It's always a good thing to stop by and listen to some free live music. If you have to pay tolls,…read moretaxes, fees, etc, this is a good way to get some retribution from the city. Coral Gables always makes this a great event, although the performers have become more local than previous years, with out-of-town talent filling the bill. It's all good, let's promote the locals.

I love Carnaval on the mile! This street festival happens every year for 2 days. It's hosted by…read moreKiwanis and very well organized. The vendors and music stages are depicted on their website making it very easy to know where things are and at what time artists are set to perform. Great vibes, great food, great music, plenty of street fair food and shops to keep you entertained. The artists and vendors who work the booths are always nice and in a great mood. The Carnaval is located in Miracle mile, close to several street parking and parking garages, like we used. I particularly love the location of this festival because its on a fabulous street filled with restaurants on each side of the street. Allowing for more options if you choose you not to eat street food. There are plenty of options like arepas, fresh squeezed juices, pinchos, sandwiches, turkey legs, funnel cakes, Gilbert's bakery, pizza, gelato, and more. We decided to eat lunch at Morton's to break up the day a little from walking, then we continued our day throughout the festival. I did a little shopping at Essence Boutique, which I love to come to when I'm in this area of Coral Gables. I also bought some dips and other trinkets from the festival. I look forward to this festival every year and am so glad I was able to make it this weekend.

The Somi Art Fest has always been so special to me. It's not very large, which is good if you want…read moreto bring your dog and have a nice day out. The art festival this year was awesome, 3 stages with different music and all the bands were great. There were a lot of food trucks & individual food vendors to choose from. However, we chose to sit and eat at a nearby restaurant so we wouldn't have to stand since we were with the family and dogs. The weather cooperated perfectly, and the Festival was a hit. Lots of people brought their dogs, and it was so nice to be able to see them all socialize. There were booths specially geared towards dogs with treats, toys, and accessories. The only thing sad was seeing dilapidated Sunset Place next to the festival, but that soon will get demolished and will be something beautiful again. This festival is very relaxed and the people that attend are also this way, adding to a wonderful overall experience.

Something different to enjoy. Small art festival with some really nice affordable pieces and…read morejewelry. There's something for everyone. They did include a pet lounge for the fur babies. Event was also animal friendly.

The SoBe Seafood Festival is a series of events. I went to the Chef Showdown and Seafood Slam. The…read moreChef Showdown comprised of two chefs competing against each other in Seafood categories, sush as sushi, salmon, tuna, ceviche, etc. I have eaten at some of the restaurants co.peting. I feel like some of the food they had at this event was not their best. The standouts for me were the shrimp ceviche from Suviche and salmon and rice from Temple Street Eatery. These were excellent. Rusty Pelican won the big award. Their dish was tasty. It was ribeye and shrimp I believe. (No sign describing the dish on table) I wanted to try the lobster salad from Catch and Cut but they were about to go on stage for the competition when I went by twice. Other restaurants were just ok. I enjoyed the Hendrick's gin drinks. Blacklane had a nice lounge with champagne. All in all, this event is nice because it is food, drinks and music on the beach at night. It was a nice, breezy evening, so that made it even nicer. But if I break it down on most of the food food and even most of the drinks, it is just ok. I expected real high quality seafood and it just didn't cut it for me. Seafood Slam was during the day and it got hot! This event was pretty similar in terms of quality of food and drinks. Nothing bad but nothing to write home about. I think I preferred the Chef Showdown compared to the Seafood Slam.

Short wait to get in. Great location on the sand. Ocean breezes. A variety of food to choose from…read more All the vendors were excited and friendly and very thankful to receive consumer votes. Every year there is a surprisingly new cuisine to try....this year the seafood pasta was the best for me. Shoutout to Ricky at Mouthgasm. Another epic night...looking forward to next year!

Extremely long lines. beyond any possible conception how long these lines are. extremely libg an…read morebeyond realism the lines

Ultra (adjective) beyond what is ordinary. If you're an electronic music fan, it is a 23-year…read morestrong electronic music festival with its current edition in Downtown Miami. It first started on the sands off 23 Street and Collins and was held one year in Key Biscayne. There are about 6 different stages, from the main stage where I enjoyed listening to Don Dolla, Armin van Buuren & Tiësto, the Resistance (a little harder more techno, such as Carl Cox and CamelPhat), Ultra Live (more poppy) and the Tulum like Eco Village with live art, string lights and DJ Purple. They also livestream the bigger acts on YouTube for when you're home, after your phone is about to die or my feet remember they're in their late 40s LOL Logistically, take public transit or ride share since Biscayne gets rerouted. Come with plenty of time before your favorite act to deal with traffic and security. There's a great variety of food for sale, including turkey legs! The sound system is AWESOME..it is a proverbial once in a lifetime experience every year you go. My favorite acts were of course: Armin van Buuren, Carl Cox (though I missed my favorite track "Phuture 2000", CamelPhat ("Panic Room" and "Cola") and the Dead Mouse (DeadMau5 ) performed under his new Aliases TestPilot and K5 with another great one, Kaskade. The graphics, the light show were great, as was Swedish House Mafia's closing act. Definitely a must do if you're an electronic music fan!

We try to get down to Calle Ocho every chance we get especially with our Cuban friends who always…read moretake us to the best restaurants. It never gets boring in Little Havana and that's what I love about it. There's great food from several different countries: Cuba, Nicaragua, Colunbia, Peru, Argentina just to name a few. There are many tobacco/cigar shops. Knick knack shops for souveniers. Great ice cream shops like Azucar's! Fun vibrant art painted on buildings. Impromptu and scheduled parades and festivals. Spanish being spoken everywhere you go. And the best part is to watch the old-timers playing dominoes in the parking lots/sidewalks. Mass traffic on Calle Ocho (SW 8th) with no where to park so go past it a couple of blocks and park in that area or take Uber or a transit bus. No matter what, you will have fun there! Wear comfortable shoes, summer clothes, a hat, and sunscreen.

