Five Fun, Non-Club, Non-Show Cultural Activities in Miami and Broward This Weekend
Party on artist Misael Soto’s giant beach towel this Saturday on Miami Beach.
What’s going on? Summer is supposed to be the slow season, and everyone is supposed to get exponentially more stupid thanks to the heat and humidity. For whatever reason, though, the next few weeks bring a slate of fun, young, evening things to do around Miami-Dade and Broward counties that don’t necessarily involve binge-drinking in front of DJ or band in one of the same five places. Weird right? Don’t question it — just get out and enjoy.
Tonight and ongoing through Sunday, July 29
Miami Performance International Festival
This event started last night and marks the first-ever, multi-day festival in Miami devoted entirely to perhaps the most misunderstood art form of all: performance art. When done right it can be enlightening, thrilling, shocking, scary, and all of those other great emotions. When done poorly, it can just be pretentious, awkward, and embarrassing for all involved. Both of those possibilities are entertaining as hell.
The Miami-based nonprofit Edge Zones Project presents events throughout the weekend in three different sites in downtown Miami, the Design District, and the Botanical Gardens of the City of Miami Beach. Anything might go, with performances designed to bridge the worlds of visual art, music, dance, and poetry. As you read this, events are already going on, but the first live performance tonight, Friday, July 27, starts at 6 p.m. Visit miamiperformancefestival.org for a full schedule.
Saturday, July 28
Happy Hour on Misael Soto’s Giant Traveling Beach Towel
Congratulations are in order to local artist Misael Soto, who, like so many other smart creatives, recently used Kickstarter to successfully fund an upcoming East Coast tour of his latest large-scale piece. Soto’s giant beach towel is meant to get you thinking a little bit about community. Who the hell would actually sit with a stranger, half-naked, on the sand? What would happen if you did? Find out this Saturday with a local send-off and party on the towel, which you can find on the sand near 21st street on Miami Beach. Soto himself will be there starting at 10 a.m., and starting at 6 p.m. there’s a free show by the Magic City Minstrels, This Heart Electric, and Jesse Jackson.
Pure Imagination XIX at Sweat Records
The regular Pure Imagination events at Sweat Records have, over their past 18 editions, built up a cult following for their unique mash-up of story telling with music. Headed by writer/performer Matt Gajewski, each performance features a new spoken-word story backed by improvisational music. While Gajewski’s been in New York, he returns to Miami this weekend for yet another installment featuring a new story and an accompanying performance by his band, the Mountain Dew Code Red Terror Alert. This event is free, but it’s popular and seating is first-come, first-serve, so show up on time (or early) for the event’s 9 p.m. start time. Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Call 786-693-9309, or visit sweatrecordsmiami.com.
John Waters: This Filthy World
If this is the first time you’re hearing about this event… You may be doing it wrong. Yes, the iconic film director is appearing in Florida, at Fort Lauderdale’s Parker Playhouse, for an evening including a special film screening, Q&A, and a performance of his most recent one-man show. Salty Eggs is a sponsor of this event! (It’s also proudly presented by Mark Pollack and the team at Radio-Active Records). Click here to read full details about the event.
Sunday, July 28
Splatter-Rama
Another month, another edition of this event meant to bring schlock-o-philes together at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale. As we explained last month, the night is part swap meet, part double feature, all party for fans of so-gross-and-bad-they’re-good horror films. This time around, the showing includes I Drink Your Blood followed by Two Thousand Maniacs. The Brooklyn band 156 performs and DJ Sensitive Side spins during intermission, and there are food truck goodies and drink specials all night. Admission is $7 for FLIFF members, or $8 for everyone else. 7 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SW 6th St., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-525-3456, or visit fliff.com.
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