By Jennifer Agress and Yours Truly
There’s so much going on this month, that Things to Do in Miami in December is a two part series. And Art Basel will get its own special attention in a separate post. Here, part 2. If you missed Part 1, click here.
The NightGarden
All Month Long
As if it weren’t Instagrammable enough already, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is making your winter even more magical, with talking trees and all. From now through January 6, after the sun goes down, watch as Fairchild transforms into The NightGarden, a three-dimensional, immersive outdoor art exhibition that looks like Avatar come to life. Dubbed an “illuminated wonderland” by its founders, attendees can expect a larger-than-life talking tree, orb-like and glowing plants, fairies, a multisensory flower installation, a life-size maze and of course, lights. It’s sure to be a transformative experience—but at the very least, it’ll make for a great Instagram story. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased here. This event will run nightly through January 6th. It will be open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays, and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Parking is available onsite.
Holly Jolly: A Gingerbread Dining Experience
Sunday, December 2nd – Sunday, December 23rd
This December, eat in a life-size gingerbread house! Back again this year, The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale will build a real-life gingerbread house—made from 1,000 pounds of dough, 1,400+ bricks and 1,000+ shingles—and put it right in the lobby for all to enjoy. Upon request, guests can eat breakfast, brunch or dinner inside the gingerbread house. All food will be served family-style, and the meal will include a visit from and pictures with Santa Claus, and for any young Christmas lovers, even a surprise gift. The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale is located at 1 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard. Breakfast and brunch are priced at $899 per group, and dinner is priced at $999 per group, both excluding tax and gratuity. A maximum of six guests are allowed. Available everyday of the week, breakfast will be offered from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., brunch will be offered from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and dinner will be offered from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing rc.fllrz.room.reservations@ritzcarlton.com. Hotel valet is available.
Hamilton
Starting Tuesday, December 18th
Calling all musical lovers—the acclaimed Hamilton is going on tour, and just in time for Christmas, it’s making a stop at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Written by none other than the iconic Lin Manuel-Miranda, this musical tells the story of America’s founding father, Alexander Hamilton, through a score of hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and of course, Broadway. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 Southwest 5th Avenue. Tickets start at $78 and can be purchased here. The tour will stay at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts through January 20th. To see the full schedule of performances, click here. Valet and parking garages are available onsite.
Mistletoe & Martinis
Friday, December 14th
Head to Deering Estate for a night of festive music, lavish hors d’oeuvres and desserts from Miami’s top caterers, martini samples and the Deering Estate Foundation’s annual Festival of Trees! During this intimate evening of fun and festivities, attendees can roam the property, stroll through its decorated historic homes and take in the towering trees covered in Christmas lights. Deering Estate is located at 16701 SW 72nd Avenue. This event is priced at $75 per Deering Estate Foundation member and $100 per non-member. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time here or by calling (305) 235-1668, ext. 263. This event will run from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Free parking is available onsite.
The Art of the Lithograph
Now through February 3
A gem of an exhibit as much for the quality of the prints as for the scholarship in the explanations is “The Art of the Lithograph” at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU.Thirty prints explore the history of the lithography process, taking the visitor from lithography stones to off-set and computer-to-plate printing. Featured are printmaking works by Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Jim Dine, Don Eddy, R.B. Kitaj, Lee Krasner, Roy Lichtenstein, Peter Max and Camille Pissarro, among others. Works come from leading public and private collections ranging from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Historical Society to the colleciton of Lori Gold and Alan Hall. One of the things I most enjoyed was the step by step description with actual litho stones and materials on the process of lithography making. And while you’re there, check out the exhibit by Daniel Chimowitz: Walking Canvases . This world premiere marks the first-ever museum show by the celebrated fashion designer and international graffiti artist. He’s known for creating walking canvases of painted images on hand-sewn and upcycled clothing.
