The best things to do in Miami this week

If closing out the year with a fantastic meal is your ideal New Year’s Eve, be sure to snag tickets to Time Out Market Miami’s end-of-the-year bash. The South Beach hot spot for all things food and drink hosts a festive celebration, featuring DJ-spun tunes, champagne and drink specials, plus a gratis Time Out Market card to use on any of the eateries—from sushi to pizza to tacos to stone crabs. Go ahead and treat yourself on the last night of the year. 

If you like croquetas, well, I have some good news for you: the 8th annual Croquetapalooza is coming to the 305 on Saturday, December 4th. Host Burger Beast has loved the Cuban snack since childhood, and this event encapsulates everything special about living in Miami: from cafecito and flan to copious amounts of croquetas. Enjoy at your own risk, deliciousness guaranteed.

Immerse yourself in a game-inspired sonic journey through the immigrant experience – a site-specific performance like no other! Location: MDC Wolfson Campus Parking Garage (Building 7). 500 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33130, USA

Get in the holiday spirit by surrounding yourself with nearly a million bright, animal-shaped lights draped throughout Zoo Miami. Families can stroll through the park and enjoy carousel rides and nightly carollers, and glimpse the twinkling displays. Santa will be around for photos, plus milk and cookies will be served (for an additional fee). Be sure to check the Zoo’s website for information on themed nights, like December 4’s ugly sweater event and Santa and elf look-a-like nights on December 17 and 18. 

Want to treat yourself to a sensory explosion in nature? Pinecrest Gardens invites British artist Bruce Munro to create one of his trademark, immersive light installations inspired by the area’s unique landscape and vegetation. The result: a one-of-a-kind, site-specific piece featuring more than 6,000 fiber-optic illuminated glass spheres that cascade across several acres—from the Gardens’ Cypress Slough and Hardwood Hammock to its natural rainforest. To sum it up simply, it's stunning.

The food-and-culture destination partners with digital art gallery Blackdove to present “Metaversal_Language,” an exploration of creative code as the language of the metaverse. Curated by Jess Conatser, it features original works by five multidisciplinary artists who poignantly articulate the ways in which we communicate in the metaverse. The exhibition opens on Wednesday, December 1, with an artist panel and artist reception beginning at 6pm. Dec 1–5

Spend an evening strolling the grounds, specially decorated for the holidays just as they would have been more than 100 years ago when James Deering called the museum home. Wander through the Main House after dark (an opportunity that comes but twice a year), snap photos by the Christmas tree decked in charming, old-timey ornaments and make your way outside to celebrate the season with a walk through the illuminated gardens. 

Deering Estate leans hard into the holiday season with all kinds of over-the-top decorates and festive activities that everyone is invited to experience. The waterfront mansion opens its doors on December 3 and December 15 or two nights of holiday film screenings, storytelling by Mrs. Claus and the opportunity to write and drop off your letter to Santa Claus.

This is your beloved Nutcracker reimagined for the tropics with candy-colored costumed and sets decked with pineapples and lime. Marvel at the scenery and spellbinding dancers as they move in sync to music from a live orchestra. It's a lively, modern adaption but the purists, meanwhile, can put down the pitchforks: It’s still Balanchine and it’s still Tchaikovsky. Tickets for the Nutcracker are available for Miami, Broward and West Palm Beach. 

Cheers to the holidays! Raise your martini glass and nuzzle under the mistletoe at Deering Estate's festive yearly gathering. Expect a celebration similar to what the original residents might've enjoyed during the Gilded Age, including music, hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Proceeds from the event benefit the Deering Estate Foundation so don't be afraid to lean into Christmas. Dec 10 7:30–10:30pm.