NightGarden at Fairchild
Photograph: Carlos Causo
Photograph: Carlos Causo

These are the best things to do in Miami this weekend

A bustling art walk, an immersive night garden, a massive seafood festival and more fun things to do in Miami this weekend

Falyn Wood
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In between the occasional deluge, it would seem that Miami has finally entered its brief but beautiful autumnal window. These breezier, less humid afternoons are the reminder we need that winter is around the corner, and that's really when this city hits its stride. In the meantime, spooky season is finally behind us, Art Basel is mere weeks away, and, suddenly, there's a whole lot more to do. This weekend, the launch of a new season NightGarden at Fairchild, the return of Wynwood Art Walk, a waterfront iceskating rink and holiday village in West Palm Beach and more are on our agenda.

If it's too chilly for that beach day you had planned, perhaps a fabulous Miami spa day is in order. If the sun's out but you'd rather avoid getting your toes sandy, sunset vibes at a Miami waterfront bar could be the move. There's a free art exhibit, bustling farmer's market, picture-perfect pumpkin patch or raunchy drag show for every stripe of weekend warrior. Ready to have some fun in the 305? Here are the best things to do in Miami this weekend. 

RECOMMENDED: Things to do in Miami

The best things to do in Miami this weekend

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Miami

A much-anticipated precursor to the holiday season in Miami, NightGarden returns in November for its seventh season at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, promising even more psychedelic scenery, family-friendly activities and interactive artwork than ever before. Running from November 7 through January 11, NightGarden invites guests to frolic around a neon-lit wonderland of tropical trails lined with holographic sculptures, secret sunken ponds and hidden fairy worlds. Expect several enticing new activations this year, including the Tree of Life, a monumental centerpiece with lights and projections activated by guest touch. You'll also find new immersive domes with themed photo backdrops, a Secret Garden Laser Light Show, movie nights and more.

 

  • Things to do
  • Festivals
  • Wynwood

Eat the freshest fish, crack into the just-caught stone crab and slurp down a bevy of oysters, among the bounty of tasty marine life that’ll be on hand at this 12th-annual seafood festival celebrating South Florida's best. (The Lazy Oyster, Wild Fork, Pincho, Salty Bottom and Tio Paella are just a few names on this year's epic roster.) It all takes place at the sprawling Wynwood Marketplace and features 30-plus seafood favorites, live music, cooking and mixology demos and kid-friendly activities. Bring the family—there’s plenty of food to go around. 

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  • Things to do

Winter Wonderland is back at The Ben Hotel, transforming the swanky West Palm Beach waterfront lawn into a glittering holiday playground with twinkling trees, Aspen-style chalets and, of course, a 50-by-66-foot rink made of the real stuff. Around the rink, expect plenty of festive distractions: chalet vendors slinging gifts and sweets; a holiday bar for hot chocolate, s’mores, grown-up toddies and the debut of a Holiday Tree Forest created in partnership with local nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. There will also be themed events like Live Music Saturdays and Santa Sundays, ornament-making workshops and an opening-day curling exhibition (yes, Palm Beach now has curling athletes and, no, the tropics do not care about your winter stereotypes). Skating runs daily from November 1 through January 4 from 10am to 9pm. Entry is free unless you’re lacing up, in which case tickets start at $25 for adults and $10 for kids 11 and under.

  • Things to do
  • Cultural centers

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 back. 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 month, Wynwood Art Walk has teamed up with Miami's Fashion Night Out, featuring live mural painting, new exhibitions, runway-inspired events and exclusive pop-ups that bring together Miami’s art, fashion and music scenes.

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  • Things to do
  • Mid-Beach

This bustling vintage market enters its 34th year on South Beach's famed Lincoln Road. Approximately every other Sunday (check their calendar for exact dates), 125 vendors convene along the promenade to showcase their wares and barter with discerning shoppers. Find everything from mid-century furniture to Art Deco decor and more. The long-running weekend social presents a solid mix of 19th and 20th-century memorabilia and unique collectibles. While you're there, stock up on locally grown produce, fresh flowers and artisanal goods from the Lincoln Road Farmer's market, which occurs every Sunday from 9am to 6pm.

