The Big Bang: Party at the Frost and Drink With a Dinosaur

Have you ever wanted to have a drink with a dinosaur and then get loose in the realm of virtual reality? Believe it or not, you'll be able to do just that come Saturday, January 20, when the Frost Museum of Science throws open its doors for the Big Bang: Sonic Odyssey, a fundraising event unlike any other you've seen in Miami.

One of Frost Science's Facebook posts about the event reads, "After-hours fun with friends in our exhibits isn’t out of reach!" The post includes a picture of a dinosaur that stands inside the museum, but in this picture, the sharp-toothed beast is wearing a party hat and holding a beer. Let's be real: How much more than that do you need to be intrigued and enticed?

"This is the first event where the entire museum is going to be open," explains Rebecca Dorfman, manager of public relations for the museum. "People will literally get to see the museum in a different light." And when she says the entire museum, she means the entire museum. On the rooftop, for instance, there will be custom designed engagement activities designed by Moonlighter Marketplace, as well as a silent disco and a beer garden. If you're wondering why it's a silent disco, the answer is because even if you don't want to go to sleep, some of the animals do. Also, silent discos are cool.

Inside, the scene will be inspired by Miami's nightlife, including DJ sets from Irie and the Love Below, as well as live music from the University of Miami's Frost Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, there will be a virtual reality experience provided by LoftVR Arcade throughout the night and special programming in the planetarium.

And remember that dinosaur with the party hat and drink? You can raise a glass and trip the light fantastic alongside all kinds of creatures. "We'll have animal encounters throughout the night," Dorfman says, as you enjoy the open bar, which will run the entire four hours of the event. What's more, the museum will offer an array of tastings from restaurant pop-ups such as Beaker & Gray, Pisco y Nazca, and Ms. Cheezious.

Aside from sounding like a rollicking good time, the evening supports a great cause. The money raised at the event will go toward the museum's education initiatives, which come together in the Knight Learning Center in the north wing of Frost Science. The four classrooms, as well as the inventors-in-residency program, located on the fifth floor, engage the community with unique learning opportunities and foster curiosity and ingenuity among local youth.

For years, the Big Bang has been the afterparty for the museum's annual Galactic Gala. In the past, it's been held in ballrooms and fancy hotels, but this year, organizers decided to do something different. "Now that we have the space," Dorfman says, "this really deserves to be a standalone event... We're really excited to see how it goes now that it's got its own spotlight."

The Big Bang: Sonic Odyssey. 8 p.m. Saturday, January 20, at the Frost Museum of Science, 1101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-434-9600; frostscience.org. Tickets cost $150 via frostscience.org.