Food Festival Season

The Culture Edit, January 27th-February 9th

Author

Susan Bannon
January 26, 2025

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival returns to Miami Beach February 20th-23rd.

In addition to tourists and vultures, Miami’s (mostly) glorious winter weather brings us a full calendar of food festivals, kicking off this weekend with Smorgasburg Miami’s third annual Chinese New Year Festival in Wynwood, featuring performances and craft workshops alongside local and national vendors showing off their best versions of Asian street food.

Foodie ratings source The Infatuation then hosts the second annual EEEEEATSCON February 8th-9th, making up for its truly terrible name with a pretty impressive slate of local and national chefs, including the teams from Tâm Tâm, Boia De, Miami Slice, Midorie… and the list goes on.

On February 28th, the 47th annual St. Sophia’s Greek Festival opens its doors for four days of homemade Greek food, dancing, and ouzo (very popular), sharing the busy weekend with the annual Asian Culture Festival at Tropical Park.

But the mac daddy of Miami’s food fests is indisputably the South Beach Wine & Food Festival February 20th-23rd, expected to welcome over 65,000 food fanatics for four days of celebrity burger bashes and champagne fried chicken pairings on the sands of Miami Beach. Tickets went on sale last week, and spots for the special events and dinners typically sell out well in advance, despite their eye-popping prices. So if you want to dine with Rocco DiSpirito or @ThePastaQueen, you’d better book it now.

Let’s get planning...

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Ongoing Theater

Lincoln Road Hustle

In the depths of the pandemic, Miami New Drama triumphed with The Seven Deadly Sins, an innovative roving theater piece set in shuttered Lincoln Road storefronts. Last year, they brilliantly staged a series of short plays in The Rubell Museum for The Museum Plays. Now, MiND is bringing a similar concept to Lincoln Road Hustle, a new play co-written by Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys). Staged in secret locations - shops, restaurants, public spaces - along Lincoln Road, the audience will be “eavesdropping” on the actors. The plot features a massive casino and real estate deal that could change Miami Beach forever, and all the hustlers in its orbit. How Miami is that?

Performances through February 16th, Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre, $45-$95

Jersey Boys at Actor’s Playhouse

The “Iconic Season” at Actor’s Playhouse continues with Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, a juke box crowdpleaser that tracks the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The story unfolds through each band member’s perspective, featuring their 1960’s hits “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Performances through February 23rd, Actor’s Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, $85

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Bad Dog

Miami New Drama presents Bad Dog, a world premiere play by Harley Elias skewering Miami’s contemporary art scene (after last year’s Museum Plays and Gablestage’s Laughs in Spanish, I’m sensing a trend here). The plot follows a performance artist who’s taken up residency in a Miami art gallery to live as a dog for a month, biting visitors and causing chaos within the gallery staff.

Performances through February 16th, Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre, $47-$77

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Wednesday, January 29th

New Music Miami ISCM Festival, Vol. 2

The 28th edition of Florida International University’s New Music Miami ISCM Festival continues with a special concert by soprano Corrin Byrne and trumpeter Andy Kozar, aka the Byrne:Kozar:Duo. The “B:K:D” is known for its interpretations of early Baroque music and commissions of avant-garde new works. The concert is preceded by a discussion with Byrne and Kozar on their artistic collaboration.

7pm, Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, Free

Neighborhood: South Beach, South of Fifth

Nearby Eats: New Vietnamese place Gao, Abbalé Televivian Kitchen, Orilla Bar & Grill | Drinks: Minibar, Kiss Miami 

Also on January 29th:

  • Coral Gables Art Cinema screens the ravishing Vermiglio, winner of the Silver Lion at Cannes this year and a contender for best foreign film, about a Sicilian deserter in the waning days of WWII, at 7:15pm.

  • Oolite Arts introduces their 2025 Cinematic Resident, Michael Ruiz-Unger, with a screening of one of his shorts and a discussion and sneak peek of the feature-length film he’s working on for his residency, at 6pm.

  • Books & Books welcomes FIU Professor Terrance G. Petersen to discuss his new book, Revolutionary Warfare, on how the Algerian War of the 1950’s fractured the French Empire, destroyed the legitimacy of colonial rule, and helped launch the push for independence in the Global South, at 7pm.

Thursday, January 30th 

Key Biscayne Film Festival - Opening Night!

Our newest film fest, the Key Biscayne Film Festival was launched just last year to much fanfare, highlighting cinematic work that spotlights island cultures and our fragile marine environment. This year, the KBFF is back with a full weekend of shorts and feature-length screenings, kicking off with an opening night showing of In The Whale, followed by a reception and Q&A with the director David Abel.

