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.

Looking to get into gardening? Billed as the largest annual orchid show in the United States, this three-day festival is the perfect place to search for a blooming new friend. In addition to the hundreds of beautiful flowers on display, there are lectures, raffles and other activities for those who lack a green thumb.

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.

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.  

Suit up and ship out: It's time for the SoFlo Boat Show, three days of maritime merriment during which exhibitors and enthusiasts convene along the bayfront to scope the latest and greatest in nautical tech. This year's event at the historic Miami Marine Stadium boasts a sprawling, air-conditioned marketplace, a fishing zone and an underwater zone, plus the Ship’s Wheel Bar, a 360-degree central hangout spot to kick back and fuel up. While you're there, partake in raffles and giveaways for a chance to win free fuel for a year or even an actual boat. There's also a fishing competition, the prize of which is a photograph of the winning angler and their catch on the wall of any Flanigan's of their choosing. Talk about a great fishing story.

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.

Superblue rings in three years of pioneering immersive art exhibits in Allapattah with Superbash, a free block party featuring live music, a kids' corner with staff-led art activities, live figure drawing hosted by the Raw Figs pop-up, vintage shopping courtesy of Magic City Flea, local bites for purchase and free ice cream by Frutero. If you'd rather hang out in the A/C, head inside and enjoy 30% off Superblue tickets for the day.

Cooking instructor and Wok Star Eleanor Hoh hosts a special AAPI Heritage Month edition of her ongoing Supper Club series. This time, she's tapped guest chef Abe Moiz from Krakatoa Indonesian Cuisine in Hollywood to create a bespoke, four-course set menu designed to evoke memories from his childhood and culinary traditions from his native Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. The 6pm seating is limited to 36 guests and costs $65 per person.