January Miami Events, Holidays and Festivals

January Miami Events: the Art Deco Weekend

January in Miami is time for the outdoors to enjoy the marvelous weather and so we kick off the new year with an array of outdoor festivals and exciting entertainment: Art Deco Weekend, King Mango Strut and the South Beach Jazz Festival! You still have time to catch the tail end of the holiday lights and festivals which come to a close early in the month. Also back this month is the Miami Marathon!

For our nature lovers, this is the perfect time to get out and soak it all up, our State and National Parks are teeming with wildlife, enjoy!

January Highlight Events in Miami

Art Deco Weekend

Hosted by the Miami Design Preservation League, the Art Deco Weekend is a tribute to the Art Deco era and involves a series of top notch events over a three-day weekend including Classic Cars, the Parade, Fashion Shows, children's performances, Films and Lectures, Live Music, Antiques, Street Festivals and more.
In addition, the League sponsors an array of great specialty tours offered uniquely during the weekend.

When? January
Where? Ocean Drive
How Much? Most of the events at the Art Deco Weekend are FREE, with the exception of the Specialty Tours.

Here's more on the Art Deco Weekend and this year's full program.

South Beach Jazz Festival

A jazz festival unlike any other, the South Beach Jazz Festival will take pride in featuring talented musicians with disabilities.

The festival takes place throughout various venues in Miami Beach and will be a combination of ticketed concerts as well as free performances open to the public.

When? January
Where? Several venues. Performances will take place on stages set up throughout Lincoln Road, Collins Park, the North Beach Bandshell and at the Faena Theater
How Much? Free performances and ticketed concerts from $35.

More Info and Full Line Up at https://sobejazzfestival.com/

King Mango Strut at the Grove

The King Mango Strut is the wackiest of the wackiest, it's a parade that was born as the antithesis of the King Orange Bowl parade way back, when struters were rejected by King Orange for being too "irreverent" so they decided to start their own King Mango parade, and irony of ironies, the King Orange Bowl Parade does not exist any more as the King Mango Parade lives on...

So what is it? It's a parade with a party atmosphere on a fun and laid back afternoon, traditionally on the last Sunday of the year, but changed to early January recently.

The theme or rather themes of the parade are anything and everything that made the headlines this year, Mango style of course, meaning, it is a parody of the year's highlights all in the name of fun. Like for example? Everything and everybody is fair game, the TSA, the Pope, Covid, the Royal Family, politicians, specially politicians ...

Who participates? Anybody can participate, as in, "be on the parade". This is not an over the top parade, the "floats" are not fancy structures or designs, it is all very relaxed with hilarity and fun as the only requirement.

Is it ok for kids? Yes, open to all ages. Children under 16 are recommended to be accompanied by an adult.

So take part or just come to watch, bring a cooler, a folding chair, and be ready to spend the funniest and craziest time, check it out:

When?: Sunday in early January, parade 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm, after-strut street party and entertainment afterwards at Commodore Plaza
Where?: Downtown Coconut Grove, starts and end at Commodore Plaza
How Much?: Free!

More Info: www.kingmangostrut.org

Wodapalooza

Wodapalooza began as a grassroots single-day fitness competition with 145 athletes and 500 spectators in 2012 and has since established itself as the world's premier Functional Fitness Festival.

Wodapalooza descends on Miami's Bayfront Park for 4-days early in the year and brings together thousands of athletes, spectators, and fitness fanatics to celebrate fitness, community, and life.

When? January - March
Where? Bayfront Park
Tickets

More Info and How To Compete

Chocolate Garden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens

Calling all chocolate lovers! This weekend is all about chocolate at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens.

Featuring cooking demonstrations and samplings as well as lots of activities for kids, learn how chocolate is made and hundreds of ways to cook with chocolate.

When? Saturday and Sunday in January - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where? Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens
How Much? Included in Garden admission $24.95 for adults, $17.95 seniors +65, $11.95 children 6-17
Free for Fairchild Members.

More info and event schedule: www.fairchildgarden.org

Winter Kite Festival at Lummus Park

A free, fun-filled day of music, rides, games, food trucks, kite flying and much much more!

There will be kites and food for sale.

When? Sunday in January - 12:00 to 3:00 pm
Where? Lummus Park at 12th Street and Ocean Drive
How Much? FREE

More info: City of Miami Beach FB Page

NightGarden a Magical Light Spectacular

NightGarden Magical Light Spectacular at Fairchild

An enchanted, illuminated experience full of fantasy and wonderment where things like the Wise Talking Tree, Flying Fairies and a Sunflower Maze come to life.
Come and marvel at unbelievable live effects such as holographic butterflies and floating orchids throughout multiple acres of dazzling magic.

