Miami Art Deco Weekend for Retro Fabulous Families

Moms, dads, grandparents, and godparents: Are you looking for a special occasion to dedicate to some one-on-one bonding time with your kid? Check out our series of hip happenings that will give the two of you secrets to share and a ritual to return to year after year.

Think big band, swing, Lindy Hop, fashion, and feather boas – all tied together with chevrons, clean lines, and geometry! If this is your idea of a good time, you’ll be in paradise at Miami’s Art Deco Weekend (January 13-15, 2017), held annually in January. If your child is one of those retro-millennials who has fallen for the Depression-era and post-war aesthetic of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s, you two will be in good company.

All About ARTchitecture

This community-wide festival on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is the place to be on most weekends anyway, but the vibe of Art Deco Weekend is special for the community. Even if you’re local to Miami, think about renting a room in one of the beachy resorts on Ocean Avenue so you can stay in streamlined Deco glamour. The lobbies and rooms of these hotels are exceptionally preserved and pristine, sending you back in time and space.

Even if you don’t stay on the Boulevard, the Art Deco Society and the Miami Design Preservation League have you covered. Through the weekend, they’ll be providing guided tours of the Beach’s Historic District, including the classic structures of Ocean Avenue.

For even more coverage, check out their museum dedicated to the history of Miami Beach and its design. A classic car show, with vintage vehicles in Deco and Mid-century style, furthers the illusion of returning to the 40’s.

Take a piece of the Deco style home at the Art Park; a collection of vendors at the beach selling their gilded wares. Who knows? Maybe your kid will get some inspiration for next year’s costume or make her kid sister an Art Deco playhouse!

Speaking of Costumes…

Apart from art and architecture, Art Deco design had an influence in a variety of other aspects of culture in its age of influence, including fashion. Hence the festival’s Deco Fashion Show and Retro Pavilion!

Before arriving, you and your child should take a trip through Grandma’s closet, your favorite vintage stores, and (gasp!) maybe even a costume shop or two! Gatsby-fy yourselves, gussy up, and make it work. Anything from flappers to zoot suits, fox fur to fedoras will do the trick.

And lest you think that walking Miami Beach in miles of fur isn’t reason enough to dress up, then you don’t know about the music and dancing, do you?

The weekend’s live bands aren’t your standard pop-rock festival centerpieces, either. With names like The French Horn Collective, Shiny Shoes Band, and the Fruit Stand Jam Band, you are most definitely in for some swing and jazz to knock your socks off – if you haven’t already. After all, the lineup plays directly on the beach!

Ready to dance? Pop those dance shoes back on and get on the beachfront dance floor to Lindy Hop and swing your way through the weekend. Aren’t you glad you dressed the part?

Other Attractions

Enjoy classic films like The Great Gatsby and Some Like It Hot as well as modern masterpieces portraying the gilded age (Midnight in Paris, anyone?) as part of the festival series. Prefer a more realistic interpretation of the era? Again, the Historical Society to the rescue with lectures on Deco history, influences, and preservation.

And, while not exactly an “attraction,” the street fair and food vendors make staying all day simple. There will be plenty to each and drink from morning ‘til night, so you never have to sit down and lose the momentum of the era!

If your younger Deco fanatic is along for the ride, the Playground and Children’s Area is for you. Think a jazzy dance club for kids, music lessons on the kazoo, magic shows, arts and crafts, fantasy theatre – and yes, that aforementioned playground. Be excited… Be very excited!

A Centennial Weekend

What could be better than a jazzy weekend of costumes, curated tours, dance, and Deco? If you’re a modern-day anomaly, this event is really speaking your language!

If your kid has grown up as that weird Andy Williams fan, forever feeling out of her element in the modern era or bullied by his friends for a keen sense of fashion, Art Deco Weekend will show your kid that they’re not alone! There’s a whole city of retro weirdos out there – including you.

Plus – with most of the art and architecture that the fest is celebrating nearly 100 years old, aren’t you glad you get to enjoy it all annually?

Will you take your kids to Miami’s Art Deco Weekend this year? What fun events does your city have to offer?