By Jan Engoren and Yours Truly
Here is part two, unique things to do in Fort Lauderdale and Miami in May and June 2023 including one of the largest celebrations in the US of Mezcal in a four day festival, plus events for garden lovers, history buffs, wellness and biking enthusiasts, and lovers of the performing and visual arts. If you missed part 1, click here.
Mezcal Fort Lauderdale
Top of the list of unique things to do in Fort Lauderdale is Mezcal Fort lauderdale, one of the largest celebrations in the United States of “hot” liquor category Mezcal. Running from June 2 -5 at Canyon / Rio, in downtown Fort Lauderdale. it promises to be even bigger than the 2022 Festival that drew over 1000 people over a three day weekend with over 40 Mezcal brands represented.
This one-of-a-kind experience will feature a brunch, food pairings, tasting dinners, mixology classes, an industry summit with workshops and sustainability panel, bartender cocktail battle and a grand tasting showcasing over 30 mezcal brands along with a performance by Mariachi Voces De America, Live DJ, mixology classes, and a Cigar Lounge.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrJvGaOgv6d/?hl=en
Ticket holders are able to sip on their favorite mezcals as well as discover new brands while getting to know more about the elixir from the Gods from industry experts that will take them on the ultimate tour of Mezcal.
For more information and to buy tickets to the a la carte events, click here.
Dade Heritage Trust Spring Events
Founded in 1972, Dade Heritage Trust is Miami-Dade County’s largest preservation organization.With a mission to preserve Miami-Dade County’s architectural, environmental and cultural heritage through preservation, education and advocacy efforts, the DHT offers a variety of unique, fun and educational activities for the whole family.
Join them on a tour of the Historic Biltmore Hotel, built in 1926 by land developer George E. Merrick and hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman. The classic Mediterranean-style hotel, complete with hand painted frescos on barrel vaulted ceilings, brilliant travertine floors, fine marble columns, intricate leaded glass fixtures, carved mahogany furnishings and lavish gardens is topped by a spiraling Moorish Giralda tower.
Every Sunday at 2:00 p.m., Dade Heritage Trust partners with the Biltmore Hotel to present free, one-hour tours on the architecture, history and cultural heritage of the beautiful National Landmark Hotel at 1200 Anastasia Avenue in Coral Gables. Participation is limited to 20, so register in advance.
In addition, Dade Heritage Trust presents monthly bike tours the third Sunday of every month in partnership with Bike Walk Coral Gables, Friends of the Underline and Friends of the Commodore Trail. Tours begin at 10 a.m. Cost: $10; $5 for Coral Gables Museum members and children under 12 (includes admission to the Museum.). These bike tours include:
Sunday, May 21: Montgomery Botanical Center
The Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) is a research center and lush garden of international palms and cycads located in Coral Gables. Bring your family and come see the full Monty. Tour is approximately 2 hours. Bring your own bike and helmet. Tour starts and ends at the Center, 11901 Old Cutler Road, Miami. More information and tickets at https://coralgablesmuseum.org/portfolio-item/gables-bike-tours/
Sunday, June 11: Royal Poinciana Tour
Celebrate the magnificent Flame Tree on this tour of our best Royal Poincianas in full flower, presented with the Tropical Flowering Tree Society as part of the annual Royal Poinciana Fiesta. Tour starts at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables. More information and tickets at https://coralgablesmuseum.org/portfolio-item/gables-bike-tours/
And, for a completely novel idea, how about baking in an historic museum as part of the DHT “Baking in Historic Places” series? This 3-hour class includes breakfast and a tour of the venue. On May 13, join them when they visit the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum, 480 Northwest 11th Street Miami.
The Black Police Precinct was built in 1950 to provide a separate and segregated headquarters for Black officers. Separation of the Black and White races was the Jim Crow law of the South. The building was designed by renowned Miami architect, Walter G. DeGarmo. The Black Precinct and Courthouse was the first and only one of its kind built in the nation. Tickets include all supplies, a complimentary breakfast, a tour of the venue and your baked goods to take home. For more information on this tour, click here.
Miami Dance Hub
The South Florida dance season comes to a close with “Miami Dances” a 3-day celebratory finale of multi-genre and multi-cultural family friendly dance, hosted by Miami Dance Hub, from May 19-May 21. It’s at Miami Dade College’s North Campus, 11380 NW 27th Ave Room 1315, Miami, FL 33167.
The event presents a diverse mix from classical ballet to West African Folklore, and Flamenco to Hip Hop and features two performances, plus dance masterclasses showcasing 12 professional dance organizations under one roof.