When? Select dates November through January
Where? Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156
How Much? Weekday prices starting at $25+. General Admission $40+, Children 10 and under $26+. Discounts for Fairchild members, students, senior, military, group (min. 6) bundle available.

More info and tickets, get 20% off: Nightgarden Magical Light Spectacular

Luminosa! Festival of Lights at Jungle Island

A Chinese Lantern Festival with a very Miami tropical twist! Taking place in Jungle Island where 13 acres of the park's environs will be decked out with humongous brightly lit silk lanterns featuring four different themes portraying the diverse animal and plant life found in the park. Certainly a fantastic way to explore wildlife and adventure in a new light. The exhibits will be a very festive addition to the holidays!

When? - November through March
Where? Jungle Island at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail Miami, Florida 33132
How Much? Adults $33+, Children (4-12) $23+, Senior, Student, Military $28+, Family bundle (min. 4 tickets, max 2 adults) $22+

More Info & tickets: Luminosa! Festival of Lights

The Miami Marathon and Half-Marathon

A fantastic weekend of running events that culminate with the renowned Miami Marathon on the final day. 15,000 runners, a beautiful course, fantastic views, electric atmosphere! Runners and spectators alike will enjoy what has to be one of the most stunning courses, passing along some of Miami's classic landmarks: Port of Miami, Art Deco District, the MacArthur Causeway...

There is also a Half Marathon or Tropical 5K and Kids Run.

When? January or February. Miami Marathon main race is on Sunday and starts 6:00 am
Where? Start point is the Miami Heat Arena in downtown Miami. Finish line at Bayfront Park.
How Much? Spectators FREE along the race course.

More on the Miami Marathon and best spots to watch

Magical Candlelight Concerts in Miami

This concert series known simply as "Candlelight" which have had tremendous success around the world has arrived in Miami! Listening to classical or jazz or contemporary music in an intimate and atmospheric setting of a candlelit concert is a delightful and magical experience.
These enchanting concerts feature a wide variety of genres, from Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky, operas and Broadway, to Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift, Adele, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA... all played by talented musicians at a variety of gorgeous and unique indoor and outdoor venues including Hotel Colonnade, Jungle Island, the Coral Gables Congregational Church...

More info and tickets: Candlelight Concerts in Miami

For Miami Sports Fans This January

Miami Heat Basketball Schedule - January Home Games and Tickets

When? See Home Game Schedule below
Where? Kaseya Center aka Miami Heat Arena

How Much? As low as $26, but they go quick!
›› Find Tickets
›› Check for great discounts for Miami Heat Tickets at Groupon!!!

Miami Dolphins Schedule - January Home Games and Tickets

When? See schedule below

Where? Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

How Much? Individual game tickets can be had for as low as $15 but you have to be quick!
›› Find Tickets
›› Check for Miami Dolphins Tickets at Groupon.

Florida Panthers Schedule - January Home Games and Tickets

When? See schedule below

Where? Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise

How Much? As low as $20, but they go quick!

›› Find Tickets
›› Check for deals on Panthers Tickets at Groupon.

Orange Bowl

When? December or January
Where? Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
How Much? Varies, expected to sell out.
›› Find Orange Bowl Tickets

More Orange Bowl info: stadium info, directions, parking, where to stay, Orange Bowl events, Beach Bash, Fan PreGame Party.

January Public Holidays

New Year's Day - January 1st

New Year's Day, is a public holiday throughout the country. Federal government offices and schools are closed on New Year's Day and store hours and restaurant and businesses holiday schedules may vary.

You can expect the following to be open and closed on New Year's Day:

Closed

Government Offices
Schools
Post Offices
Banks
Public Libraries
Grocery Stores

Open

(check for special holiday schedules)
Shopping Centers and Malls
Pharmacies
Most Fast Food and Restaurants
Public Transportation (Limited schedules and routes)
National, State and Regional Parks

Check out New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Events in Miami

Martin Luther King's Birthday

This is a public holiday held on the third Monday in January. It celebrates the life of Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader that fought for racial equality in the United States.

The following will be

Closed

Government Offices
Schools
Post Offices
Banks
Public Libraries

Open

Shopping centers and malls
Grocery Stores
Restaurants
Federal, State, Regional Parks
Public Transportation

Free Or Almost Free Ongoing Events in Miami

Wynwood Art Walk Block Party

Every second Saturday of the month, the Wynwood Art Walk is one of the most iconic events in the city in this up and coming neighborhood which has been transforming the art scene in Miami.

