MULTICULTURAL MIAMI

Community highlights

Miami Designates Part of Coconut Grove as ‘Little Bahamas’ to Honor Area’s History

A swath of Miami’s oldest neighborhood has been formally designated “Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove,” a recognition of the historically Black enclave settled by Bahamians in the 19th century even before Miami was incorporated as a city. Miami commissioners voted on Tuesday, July 19 to mark the area’s cultural and historical importance with the designation, the second time the commission has formally named a neighborhood with boundaries by resolution. Click here to read full article.

Hampton Art Lovers Presents: Overtown Born Day Celebration

Overtown was born 126 years ago, join as we celebrate its past, present and future. This celebration will be held on July 30 at the Historic Ward Rooming House and will also feature the artistry of REMYZ Music, Christell Roach, and the exhibition Starry Crown: Art of #BlackGirlMagic. Art of Black Miami is a sponsor of this event. Click Overtown Born Day Celebration to learn more.

Family Expo is Coming to Your Neighborhood

The Children’s Trust Family Expo is going out into the community with three events, spread out at various locations and on different days to make sure and reach the largest amount of our diverse population. The Family Expo continues to be the best chance for families to connect with the Trust’s extensive provider network as well as other community agencies and organizations that serve them. The Family Expo is a great opportunity for parents to learn of the wealth of resources and opportunities available to their children including after-school and enrichment programs, nutrition education, injury prevention, programs for children with special needs, pre-K registration information and KidCare outreach.

Central Miami-Dade - Saturday, July 23, 2022, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Children’s Trust Family Expo at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus

South Miami-Dade - Saturday, July 30, 2022, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Children’s Trust Family Expo at Sweet Home Community Campus

North Miami-Dade - Saturday, August 6, 2022, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Children's Trust Family Expo at PK People Matter Fest
Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex

Jazz at MOCA Featuring the French Horn Collective

Jazz at MOCA” is MOCA’s free outdoor concert series on the last Friday of every month. On Friday, July 29, MOCA is pleased to present The French Horn Collective. The French Horn Collective is an energetic and progressive band that performs an eclectic variety of Gypsy jazz, swing, and modern original French music throughout South Florida. Led by Parisian musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer and songwriter Vincent Raffard, the diverse group consists of anywhere from three to eight highly talented musicians from a myriad of musical backgrounds, with instrumentation including trumpet, guitar, violin, double bass, clarinet, and vocals. Free and open to the public with RSVP.

Art on the Plaza: “Clint and April"

On view from July 29 through October 7 as part of MOCA’s Art on the Plaza series, Autumn Casey’s “Clint and April” is a sculptural installation featuring two swans, each secured on their respective plinths. The sculptures are illuminated from within via solar-powered lights. Existing as a pair to echo the natural practice of swans who mate for life, “Clint and April” creates a tender space for the contemplation of beauty, love, ideas of worship and familial bonds. Included with the installation is a performance with a written prompt of questions to inspire conversation between the artist and the audience. Cost: Free and open to the public, located outside on the MOCA Plaza.

Little Black Dress & Pearls Event

The Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce - Women's Business Council presents, Little Black Dress & Pearls: Let's talk about Women, Wisdom, and Wealth! Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Hilton Miami Airport/Blue Lagoon. Learn more here.

Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre Presents Papá Cuatro

A Cultural Celebration, Musical, Documentary…a Venezuelan House Party. Papá Cuatro is a world-premiere musical that tells an extraordinary immigrant tale of a generation of Venezuelan musicians who were forced to leave their country in hopes of a better future, taking with them centuries of traditions and the joyous sound of an iconic Latin American string instrument: El Cuatro. Featuring Mariaca Semprún, Miguel Siso, Eduardo Betancourt, Mafer Bandola y Adolfo Herrera. Conceived & Directed by Juan Souki. Running through July 31. Tickets at Miami New Drama.

Speed Friending Returns at the Underline

Back by popular demand and powered by Instacart, come mix and mingle on The Underline with Community Connection: Speed Friending as we connect with the local community, enjoy healthy food you love, and support the launch of the Neighborhood Spotlights initiative. Celebrate small businesses from Little Havana and Overtown, enjoying free healthy eats from small businesses based in these historic neighborhoods, held August 4 from 7-8:30pm. Learn more here.

The Restless Exile of Gerardo Machado,

Book presentation on “The Restless Exile of Gerardo Machado,” an account of the life of Cuba’s fifth president after he left the island in 1933. Machado’s experience while exiled has been compiled from personal correspondence, newspaper accounts, and documents from the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. State Department obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. The presentation will be followed by a conversation and Q&A with the author moderated by historian and political scientist, Daniel Pedreira, Ph.D. Hosted by the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami on Thursday, August 11 at 6:00 p.m. Click here to register.

American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora and Cuban Legacy Gallery, MDC Special Collections Invite You to Experience Baruj Salinas 1972-2022

How did the universe come to exist? For over 50 years, Cuban American artist Baruj Salinas has pondered this metaphysical question, and sought answers from the living, breathing mysteries around us: the clouds above, the oceans surrounding, and cosmic spaces yet unknown. On view now at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, Baruj Salinas: 1972–2022 presents a fascinating exhibition of Salinas’ abstract works — and his attempts to give shape to the formation of the universe — through a thematic display of large-scale paintings, glazed ceramics, and more. A Miami-based artist, Baruj Salinas has taught at Miami Dade College (MDC) since 1995. On view until August 14, 2022, this special exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Cuban Legacy Gallery of MDC Special Collections. Learn more here.

