How to Get in on All the Weekend Fun in Miami This Month
Spa deals, rooftop dance parties, free museum visits, and so much more.
August is upon us, friends. Although we survived the ungodly, record-setting, new-transplant-repelling heatwave that took up most of July, we’ve still got another month of summer to go. It’s not all hot weather and thunderstorms during summer’s final month, though. It brings plenty of good stuff like deep off-season discounts on fancy dinners and waterparks, baseball beer festivals, and free surfing lessons. August weekends promise to be packed with fun, so whether you’re looking for live music, drag shows with donuts, or lasers set to Taylor Swift, South Florida has something you’re gonna love on this list of all the fun things to do in Miami every weekend this month.
Sports in Miami
Saturday, August 12; 10 am
Pompano Beach; Free
The wide sands of Pompano Beach are the perfect place to practice your popups as you take an all-levels surf lesson from the Hang Loose Surf School. The instruction starts at 10 am, and even if you can’t get up you can still enjoy a celebratory drink at Beach House after.
Saturday, August 12; 6 pm
Gulfstream Park and Casino; Tickets start at $40
The Action Fight League will host a full card of 12 amateur MMA fights this month. The action goes down in the legendary Sport of Kings Room, where some of South Florida’s top up-and-coming fighters will battle it out in front of a passionate crowd, some stepping into the ring for the first time.
Friday, August 25 – Saturday, August 26
Loan Depot Park; Ticket prices vary
Be a part of the Marlins’ playoff push at Friday Food & Wine Night, where select tickets for the 6:40 pm tilt against Washington include a wine flight with food pairings. If meat and hops are more your perfect pair, snag a special Burger and Beer ticket which rates you a smashburger and a Bud Heavy. For Saturday’s 4:10 pm game, show up early for a pregame beerfest, where a slew of local breweries will be sampling stuff three hours before the first pitch.
Live Music & Performances in Miami
Every Friday and Saturday
Little River; Ticket prices vary
When an outdoor venue becomes the talk of Miami nightlife during the summer, you know it’s gotta be something special. This new live music and dance spot in Little River has a craft wine and beer gazebo, a vinyl listening lounge, a cocktail bar in a shipping container, and concert space under a banyan tree. Plus a food menu from the people behind Los Felix.
Every Sunday; noon
W Fort Lauderdale; $55
The W Fort Lauderdale is debuting its new drag brunch every Sunday in August, where a troupe of outrageous drag queens entertain crowds from noon to 2 pm. The spread will include a pancake art bar, omelet bar, donut bar, and bottomless mimosas. There’ll also be a special Drag Dress-Up Station, if you wanna see how your skills stack up.
Friday, August 11; 7 pm
Frost Science Museum; $10
Swifties left out in the cold by Eras Tour ticket prices can get the next best thing during the Frost Science Museum’s Laser Evening, which this month features laser Taylor at 9 pm. Also on the bill is That ‘80s Laser Show, Daft Punk, and Laser Metallica with songs that absolutely weren’t downloaded from Limewire.
Saturday, August 12
The Moss Center; $40
Remember that guy drinking the Ocean Spray on a skateboard who went viral a couple years ago? The song he was vibing to was “Dreams” from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album, which also boasted hits like “Gold Dust Woman” and “The Chain.” Cutler Bay’s Moss Center will have a band performing the entire album live, exactly as the songs sound on the original LP.
Every Friday – Sunday; Varies
Island City Stage; Tickets start at $40
One of the most sensational crime sprees of the 1920s came courtesy of two Chicago-area teenagers who burned, stole, and ultimately murdered their way through the tumultuous spring of 1924. Thrill Me tells the story of Leopold and Loeb through original music on Wilton Manors’ Island City Stage all month, with a special Mimosa show on August 13.
Sunday, August 20; 3 pm
Miami Improv; Tickets start at $20
Miami’s foremost stand-up comic, radio personality, and OnlyFans model Brittany Brave will host her popular Bad Bitch Brunch this month. She’ll headline an all-female lineup of music and comedy, along with a be-your-own-Barbie costume contest and Bad Bitch Bingo.
Saturday, August 26; 7 pm
SkateBird Miami; $10
Red Bull Batalla—the biggest Spanish-language freestyle competition in the world—returns for a regional qualifier starting at 7 pm. If you haven’t been, it’s a little like 8 Mile en Espanol, where Spanish-spitting MCs battle it out in a tournament-style format for the right to attend November’s national finals in Dallas.
Food & Drink in Miami
All Month
Various locations; $29, $43, or $60
Miami Spice is back from now through September, with some of Miami’s top restaurants offering prix-fixe menus for as little as $29 at lunch and $43 at dinner. Notable new entries this year include Jeremy Ford’s Beauty and the Butcher, Gekko, Prime 54 at Fontainebleau, Sexy Fish, and Doya.
All Month
Various locations; $45, $55, or $75
Not to be outdone, our neighbors to the north (Broward County, not Canada) has their own August prix-fixe specials as part of Dine Out Lauderdale. The special three-course creations are available at more than 100 Broward restaurants, including the new shipping container spot KAO, sushi at Casa Sensei, and beachside bites at Baresco.
Sunday, August 6
Edge Brasserie and Bar; $135
Two Miami food and drink all-stars—Jaguar Sun’s Will Thompson and EDGE’s Aaron Brooks—are joining forces for what promises to be one of the best dinners of the year. While Thompson’s behind the bar, Brooks will join forces with chef Carey Hynes to showcase EDGE’s new brasserie-style menu over four delicious courses.