5-9pm, Paradise Park on the Key, $50 (or $150 for a full access festival pass)

Neighborhood: Key Biscayne

Also on January 30th:

  • Enjoy live music and happy-hour specials on the terrace at PAMM as part of its Backroom Sessions series, from 6-8pm, with access to the galleries until 9pm.

  • Jamaican singer-songwriter Jesse Royal, whose debut album Lily of da Valley topped the Billboard Reggae charts, brings his socially conscious reggae to the Miami Beach Bandshell, at 7pm.

Friday, January 31st

Appropriate - Preview Night!

Gablestage presents “one helluva family reunion” with Appropriate, the Tony Award-winning play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The plot follows the estranged members of the Lafayette clan, who gather at the family’s crumbling homestead to argue over their recently deceased father’s effects. Turns out Daddy had some secrets, and once his collected possessions spill the beans, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive. Hailed as “a brilliant, blistering, outrageous play” by The New York Times, you don’t want to miss this one! Performances through February 23rd.

7:30pm, Gablestage at the Biltmore, $40-$60

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Also on January 31st:

  • The Arsht Center presents French maestro Stéphane Denève, leading the world-class Cleveland Orchestra and celebrated young Spanish violinist Maria Dueñas in Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, followed by Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, at 8pm.

Saturday, February 1st

Purvis Young: A Visionary of Miami’s Cultural Identity

Pan American Art Projects is thrilled to present a solo show of the work of revered late Miami artist Purvis Young. Young’s work depicted life in Overtown with energetic, cave drawing-like figures, often on found wood from the neighborhood. His pieces gained international fame by the end of the 1990’s, with many now found in major museums, including our own PAMM and the Rubell. The pieces in this exhibit are selected by curator Claudia Taboada from the collection of Martin Siskind, a close friend and longtime supporter of Young’s.

Opening Reception 6-9pm, Pan American Art Projects - Little River, Free

Neighborhood: Little River

Also on February 1st: 

  • HistoryMiami Museum celebrates Black History Month with Stories of Resistance from Black Miami, a panel discussion moderated by radio host Tamara Gant, from 2-4pm.

  • Miami City Ballet makes its debut at The Moss Center with a program of thrilling contemporary ballet, including works by Christopher Wheeldon and Martha Graham. Performances at 2pm and 7:30pm.

  • Florida Grand Opera presents the gala grand premiere performance of The Elixir of Love, a lighthearted Donizetti opera starring tenor Jonah Hoskins and soprano Jasmine Habersham, at 7pm. Break out that ballgown!

  • French maestro Stéphane Denève and the world-class Cleveland Orchestra, with celebrated young Spanish violinist Maria Dueñas, present a second performance of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, at 8pm at Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center.

Sunday, February 2nd

Florida Grand Opera: The Elixir of Love

Florida Grand Opera welcomes tenor Jonah Hoskins and soprano Jasmine Habersham for Donizetti’s effervescent comedy, The Elixir of Love. The lighthearted plot centers on Nemorino, a sad sack waiter who pines for charismatic inn owner Adina. With no money and no confidence, poor Nemorino has no hope of winning her - at least until a sketchy peddler stops by with a bottle of love potion. Composed in a mere 14 days, The Elixir of Love is one of the best known of Donizetti’s more than 70 operas, and features the beloved aria “Una furtiva lagrima.”

3pm, Ziff Ballet Opera House at Adrienne Arsht Center, $27-$250

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Also on February 2nd:

  • A second performance of Miami City Ballet’s debut program at The Moss Center, including thrilling contemporary works by Christopher Wheeldon and Martha Graham, at 2pm.

Happening NEXT Week:

Because maybe your friends are busy this week. Or you're busy this week. Or this week just seems too soon to pull your act together and make a plan.

Thursday, February 6th

Tropic Bound Book Fair - Opening Symposium

At the nexus of art and publishing, the second bi-annual Tropic Bound Book Fair showcases hand-made artists’ books from around the country and the world. Newly expanded for this second edition, the fair will host talks, workshops, and 94 exhibitors presenting artists’ books and other paperbound rarities. Opening day features a public educational symposium on book arts around the world, followed by a welcome party. The fair runs through Sunday at Palm Court and Paradise Plaza in the Design District.

4pm Symposium, 6-8pm Welcome Party, Design District Palm Court, $20

Neighborhood: Design District

Nearby Eats: Mother Wolf, Nami Nori, Mandolin | Drinks: COTE, Michael’s

Also on February 6th:

  • Renowned pianist Michelle Cann joins New World Symphony Piano Fellows past and present to celebrate the music of Hazel Scott, a pioneering black pianist and TV show host, at 7:30pm.

