Thursday
Borders, outlines, constraints, connections — all of these words help define not only the word "boundaries" but also the exhibit "Boundaries," presenting photography by Jacob Hessler and poetry by Richard Blanco. The show will debut this Thursday, but Blanco will sign copies of his book in the museum at 6 p.m. Friday, and Hessler will lead a tour of the exhibit at 1 p.m. Saturday. Noon Thursday through January 28, 2018, at the Coral Gables Museum, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 305-603-8067; coralgablesmuseum.org. Admission costs $10.
Wynwood is practically a mecca in Miami. Short of grocery stores and affordable housing, the neighborhood has everything a thirsty millennial could need. Wynwood Fashion Night Out aims to promote the area's retailers, so it's offering free parking, in-store promotions, and a fashion show at Mana at 9 p.m. to get you pumped about spending even more of your money in the arts district. Of course, you might have a soul and decide to donate items at participating stores, which will benefit Lotus House. 6 p.m. Thursday in the Wynwood Arts District, NW Second Avenue between NW 20th and 29th Streets, Miami; wynwoodmiami.com. Admission is free.
A fatty puck of charred ground flesh shoved inside a bread puff? Yeah, it's so good that even that sentence sounds appetizing. That's why Burgerlicious is curating a competition for the best patty. Returning competitor Pincho Factory is the two-year champion, but 19 other local restaurants are looking to snatch the crown, and you can be there to witness the action. Balance out the meat parade via suds from Sam Adams and sweets from Night Owl Cookie Co., Frice Cream, and Seasons 52. 6 p.m. Thursday at Ponce Circle Park, 2800 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables; 305-446-1657; burgerlicious.com. Tickets cost $60 to $125.
If you were raised in South Florida, you no doubt have a printed photo of yourself as a kid in front of an animatronic elf display or a group of disinterested "reindeer" at Santa's Enchanted Forest. Heading to the month-and-a-half-long carnival/winter wonderland will stir up all of those nostalgic feels, even if you're now old enough to be creeped out by life-size robots. Whether you're looking to create some memories for your kids or relive your own childhood, make it to Santa's before January 7, 2018, when it'll close for another year. 5 p.m. Thursday at Tropical Park, 7900 Bird Rd., Miami; 305-559-9689; santasenchantedforest.com. Tickets cost $24.30 to $33.64.
Puerto Rican singer iLe (full name Ileanna Cabra) has been performing alongside her brother, known as Residente, in the band Calle 13 since she was 16. Her latest solo album, Ilevitable, is proof that ten years of touring and performing, even for a youngster, nourishes and deepens talent. In songs such as "Triángulo" and "Caníbal," iLe's voice soars with the emotion of a ranchera singer but with the sensibility of a darker, more modern artist. The 28-year-old has plenty to flex at her upcoming show, which is sure to be a pleasure for any appreciator of Latin music, new and old. 8 p.m. Thursday at the North Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-453-2897; northbeachbandshell.com. Tickets cost $27.50 to $55.
It might seem like a cruel joke to name your two sons Lincoln and Booth, but the reality is much more complicated in Topdog/Underdog, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Suzan-Lori Parks. After Booth is kicked out by his wife and forced to stay with his younger brother Lincoln, the two must confront their family's past and their own troubled futures while struggling with women, poverty, racism, and gambling. Much like the brothers' names, the play is both dark and comical while commenting on society's expectations and the potential in brotherhood. 7:30 p.m. Thursday through November 19 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-949-6722; arshtcenter.org. Tickets cost $50 to $55.
Friday
As one of Miami's most successful local artists, Dara Friedman can rightfully claim Pérez Art Museum Miami as the home of her first midcareer survey and the largest presentation of her work. "Perfect Stranger" will span the artist's oeuvre of experimental film that explores bodies, movement, and intense emotion. This Thursday, Friedman will discuss her work and process with curator René Morales for PAMM's Free Community Night. 10 a.m. Friday through March 4, 2018, at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission costs $16.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is consistently rated as one of the best comedies of all time, and with good reason. Most of the Pythons are Oxford or Cambridge alums, which might explain the incredible success of their sketch comedy show and films. Though Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life might be likelier fan favorites, Holy Grail is the first of the Python films to attempt a unified plot. After a screening of the film, Sir Lancelot himself, John Cleese, will answer questions from the audience. "Absurd or ridiculous questions only" are requested. 8 p.m. Friday at the Broward Center, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-0222; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $75 to $250 via ticketmaster.com.