The two performances include panel discussions. The performance on Saturday, May 20 at 7 pm features Adele Myers and Dancers, Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, Ballet Florida, Ballet Vero Beach, Delou Africa Dance Ensemble, Destiny Delancy and Karen Peterson & Dancers.
The performance on Sunday, May 21 at 3 pm features Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, Dance NOW! Miami, Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami, Cultura (Hip Hop), and Miami City Ballet.
Masterclasses will be held daily from Friday May 19 through Sunday May 21, and there will be a free yoga class open to the community on Sunday morning. The classes will include Ballet, Contemporary, African, Hip-Hop, Flamenco and Neo-Classical. Beginners or those who enjoy watching are welcome to watch the classes at no charge.
A schedule, more details, and tickets are available at bit.ly/miamidances
Redland Orchid Festival
More than 70 vendors and more than 25 allied vendors from around the world gather in Miami to showcase their orchids and orchid related products from May 19-21.
Located at the idyllic Redland Fruit and Spice Park in South Dade, the Redland International Orchid Festival is world renowned as a bucket list annual event for orchid lovers.
One of the oldest, largest and most prestigious orchid events in the country, along with its sister orchid festival, the Tamiami International Orchid Festival, it is a destination event for orchid lovers from all over the world. Scores of growers and other vendors display and sell a variety of orchids and orchid-related products for three and a half days of pure orchid mania.
And, what would a festival be without food? More than a dozen food vendors will be on-site, including Pig Floyd’s BBQ, Bay 13 Brewery and Joey Bag O Donuts.
The event runs May 19-21, from 10 AM – 6 PM daily.Tickets are on sale now. Park admission included in the ticket price. General admission is $15 for adults for a single day ticket, save on advance tickets. Buy your tickets now as advance ticket sales are limited and prices may increase. Cash only at the door. Children under 12 are free. Parking is $5, cash only, but there is some free parking along the street. Fruit and Spice Park is located at 24801 SW 187th Avenue, Redland, Florida 33031.
Visit redlandorchidfestival.com.
Free Exercise Lessons at Peacock Park in the Grove
Join other fitness friends in beautiful Coconut Grove for free daily wellness classes at Peacock Park.
Mondays are for meditation. Set your intention for the week and join instructor Cin Rondon (@masteredmychakras) at Peacock Park.
A free, one-hour guided meditation for all levels, the instructor asks only that you bring a yoga mat and dress comfortably. Registration is required.
Tuesdays are for Turning it Up. Sweat and smile with a free Zumba class! It’s for all fitness levels.
Back by popular demand is Natalie Morales’s Yoga Wednesdays. Don’t miss this weekly Wednesday class led by Morales and Open Door Yoga, one of Coconut Grove’s most beloved yoga instructors and wellness advocate.
For all events register at grovefit.eventbrite.com.
Another pick on my list of things to do in Fort Lauderdale, well worth the drive, is a visit to NSU Art Museum. A recent trip to the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale reminded me of what a good job they do, especially after loving the exhibit “Immaterial Being” by an artist of Haitian descent, Kathia St.Hilaire. St. Hilaire’s tender figurative images of family gatherings, children at play, celestial bodies and Haitian iconography appear in a quilt like formation made of linoleum panels combined with everything from beauty products, textiles and detritus to enamels and metals in beautiful, painterly collages. The exhibit is held over until June 23, 2023. And while you’re there, check out the other exhibits including
By the Sea, By the Sea, Waterscapes and Beach Scenes by William J. Glackens and the Ashcan School May 14 through spring 2024,
The Swans: Karen Kilimnik and Stephanie Seymour Paintings and Dresses through October 1, 2023 and
Toulouse-Lautrec and the Follies of Fame through October 1, 2023. Also coming up is Cosmic Mirrors: Haitian Art Highlights from the Collection opening May 26, 2023
NSU Art Museum, One East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
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Coinciding with Haitian Heritage Month, Cosmic Mirrors will debut on May 26 (until Fall 2023) at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale referring to the Haitian Vodou belief in a parallel universe, Laviloka or Afrik Ginen, inhabited by the spirits of African ancestors and spiritual divinities, which is reflected in Haitian culture’s themes of doubles, reflexives, and equivalents. The exhibit features depictions of Haiti’s founding, syncretism between Catholicism and Vodou, and the country’s landscape — mounted in dialogue with South Florida-born artist, Kathia St’ Hilaire’s Immaterial Being and features renowned artists such as Serge Jolimeau, Pascale Monnin, and Frantz Zéphirin, alongside pioneers of the Haitian Renaissance like Roland Dorcely, Néhémy Jean, Louisiane Saint Fleurant, and Ismael Saincilus.