Coconut Grove Art Festival is This Weekend

Festival 2011 Poster by Guy Harvey

Festival 2011 Poster by Guy Harvey

The Coconut Grove Art Festival takes place this weekend.  In addition to seeing some fun, different art, it is a great time to stroll the streets, taste food, and bump into friends.

I love this year’s poster!

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Where’s JWo?

Recognize this picture?  Where am I and what do you know about the location?  If you don’t know, stay tuned for the answer in a future blog.IMG_0645

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Free Things To Do Tonight

So many of my friends complain that Miami is an expensive town.  Like any city I know, it can be but there are also a ton of things that you can do for free or near free.

Here are some things to do tonight to get your weekend started:

  • Viernes Culturales – this event takes place the last Friday of every month in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami.  In addition to an art walk, there is live music, domino competitions, and latin dancing lessons.
  • Visit the Wolfsonian – Free admission on Friday nights from 6-9 pm
  • Take a picnic to the park at the New World Center on Miami Beach, watch the large screen and see what everyone is talking about.

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Arts Festival At Pinecrest Gardens

The 7th Annual Pinecrest Gardens Fine Arts Festival will take place this Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Take a stroll through the beautiful gardens while viewing a variety of artwork from nationally recognized artists.  There will also be food and music.

Attending this event counts as one the New Year Resolutions for South Floridians!

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New Year’s Resolutions For South Floridians

Okay, I know every year we make resolutions only to break them or not live up to them, but these are pretty easy and will help you get better acquainted or reacquainted with your own back yard.

  1. Get in shape!  This is South Florida, where the heat, beach, water activities and year-round outdoor lifestyle make this easy to do.   Gables Fitness has bootcamps, which take place in the beautiful outdoors, in Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Bayfront Park.  They also have personal training classes for men and women.  I started about a month and a half ago at the Pinecrest location and am having a great time while I am getting in shape.
  2. Visit one of our museums.  Many of the Miami museums have free events.  The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science will take more than one visit to explore.  It has over 200 exhibits plus an IMAX theater.  The Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale is currently exhibiting the works of Norman Rockwell (through February 7, 2010)
  3. Go on one of the art walks.  In Miami:  Calle Ocho, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Design District, Miami Beach, Wynwood all have art walks on different days of the week.  Broward County has a twice yearly walk.
  4. Take a historical tour with Paul George.
  5. Volunteer at one of the many one-day volunteer activities such as Hands-On-Miami, Habitat For Humanity, Biscayne Bay Cleanup (Baynanza).
  6. Attend a performance at one of our many venues.
  7. Go to the horse races.
  8. Visit the Miami-Metro Zoo, Lion Country Safari, Butterfly Garden.
  9. Take a bike ride in the Everglades and/or Oleta State Park and/or Markham Park.
  10. Go to one of our local Farmer’s Markets, which are open through April, to purchase fresh local produce.
  11. Tour the Redland.
  12. Take a canoe or kayak ride.  Most of the State Parks have hourly rentals and tours.
  13. Go to a full moon outdoor concert.
  14. If you are remodeling or landscaping, include energy efficient and sustainable products and go native with your landscaping.

If you have completed any of these resolutions recently (2009), please add your comments and feedback on this post.  Do you have a resolution you would like to add to the list?

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Pinecrest Farmer’s Market Is Full of Color

farmers marketThe Pinecrest Farmer’s Market at Pinecrest Gardens has been open every  Sunday since December and I finally got by this weekend.  It is open every Sunday from 9-2 p.m. through April, and I plan on being a regular.  In addition to the fresh fruit and vegetables that are grown locally, there are food vendors with everything from conch to tropical ice cream, herb and vegetable plants for the home gardener, spices, and green products to clean your home or make it more energy efficient.  My favorite part was the burst of color all around me.  I know where I will be shopping for my produce for the next several months.

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Art Basel Miami Kicks Off This Week

Art Basel Miami starts this week from December 3-6.  With Andy Warhol’s “200 One Dollar Bills” painting fetching over $43 million earlier this month, many artists and galleries are hoping that the art market has also hit its bottom and that this year’s event will prove more lucrative than last year’s.  In addition to the exhibitions and events connected to Art Basel, there will be many sideline exhibits and activities, many of them free.

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Miami Museums Free Events

Free things to do in Miami

Looking for some from free things to do before school starts?  A lot of our local museums have free days each month.  Since today is the first of the month, you will be able to get a lot of these in.  Or spread them out over the next couple of months.

Bass Museum of Art free family day on Sundays 2-5 p.m.

Miami Art Museum free admission on the second Saturday of each month

Miami Museum of Science free planetarium shows and star gazing beginning at 7:30 p.m. on the first Friday of each month

Museum of Contemporary Art free to North Miami residents and free jazz for all at 8:00 p.m. on the last Friday of each month.

Wolfsonian Museum free gallery admission Fridays from 6-9

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