Best Free Events in Miami January 15 Through January 21 | Miami New Times
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The Best Free Events in Miami This Week

A Virginia Key Beach cleanup rewarded with beer from Wynwood Brewing Co., an art exhibition in the Everglades, or a hike through Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park are great outdoors options, and if you're looking to party with your tribe, check out Counter Corner at 1306 or Concrete-a-Con at Concrete Beach Brewery. Here's a look at some of the week's best free events in Miami.
Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg
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If your New Year's resolution was to be more outgoing and explore more of what Miami offers, it'll be easy to keep up with all the options this week.

For starters, Women's March Florida will observe one year since the landmark Women's March on Washington with Power to the Polls: A Miami Day of Action at Mana Wynwood. If you're looking for live music, there are plenty of local shows to attend, from a David Bowie tribute night in remembrance of the second anniversary of his untimely death, to the first Rooftop Session of 2018 with music by Remyz.

A Virginia Key Beach cleanup rewarded with beer from Wynwood Brewing Co., an art exhibition in the Everglades, or a hike through Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park are great outdoors options, and if you're looking to party with your tribe, check out Counter Corner at 1306 or Concrete-a-Con at Concrete Beach Brewery. Here's a look at some of the week's best free events in Miami.
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Photo by Karli Evans
Night of a Thousand Bowies. Both the birthday and anniversary of the death of glam-rock starboy David Bowie take place in January. To honor the music and artistic contributions of the Thin White Duke, Churchill's will host Night of a Thousand Bowies: a night of tribute covers, Ziggy karaoke, and trivia and costume contests. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues. 8 p.m. Tuesday at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission is free.

Rooftop Sessions Featuring Remyz. The first 2018 installment of Rooftop Sessions is upon us. This week, the ongoing live-music series brings the fusion-funk sounds of Remyz to the Filling Station Lofts' rooftop. Last year, Remyz prevailed over other formidable Miami artists to win the city's Hard Rock Rising competition. Witness the group's when it kicks off this year's unplugged concert series. 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Filling Station Lofts, 1657 North Miami Ave., Miami; Admission is free. Due to limited space, RSVP is required via eventbrite.com.

Tower Talk and Walk. Miami is a city brimming with history, but many of us don't know the significance of the places we're standing. Historian Paul George is a walking, talking encyclopedia of Miami and Florida history, and in partnership with HistoryMiami and the CubaOne Foundation, he invites you to walk and talk right along with him as he strolls through one of the most historic strips in the Magic City: Calle Ocho in Little Havana. Learn about the history of the neighborhood that became a home away from home for exiles in the decades since the Cuban Revolution. 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Tower Theater, 1508 SW Eighth St., Miami. Admission is free. Due to limited space, RSVP is required via historymiami.com.
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Photo by Amadeus McCaskill
Concrete-a-Con. Wonderful worlds are colliding. In partnership with Paradise City Comic Con, Concrete Beach Brewery will host the geeky beer extravaganza Concrete-a-Con. For a second consecutive year, the event at the Wynwood brewery will include costume and videogame competitions, silent films, and a surprise movie release. Get all cosplayed out for the affair and receive a buck off pints. It pays to nerd out. 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 NW 24th St., Miami; concretebeachbrewery.com. Admission is free.

Keg & Klean. Nothing feels better than volunteering to help your community. OK, maybe one thing is better: a day of action paired with some refreshing locally brewed beers. Debris Free Oceans and Miami Is Not Plastic, which inspires hospitality businesses to reduce the use of plastic, have created the perfect opportunity for you to help. Keg & Klean will take place in Virginia Key Beach Park and include support from the Rickenbacker Marina, Rusty Pelican, and Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill. You'll do some trash retrieval on the sand and enjoy beer from Wynwood Brewing Co. at the afterparty. Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated on the beach and your own cup for the brew, and give Mother Earth a break. 2 p.m. Saturday in Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. 4020 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami; facebook.com/DebrisFreeOceans. Admission is free.
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Counter Corner
Photo by Karli Evans
Counter Corner. Miami's wildest queer party is back for 2018. Counter Corner has become the go-to gathering for our city's young queer community. It's a place to be unapologetically yourself and watch performances by some of the city's top up-and-coming drag talent. This month's edition features performances by Miami's fairy godmother, Miss Toto, along with rising stars such as Dang-Ho Yu Sickning and Opulence Queen. 10 p.m. Sunday at 1306 Miami, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 1306miami.com. Admission is free.

Hike at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. If you've never ventured past Crandon Park on a Key Biscayne beach day, you're missing out. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park contains one of the more beautiful beaches in South Florida, and its famous lighthouse, built in 1825, is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County. This Sunday, park biologist Elizabeth Golden will lead a hike into some of Bill Baggs' dunes, wetlands, and hammocks. She'll discuss the limited effects Hurricane Irma had on the park and how it compares to the extensive damage Hurricane Andrew caused in 1992. 8:30 a.m. Sunday at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, 1200 S. Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne; floridastateparks.org. Admission to the event is free, but entrance to the park costs $4 to $8.
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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg
Power to the Polls: Miami Day of Action. Can you believe it has already been a year since women marched on Washington? It's hard to believe because there's still an alleged sex offender in the White House. But with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements on fire and Women's March Florida still marching, maybe there's still hope. This Sunday, citizen activists will take to the streets of Wynwood for Power to the Polls: Miami Day of Action. One goal is to register voters and raise awareness about voter suppression. The movement was first criticized for ignoring the needs of marginalized communities, but not in Miami — we rise together here. 11 a.m. Sunday at Mana Wynwood, 2250 NW Second Ave., Miami; womensmarchflkeys.org. Admission is free.

"Unavoidable Twilight." Most visitors don't have the opportunity to enjoy twilight in the Everglades — they're home before the mosquitoes hit. So Swedish-born and South Florida-bred artist Christina Pettersson created "Unavoidable Twilight." She crafted works on paper, videos, and specimen installations to explore this time of day. The exhibition will be on display through April 8 at Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) in the actual River of Grass. Twilight Hour, a curated tour that's currently sold out, coincides with the opening and explores the human impact on the area via some gypsies, ghosts, outlaws, and environmentalists and ends with a puppet show. Luckily, you don't need a tour to enjoy the Everglades or Pettersson's work. 1:30 p.m. Saturday at AIRIE, 40001 State Rd. 9336, Homestead; airie.org. Admission is free.
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