Friday, August 11
Wynwood; Free
Wynwood Brewing is hosting its second Spelling Bee-r, where contestants line up like they’re in fourth grade to spell simple words, but now everyone takes a sip of beer when a word is spelled right. The odds of peeing your pants are about the same, but this time you get a $15 Uber credit to get home.
Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13
The Wharf Fort Lauderdale; Free to attend
The Wharf is going full Polynesian with a Freaky Tiki Luau, kicking off Friday with beat the clock drink specials where mules, mojitos, and margaritas are $4 at 4 pm and go up $1 every hour from there. Saturday brings a luau show and $35 Whiskey Limonata pitchers, while Sunday has $35 Casa Noble marg pitchers until 4 pm.
Friday, August 18; 7:30 pm
Nossa Omakase; $375
Scott Linquist, the chef behind Coyo Taco, Serena at the Moxy, and other local south-of-the-border staples, will step onto the Nossa Omakase stage. The two-night collab actually starts Thursday, with dishes like bluefin tuna with chipotle aioli and scallop nigiri with aguachile and cucumber pico already slated to be served.
Saturday, August 19 and Saturday August 26
Feeding South Florida Community Kitchen; $55-$70
Feeding South Florida is hosting a series of Saturday cooking classes in its 5,000-square-foot Boynton Beach kitchen. On August 19, you can learn how to make flaky pie crust and apple filling at 2 pm, then top it with ice cream, cheddar, or caramel. On August 25, the kitchen is also hosting a 90-minute sushi workshop at 6 pm, where couples will learn how to create nigiri, spicy tuna rolls, and sushi rice.
Friday, August 25; 7 pm
Vinya Table; $150
Nothing goes better with a big side of brisket than a rich red wine, and nobody knows how to pair them better than the experts at Vinya Table. They’ll be hosting a four-course barbecue dinner where meats complement old-vine US wines from Bedrock, Joel Peterson, Ridge, Clos Saron, La Marchelle, and more.
Saturday, August 26; noon
Gulfstream Park; Tickets start at $50
The sport of kings becomes even more regal Saturday when your $2 trifecta wager comes with a taco and shot of tequila. Gulfstram’s Taste at The Track features stations around the Flamingo Room with spicy tacos and tequila samples, guaranteed to fuel countless winning bets.
Art and Culture Events in Miami
Saturday, August 5 – Sunday, August 6
Various locations; Free
The first weekend of the month brings Bank of America’s Museums on Us days, where B of A and Merrill Lynch cardholders get into museums around South Florida for free. Participating museums include Perez Art Museum Miami, HistoryMiami, Coral Gables Museum, and the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale.
Saturday, August 12; 2 pm
The Square; Free
If you remember when “Rappers Delight” hit the airwaves, well, you’re officially old. Hip-hop as a genre is right there with you and will celebrate 50 years this summer. In honor of the birthday, The Square is hosting an all-day festival to celebrate with panel discussions, dance classes, spoken word poetry, and a live DJ.
Friday, August 18
Fairchild Tropical Gardens; $24.95 for adults, $14.96 for kids
Grab a map and a flashlight and wander through a tropical forest filled with dragons. That’s what’s happening from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Fairchild, where the garden’s paths will have ancient beasts around every turn, with a family bubble dance party and dragon-themed drinks, too.
Saturday, August 26; 8 pm
LOOP Park; Free
LOOP’s Dog Days of Summer Movies by Moonlight series continues at 8 pm, with a special seaside showing of The Art of Racing in the Rain. The Kevin Costner flick will be accompanied by a People and Pet market and plenty of movie snacks for sale.
Saturday, August 26; 11 am
CityPlace Doral; Free
CityPlace will welcome the Summer Chalk Fest from 11 am to 2 pm, where chalk art maestro Ken Mullen showcases his anamorphic 3D murals across the CityPlace sidewalks. In addition to his artwork guests can enjoy face painting, samples from local stores, and a live DJ.
Wellness Events in Miami
All month
Various locations; Treatments start at $109
Miami Spa Month is taking place through the end of August, where you can take advantage of huge specials at fancy hotel spas all around Miami. Think chocolate- or tea-infused massages and body treatments at spots like the K'Alma Spa, the Loews, and the Leaf Spa.
Every Friday
Tidal Cove; $33
The J.W. Marriott Turnberry’s swanky Tidal Cove water park is offering a phenomenal weekday deal, where anyone who shows up after 3 pm can ride all seven of its 60-foot slides for a scant $33. Admission also includes access to the lazy river, the FlowRider surf simulator, and all the food and drinks at the bar.
Sunday, August 6
Faena Forum; Tickets start at $20
Daybreaker— the mindfulness and movement celebration that typically takes over weekend mornings —is hosting a special sunset session at the Tierra Santa Healing House this month. The evening starts with yoga and breathwork at 6 pm, then moves on to a dance party from 7:45 to 10 pm, with a closing ceremony from the South Beach Healing Orchestra. There will also be protein bars from Perfect Bar and alcohol-free canned cocktails from Parch.
Saturday, August 19; 10 am
Beach House Pompano; Free
Much like yourself, the beach in Pompano can use a little refresh after a wild Friday night. Detox together as you breathe fresh ocean air and pick up trash behind Beach House starting at 10 am. After, start retoxing yourself (but not the beach) with a free Nosotros gift card.
Friday, August 25 – Sunday, August 27
The Standard Spa; Prices vary
Imagine going back to summer camp, but instead of fires and mosquito bites they threw in some spa treatments and poolside cocktails. Sound like your idea of getting ready for the school year? Then hit Camp Standard, where your four-day weekend will be filled with wine tastings, fitness classes, curated dinners, astrology readings, watersports, and arts and crafts.