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

My first Ultra Music Festival - was so much fun! Gotta buy tix a few months ahead otherwise you're…read morenot getting in! Festival has tons of great famous djs and incredible music! Open to all ages

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 is in the heart of Little Havana catering to the large Cuban population in Miami. Loads…read moreof restaurant including Versailles where every presidential candidate goes.

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.

It's my 4th year going and I always have a great time at SOBEWFF. This year we attended 2 events…read more We did the dinner hosted by Jet Tila, Aarti Sequeira and Christopher Aguirre. Damaris Phillips was also a surprise chef. The food was delicious. From the passed appetizers to the sit down meal everything was well seasoned and beautifully presented. We also attended the Family Cookout, hosted by JJ Johnson with a special performance from Fat Joe (the BX baby)!!! The food was great, the vibe was awesome and we had an amazing time!!!! I plan on going back next year!

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.

This is an event that happens monthly. It is a public event. It's near downtown Hollywood. They…read moreclose up a section of Harrison St. follow the sound of the music. The event is always different. The vendors, entertainment, and tour change every month. I recommend doing the art walking tour, it's interesting. FYI the tour starts on time. You learn about the local artists and things you didn't know were hidden in some pictures. I thought it was cool. The event this time had live music. The band was great. Some people were dancing. They had things to entertain the children like games and entertainers. Everyone looked like they were having fun. The parking is public. The area has two garages nearby and some street parking.

This was a great little event that comprises many smaller events like an Artist Market, Street…read moreMural tour, Art Gallery tour, etc. The event happens the third Saturday of the month at Harrison and 20th from 6p-10p. There's parking around the area, but most of it is paid street or garage parking, if you are willing to walk about 4-5 blocks, you can find free 3-hour parking spots. The street is close to car traffic so pedestrians can enjoy a care free stroll. The live music event was great !!

The Chinese New Year Festival at MDCC Killian is held every year toward the end of February. I've…read morebeen coming to this event on and off ever since I was a little kid. So for me, the festival is just A-ok. It's pretty much the same show every year. But if you've never been, definitely check it out at least once. Tickets are $5 for kids and $10 for adults. You can expect to see people from all backgrounds in attendance, a very diverse crowd. As far as food, obviously Chinese food is served in addition to Thai, Jamaican, and even Chinese-Jamaican foods among others. There's a main stage with ongoing performances throughout the day including arts, culture, martial arts, etc. If you look around some more, you'll find some games and a small playground for kids. The biggest change this year was the Mercedes cars on display. We happened to be walking toward the dragon dance when they started coming out from the stage area. Apparently, these dragons were outsourced to the non-Asian dragon team. All kidding aside, they did a pretty good job with it although I got side-swiped by one of them. The lychee ice cream here is a yearly tradition. Everyone knows about it and everyone looks forward to it. However, this year's lychee ice cream was one of the most plain-tasting ever. And where were the lychee chunks? Nowhere to be found. Just a spirit of lychee in this ice cream. Then, we got excited about having some Vietnamese Coffee served in a bag. Sadly, it tasted more like a bag of sugared water with caramel color. Far and away from the real thing. Unfortunately this festival is none too exciting for me anymore as it's the same show every year and perhaps a bit more watered down. But, I'll probably come back.

This was my first time attending the annual Chinese New Year Festival, and I would return next…read moreyear. This was a nice event with a lot of entertainment and food available for purchase. There were also booths selling various items. Entrance was $10 for adults, and all food is additional. however, parking is free and the even provides a couple hours of entertainment. The acts ranged from well-rehearsed amateurs to impressive professionals. The event was held in a courtyard at Miami Dade College. While there was a lot of seating, it was pretty full at the beginning of the performances and we had to wait a bit to get a chair. You have to keep an eye out, fine a spot, and then slowly creep closer to the stage when people leave. My only complaint would be that if you try to sit farther back on the lawn, the stage is obstructed by the tent posts and roof.