Willy's Neighborhood Bar
Photograph: @PhotosByBrendaBrooks | Willy's Neighborhood Bar
Photograph: @PhotosByBrendaBrooks

The best things to do in Miami this week

Get up and out the door with our hand-picked guide to the best events in Miami this week.

Falyn Wood
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Pick a neighborhood in Miami: South Beach, Coconut Grove, Wynwood or Little Havana. No matter the night of the week, the Magic City is brimming with things to do—yes, even when there's a summer storm on the horizon. Now that the steamy weather has arrived, it's time to take advantage of thinner crowds and sunny beach weather before the daily deluges roll in. Art and cultural events are popping off across Miami this week, including an adults-only dance party in a museum, another edition of the monthly Wynwood Art Walk, a jazz night in the Design District and a mango-themed festival at a botanical garden. 

Families can feast at the Smorgasburg Miami outdoor food market, get their hands dirty at a larger-than-life bug exhibit in Coral Gables, or explore the fascinating new Frost Science show, AI: More Than Human, which makes its way from the esteemed Barbican Centre across the pond. We've got tons of activities to jump into whenever the mood strikes—plus tourist attractions that even locals approve of. In this list, we've handpicked special events and happenings over the next seven days, enough to have you saying, "This was the best week ever." And if you're looking specifically for weekend events in Miami, we've rounded those up into a handy guide, too.

RECOMMENDED: Full list of the best things to do in Miami

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What to do in Miami this week