Wynwood which is best known for its street art and splashy murals puts together a fun evening of art, food and shopping, and only on this day of the month the unique galleries and shops open their doors after hours making up a magnificent block party for all.

And beyond the fantastic art there's plenty of gourmet food trucks, cocktails, live music and vendors, yes, it's a party!

When? Second Saturday of the month, starting at 6:00 pm
Where? The Wynwood Art District
How Much? FREE!
More Info: www.wynwoodartwalkblockparty.com

Miami Design District Art and Architecture Walks

Explore the art murals, outdoor art spaces, perhaps a gallery or two, featured exhibitions or the fabulous architecture throughout the Design District with resident experts.

Also on Sundays, The Market brings you locally sourced produce, culturally influenced food, or that special one-of-a-kind creation, while enjoying live entertainment.

When?: Several Saturdays / Sundays throughout the month, check the calendar of events for details
Where?: Miami Design District
How Much?: FREE
More Info and program: www.miamidesigndistrict.net.

New World Symphony WALLCAST® Concerts

These are live classical music performances by the New World Symphony which are projected into a 7,000 square-foot wall at the New World Center for thousands to enjoy in a fantastic outdoor atmosphere.

The concerts are typically on the second or third Saturday of the month and the season runs from October through May.

When? Second or third Saturday of the month

Where? SoundScape Park at 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139

How Much? FREE! Bring a picnic, blankets, beach chairs, cocktails... yes, there are restrooms available at the south-east corner of SoundScape Park.
More Info: New World Symphony Wallcast Concert Series

Ocean Drive Promenade Music Series

These are fantastic oceanside concerts featuring our best local talents. Pack a picnic blanket or lawn chair and come and enjoy a relaxing Sunday among the swaying palm trees and experience the best of arts and culture.

The free weekly concert series features anything from Latin, Jazz, Pop, String Quartets, Classical, Marching Bands... you name it!

When? Sunday afternoons
Where? Lummus Park Ocean Drive Promenade between 14th Street and 14th Place
How Much? FREE
More Info and program: www.oceandrivearts.com.

Miami Museums Free Days

Many Miami museums regularly offer free admission days, so take advantage and save if you can!

Here are some of the offerings, and be sure to double check for updates or changes with each venue before you head out.

Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) - Free admission on Thursdays 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Perez Art Museum (PAMM) - Free second Saturdays of the month
Miami Children's Museum - Free third Friday of the month 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Bass Museum of Art - Last Sunday of the month 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - Last Friday of the month 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm (with Free Jazz in the Courtyard at 8:00 pm)

For our Residents, if you have a Miami Dade Library Card, check out the FREE Museum Pass Program where you can get passes to many of the most popular museums and attractions in the city. Passes are good for a family of 4 and can be easily "checked out" with your library card. Passes are first-come-first-served and as you can imagine, some of the most popular ones get snatched as soon as they become available, each library branch gets a limited number of passes for each attraction.

The Museum Pass Program offers free entry to the following:

Deering Estate
Miami Children's Museum
Perez Art Museum (PAMM)
Frost Museum of Science
Frost Art Museum
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Zoo Miami
Lowe Art Museum
The Bass
Fruit and Spice Park
... and many more!

Fantasy Theatre Factory at the Sandrell Rivers Theater Series

Fantasy Theater Factory is a non-profit organization that manages the Sandrell Rivers Theater, a state of the art black box theater in Miami. FTF places its greatest programmatic emphasis on Theater for Young Audiences which place a primary focus on childhood literacy and ecology. Other focus areas of programming include: fitness, history, diversity, self esteem, peer pressure and bullying prevention. FTF also produces cultural arts workshop residency programs that serve at-risk youth, children with disabilities and general population students.

Monthly lineups include a bi-monthly film screening series, a bi-monthly live music series, an art exhibition series and a new play competition, where playwrights can have their new works performed as staged readings in front of live audiences.

Each year FTF produces well over 500 programs, many are FREE and open to the public, some offered for a low nominal fee, in many cases if you are unable to afford a ticket, please call their box office, and they will be happy to reserve up to four (4) free tickets for your party.

When? Various throughout the month
Where? Sandrell Rivers Theater at 6103 NW 7th Ave, Miami FL 33127
How Much? Many FREE or offered for a low fee.
More Info and this month's lineup: Fantasy Theater Factory Shows.