There is perhaps no more reliable music venue on Calle Ocho than Ball & Chain. Just about every day of the week, any time you go, the Latin lounge will have a band playing out front or on the back patio’s pineapple stage. Music is a huge part of the historic venue’s past and current owner Zack Bush has made it a priority as well.
But every Labor Day Weekend, Ball & Chain kicks things up a couple dozen notches with the Ball & Chain Music Festival: three consecutive days of live music from over 100 performers. This will be the fourth annual iteration and will also mark 83 years since Ball & Chain first opened its doors in Little Havana. Starting this Friday, from noon to 3am, Ball & Chain will be hosting dozens and dozens of acts spanning genres like Cuban funk, Latin jazz and everything in between. The festivities run till Sunday.
Many bands on the lineup are local, made-in-Dade acts like Suénalo, PALO! and Lemon City Trio. It’s a great chance to find some local gems you may have never heard before and—just like every year—the event is free and open to the public, so you can bring along that one friend who never shuts up about how there’s never any cool, free things to do in this town.
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