Miami Events, Things to Do and Festivals

(Miami, Florida - FL, USA)

Each year, the city of Miami stages all manner of events, arts festivals, concerts, carnivals and parties, with plenty to enjoy every single month. The Film Festival in February is particularly popular and noteworthy, as are the carnival celebrations every March, when lengthy colorful processions draw large crowds to the city.

On July 4th, Miami plays host to some exciting Independence Day activities and entertainment, which tend to be concentrated around Bayfront Park and culminates with a big laser and fireworks display. Later on in the year, September boasts a wealth of performing and visual arts, based at Coral Gables, while October sees the arrival of the annual Caribbean-American Carnival and the Columbus Day Regatta, followed by the literary extravaganza in November that is best known as the Miami Book Fair International.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Day
• 12th February - Lincoln's Birthday
• Third Monday in February - Washington's Birthday
• Third Monday in April - Patriot's Day (Massachusetts)
• Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
• 4th July - Independence Day
• First Monday in September - Labor Day
• Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
• 11th November - Veterans Day
• 4th Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
• 25th December - Christmas Day

Miami Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Miami Jazz Festival - early January, this popular international jazz fest in held in and around the downtown district and includes contemporary, traditional and Latin jazz, as well as blues and gospel jazz
• Art Deco Weekend - mid-January, with talks and free events, focusing on the South Beach architecture on Ocean Drive
• Taste of the Grove - mid-January, this lively food fest includes a variety of food and free music in the Coconut Grove's Peacock Park
• Key Biscayne Art Festival - mid-January, this festival includes music, arts and crafts, with fresh seafood along Crandon Boulevard

February

• Homestead Championship Rodeo - early February, this popular rodeo event includes professional cowboys who compete in steer-wrestling, bull-riding, calf-roping and bareback riding
• Miami Film Festival - early February, this film fest includes the latest US and overseas films, which are premiered at the downtown Gunsman Center for the Performing Arts
• Coconut Grove Arts Festival - mid-February, this large gathering features hundreds of unknown artists displaying their works in Coconut Grove's Peacock Park and on nearby streets

March

• Carnival Miami - first Saturday in March, this lively carnival includes Hispanic-themed events across the city, culminating in a parade at the Orange Bowl
• Calle Ocho Festival - second Sunday in March, this enormous celebration of Cuban arts, crafts and cooking takes place along the streets of Little Havana
• St. Patrick's Day festival - early March in Coral Gables, family centered celebration of Irish culture, with traditional Irish fare and music, as well as face painting and clowns for the children
• Ericksson Open - mid-March, this is the world's largest tennis tournament and is held at Miami's Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne

April

• Miracle Mile Festival - early April, this fiesta features large parades along the famous Miracle Mile
• South Beach Film Festival - mid April, this film fest features both local and non-resident film directors, debuting short films at the Colony Theater

May

• The Great Sunrise Balloon Race and Festival - held at Miami's Homestead Air Force Base, featuring large numbers of colorful hot-air balloons

June

• Goombay Festival - early June, this is held in honor of Bahamian culture, in and around Coconut Grove's Peacock Park
• Art in the Park - early June, with a number of art stalls and displays in the Charles Deering Estate in South Miami

July

• July 4th - Independence Day celebrations are held throughout Miami, including music, fireworks and laser-light shows, with festivities at Bayfront Park
• Tropical Agricultural Fiesta - full of many exotic fruits and also ethnic foods at the Fruit and Spice Park

August

• Reggae Festival - first Sunday in August, on Jamaican Independence Day, with numerous top Jamaican bands playing around Miami

September

• Festival Miami - mid-September, three weeks of performing and visual arts events organized by the University of Miami, held mainly around Coral Gables

October

• Hispanic Heritage Festival - held throughout October, this features numerous events related to Latin American history and culture
• Miami Carnival - mid-October, this fun carnival features calypso bands at the Sun Life Stadium
• Columbus Day Regatta - mid-October, this event is Florida's largest water sports event and is a race commemorating the historic voyage by Columbus

November

• Miami Book Fair International - mid-November, this book fair features a large number of books from across the world and is held throughout the campus of Miami-Dade Community College
• Harvest Festival - mid-November, this event is a celebration of southern Florida's agricultural traditions, including homemade crafts, music and re-enactments, held at the Miami Fair / Expo Center on Coral Way

December

• Indian Arts Festival - late December, this native American arts festival features artists from all over the country, held at Miccosukee Village
• King Mango Struit - 31st December, this is a popular New Year's Eve celebration in Miami, with people dressed up in costumes, parading through Coconut Grove
• Orange Bowl Parade - 31st December, this is the climax of all New Year's Eve celebrations and includes floats, marching bands and the crowning of the Orange Bowl Queen at the Orange Bowl