These are the best things to do in Miami this weekend

A four-time Tony nominee in 2022, it's your last chance to see this celebrated play from Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) finds the playwright once again observing, with astuteness, wit and compassion, the contemporary American working class. It’s set in the titular truck-stop diner, where the employees—all of whom were formerly incarcerated—vie to construct the perfect sandwich in an effort to transform their inauspicious greasy spoon into a destination restaurant. Nov 2–19: 7:30pm Thurs–Sat, 3pm Sun; $60

A much-anticipated precursor to the holiday season in Miami, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s immersive NightGarden installation will return for a fifth season this November, promising even more psychedelic scenery, cutting-edge technology and interactive experiences running through the New Year.

Spanning 83 acres of enchanted tropical trails, the full NightGarden experience takes anywhere around 60 minutes as visitors explore a neon playground of secret sunken ponds, hidden fairy worlds, giant swaying dandelion fields and the rainbow-colored Orchid Bridge. Chock-full of photo-worthy moments, projection-mapped pitstops and holographic sculptures, NightGarden invites guests to frolic in a magical snowfall experience, and yes, Archie will be there to once again reprise his role as your favorite wise-talking tree.

The whimsical holiday spectacle will be open four days a week starting Friday, November 10 and runs through Sunday, January 7. Tickets can be purchased here and start at $30 for adults and $25 for children ages 10 and younger.

Experience the beloved children's novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry like never before at The Little Prince World Miami, running from October 13 through December 31. Contained within a 137-foot wide and 45-foot high dome on Watson Island, the immersive landscape features a sprawling desert of real sand and more whimsical, multisensory elements that transport guests to unknown planets. Meet the book's enchanting characters and experience a nostalgic adventure through the eyes of the iconic Little Prince at this family-friendly, hour-long installation.

Through January 1st, you can glide across a 4,000 square foot synthetic ice rink at Las Olas Oceanside Park. The Wonderland Rink is the rink that’ll never melt; it’s composed of self-moisturizing, seamless tongue-and-groove panels for skaters to glide and turn as they would on conventional ice – except in 75 degree weather. The Wonderland Rink is part of a larger family-friendly holiday experience at Las Olas Oceanside Park, which includes a holiday market, movie screenings, visits with Santa and your favorite holiday characters and live music.

Bop downstairs to the basement of the Gale South Beach every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night to find a lineup of the city’s best Latin, fusion and straight-ahead jazz players providing impeccable vibes at Medium Cool, one of our favorite new cocktails lounges in Miami. The music kicks off at 7pm and heats up until 10pm, when the bar's resident DJs take over. Check Instagram for a rundown of the schedule each week.

Back for a third year, 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, a garden maze, Tinez yard games, climbing, swings, zip lines, a bounce house and a tubing slide to help get you into the autumnal spirit. You can also opt to add on a cow barrel train or pony, donkey and horse rides to your experience. On the weekends, peruse the farmers' market, where you'll find organic produce and artisanal wares from local businesses.

Kick back at Coconut Grove's latest tropi-luxe Sunday brunch, nestled in the lush atrium of the historic, recently restored Mayfair House Hotel & Garden. The flagship restaurant, Mayfair Grill, features a wood-fired kitchen where American Southwest-inspired dishes are cooked over an open flame. From 11am to 3pm, take in a slow meal and smooth, live Latin jazz among Mayfair's cascading greenery and fountains. Increase the chill vibes—or turn up the party—with bottomless rosé and mimosas for $35 per person.

Looking for a fresh perspective? Take a stroll through the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami’s latest public art installation, Into the Great Dying: Roles We Play by ceramicist Beatriz Chachamovits. This interactive work invites viewers to engage with a sculpted coral reef, ponder humanity’s impact on these fragile ecosystems and actively participate in their preservation and restoration. The free opening reception on July 28 is followed by a night of JAZZ at MOCA on the museum’s plaza.

Get ready for some messy fun with a higher purpose: Museum of Graffiti hosts Spray it Loud!, an evening workshop where you’ll learn all the basics of graffiti. Led by a local graffiti artist, this adults-only, intro-level class is limited to just eight participants, making it an ideal way to loosen up and let your creativity flow. Plus, the cost of the class ($75) includes admission to the museum afterward. They’ll provide ponchos and gloves, but guests are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty—unless you want to leave looking like your design.

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.

Japanese contemporary art superstar Yayoi Kusama unveils her largest and most immersive kaleidoscopic environment this spring at Pérez Art Museum Miami. Known for her groundbreaking, psychedelic sculpture and Infinity Mirror installation works that originated in the 1960s and gave rise to today’s ubiquitous immersive art trend, Kusama has created a culmination of her artistic practice in the upcoming LOVE IS CALLING show at PAMM. 

As visitors walk through the darkened, mirrored room, they’ll encounter the breadth of Kusama’s visual vocabulary: a disorienting cavern of polka-dotted, tentacle-like forms extending from the floor and ceiling, providing the room’s only source of light as they gradually change color. Meanwhile, a recording of Kusama’s voice fills the space as she recites a love poem that explores poignant, universal themes around life and death. Written by the artist, the Japanese poem’s title translates to “Residing in a Castle of Shed Tears.”

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.

Featuring 50 artists and more than 200 personal objects, artworks and ephemera, this chronological exhibition traces the evolution of Joan Didion and her voice as a writer and pioneer of New Journalism. Find works by Betye Saar, Vija Celmins, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Maren Hassinger, Silke Otto-Knapp, Ana Mendieta, Ed Ruscha and Pat Steirmany, among many others, along with family heirlooms, paintings, photographs, sculptures and videos highlighting Didion’s emphasis on subjectivity and critique of power.

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.

A leading artist of her generation, 36-year-old Avery Singer uses innovative tools like 3D modeling software and computer-controlled airbrushing to create complex paintings and installations that interpret contemporary social reality and technology. For her ICA Miami exhibition, the American artist debuts a new body of work that examines both on- and offline identities.