Saturday
Some people have it all. Yara Travieso, for instance, is a Miami-born dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker whose accomplishments are well matched to her significant talents. The Juilliard graduate's films and dances have been shown at South by Southwest and Lincoln Center and presented by Elle and GQ; she's even been granted the Ford Foundation's NALAC grant. Travieso is also a YoungArts alum and will return to her hometown to present El Ciclón, a performance combining theater, dance, film, and music and offering, she says, a "wild neofeminist mythology" with alligators. Because Miami. The one-time performance promises a perfectly cerebral and emotional November evening. UPDATE: This event has been postponed. In its place, YoungArts will screen La Medea, Travieso's reimagining of Euripides' classic as a live Latin-disco-pop variety show. 7 p.m. Saturday in YoungArts Plaza, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; youngarts.org. Admission is free with RSVP at otbyara.eventbrite.com.
South Miami is one of the most idyllic places to grow up. It's a family-centric town, both undeniably wholesome yet not out of touch with the world. Take, for example, the 46th-annual ChamberSouth South Miami Art Festival. It makes the downtown area friendlier to wander and explore while introducing budding creatives to art made by local talents. With DIY still the rage and Miami as an art center, your kids will be asking to go to art school soon enough. Why not start them off early and guide their aesthetic via fair foods and live jams? 10 a.m. Saturday at Sunset Drive between South Dixie Highway and Red Road, South Miami; chambersouth.com. Admission is free.
The Everglades is composed of at least six discrete ecosystems housing several endangered species, including the manatee and the Florida panther. For decades, humans have been encroaching on the nation's largest subtropical wilderness, causing it to shrink. Activists against this intrusion will unite once again for the annual Everglades Awareness Concert. Speakers from a half-dozen conservation organizations will speak, and School of Rock, Venus Rising Women's Drum & Dance Ensemble, and other acts will perform. It's the perfect opportunity to merge fun with civic engagement. 2 p.m. Saturday at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; facebook.com/lovetheeverglades. Admission costs $10.
Have you been pub-crawling every weekend and wondering how you can take your favorite booze-fueled activity to the next level? Bar crawl tour company Keep Crawling has a plan: the Boat Bar Crawl. At sunset, you'll float from waterfront restaurant to waterfront restaurant, where you'll snag a free beer, a shot, and food specials. A November day on the water, eating at some of Miami's best restaurants, and enjoying the cool breeze on the bay? Sign us up. 4 p.m. Saturday at Tequiztlan Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar, 1884 Bay Rd., Miami Beach; keepcrawling.com. Tickets costs $98.
iHeartRadio festivals are plentiful and somewhat overwhelming. They pull such big-name lineups that they can feel like overkill. But this year, at the Miami edition of iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, the lineup is solid but not oppressive. Superstars Diplo and Luis Fonsi will perform alongside Gente de Zona, Don Omar, CNCO, Reik, Jesse & Joy, Camila Cabello, and other acts. Pile up at the American Airlines Arena for this tremendo opportunity to party. 8 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; aaarena.com. Tickets cost $29 to $179.
The sway of the hips to the melody, the one-two-three, one-two-three of the feet to the rhythm: Salsa dancing is both challenging and celebratory. And there is no better place in the States to perform this dance than in the 305. Make time to head to the North Beach Bandshell for the fourth-annual Miami Beach Salsa Festival, featuring Melina Almodóvar. Goods collected at the gate — such as water, baby supplies, medicine, flashlights, canned food, batteries, and toiletries — will help those in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria. (Please, no clothing or food.) Donald Trump might not be interested in sending aid to U.S. citizens on the island, but salsa dancers are more than willing to help. 5 p.m. Saturday at the North Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; facebook.com/montanezteamproductions. Admission is free.
