These are the best things to do in Miami this weekend

Here's a Miami trend we hope doesn't fade anytime soon. One-offs and collaborative projects among players in Miami's blooming hospitality and creative communities not only demonstrate that this city is maturing by leaps, but they also help warm our icy, jaded hearts. The latest example: Better With Friends, a new event series curated by O.G. Miami dance-party-turned-marketing-agency, POPLIFE. Created to foster connections in the community, Better With Friends brings together standout culinary, cocktail and music talent from across Miami's eclectic scenes. The series kicks off this Sunday at The New Schnitzel House with a collaborative menu by the James Beard finalists at Caracas Bakery (items on the a la carte menu are priced from $5 to $20). Technique Records, just down the road from The Schnitz, is on music duty at the inaugural event.

"The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True" launches its world tour in Miami this spring, just as the city's fever for the famed footballer kicks into high gear. The sprawling, immersive multimedia exhibit traces Leo Messi's childhood and powerhouse soccer career to now, taking visitors of all ages through approximately 75 minutes of projection-mapped installations and interactive games at The Hangar Coconut Grove.

Stiltsville Fish Bar links up with Vinya for a one-night wine dinner in Sunset Harbour. From 4 to 7pm, chef couple Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth and Vinya's resident wine expert Allegra Angelo will take guests on a coastal-inspired journey. Instead of its usual raw bar delights, Stiltsville’s clawfooted bathtub will be filled with bottles of red, rosé, white and more selections curated by Angelo. Meanwhile, McInnis and Booth will dole out complementary snacks like hog snapper ceviche, tuna tartare on shrimp puffs and surf n’ turf carpaccio. The casual, cocktail-style tasting ($40) includes five wines and seven bites per person.

The monthlong poetry festival displays words on every possible surface: painted onto rooftops, outlined into the sand, printed onto parking tickets and pasted across buses. The mission is to put a poem, sourced throughout the year from local writers, in front of every Miamian, whether we ask for it or not. Check the festival website for information on activations and unique events, like a drag poetry slam, Wish-a-Poem magic genie lamps at participating public libraries and this weekend's annual Poetry in Pajamas, an adorable open mic for Miami's youngest wordsmiths. At various venues

James Beard Award-winning chef Nina Compton and her acclaimed restaurant Compère Lapin transplant from the Big Easy to the Magic City for a month-long residency on the rooftop of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami in Brickell. Expect a selection of Compton's signature dishes, like fried chicken with coconut grits and pickles and blackened lobster served with maque choux, served in a lively indoor-outdoor dining room overlooking the city.

Fairchild Garden transforms into a prehistoric playground this summer. Explore the lush grounds where life-size dinosaurs hold court amid a collection of cycads, ferns, conifers and all sorts of flowering plants that date back to primitive times. Kiddos can get hands-on during the ancient artifact digs, egg hunts and more while learning all about what the world was like 65 million years ago. Be sure to check the Fairchild Garden website for up-to-date information on upcoming dino events.

This magical pop-up flea market brings some of Miami's best indie vendors to cool locations around town every month. Usually under the shade of lush trees and flowering foliage, you'll find vintage fashion, vinyl, books, plants, art, home decor, handmade jewelry, candles and more, plus local food vendor pop-ups and activities. This time around, expect 30 vendors, live DJs, flash tattoos, cocktails, food pop-ups and backyard vibes at ZeyZey in Little River. 

The Berry Farm hosts its annual Watermelon Festival, a juicy, weekendlong affair complete with watermelon eating and seed spitting contests, an explosive pop-the-watermelon challenge and lots more family-friendly fun.

Take advantage of GMCVB’s Miami Attraction & Museum Months program until May 31 to enjoy special discounts, savings on admissions and BOGO deals from more than 50 of Miami’s top museums, galleries and outdoor adventures. Choose between neighborhood favorites like Island Queen Cruises and Tours, Pérez Art Museum Miami and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.

This immersive theater experience at a secret location in Little River promises to transplant you and 14 other guests to Elvis Presley's inner circle for a night. Juggerknot Theatre Company celebrates the King of Rock and Roll with a one-woman production starring Susie K. Taylor and June Raven Romero, who take turns playing Avarey, the president of the Miami Elvis Fan Club. The audience are the fan club members partaking in games, singalongs and snacks and ensuring that no two shows are the same. Guests are encouraged to don their finest Elvis-inspired looks—think blue suede shoes and glossy pompadours. The memorabilia-packed venue will be disclosed to ticketholders ahead of each show.

Please be kind and rewind—back to the ’90s at this immersive pop-up speakeasy in Wynwood. The Back 2 The Video Store transports guests to the glorious era of IRL movie rentals, when we’d load up in the minivan with the fam, skip into our local Blockbuster and argue over who got to pick which flicks that night. Dreamt up by the same team behind the Golden Girls Kitchen and Malibu Barbie Cafe, the themed bar packs in plenty of nostalgia (yes, you’ll get your own “membership card”), boozy cocktails, photo ops and events through April. 2250 NW 2nd Ave

Miami's biggest night for improv comedy happens every Saturday at Villain Theater in the heart of Little Haiti. Enjoy original, spontaneous live performances from some of the fiercest improvisers across South Florida. Shout out a suggestion and become a part of the action as the theater's talented cast of actors spins hysterical yarns over the course of two Second City-style improv shows. Mingle and sip beers in the lobby lounge in between sets: A ticket grants you access to both the 8:30 and 10pm showtimes.

The vibe: Malibu in the 70s, but pink. The fare: fast-casual Barbiecore. You don't have to head to Barbieland to fulfill your fantasies, because a Malibu Barbie Café is ready to welcome you in Wynwood. Expect 'Beach Burgers' and 'West Coast Wave Salads,' 'Pacific Paradise Pancakes' and 'Tubular Tenders.' Even the hummus is Barbie pink. There's also a cupcake-filled mega-yacht that'll sail right to your table, and glittery cocktails will be served.

The Coconut Grove Farmers Market is probably Miami’s most well-known. Every Saturday, Homestead's Glaser Organic Farms transforms an unoccupied corner of Coconut Grove into a full-fledged produce market with dozens of fruit and vegetable stands, a raw bar featuring prepared foods and salads and coolers filled with cold-pressed juices and nut mylks. There’s even velvety vegan ice cream for sale and several rows of picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy your bounty. Along its periphery, you’ll find other local vendors selling honey, homemade soaps, handmade jewelry and other artisanal items. And the setup and breakdown are so fascinating to watch! Much like the circus leaving town, everyone quickly dismantles their tents and packs up just after sunset, leaving no trace of the bustling day on the empty gravel lot.