  • Things to do
  • Redlands

Open year-round for fruit picking, field trips and produce shopping, this picturesque farm in the Redlands hosts its sixth annual harvest festival this season. Tumble through the pumpkin patch, get lost in the massive, five-acre corn maze, wander through the sunflower fields and take a breezy hayride, all while snapping those quintessential "fall vibes" pics.

Other activities include an obstacle course, three shaded bounce floors, a shaded lumber playground and live music on the weekends. While you're there, peep the adorable Scottish Highland cows and fuel up with smoked BBQ.

Throughout weekends in October, shop from the local vendor market. On Octber 25th, dress up for the farm's first-ever haunted hoedown, Wicked Country, an all-ages Halloween line dancing party.

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  • Things to do

Break a sweat, soak up the sun and maybe get a little silly at the debut of Red Bull HIIT the Beach, an all-levels fitness challenge in partnership with the City of Miami Beach. Stretching across the beachfront between 10th and 13th streets, the four-arena course features unique HIIT-style workouts with bodyweight, endurance or functional strength challenges, culminating in the Final Push Arena, where full-body power exercises take competitors to the finish. Open to participants 18 and older, teams of two only advance when both partners complete the required reps or distance. From seasoned competitors to first timers looking for an approachable way to get in the action, all are welcome to compete on the sand, mingle with the community and rub shoulders with Red Bull athletes like CrossFit Games veteran Noah Ohlsen and wakeskate champion Brian Grubb.

  • Things to do
  • Allapattah

Art, sexuality and cultural taboos converge at the Museum of Sex with the debut of its latest exhibition, Hard Art: Unruly Selections from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. Explore decades of boundary-pushing works spanning the 1930s to today, pulled from the private collection of one of the world’s most dynamic collectors. From playful to profound and, at times, deemed too provocative for public display, the featured works include a wide range of media that challenges convention and invites conversation. Curated with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices and celebrating uncensored expression, artists on view include Marco Brambilla, Jimmy DeSana, Bunny Yeager, John Kayser and others.

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  • Things to do
  • Redlands

Tinez Farms' Pinterest-perfect pumpkin patch provides the ideal fallscape for all your seasonal photos. Aside from the multi-sized and colored gourds and hay bales, there's an animal barnyard and petting zoo, pumpkin patch, Tinez yard games, climbing, swings, zip lines, a bounce house, animal interactions and a tubing slide to help get you into the autumnal spirit. You can also opt to add on a train, pony, donkey or horse ride to your experience, or even bottle feed a baby goat. While you're there, peruse the farm's Home & Garden Market, where you'll find things like indoor and outdoor plants and pots, accessories and seasonal decor.

  • Things to do

The NYC-imported Smorgasburg, Miami's largest outdoor food market, returns to its Wynwood outpost for a new season featuring over 40 vendors (including 10 new concepts) and more shaded areas for noshing. Graze from a variety of local street foods, international fare, healthy options and inventive creations from the likes of Acai Way, Korean Kitchen, Kabuki Soba, The Lazy Oyster, La Picaña Grill, Lechona Truck, Tio Paella, Puro Chocolate, Cool & Creamy Truck and more. Hours have shifted from 2 to 10pm every Saturday and Sunday this summer.

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  • Things to do

The holidays are around the corner, which means now is a great time to level up your hosting game by adding some new culinary skills to your repertoire. Learn how to channel the fresh, flavorful and festive energy of Mediterranean cooking at Cleo's Mezze Masterclass Series, an intimate, hands-on workshop led by Michelin-trained Executive Chef Camila Olarte. The beautiful, Med-inspired restaurant inside the Balfour Miami Beach is the setting of this two-hour cooking class where you'll learn the art of Eastern Mediterranean mezze, from creamy hummus to smoky eggplant dips and spiced lamb cigars. Each session ($40) includes a welcome cocktail, guided cooking instruction and a shared meal of your gorgeous mezze, served with fresh-baked pita and sides. Reserve in advance. 

  • Things to do
  • Brickell

Brickell’s backyard transforms into a neighborhood bazaar for The Underline’s monthly Farmers Market, a bustling pop-up stocked with seasonal produce, baked goods, cheeses, honey, artwork, handmade crafts and more. Graze the artisanal prepared foods, grocery shop for the week and discover a new local maker you can't live without. Located at The Underline’s Brickell Backyard Promenade green crosswalk on Southwest 1st Avenue across from Southwest 9th Street, the outdoor market runs on select Saturdays through December 20th from 9am to 4pm. Free

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  • Things to do
  • Downtown

Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte is the Cuban twin photography duo’s first solo museum exhibition, marking their leap from award-winning image makers for the likes of Prada, Tiffany’s, Bad Bunny and Selena Gomez to multi-disciplinary artists on an institutional stage. Inspired by the Afro-Caribbean spiritual tradition of Lucumí and Lydia Cabrera’s seminal text El Monte, the show centers on a womb-like, chapel-meets-forest installation alongside photographs and sculptural works that explore spirituality, ancestry and identity. 

  • Things to do
  • Downtown

Art meets science at "Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius," a sweeping exhibition presented by Frost Science and produced by Grande Experiences in collaboration with Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. On view through April 5th, 2026, the show explores da Vinci's multidisciplinary legacy with interactive displays, rare artifacts and life-size replicas of his machines, alongside immersive projections of iconic works like The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. Explore 16 themed sections, from anatomy and flight to engineering and optics, plus hands-on installations like the Vitruvian Man interactive station and the Mona Lisa Revealed exhibit, featuring the world’s only exact 360-degree replica of the painting.

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  • Things to do
  • Miami

Legion Park is the place to be on a beautiful Saturday morning, as tents pop up from Biscayne Boulevard all the way to Biscayne Bay. Run by Urban Oasis Project, which oversees some of Miami’s most important farmers markets, you’ll find produce from local favorites like Little River Cooperative and French Farms, artisan-made goods like fresh bread, hummus and empanadas (the Chilean ones are excellent), and even dog treats. (Don’t worry, Fido always gets a free sample.) In the morning, a hundred or so yogis gather under the Spanish oak-draped banyan trees for a donation-based yoga class and then stock up on goods from some of the new-age vendors onsite.

  • Things to do
  • South Beach

On South Beach, Ocean Drive tends to get all the glory. But just two blocks west, Washington Avenue is home to countless local favorites and hidden gems, along with its own vibrant history as a business district. Every other weekend, explore all the latest the street has to offer at Vibration, the fourth-annual live music series that spans 11 genres across 11 diverse venues, from 5th Street to 17th Street. The roving live music tour hits the rooftop lounge at Esmé Miami Beach, Mickey Burkes Irish pub, the chill tap room at South Beach Brewing Company, inimitible dive bar Mac's Club Deuce and several more. Purchase a $25 passport to receive a free genre-themed drink at each of the 11 participating spots, where you'll hear everything from hip-hop, rock and jazz to reggae, funk and house. There's even a karaoke stop along the way.

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  • Things to do

On view from May 1 through October 12, ICA Miami debuts a landmark retrospective of Olga de Amaral, the visionary Colombian artist whose 60-year-plus career transformed textile and fiber art as it merged indigenous weaving with Bauhaus design and Modernist abstraction. Presented with Fondation Cartier, the show features over 50 works, from goldleaf Estelas to airy Brumas, including pieces originally commissioned for major public spaces and many never before seen outside Colombia. The show invites viewers to step into a meditative “vertical forest” designed by award-winning architect Lina Ghotmeh, where Amaral’s tactile, light-absorbing works take center stage.

  • Things to do

Nestled in the lobby of The Betsy, a Michelin-awarded hotel famed for its arts programming, The Piano Bar hosts Miami Beach’s longest-running live music series. The space's relaxed, Old Havana atmosphere gets amped up by a rotating roster of local and visiting talent, with free public jazz shows nightly through December starting at 6pm. Some of the scheduled musicians include Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist Tal Cohen, composer Leonard Reina, Beau Cornelius, Pato Romero, Brian Murphy and Jim Gasior. Food and drinks are available for purchase from LT Steak & Seafood, The Betsy's on-site restaurant by chef Laurent Tourondel.

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  • Things to do
  • Little Haiti / Lemon City

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.

  • Things to do
  • West Coconut Grove

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.

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