Apparently, there's some kind of concession-food holiday this week. If the burgers at Thursday's Burgerlicious aren't your preferred meat vehicle, Wiener Bash is here to expand your options. Aside from witnessing more than 20 restaurants compete for "Top Dog," you can also enjoy performances by Vince Neil, formerly of Mötley Crüe, and Great White, the band behind "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." We're not sure why '80s hair-metal bands and hot dogs go together, but why question an opportunity to stuff your face under a halo of hair-sprayed glory? 5 p.m. Saturday at Magic City Casino, 450 NW 37th Ave., Miami; 305-649-3000; magiccitycasino.com. Tickets cost $60 to $125.
Eighties nostalgia is a thing, and Rockfest has certainly received the memo. Its lineup — headlined by Cheap Trick, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and Lynyrd Skynyrd — looks like a reference list for Spinal Tap. Expect a weekend's worth of rock from Sebastian Bach, Dokken, and other acts. Where you'll really feel the generation gap, though, is at the muscle car alley and the onsite hair salon specializing in hair-metal-band dos. Might as well get closer to God, right? Noon Saturday and Sunday at C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Rd., Pembroke Pines; rockfest80s.com. Tickets cost $79 to $239 per day and $129 to $429 for the weekend.
Sunday
Somewhere along the line, dirty hippies and their seemingly carefree, low-key-angry self-righteousness went from being uncool to trendy again. And dirty hippies can sure jam. Head to B-Side the next four Sundays for the Grateful Dead Invitational, in which members of aligned area acts such as Unlimited Devotion, Antelope, Crazy Fingers, and Boxcar will jam to Jerry Garcia's finest works. If you think you can keep up, email [email protected] for one of the limited spots to join. To boost your jam-band profile, take one of the weekly hourlong seminars. 6 p.m. Sunday at B-Side, 2898 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; facebook.com/UDMusic. Admission is free.
Monday
Music nerds of South Florida once took great pride in the fact that crooner Sam Beam, AKA Iron & Wine, was once a film professor at University of Miami and Florida International University. But his music never represented the Magic City's upbeat vibe. Rather, Iron & Wine delivers doses of beautiful sadness, almost pulseless yet addictive nostalgia. At Culture Room, Beam will likely sing oldies but saddies and new stripped-down tunes off his 2017 Sub Pop release, Beast Epic. 7:30 p.m. Monday at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; cultureroom.net. Tickets are sold out.
Hey, film directors: No one wants to sit in a theater for more than two and a half hours. If you want to tell a story in 150-plus minutes, take a cue from Ken Burns and make a miniseries. The Miami Short Film Festival is making sure viewers never get bored. The 16th-annual fest will kick off with free flicks under the stars in Miami Beach's beautiful SoundScape Park. Expect whimsy, music videos, animations, and other diversions with reasonable run times. 7 p.m. Monday at SoundScape Park, 400 17th St., Miami Beach; miamishortfilmfestival.com. Admission is free.
Tuesday
Ringo Starr might be the least talented Beatle, but he's certainly the most lovable. Quietly and with a sense of humor, he shot to the top as drummer of the Fab Four and stayed there. He continues his musical legacy with his All-Starr Band, composed of extremely gifted musicians. Starr is a good guy: He was granted the Lifetime of Peace and Love Award by the David Lynch Foundation and the GQ Men of the Year Awards for his humanitarian work in 2014. The following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and released Postcards From Paradise. This year, on 7/7/17, his 77th birthday, he released "Give More Love" and later an album with the same name featuring Paul McCartney. Soak up the good vibes from your favorite Beatle this week at Parker Playhouse. 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org. Tickets cost $148 to $515 via ticketmaster.com.
Wednesday
Missing Halloween? Grasp that ghastly feeling again when the Misfits' Michale Graves sings love songs about skulls, werewolves, and graveyards at Churchill's. Grab your morbid but romantic pals and catch him playing short and fast and sweet tunes with a full band, monster makeup, with local openers the Thr33 Amigoz and other acts. Graves is still prolific as a solo artist, so expect some songs off his albums When Worlds Collide and Lost Skeleton Returns. 9 p.m. Wednesday at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; churchillspub.com. Admission costs $10.
