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.

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.

"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.

Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix returns with one of the most exciting racing events the city has ever seen. The race, which is one of 24 races worldwide comprising the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship, takes place at the Miami International Autodrome at Hard Rock Stadium. Though the full program has yet to be released, expect another year of luxe activations, food and drinks, live entertainment and high-speed thrills.

No, that sonic boom you hear isn’t a thunderstorm rolling in (hopefully!), but it’s pretty close. The Air Force Thunderbirds, Heritage Flight, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Ghost Squadron and SOCOM Para-Commandos all headline this year’s edition of the popular air show, which attracts thousands to the shores of Fort Lauderdale Beach.  What time is the Fort Lauderdale air show? The Fort Lauderdale Air Show takes place on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 2024. The show program starts around 11:45am and ends around 3pm on both days. Where is the best place to watch? Although the official show center is at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, the aerobatic box where the planes do their thing is two miles wide, so you'll have a pretty great view anywhere along the beach. Spectators are prohibited from setting up chairs on the street but can purchase a ticket to the Drop Zone premium beach area, or find a public location somewhere north or south on the coast. Viewing of the Fort Lauderdale Air Show by boat is also permitted in the area on the eastern perimeter of the United States Coast Guard Safety Zone, mapped below. The eastern perimeter extends for four miles parallel with the flight path of the performing aircraft and is approximately one mile away from the air show centerline.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

Magic City Flea is Wynwood's eclectic weekly pop-up vintage market. Depending on the day and locale, find anywhere from 15 to 50 small shops committed to sourcing the most unique pieces and handcrafting sustainable wares. Vibe out to the live DJ, sip cocktails and snack on yummy bites from local vendors while you shop. Various locations