By: Matthew Meltzer
August in Greater Miami & Miami Beach means warm weather, beach time, and plenty of fun events and things to do. It’s less crowded at this time of year, but there’s still plenty going on: Miami welcomes a world-renowned ballet festival as well as Major League Baseball, a food festival celebrating Black-owned restaurants, and a chance to learn Afro-Caribbean dancing. August also kicks off Miami Spice Restaurant Months, a big reason why the longer days are a great time to celebrate.
Don't miss discounts on massages and other spa services during Miami Spa Months
Special Deals on Restaurants, Spas And Hotels
August 1-31
August kicks off the ever-popular Miami Spice Restaurant Months, when top local restaurants offer special prix-fixe menus for $28 for lunch or brunch and $45 or $60 for dinner. But dining deals are not the only fantastic offers you’ll find in August. The Miami Spa Months program continues through August, as luxe spas throughout Greater Miami & Miami Beach offer deep discounts on massages and other spa services. Miami Hotel Months also brings huge savings, longer stays and perks at landmark properties.
International Ballet Festival Of Miami
July 23-August 14
One of the largest collections of international ballet companies in the world converges on Miami during the International Ballet Festival of Miami. The festival, founded by the Miami Hispanic Ballet Company, invites principal dancers the world over for a few weeks of modern dance performances, book presentations, classical ballet galas and a summer intensive program for students. Venues range from the Miami Dade College North Campus to the Seminole Theatre in Homestead, meaning no matter where you are in Miami you’ll be near the ballet.
Mammoth Ice Age Exhibit At The Frost Science Museum
August 1-31
The newest permanent exhibit at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami – Mammoths: Ice Age Giants – takes over the fourth floor of the museum. You’ll come face-to-face with the skeleton of a juvenile wooly mammoth, a 10-foot artifact complete with a selfie station. You’ll also learn about the other animals who roamed the earth during the last ice age, with fossils, teeth and skulls from mastodons, lions and other big cats. Finally, you’ll see a film where leading researchers talk about what they’ve learned about life during the last ice age.
Watch the Miami Marlins play baseball at loanDepot Park
Miami Marlins
August 1-31
The Miami Marlins have five August homestands at loanDepot Park in Little Havana, taking on the LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and other top Major League Baseball teams. The Fish have some fantastic promotions going on too, including Taco Tuesdays, when special tickets also include two tacos and a beer. Friday night home games include a burger and beer with select seats, and there will be a beer fest before the game against Atlanta on August 13. Kids’ tickets are $1 on Monday nights, and on Wednesday nights you can get four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and two popcorns for $44.
IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival
August 3-6
Ever wanted to learn Congo, Cuban salsa, Rumba and other Afro-Caribbean dances? The IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance Festival is your chance to try, as it offers a weekend of workshops at HistoryMiami Museum and Miami Dade College’s Koubek Memorial Center. This year’s theme is “Dance Untamed: Rituals of Resistance for the 21st Century.” In addition to classes from world-renowned guest instructors, registrants can also attend academic panels to learn the history of these dance styles and how they continue today.
Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series
August 4 & 18
Jazz enthusiasts rejoice at the return of the Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series. The concerts are held every other Thursday at the Coral Gables United Congregational Church, a block away from The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Grammy-nominated solo jazz pianist Christian Sands performs on August 4, and Sara Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner Quiana Lynell performs on August 18. Tickets start at $35 and shows begin at 8 p.m.
Black Pepper Food & Wine Festival
August 13
Sample the best cuisine from Greater Miami & Miami Beach’s Black-owned restaurants at the second annual Black Pepper Food & Wine Festival, presented by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Black Hospitality Initiative (BHI). More than 30 restaurants will be on hand with samples of food from the African diaspora, as well as chef and mixology demos, a wine bar from Black Girl Magic Wine, and live music and DJs all day. The event will run from 3 to 8 p.m. at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami Beach.
Miami Beach Kizomba Festival
August 25-29
Kizomba is a form of African dance originating in Angola in the 1980s. But more broadly, it means “party,” which is exactly what you’ll find at this celebration of all things related to Africa and the African diaspora. This year’s Miami Beach Kizomba Festival takes place at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach and features concerts and pool parties.