Miami’s best events this Presidents’ Day weekend

Each year,  Presidents Day weekend presents South Floridians with the best and busiest aspects of living in a sun-saturated, event-centered, and tourist-intensive community:  

So many great things to do and so much traffic to deal with, whether you attend an event or just try to get around town. This year is no exception.

What’s on tap in what traditionally is Miami’s busiest weekend? The Coconut Grove Art Festival, Miami International Boat Show, associated yacht show, and Art Wynwood. Here’s what you need to know about these upcoming events:

Boats in Miami (Wikimedia Commons)

The Miami International Boat Show:

This five-day event, which starts on Wednesday, is considered one of the largest boat and yacht shows in the world, and annually attracts as many as 100,000 visitors. It’s an opportunity for companies to display their newest models at four waterfront venues as well as the fully renovated Miami Beach Convention Center and Pride Park. And for consumers, it’s a chance to buy or just dream. The show opens each day at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

A standard day ticket costs $40 for adults and $15 for children. A two-day pass for adults costs $72. You will need to spend an additional $20 for a Prime Time Preview ticket on an additional ticket, costing $125 for Thursday through Sunday or $150 for Wednesday through Sunday, which is required for the Superyacht Miami Experience at Island Gardens. For $375, Windward VIP tickets give you entrance to the Windward VIP Clubs, private appointment scheduling assistance, an outdoor bar, meals, and free use of the Boat Show water taxi. To find out more on any potential upcoming events and in the show and scheduling, check miamiboatshow.com.

Daniel Cherbuin en soi (Laurant Marthaler/ Art Wynwood)

Art Wynwood:

This four-day fair, located on the former Miami Herald property on the bay between the McArthur and Venetian causeways, opens Thursday, Feb. 16, and ends Sunday, Feb. 19. Organized by Art Miami, this is the tenth show, and it showcases a variety of worldwide galleries with up-and-coming contemporary artists and artwork. Public parking is available in the Omni Garage adjacent to the Pavilion at 453 NE 15th St

The VIP preview happens Thursday, Feb. 16, from 6-10 pm, but that’s for Art Wynwood VIP Pass holders and media. The fair is open to all from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Daily ticket prices start at $25 for students, available online. For more information, go to artwynwood.com or email info@artmiami.com.

Crowd of people at Coconut Grove Art Festival (Courtesy of Coconut Grove Art Festival)

Coconut Grove Art Festival:

This open-air event, in its 59th year, attracts over 80,000 people from all over the country. More than 100 artists display their work along South Bayshore Drive in a range of media while overlooking the sailboats docked on Biscayne Bay. You can count on excellent performers who cover a wide range of aesthetics. The festival is run by the Coconut Grove Arts & Historical Association. It starts Saturday, Feb. 18, and runs through President’s Day, on Monday the 20th. All food and beverage vendors accept credit cards. Admission can be bought in advance online at cgaf.com or at the entrance starting at $20. 

On average, over 90% of occupancy has been filled and almost no room to spare in Miami Dade-County as people from all over the world come to enjoy the most popular events this year in South Florida for this President’s Day weekend.

Maria Raymondi is a senior majoring in digital journalism. After her studies she hopes to further pursue her career with writing articles about criminal events for newspapers, magazines, and other media.