By Zebrina Edgerton-Maloy
Fuel your wanderlust and cultural curiosity as you dive into Caribbean arts, culture and cuisine during Caribbean Heritage Month celebrations across Greater Miami & Miami Beach throughout the month of June.
People of Caribbean descent have enriched Miami’s history through their exceptional contributions, helping to shape the destination into what it is today. Many people who were brought to the U.S. from the Caribbean islands generations ago were enslaved. After emancipation, they settled in neighborhoods such as Historic Overtown, Coconut Grove and Little Haiti, building strong communities while also helping to build the core infrastructure of Miami.
Experience Caribbean influences in Miami as you dance to soca music, take your taste buds on an adventure as you taste authentic Caribbean dishes, and admire the dynamic cultures from the Caribbean islands that meld together in this destination.
AfriKin Safe Spaces
Saturday, June 11, from 3 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy African dance and drum performances, peruse art exhibitions and wander through an urban garden as you commemorate 157 years since the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States at the AfriKin Safe Spaces: Celebrating Juneteenth event in Opa-Locka. AfriKin Safe Spaces honors the federal Juneteenth holiday, which marks the day on June 19, 1865 when 250,000 enslaved people were freed more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Soak in the peaceful energy of guided meditations, delight your palate with culinary experiences and expand your mind with panel discussions as AfriKin Safe Spaces strengthens the healing of Black communities and empowers the future of children.
The Return of the Miami/Bahamian Goombay Festival
Saturday, June 11 – Sunday, June 12
Dance to island rhythms and sample Caribbean delicacies such as fresh conch ceviche and curry goat at the much-anticipated return of the Bahamian Goombay Festival. Celebrating more than 40 years of vibrant Bahamian jamborees in Coconut Grove, the Goombay Festival is a high-energy cultural event with colorfully costumed Junkanoo dancers, exuberant stilt walkers and live bands with spirited drums, bells and whistles. Shake your hips to festival headliners Mr. Julien Believe, the Melodic Vibrations Band and DJ Selector Chronic, along with many more entertainers. Sip on a Yellow Bird rum cocktail while eating pigeon peas and rice or chicken souse, and then finish your foodie explorations with scrumptiously delicious Bahamian rum-filled black cake.
Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet
Saturday, June 18 at 8 p.m.
Feel the symphonic flow of pianist Chucho Valdés and saxophone, flute and clarinet player Paquito D’Rivera as they grace the stage of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Your ears will be in sheer bliss at the Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet concert. You can’t help but dance when you hear these legends artfully play Afro-Cuban jazz. With more than 25 Grammys and Latin Grammys combined, these Latin jazz masters celebrate the free-spirited nature of Caribbean music.
Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”
Wednesday, June 22 – Saturday, July 9, 2022
Vibe to Bob Marley’s reggae hits at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts during the musical theater performance of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, based on the children’s book “Every Little Thing” by his eldest daughter, Cedella Marley. Explore the story of little birdie Ziggy, who is afraid to leave the bird’s nest for fear of storms, bandits and evil spirits. Jam to Bob Marley’s peace-inducing tunes as you and your children become enthralled by Ziggy’s journey of transforming his fears and realizing that everything is going to be all right.
Bahamian Heritage Celebration
Saturday, June 25 at 4:10 p.m.
As Caribbean Heritage Month starts to wind down, head to the Bahamian Appreciation Celebration at loanDepot Park in Little Havana, where the Miami Marlins will play the New York Mets. Pre-game activities will include performances by Junkanoo dancers. Then, watch the Marlins beat the Mets and end the night with live entertainment after the game. Commemorate your experience with a limited-edition Bahamian Heritage Marlins jersey. Your Bahamian Appreciation Celebration ticket will also help benefit the Bahamian Baseball Association, which provides training programs and scholarship assistance to aspiring baseball players in the Bahamas.
"From the Andes to the Caribbean: Art of the Spanish Americas from the Thoma Collection" Museum Exhibit
Through Sunday, September 4
Explore ancient paintings from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia at the “From the Andes to the Caribbean: Art of the Spanish Americas from the Thoma Collection” museum exhibit. Stroll through the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University and admire exquisite oil-based artworks on copper canvases from 1600 to the mid-19th century. Reflect on how the Spanish colonization of Latin America affected the history of the Caribbean as you peruse the iconic artwork showcasing the influence of the Catholic Church during 300 years of Spanish rule.