The best November events in Miami

Nationally touring festival Seltzerland touches down in Doral this month, bringing Miami a surplus of boozy, fizzy drinks to try. Attendees will get about two-and-a-half hours to try two-ounce pours of a variety of hard seltzers. Some will be familiar, like spiked Topo Chico and Mike's Hard Lemonade, while others will be new and exciting, just as the fast-growing world of seltzer tends to be. Nov 6

James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein celebrates Miami’s most famous fish shack as part of Resy’s nationwide restaurant remix series. She’ll honor La Camaronera by creating a never-before-seen meal that folks can book exclusively through Resy. Dishes include oysters rocka-Garcia, a minuta la plancha and chayote squash side. Nov 5–7

Love food festivals but wish they left you feeling a little less, uh, bloated? Well, health nuts will certainly appreciate Seed Food and Wine Week, a plant-based food and wine festival that won’t have you in a sodium coma for months to come. There are events spread throughout the week, everything from a grand tasting village to smaller workshops and panels featuring a whole bunch of vegan all-stars. Grab a ticket to one event—like Thursday’s plant-based burger battle—or snag an all-access pass to all of the above. Various locations; Nov 3–7.

Are you looking for something you didn’t know you were looking for? Something that’ll sit in your home and make it look good? The Miami Market for Makers may have just the thing, whether that be a fashionable new scarf, a delicious scented candle or a new rug that really pulls the room together. Nov 6, 7

Car aficionados, rejoice! The Deering Estate’s annual vintage auto show returns with an epic showcase, featuring rare and collectible vehicles from 1969 and older—plus, a rare sighting of the 1950 International Harvester Truck in honor of Charles Deering. Not into cars? Visit the outdoor event for guided nature tours, an art installation and the opportunity to picnic on the grass when you visit one of the many food and drink vendors on the premises. Nov 7

Some big changes are on the horizon for the world’s largest holiday theme park (at least according to the website): In 2021, after 37 years at Tropical Park, Santa’s Enchanted Forest is moving to Hialeah Park. Folks can expect to find much of the original Santa’s reimagined at its new home, 100 East 32nd Street, including millions of twinkling lights, lots of carnival rides and only-in-Miami experiences.

The county-fair-meets-winter-wonderland is chock-full of roller coasters, amusement rides, carnival games, photo ops with Santa and his helpers and an assortment of fair food—think fresh doughnuts, funnel cakes and more. All of the vendors will be back when the 38th annual Santa’s Enchanted Forest returns this fall, plus a few surprise acts for opening weekend.

Picture a battalion of gourmet chefs cooking the top heritage beef, pork, lamb and all kinds of succulent meats, sommeliers pairing fine wines with delectable dishes and teams competing in a culinary showdown to see who will be crowned the Prince or Princess of Meat. From parillada stations and multiple Cajas Chinas to over-the-top dessert stations, all that and more is going down at this annual extravaganza, and it’s going to be delish. Nov 21

Part of sbe’s annual culinary showcases, Taste of sbe (which features all sorts of pop-up events at the group’s local properties), this nighttime tasting by the SLS South Beach poolscape is an excellent opportunity to sample food from some of Miami’s best restaurants. Indulge in mouth-watering bites from the Bazaar, Carna, Katsuya, Fi’lia and Cleo, among others, all set up shop outdoors for two hours of noshing, sipping and dancing to DJ-spun tunes by none other than Mark Ronson. Nov 11

One of the best things to come out of Art Basel 2018 was a video of Kanye West talking to a tree. It wasn’t another psychotic break, thankfully. The rapper was spitting it back to Archimedes, the creepily captivating talking tree at NightGarden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s psychedelic neon playground. The pop-up exhibit returns for its second year, taking over a portion of the 80-acre property and turning it into an illuminated wonderland. Think technicolor mazes, scavenger hunts led by virtual fairies, an enchanting snowfall experience, glowing dandelion fields and, yes, the infamous talking tree. Sounds fun, huh? We agree. 

