Whether you’re looking for entertainment, art and culture, or food and beverage, here are some choice picks of things to do for the rest of this month and next. Enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving!

What should certainly be one of the highlights of Miami Art Week is William Kentridge’s THE HEAD & THE LOAD that invites audiences directly onto the Lynn Wolfson stage of the Ziff Ballet Opera House to be immersed in a powerful story about Africans in World War I. With the wings and backstage of the Opera House reconfigured to become a site-specific performance space large enough to accommodate this monumental work, the audience will take its place directly onstage for a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience.

Taking its title from a Ghanaian proverb — “the head and the load are the troubles of the neck” — this epic theatrical-music piece tells the neglected story of the millions of African porters and carriers who served British, French and German forces during the First World War. This has been called Kentridge’s most ambitious project to date, and draws on every aspect of his practice to combine music, dance, film projections, mechanized sculptures and shadow play in a visionary theatrical alchemy.

Created by Kentridge, one of the most renowned contemporary artists in the world, THE HEAD & THE LOAD has been described as “electrifying” (The Independent) and a “fiercely beautiful historical pageant” (New York Times).

For tickets, click here.

MILA, a Miami hotspot for dining, nightlife, and entertainment is debuting  new second-floor venues. MILA Omakase, MILA Lounge, and the member’s only, MM Club,  during Miami Art Week, with a variety of events and programming. Reservations are open for MILA Omakase, a 10-seat dining experience where the menu is curated by the chef and ever-changing based on seasonality and ingredients. This refined culinary experience will transport guests on a journey through the shores of the Mediterranean and Japan, embracing the “MediterAsian” flavors. The omakase experience will have 10-12 courses with additional wine and sake pairing options. Guests will have the opportunity to have a front-row seat as MILA’s chefs create innovative dishes inspired by the Japanese 52 micro-seasons. Making its debut during Miami Art Week, MILA Omakase will have two seatings per night and is only available by reservation.

Guests also have the opportunity to make reservations at the MILA Lounge, an elevated and secluded nightlife experience inside the venue’s glamorous setting. Guests looking to be seen will enjoy a curated space where music meets art and nightlife. Jazz performers, percussionists, singers and top DJ’s will provide entertainment in the multi-purpose venue regularly. Also new is MM Club, billed as an ultra-private, members-only club Members will be introduced to the intimate space, a glamorous twist to the conventional speakeasy which provides privacy to celebrities and guests who desire full confidentiality. To make a reservation at MILA, MILA Omakase or MILA Lounge, visit mila-miami.com or email reservations@milaomakase.com and reservations@milalounge.com.

Now this is for the foodie who has done it all! Aerobanquets RMX by artist Mattia Casalegno in collaboration with Michelin star chef Chintan Pandya is an immersive, multi sensorial multi course meal in mixed reality that invites the question “What is the shape of taste”? Part art installation, part multi course mini meal, it takes place in a  futuristic dining room with up to 16 guests each wearing a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. As the journey in the headset unfolds, artistic interpretations of flavors and textures appear in the virtual world while unexpected bite sized dishes are enjoyed in the physical world. It’s from November 28 to Sunday, December 4 at Superblue, 1101 NW 23rd Street, Miami 33127. Price is $58 per person for five bites, 30 minutes and $200 per person for 10 bites and special beverages, 60 minutes. Tickets are only available online, click here.

CityPlace Doral will transform into a winter wonderland this holiday season with its Annual ‘Light Up The Night’ Extravaganza. From now through Dec. 31, 2022, the community is invited to view the multi-colored LED lighting on the center’s Christmas tree and palm trees lining the outdoor shops, as well as a colorful waterfall display choreographed to everyday favorites and holiday classics. A 10-minute light show will begin at the top of every hour from 7-11 p.m.

CityPlace Doral is partnering with Jackson Health Foundation this holiday season to donate new, unwrapped toys for children of all ages being treated at Holtz Children’s Hospital. From  now until  Dec. 16, participating CityPlace Doral retailers are placing collection boxes at their locations to encourage shoppers to donate new unwrapped gifts for children of all ages, from infants to teens.

Shake it Up literally in one of two special hands on classes offered by the W South Beach . The first is an interactive cocktail making class every Friday and Saturday at 6:30PM inside Living Room Bar. A reservation is required 24-hours in advance. Go to livingroom@knrhospitality.com  Cost: $80 per person Dates: Dec. 9-10, Dec. 16. 17. The other is  “The Art of Sushi Making,” offering guests the opportunity to discover the art and basic techniques of sushi making with a hands-on class led by Chef Ramon Arocha on Fridays at 6:30PM inside Restaurant WSB. A reservation is required 24-hours in advance. Write to rwsb@knrhospitality.com Cost: $145 per person Dates:  Dec. 9, Dec. 16

Friday Night Sound Waves, the free weekly concert series presented by the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Beach Business Improvement District,  is back at The LOOP (Las Olas Oceanside Park) on Fridays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. until Dec. 2. Friday Night Sound Waves welcomes locals and visitors, the young and the young at heart, to enjoy some of South Florida’s best musical talents, performing an eclectic range of genres, including Jazz, Latin, Country, Top 40, Indie, Oldies, and Classic Rock. Attendees are invited to come early to enjoy a variety of pre-concert activities along with local restaurants and vendors, who will be providing a rotation of food and drinks to purchase before, during, and after the show.

