It's almost impossible to believe, but even as we take down the fake cobwebs and place the skeletons back in the closet until next year, we're figuring out how best to cook a turkey and whether cranberry sauce in a can is disgusting or a necessary tradition.
Before holiday insanity sets in, we've got a couple of weekends left for "me" time. Fortunately, there are a bunch of cool things to do, including a spirits festival, a birthday celebration, and even a little culture. Take it all in before your weekends are spent schlepping Aunt Sylvia to the mall.
See also: Tobacco Road Celebrates 101 Years With $1.01 Burgers and Drinks
The Ramble
You've been inside the office all week, so treat yourself to some outdoor time at the prettiest place in all of Miami -- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. The annual Ramble takes place this weekend, so in addition to looking at the gorgeous flora, you can grab lunch from a host of food trucks, make like a queen at Nell's Tea Garden, visit the Garden of Chocolate, and shop at the farmers' green market. The Ramble takes place Friday, November 8, through Sunday, November 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tobacco Road's 101st Birthday
For a 101 year-old, this dame sure knows how to party. Tobacco Road celebrates its 101st birthday Friday, November 8, with a blowout featuring insanely cheap drinks, Cajun food, and live music. Want a bargain? Show up straight from work to get the party started early and snag cocktails for only $1.01 from 6 to 7:41 p.m. After that, a $10 cover charge gets you another 101 minutes of open bar from 8 to 9:41 p.m. Cajun food is offered à la carte, or spring for the VIP tent, which offers unlimited grub and cocktails for $100.
Tapas -- Spanish Design for Food
Art Basel won't arrive for a few weeks, but that's no excuse for not getting a culture fix this weekend at the Moore Building. Tapas: Spanish Design for Food features 200 exhibits, displays, and installations by Spanish chefs, designers, architects, wineries, and restaurants. The presentation is divided into three elements: the kitchen, the table, and the meal -- truly a feast for the eyes. The exhibit runs Saturday, November 9, through Friday, December 15. To celebrate opening day this Saturday, the interactive "edible performance art" installation Eat You -- Eat Me, by Spanish artist Miralda, will be presented. P.S.: If all this art makes you hungry, feel free to chow down on the special program, printed on edible paper with edible inks. Saturday, November 9, from noon to 7 p.m. For more info, call 305-606-7295
CRAFT Spirits and Beer
New Orleans has Tales of the Cocktail; now Miami has CRAFT Spirits and Beer. This new festival, at Soho Studios in Wynwood this Saturday, November 9, allows cocktail enthusiasts to sample dozens of artisan spirits from names you want to get familiar with, such as High West Distillery, Miami Club Rum, Dry Fly Distilling, and Cape Distillers. The schedule includes various seminars and satellite dinners, but you don't want to miss the tasting gallery from 3 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $170 and can be purchased here.
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