The Best Free Events in Miami This Week

Monday morning means it's time to take a look at the best events happening in town this week, and the coming days look rainbow bright. It's Miami Pride Week. Before the festivities begin, organizers will pay homage to those in the Florida LGBTQ community who were affected by the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. Survivor Laura Vargas will begin the week by lighting the famed Miami Beach 1111 Lincoln Road building in rainbow colors.

Drag shows abound throughout the week, leading up to the closing Miami Beach Pride Parade this Sunday. Other notable events include a reading by critical care physician and author Daniela Lamas at Books & Books and the premiere of an exhibit at the remodeled MDC Museum of Art + Design.

Here are the best free events happening in Miami this week.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting was, of course, not the first time the greater Florida community was struck by preventable gun violence. The tragedy at Orlando's Pulse nightclub less than two years ago was, for some time, the worst mass shooting in American history. This Monday, Lincoln Road and Miami Beach Pride pay tribute to the victims by lighting the 1111 Lincoln Road building in rainbow colors. Pulse survivor Laura Vargas will "flip the switch" in honor of the members of the LGBTQ community who perished in the Orlando club. 8 p.m. Monday at 1111 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; lincolnrd.com. Admission is free.

A recent analysis indicated the biggest cluster of trash in the ocean is now twice the size of Texas, much larger than previously thought. The weight of plastic in the oceans is now on track to outpace that of fish by 2050. Everything But Water, the largest specialty swim- and resort-wear retailer in the nation, wants to spotlight this growing issue via Water Is Everything, two days of events including a beach cleanup, documentary screening, an ocean-trawling expedition to study the effects of plastic pollution, and a poolside party. Everything But Water is also supporting the 5 Gyres Institute in its mission to end the global crisis of plastic pollution by raising funds through the sale of designated products. Beach cleanup 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 4, at 24th Street. beach entrance, Miami Beach; volunteercleanup.org. Admission is free. Pool party Thursday at 1 Hotel South Beach Cabana Pool, 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; everythingbutwater.com. Admission is free with RSVP at [email protected].

Don’t deny it: You sit on your couch every Thursday yelling and squealing at the TV while you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race. It’s time to stop embarking on this journey alone and sashay to Gramps Thursday at 8 p.m. for the bar's weekly Drag Race watch party, hosted by Queef Latina. To let go of all your built-up excitement, there’s karaoke after each week’s episode too. 8 p.m. Thursday at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; gramps.com. Admission is free.
Vinyl has made a surprising comeback in the 21st Century, and for enthusiasts looking to disconnect from distracting Facebook notifications on their laptops, typewriters are a welcome throwback. They're also the centerpiece of the cool local exhibition "Type In With Exile Books," on display at Pérez Art Museum Miami this week. In addition to checking out a collection of typewriter-inspired art and mingling with local poet Jeff Sanford, guests can type their own written masterpieces to be considered for an upcoming publication by Exile Books. 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at PAMM, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; pamm.org. Admission is free.

Want to make America great, but not in the way Trump has in mind? Check out "By the People: Designing a Better America," opening at Miami Dade College's Museum of Art + Design. The exhibit offers amazing insights — based on two years of research — for building more inclusive and sustainable communities. Touching on everything from alternative transportation options to expanding access to education, the exhibit boasts 60 designs of proposed solutions for areas of needed improvement across the nation. There will be a free public preview of the exhibit on opening night. 6 p.m. Friday at MCD Museum of Art + Design, Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; mdcmoad.org. Admission to the public preview is free with RSVP at eventbrite.com.

SWAN, short for Support Women Artists Now, is back this year with an evening that's all about celebrating women artists of all mediums, from poetry to dance, comedy, visual arts, and music. Ten women artists will be spotlighted, hundreds of folks are expected to attend, and all are welcome. 6 p.m. Saturday at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Peacock Foundation Studio, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; spokensoulfestival.com. Admission is free.
Daniela Lamas is a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and, now, a published author. Lamas, who has contributed to the Miami Herald and New York Times, will visit Books & Books to discuss her new book, You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and in Between. What happens once a critical care patient leaves the white walls of the hospital room for a new normal at home? Lamas finds out through the stories of patients like the salesman who found himself a kidney donor on social media, and a college student who survives but is forever altered by a near-fatal overdose. 7 p.m. Saturday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; booksandbooks.com. Admission is free.

Miami's drag scene is in the midst of yet another golden era. It’s almost like it’s 1997 on South Beach, but without all the models and Madonna sightings. Double Stubble, the fabulous LGBTQ Sunday drag party launched at Gramps in Wynwood, will host a special event, Miami’s a Drag, at Concrete Beach Brewery. The drag show will be hosted by DJ Hottpants, and expect music by Mystic Bill and performances by Candi Dixx, Dang-Ho, Yu Sickning, LaDonna Sucia, and Persephone Von Lips. 3 p.m. Saturday at Concrete Beach Brewery, 325 NW 24th St., Miami; concretebeachbrewery.com. Admission is free.

Ocean Drive, one of the gay-friendliest streets in the world, will pound with the feet of LGBTQ+ community members and allies this Sunday at the Miami Beach Pride Parade. See drag queens and memorable floats, as well as Olympic silver medalist Gus Kenworthy, this year's grand marshal. Emmy Award-winning TV host Roxanne Vargas is this year's ally marshal. Noon Sunday on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; miamibeachgaypride.com. Admission is free.