The best things to do in Miami this week

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.

Dozens of airplanes and watercraft swarm Miami Beach’s shoreline for the entertaining military showcase at the Hyundai Air & Sea Show. Organized to honor first responders, the two-day event features civilian aerobatic acts, powerboat racing and extreme water sports. If you don’t mind the crowds, you’re in for a genuine spectacle right on the sand. Afterward, don’t miss the Music Explosion, featuring the U.S. Army’s “As You Were” band, U.S. Air Force Drill Team and The Miami Beach Classical Music Festival Orchestra. 

"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.

Hyde Beach at the SLS South Beach is basically a nightclub—but it’s during the day, everyone's in a bathing suit and the dance floor is a pool. If it’s a Vegas-style bash with bottle service and champagne showers you seek, the SLS Pool party is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 7pm, while the Haus of Hyde nightclub rages on from 10pm to 3am. Though weekends are the busiest, hit up the SLS pool any day of the week for a guaranteed fist-pumping good time—especially during Spring Break and Miami Music Week, when the party programming doesn't stop.  

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 timely dramedy from playwright Sean Grennan enjoyed its world premiere in 2023. Dr. Lynn Cummings, an astrophysicist with little patience for magical thinking, finds her beliefs challenged when a UFO is spotted hurtling toward Earth. When a journalist misquotes her reaction to the phenomenon, she invites him to witness the fly-by together, with both of their credibilities at stake. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile (305-444-9293, actorsplayhouse.org). May 15–June 9: 8pm Wed–Sat, 3pm Sun; $40–$100

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.

This recently premiered, quintessentially Miami story from playwright Alexis Scheer has already been praised as “a new American classic.” It’s set during Art Basel, and charts the personal and professional fallout when Wynwood gallery owner Mariana finds her inventory stolen. Arriving at this inopportune time is Mariana’s estranged movie star mother Estella and her assistant Jenny, who may have shared a past with Mariana. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave (305-445-1119, gablestage.org). May 17–June 9; various show times; $40–$65

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.

Faena Theater has put a fresh spin on its avant-garde cabaret, “Allura,” with a new performance titled “Ascension.” New York singer Rocky Lanes stars as master of ceremonies, leading showgoers through a series of spicy vignettes with aerial acts, acrobats, killer live music and a hint of naughty antics. “Ascension” shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Get there early to check out Faena’s incredible public art, including murals by Argentinian artist Juan Gatti and Damien Hirst’s famous wooly mammoth.