NoMi Art Walk

Mark your calendars for the next edition of NoMi Art Walk on August 20th! Visit your favorite local artists, listen to live music, drink wine, and celebrate the beginning of the school year! Learn more here.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Features Podcast Honoring Black Coconut Grove

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens has partnered with local matriarchs to produce a podcast highlighting the history and accomplishments of Coconut Grove’s Black community. Titled “The Rich and Forgotten History of Black Coconut Grove,” this three-episode series features stories from legacy residents of the neighborhood’s establishment and through their life experiences from the 1930s to the modern day. The podcast is available to stream for free on Spotify and Google Podcasts, click here to listen. For more information visit Vizcaya.org.

Free Admission to HistoryMiami This Summer

HistoryMiami's Summer Passport Program, sponsored by AT&T, provides free access for all children in Miami-Dade County to experience the museum from through August 16, 2022! The passport offers children an exciting educational adventure while exploring the region’s rich past. Learn more here.

Jewish Museum of Florida - FIU Exhibitions

Tudor Parfitt’s Remarkable Jewish Journeys documents Professor Parfitt's extensive travels over 40 years to some of the most remote Jewish communities on earth. Parfitt's life-long journey took him to some of the most remote Jewish or would-be Jewish communities in the world from Japan to Syria, from Uganda to Zimbabwe, and from Yemen to Papua New Guinea. On view through September 2022.

Giller & Giller: An Adventure in Architecture. Norman Giller was one of the founders of Miami Modern (MiMo), a regionalized style of Modernist architecture. Through the use of new materials and technology, he was able to realize his ideas in a post-war II booming Florida. Giller’s work demands attention and recognition and there is no one better than his son, architect Ira Giller, to guide us through this retrospective of Giller’s work. On view through October 2022.

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Recently Featured in Numerous News Stories

Historic Virginia Key Beach Park has been recently featured in a number of news stories. Please check out this recent coverage below:

Virginia Key Beach Park is located at 4020 Virginia Beach Drive in Miami. Learn more and plan your visit here.

Overtown Office of Miami's First Black Judge Declared a Historic Site

Earlier this month, the City of Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board voted unanimously to designate the building that was once the law office of Lawson E. Thomas as a historic site, ensuring the preservation of his legacy in the face of gentrification and developer-backed interests in the area. Thomas was Miami-Dade County's first Black judge and the first Black attorney in Miami to stand before a white judge. In his day, hewas a civil-rights activist and a pillar of the community in Overtown, one of Miami's historically Black neighborhoods. Now that his onetime office has been recognized as a historic site, Dr. Enid Pinkney hopes the city will revitalize the building and continue to tell Lawson E. Thomas' story so future generations might appreciate his considerable contribution to South Florida's civil-rights movement. Read full story here.

Coconut Grove Sports Hall of Fame Museum "Meet & Greet & Tour Saturday Foodie Event"

Every Saturday from 12pm to 5pm, join the Coconut Grove Sports Hall of Fame Museum and walk through West Grove sports history, reunite with local Alumni, enjoy great food, music, and community spirit! Leadership Prep Foundation Inc. is the parent organization of the Coconut Grove Sports Hall of Fame Museum whose mission is to preserve, support, and promote the historical significance of Bahamian and African American history and cultural heritage through Sport in West Coconut Grove. Moreover, to advance the culture and heritage of sports seeded in West Coconut Grove and to recognize and induct its champions, sports legends, and community leaders to honor the past and inspire future generations for sports and life.

Experience a Tap Tap Tour

Become a local and experience history, culture and architecture on one of Tap Tap Tours' many unique tours of Little Haiti, Miami Beach, Historic Overtown or Little Havana. Tap Tap Tours foundation is based on education, with a goal to inform people of their roots and expose them to other traditional culture practices. These tours are led based on questions that are being asked, which allows the learning process to be fun, spontaneous, and refreshing from people to people. Additionally, tour guides are in demand and Tap Tap Tours is hiring, click here to learn more and be a part of this exciting industry!

Vizcaya Volunteer Information Session

If you have an interest in arts, culture, innovation, and connecting with people, consider becoming a Vizcaya Volunteer Greeter. They are exposed to the inner workings of this National Historic Landmark and contribute to the experience of more than 300,000 people each year. In this simple yet rewarding role, Greeters welcome guests to Vizcaya and answer basic questions about the estate. Click here to learn more.

North Miami Beach Street Market

The City of North Miami Beach presents the NMB Street Market. Taking place every Sunday from 10am-5pm. Come spend your Sundays at the NMB Street Market. Live music, food, produce, baked goods, artisan products, accessories, art, flowers, plants and more. Learn more here.

Theater with Deep Roots in Black Community Will Get its Voice Again

In case you haven't heard, Coconut Grove's Ace Theater, which was built in the 1930s and was the heart of the Grove’s Black community during the Jim Crow era, will be restored and reopened thanks to a National Park Service grant. The Nationoal Park Service, in a new program aimed at preserving sites related to the country’s equal-rights battles, awarded $398K to the Ace Theater.

Caribbean Market Days

In case you haven't heard, Caribbean Market Day is back every Saturday from 10am to 6pm. The market will have vendors selling their wares from all areas of Miami, South Florida, and beyond. Original art work, vintage and thrift finds, handmade goods, artisan treasures and more will fill the stalls of the Caribbean Marketplace in Ti Ayiti (Little Haiti) 5925 NE 2 Second Ave Miami, FL 33137. For more information and vendor inquiries please email lhcc@miamigov.com or call 305 960-2969.

Eco-History Tour at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park

Book a free Eco-History Tour at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Explore Miami's once "Colored Only" Beach Park and learn the story that began in 1945 with a guided tour sharing photos, videos and live amusement attractions. To book a tour call 305-960-4600 or email info@virginiakeybeachpark.net

MIAMI-Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau