Visit arts.gov.
Tuesday, May 31
The world's artists talk a big game about summertime romance. Movies like 500 Days of Summer, wistful songs like "Boys of Summer," and the dozens of books with titles like Lovestruck Summer and Camp Boyfriend littering the shelves at this time of year paint the season as the best time to meet your soulmate. Miamians know better. Summer is the worst down here — hot and wet, but in all the wrong ways. Romantically speaking, May, June, and July in the tropics is not an ideal time to feel the love. But Coral Gables Museum (285 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) has a new exhibit that's keeping love alive. It's a selection of collaborations by renowned Taiwanese artist John Chen and his wife, fellow artist Feng-Ying Chao. The pair met in art school in the '60s — talk about a summer of love — then married in 1970. They've been traveling, teaching, and making art (and, presumably, whoopie) ever since. "John Chen" opens Tuesday and runs through June 12. The museum is open 12-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 12-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission costs $7, or $5 for students and seniors, and $3 for children under 6. Call 305-603-8067 or visit coralgablesmuseum.org.
Colombia-born, Miami-raised Luisa Santos dreamed of making nitrogen ice cream. What began as a distant dream inside a small dorm room at George Washington University has since grown into a tasty brick-and-mortar in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood. We all know that the first year of a small business can be the toughest, but luckily for Santos and her team, Lulu's Nitrogen Ice Cream turns 1 this Tuesday. The shop opened its doors in spring 2015, making flavors like chocolate, vanilla, Nutella, and strawberry from scratch for customers each day. Now, to celebrate the milestone, Santos is throwing a taco-Tuesday soiree with a few hidden surprises along the way (which we can only guess involve nitrogen ice cream). Happy 1st Birthday, Lulu's takes place Tuesday from noon to 10 p.m. at Lulu's Nitrogen Ice Cream (2001 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Visit lulus-icecream.com.