Calle Ocho in Little Havana is definitely a must stop when visiting Miami. The whole area is full…read moreof life and color from the vibrant murals to the local live music playing from the restaurants you can hear as you walk by, so full of culture... I love it I love it. It's a great place to grab a mojito and some really good Cuban/Spanish food. There are also plenty of small shops with affordable souvenirs and handmade items. It's such a vibe, I love coming here every time!

We had such high hopes for Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions at the South Beach Wine & Food…read moreFestival on Friday, February 20th. The chef lineup looked incredible, and after having an amazing experience at Burger Bash (with early admission), we were genuinely excited. Unfortunately, this event was the complete opposite. Not only was it more expensive, but it was extremely overcrowded. It was shoulder-to-shoulder the entire time, making it difficult to move, enjoy the atmosphere, or even hear anyone speak. The lines were unbelievably long, and it was nearly impossible to tell where they began or ended -- only to finally reach the front and receive a very small bite of food. There also needs to be serious consideration around sound and entertainment. The event had both a DJ and a live band, and it was way too loud -- you could barely have a conversation. The band, unfortunately, wasn't great and felt overpowering and obnoxious at times. The DJ was much better and played far better music; the overall vibe would have been much more enjoyable sticking with just that. There really needs to be a ticket capacity limit to ensure guest satisfaction. Overselling the event completely took away from what could have been an incredible experience. The organization and overall flow just weren't there. After 45 minutes of frustration and barely tasting anything, we decided to leave and went to Pizza Bar around the corner just to actually get something to eat. The only highlight of the night was spotting Rev Run walking in -- which ended up being the most memorable part of the experience. Burger Bash truly felt like the main event in comparison. We won't be returning to this one. Burger Bash from now on.

GREAT TIME attending SOBEWFF 2025 for their Tacos and Tequila weekend evening event from…read more730-1030pm. Very easy to find, especially if staying in the area and are arriving on foot. Food and drinks included with the tickets. On arrival there was plenty of participating booths with tacos and/or Mexican related bites. Bars and cocktails also available. I suggest getting there early to maximize the tastings as well as to beat the crowd a little because as the event went on the lines got drastically longer and the last hour some food booths began closing per lack of inventory. I give kudos to the organizers for the many bins of accessible water bottles for both the MIA heat and to keep the alcoholic drinkers hydrated! Noting for my ladies, that SOBEWFF set up is booths on the beach - so wear the correct foot attire as you will be walking on sand!

Wednesdays is the most daunting day of the week; because Mondays have drained you of life and…read moreFridays are too far in the future to lift your spirits... That's until the Jazz in the Gables concert series came along. Put a little hoodoo into your humpday from January through April. Piano priests, drum doctors, and saxophone shamans cast musical spells that compel you to evacuate the office and liven up your lunchtime. For five consecutive seasons, The Miami Jazz Cooperative has summoned a cast of entertainers that includes the likes of the buoyant Brian Murphy Trio, flashy FIU Jazz Ensemble, and nouveau New World School of The Arts' Jazz Quartet. For those who can't make midday escapes, there are occasional soul-shaking performances Sunday afternoons. Make music part of your weekly ritual at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday.

Went to the Lantern Light Festival at the Alameda Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California. The main…read moredraw for me was the lights. I have no children to worry about entertaining, so I just wanted to come here to enjoy seeing all the lanterns and light installations. It was absolutely gorgeous. As a cosplayer wanting to build more light-up props, I enjoyed seeing the lanterns up close. Everything from the entrance gate, the long undulating Chinese dragon with its animatronic head rotating from side to side, the astrological signs, the castles, apple trees, wishing trees, animals, all the flowers, and so much more, were absolutely inspiring and filled my heart with holiday joy. My friend and I enjoyed going around taking photos of the lights. I also appreciated that the pamphlet with the map of the park included photos of how the lanterns were built. The other attraction at the festival was the Chinese acrobat performance. They occurred once per hour, and the performers are very talented. Such amazing display of athleticism! I could have sworn that the adult ticket allowed one dragon ride. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, the dragon rides were ONLY FOR CHILDREN. I felt very mislead and cheated. The food was pricey. Although we ate dinner before coming, I paid $5 for 3 deep fried oreos, and another $5 for a drink (I had hot apple cider, my friend had hot chocolate). Churros were also $5, and just ONE deep fried Twinkie was $6, so I passed on that. Everything else at the festival was geared towards children, so aside from walking around being awe-inspired by the lights, there was nothing else to do. I went to WinterFest at Great America earlier this month, and while I'd say the Lantern Light Festival has much more impressive light displays, WinterFest had much more to offer since in addition to dazzling displays of beautiful lights, they also had roller coasters, more variety of shows, and more activities that not just the kids can enjoy. Overall, the Lantern Light Festival felt like a cheap version of WinterFest.

I bought the groupon when it was an additional 20% off so my ticket was $14. Parking is $5. It…read moretook us about an hour to walk through. There was an acrobatic show that was not good. There are food venders selling noodles, cinnamon rolls, pizza and elephant ears. You can buy tickets to do activities such as mini golf, simulator ride, face painting, etc. Little kids will like the activities, but older kids will find them stupid. The lights are pretty to see and photograph well on a cell phone. If in the area, and you get the discounted ticket I would recommend visiting the festival. It is NOT worth the full price ticket.