It's time for another throwback concert—Fontainebleau Miami Beach presents '90s rock band the Gin Blossoms as part of its ongoing music series, BleauLive. Before rocking out to the Grammy-nominated group, consider swinging by one of the property's many restaurants: Concertgoers have access to dinner-and-show packages that include prix-fixe meals at Scarpetta and StripSteak. Nov 12

The Miami Book Fair celebrates its 38th edition with a hybrid virtual and in-person event this November. Author presentations, mind-expanding conversations and even more innovative ways to honor the written word are planned for 2022. Livestreamed and live readings—produced in both English and in Spanish—are scheduled to run November 14 through the 21, while the annual street festival is slated to take place on November 20 and 21 along the Miami-Dade College downtown campus. Spend the week shopping new and pre-loved tomes, introducing your little ones to Miami's greatest literary event and mingling with the likes of Lauren Groff (Matrix) Jean Hanff Korelitz (The Plot) and Amor Towles (The Lincoln Highway), among other best-selling authors in attendance. Nov 14-21

The Grammy Award-winning ensemble brings their infectious Flamenco rhythms to Miami’s Arsht Center for an electrifying performance this fall. Known for pioneering Catalan rumba and making Caló-language songs like “Djobi Djoba” known the world over, Gipsy Kings have cemented themselves as superstars around the world. Nov 19

Picture a battalion of gourmet chefs cooking the top heritage beef, pork, lamb and all kinds of succulent meats, sommeliers pairing fine wines with delectable dishes and teams competing in a culinary showdown to see who will be crowned the Prince or Princess of Meat. From parillada stations and multiple Cajas Chinas to over-the-top dessert stations, all that and more is going down at this annual extravaganza, and it’s going to be delish. Nov 21

It's time we celebrated women behind the lens. The world's first-ever congress dedicated to spotlighting women photographers and their contributions takes place over two days at the PAMM downtown, with some sessions occurring virtually. Art historians and preeminent artists will be in attendance, presenting seminal and emerging research and discourse in the field. Nov 18, 19

Art Basel, which stages three major fairs each year—in Hong Kong, Basel and Miami Beach—focuses on modern and contemporary art and puts more than 200 leading galleries and 4,000 artists from across the globe in front of the art world’s top curators, museums and collectors. Returning to its home at the Miami Beach Convention Center for the 2021 edition, the showcase comprises five sections: Galleries (works from leading galleries), Edition (editioned pieces), Nova (works created within the last three years), Positions (dedicated to emerging artists) and Survey (works created before the year 2000). The weekend of Art Basel has become a major draw for Miami, with parties, satellite fairs and major events being held in conjunction with the show—have fun celebrity-spotting.

Catch Layla’s Executive Chef John Iatrellis behind the grill, offering a one-of-a-kind Mediterranean-style BBQ. DJ set by Maure and cocktails by Aperol. Hosted on the Layla Rooftop - Saturday, Nov. 27 starting at 6pm. RSVP

Independent publishing house Life to Paper puts on a month-long literary festival at Buena Vista's The Bookshop (190 NE 46th St). Programming runs the gamut from poetry readings and writing workshops to bookish gatherings—think brunch and high tea. Your very affordable $33 festival pass includes access to most of what's scheduled, and the full rundown of events is available online. Nov 1–30.

The great American LGBTQ+ celebration gets underway this November. URGE promises four days of world-renowned DJs, sexy dance parties, beach cleanups and performances. Events take place on the sand, along Ocean Drive and 12th Street, while a massive Sunday night rager is slated for Story. Nov 26-29

It’s a double-dose of ‘70s vibes as two of Miami’s greatest disco parties join forces for an epic night of fun at Mezcalista. The mezcal speakeasy welcomes Minnie’s Disco and Peach Room on November 19, featuring sets by DJs handpicked especially for the occasion.

Vizcaya Late is that one special night a month that the historic mansion and museum stays open after hours. Beyond the usual access, Vizcaya is offering additional experiences like a behind-the-scenes tour of the grotto and a figure drawing lesson with Loading Festival in the garden—how scenic. Nov 10

Spend your post-Thanksgiving daze at Art With Me, a three-day music, art and wellness festival taking over Virginia Key Beach Park. Expect large-scale art installations, interactive workshops and learning opportunities and a string of well-known musical talents. DJs Sublime With Rome, Cultura Profética, Behrouz and others headline. Single-day tickets and festival passes are on sale online. Nov 26-29