Friday, February 7th

Nu Deco at the Citadel

Nu Deco Ensemble, Miami’s genre-bending contemporary orchestra, returns to the Citadel cabaret space for its intimate - and very popular - Nu Deco Lounge series. In Icons of Hip Hop, the orchestra takes on the music of OutKast, The Notorious B.I.G., and Dr. Dre. If you’ve never experienced one of these concerts, they are very high energy, with a lot of audience participation. Note that general admission prices are for standing-room only. If you want a seat on the floor or the balcony, you’ll need a VIP ticket.

7pm & 9:30pm, the Citadel lounge, $45 or $85 VIP

Neighborhood: Little River

Also on February 7th:

  • The Arsht Center presents legendary Cuban-born pianist Chucho Valdés and his Royal Quartet, making a Miami stop on their tour for Cuba & Beyond, a new album from the octogenarian, at 8pm.

Saturday, February 8th

Transitions and Trailblazers

As part of its annual I Dream A World festival celebrating the Black artists that helped shape 20th-century music, New World Symphony presents Transitions and Trailblazers, featuring Julia Perry’s haunting Stabat Mater. Jeri Lynne Johnson, the first Black woman to win an international conducting award, will make her debut leading the NWS.

7:30pm, New World Center, $40-$140

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Mimi Chinese, Tropezón, Blue Ribbon Sushi | Drinks: Greystone Bar, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Also on February 8th:

  • Internationally-acclaimed funk jam masters Snarky Puppy host Day 1 of the GroundUP Music Festival at Miami Beach Bandshell, with masterclasses from 1-5:30pm and music sets from 6-11pm.

  • Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida presents a one-night-only performance of classical ballet, including Marius Petipa’s Paquita, set to the music of Ludwig Minkus, at Sanctuary of the Arts at 7:30pm.

  • Contemporary orchestra Nu Deco Ensemble presents Icons of Hip Hop for a second night at The Citadel, at 7pm and 9:30pm.

Sunday, February 9th

A Frédéric Chopin Celebration

Adrienne Arsht Center and the Miami Symphony Orchestra present A Frédéric Chopin Celebration, featuring masterworks from one of classical music’s most beloved composers, including Les Sylphides, his most famous ballet. (Fun fact: Chopin never wrote for the ballet. The now-famous ballet to Les Sylphides was choreographed in 1909, sixty years after his death, and was the first example of precomposed music being adapted for a ballet, an innovation that changed the course of dance history.) World-renowned pianist and Chopin specialist Kevin Kenner will be joining MISO and Maestro Eduardo Marturet for this special evening.

6pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $40-$140

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Momento by Ikaro, IKO Miami, Bunbury | Drinks: ViceVersa, Klaw

Also on February 9th:

  • Day 2 of the GroundUp Music Festival at Miami Beach Bandshell features more guest artists than the stage can hold, with a “family dinner” style jam session from 5-10pm.

  • New World Symphony presents a second performance of Transitions and Trailblazers, at 2pm.

Planning Ahead:

Miami's most anticipated events sell out and those new restaurants you want to try book up. Here are a couple of upcoming events to get on your calendar now…

Wednesday, February 12th

An Evening with Geraldine Brooks

Books & Books is thrilled to present an evening with Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and Year of Wonders, discussing her new memoir, Memorial Days. In 2019, Brooks lost her husband of thirty years, fellow author and journalist Tony Horwitz, to a sudden heart attack. Not feeling like modern life had left her with enough space to mourn, Brooks took herself to a remote island off the Australian coast to write, process her loss, and begin rebuilding. Brooks will be in conversation with local literary hero Mitchell Kaplan, founder of Books & Books and co-founder of the Miami Book Fair.

7pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, $28 admits two and includes one copy of Memorial Days

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

February 28th-March 2nd

Montreux Jazz Festival Miami

Since 1967, the Montreux Jazz Festival has taken place for two weeks every summer in Switzerland, on the shores of Lake Geneva, now drawing 250,000 music lovers each year. Last year, they chose Miami and the Hangar in Coconut Grove as the site of their first stateside festival, and it was a smashing success, selling out weeks in advance (which is pretty impressive given the ticket prices). Now the MJT is back for a second year, with a star-studded lineup including Jon Batiste, Chaka Khan, Cimafunk, Willow, and Janelle Monáe.

The Hangar in Coconut Grove, tickets from $169 (single day) to $799 (all-access VIP)

Neighborhood: Coconut Grove

Nearby Eats: Carbone Vino, Krüs Kitchen, Bayshore Club | Drinks: pretty sure the festival will have you covered here, but if you want something different, head to Regatta Grove or to Sipsip rooftop at the Mayfair.

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