Most of the holiday calendar on our end of Miami Beach runs through one place this year: the Miami Beach Bandshell at 7275 Collins Avenue. We're at 7418 Harding Avenue, a couple of blocks away, so everything below is a walk from our gate rather than a taxi down the causeway. Here is what's on between Thanksgiving weekend and the week before Christmas, what each evening is like, and how we'd build a stay around it.
The dates at a glance
Four holiday-season nights and mornings at the Bandshell are worth planning around. Two are free with an RSVP, two are ticketed.
| Date | Event | Time | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 27 | Thanksgiving Roller Disco | 5pm | Free, RSVP |
| Wed, Dec 16 | Nicole Henry holiday concert | 7:30pm | Ticketed |
| Thu, Dec 17 | Mr. Pauer & Friends at North Beach Social | 8pm | Free, RSVP |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Run Santa Run Miami (5K, 10K, half marathon) | 7am | Ticketed |
Dates and times are as the Bandshell lists them in October. Check its calendar the week you travel, because shows do move.
Thanksgiving Roller Disco: Friday, November 27
This is the free one to open a long weekend with. The Bandshell bills it as a roller disco night with free admission and disco on the speakers, starting at 5pm. Arrive on Thursday or Friday, take the afternoon at the pool, and walk over as the light goes. It's the least formal night on this list, and the one most likely to have the whole neighbourhood out.
Nicole Henry's holiday concert: Wednesday, December 16
If you book one ticket this month, we'd make it this one. Nicole Henry is a Miami jazz and soul singer, and this is her 13th annual holiday concert, a fundraiser for Miami Music Project and SAVE. It starts at 7:30pm. It suits a midweek stay: a quiet day at the house, an early dinner out, and a seated evening of music a few minutes from your room.
North Beach Social with Mr. Pauer & Friends: Thursday, December 17
North Beach Social is the Bandshell's free monthly music night for the community, and December's edition is a holiday set from Mr. Pauer, whom the Bandshell calls an Electrópico pioneer. It starts at 8pm and you RSVP rather than buy a ticket. Put it the night after Nicole Henry and you have two very different evenings, one seated and one on your feet, without ever leaving North Beach.
Run Santa Run Miami: Sunday, December 20
The race starts at 7am at the Bandshell, with 5K, 10K and half marathon distances, Santa suits encouraged, and proceeds going to Clean Miami Beach. If you're running, staying this close means you can walk to the start instead of driving to it. Someone of the house is at our desk at every hour, so a 6am departure is no trouble. Afterwards, the courtyard is the place to sit down.
New Year's Eve, a week later
The Bandshell's year ends with Lettuce, playing two nights of funk on December 31 and January 1. We've written that one up separately, with how to plan the night on foot. See our New Year's Eve page linked below.
The days in between
December is when our courtyard is at its best. The pool is open from sunrise to sunset, and it's for our guests only, so the morning swim is usually yours. The Breakfast Table is laid out each morning: croissants in wicker baskets, fruit on woven tiers, cold-pressed juices on ice, Greek yogurt and fresh coffee, which you can carry out to the courtyard. The courtyard is where the day really begins.
The Atlantic is a few minutes' walk east of the gate, along Miami Beach Oceanside Park, and we have sunbeds and umbrellas waiting there. For an afternoon of wandering, Bal Harbour Shops and Surfside are both just north of us. Our guides to each are linked below.
Where you'll be sleeping
We're a 1948 building with 29 rooms and suites across two floors. Felix designed each room himself, so every piece of furniture is custom, and the walls carry pieces commissioned from Mark Cherry. The upper floor is reached by stairs only, so tell us if you'd rather be on the ground floor. This is the slower Miami, and in December that's most of the appeal.