  • Things to do
  • Festivals
  • Miami
Mango season in Miami is a big deal—so much so that we gave our favorite local produce its own festival, an annual tradition at Fairchild Garden for over three decades. On July 12th and 13th, learn everything there is to know about the juicy stone fruit and sample countless mango varieties, grown both around the globe and right here in our backyard, as on-site vendors whip up smoothies, mango-inspired cocktails and more refreshing natural treats. Mango seedlings will also be available for purchase so you can grow your own, you green thumb, you.
  • Things to do
  • Allapattah
Get a head start on the popular Miami Spice restaurant months (August 1st through September 30th) during Taste the Gables. Running from July 1st through the 31st, this year's program includes special menus and deals at more than 70 restaurants across Coral Gables. The City Beautiful's monthlong celebration of local dining invites guests to explore the area's booming culinary scene with three-course prix-fixe lunches starting at $30 and dinners at $45, plus other tantalizing offers. Highlights include Michelin-starred omakase counter Shingo and Bib Gourmand standouts like Zitz Sum and Bachour, alongside newer participants like Kojin and Sra. Martinez.
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  • Things to do
  • Allapattah
Craving a club night Ă  la Space but would rather not wait until after midnight to get your party started? The new Museum of Sex in Allapattah is offering up a unique opportunity to dance, play and explore in a racy and immersive setting with doors to the event opening at 7pm. The NYC-imported museum has partnered with My Friend Misty, a popular underground dance party at Club Space's Floyd lounge, to host this special, adults-only Night at the Museum. Expect 15 eclectic Miami electronic DJs to set the mood until 3am as revelers explore two levels of sex-themed exhibits and the naughty Super Funland carnival, which features a full bar and a real-life mermaid show. Tickets start at $25.
  • Things to do
  • Miami
Lest we need another reminder that Miami summers really bring the bugs out, Fairchild is throwing a larger-than-life celebration of our six-legged friends from May 23rd through September 28th. From towering robotic sculptures to a walk-through butterfly pavilion and AR selfie station, hands-on bug encounters and interactive trails, this family-friendly exhibit zooms in on the tiny world of bugs. Select dates will also include the Bugs on Parade insect runway shows, Wander & Glow illuminated nighttime trails, Bug Bites & Brews 21-plus tastings and Big Bug outdoor movies under the stars. Included with general admission; free for members.
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  • Things to do
  • Coconut Grove
Books and boozing have gone hand in hand since the dawn of literature—or so we like to imagine. Available daily through September 21st, the Books & Books Summer Reading Series at The Commodore (inside The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove) invites guests to sip and flip through Miami-inspired reads. Hide away from the summer elements in the handsome hotel bar, order a cocktail crafted by local mixologist Gio Gutierrez, borrow a paired book to enjoy while you sip, then return it before heading out. Boozy bookworms will also score 10% off their next purchase at Books & Books Coconut Grove. Cocktails are $20 each and include the Havana Especial paired with The Last Train to Paradise, the Dérive paired with Seeing Differently: Miami Color Theory and Fuacata paired with Ventanitas: A Window Into Miami’s Coffee Culture. One-off author events include Les Standiford (July 10) and Laura Paresky Gould (August 21).
  • Things to do
  • Quirky events
  • Downtown
If you're looking for a trippy light show the whole family can enjoy, there's nowhere better than the Frost Planetarium’s 67-foot dome. Every month, they host a night filled with mind-boggling visuals, music and fun, with a different theme every hour. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for kids ages four to 11. Refreshments and light snacks are available for purchase in the Main Atrium until 10pm.   July 12: ABBA (new show), Fleetwood Mac and Red Hot Chili Peppers  August 8: Billy Eilish, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Daft Punk September 13: Elton John, ABBA, The Weeknd, Bad Bunny
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  • Things to do
  • Cultural centers
  • Wynwood
Back in the mid-aughts, Wynwood Art Walk emerged as a grassroots effort to bring together the local creative community through once-monthly late-night gallery hours and flowing drinks. For a while, it was quite the scene—scrappy, DIY and always fun. Though today's Wynwood looks vastly different, the neighborhood still vibrates with creative energy, and the museums and galleries that call it home would very much like to remind you of this fact. Which is why Wynwood Art Walk is officially reborn this summer. Every second Saturday, spend the evening exploring Wynwood's renowned art spaces, immersive installations and live street art, with free access to Wynwood Walls, Gerez Gallery and the Peter Tunney Experience—plus reduced admission at ARTXSPACE and Paradox Museum. This Saturday, head to a one-night-only photography showcase at The Art of Hip Hop by Drain (aka Drainflix), debuting never-before-seen portraits of hip-hop legends including Nas, DMX and Snoop Dogg. There's also a hands-on ceramic painting workshop at Wyn317 with artist Brandon Thompson (7–10pm);local vendors, curated cocktails and light bites at Moxy Miami; and live music and DJs at Wynwood Walls. 
  • Things to do
  • South Beach
Bodega is celebrating Miami's bountiful mango season the best way we can think of—with free cocktails. Through Sunday, August 31st, hand over a fresh mango to the bartender at any Bodega location (South Beach, Coconut Grove or Coral Gables) and score a free Mango Tango cocktail. The tropical concoction includes Dobel Diamante, 1800 Coconut, mango puree, pineapple and lime juice. No mango? No worries: this refreshing seasonal bevvie is available to purchase for $16. Limit one free drink per guest.
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  • Things to do
  • Downtown
Think of it as a fun foray into an exciting new technology—or a harbinger of the imminent robot takeover. Either way, this new exhibition at Frost Science aims to fascinate with four thought-provoking sections that trace the evolution of AI and feature everything from research to artistic collaborations. Curated and organized by the City of London’s Barbican Centre and co-produced by Groningen Forum, Netherlands, AI: More Than Human presents works by leading artists, scientists and researchers, exploring what it means to be human, the definition of consciousness, the ethics around AI and whether machines will ever outsmart us.
  • Things to do
  • Downtown
The Dig at Frost Science is the region's only paleontology exhibition and research department, inviting visitors to step into the shoes of a real-life fossil hunter. On view in the museum’s West Wing, this interactive experience lets you explore the science behind prehistoric life through tactile displays, hands-on activities and a team of on-site paleontologists and technicians. Watch trained pros work in a real fossil prep lab, digitally try your hand at cleaning fossils, hear how a living dinosaur may have sounded and marvel at a life-size cast of the “Tufts-Love” T. rex skull—the most complete of its kind ever found. The Dig is included with general museum admission.
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