Scheduled performers include: 

 Nov. 25 – Peter Mayer Stars & Promises Tour

As the only returning act of the season, Peter Mayer, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, returns to Las Olas Oceanside Park for a stop on the 23rd anniversary of his widely acclaimed Christmas tour “Stars and Promises.” Mayer has released 25 of his own albums, toured internationally with his own band, and has been the lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer band for three decades. Since that first recording and tour in 1999, Mayer has released four additional Christmas albums and this year celebrates his 23^rd year on the road with his world-class seven-piece band. The “Stars and Promises” concerts are engaging and made memorable with state-of-the-art sound and production. “Stars and Promises” brings its unique yuletide tradition to fans who have called this production “a Christmas show like no other!”

 Dec. 2 – The Collektives – Audacy Beach Music Festival Weekend

The Collektives — are a rising Miami band with an Alternative Rock/Pop sound known for delivering music that is an ambitious mix of dreamy vocals, hooks and powerful songs that connect to listeners. Earning a reputation for uplifting performances that resonate with audiences, rising Puerto Rican/Panamanian front singer Tatiana Blades, leads with incredible power and a distinctive voice that competes with her vibrant stage presence. Each member breathes new life and style into the band’s original music and famous cult classics that transcend genre boundaries and captivate audiences.

 Where:

Las Olas Oceanside Park: 3000 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

How: 

For more information, please visit FridayNightSoundWaves.com.

The most convenient place to park is the Las Olas Beach Parking Garage, where the PayByPhone payment option can be used, and parking can be extended from anywhere using the mobile PayByPhone APP.    

 Opening Sunday, November 27 and open every Sunday thereafter through December 18 is “Magical Retablos: Homage to the Virgin Mary”, an exhibition of the  retablos of Nicario Jimenez Quispe and those of other artists working in the tradition. Works come from the collections of the artist, private collectors, and the Florida Colonial Heritage Center.  Curated by Dr. Carol Damian, it’s at The Chapel of La Merced in Corpus Christi Church which, if you haven’t seen do go. Time: Noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Write to (CAROLDAMIAN9@GMAIL.COM). Address: 3220 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, 33137.

And don’t forget the new date for the opening of Mr. W’s art exhibit “Miami Contrasts and Harmonies” at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, December 15 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you plan to attend, the exhibit is free,  please RSVP. (refreshments will be served so we need to have an idea of the numbers!). Miami Contrasts and Harmonies: The Art of William Oberheiser will be on display through January 26.For more information, click here. 

Intriguing is the best word to describe an expansive pop-up exhibition, LOOP: A Celebration of Art and Culture in Overtown from Central Harlem’s Claire Oliver Gallery during Miami Art Week. Instead of a small white cube booth at Miami Art Week, Claire Oliver Gallery of Harlem will take over a full block of the Overtown district in Miami – an ambitious and expansive showcase of the work of Black and Brown artists within a largely Black and Brown community. Centered around a 5000 square foot gallery space the exhibit features works by gallery artists Robert Peterson, Gio Swaby, Stan Squirewell, Simone Saunders, Lauren Fensterstock, Aaron Stephan, Barbara Earl Thomas and Jeffrey Henson Scales.

LOOP extends beyond the gallery walls to create an ambitious and interdisciplinary showcase of the artists’ work. With a mission to give the gallery’s artists “carte blanche,” LOOP will feature large installations of photography, a program of vocal and visual performances created by collaboration between gallery artists and top musical, fashion, and dance artists. A program of hospitality featuring minority-owned businesses will feature specialty food and beverages on offer.

Dynamic activations by Robert Peterson, Gio Swaby, Stan Squirewell, Simone Saunders, Lauren Fensterstock, Aaron Stephan, Barbara Earl Thomas and Jeffrey Henson Scales will range from one-on-one whiskey tastings with the artists to captivating performances, including by musical artist MuMu Fresh and a hybrid art/fashion presentation.

Claire Oliver Gallery’s 5000 feet of  gallery space is at 919 NW 2nd Ave Miami FL 33136 (across from Red Rooster Overtown) acts as the central hub of activity for the week.

Here is the calendar of events

Last but certainly not least, on December 4 from 4 to 8 p.m. Coconut Grove Business Improvement District will spearhead  “Joy to the World”. The festive cultural will feature an international “Caroling Crawl,” with music and dancers from around the world, stationed at various posts throughout the Grove. The Grand Finale will be tree lighting at Fuller and Main Highway.