Hispanic Heritage Month is officially celebrated Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, but here in Miami, we get to enjoy Hispanic culture every day.
From Aventura down Biscayne Boulevard to Brickell and beyond, Miami boasts a rich Hispanic heritage that you can taste, touch, feel, see, and hear. From Peruvian restaurants in Aventura, like CVI.CHE 105 in the Aventura Mall, which has built a solid reputation on its hybrid Peruvian-Japanese menu; to nearby Jarana, which serves Peruvian favorites and Pisco cocktails; and Barrio Latino, the place for pan-Latin comfort food, it’s easy and oh-so satisfying to taste the Hispanic culture. Cuban, Argentine, and other Latin restaurants are abundant along Biscayne – check out Quick Bites on page 41 for more suggestions.
This year, the Arsht Center is the undisputed king of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, with theatre, dance, music, and art geared to all ages and comprising many different Hispanic cultures.
DALE! NMB
(Courtesy Instgram)
Melina Almodovar will perform at DALE! in North Miami Beach.
Sept. 22
North Shore Park & Youth Center
501 72 St., North Miami Beach
North Miami Beach's library branch will host Hispanic Heritage Dale! NMB on Saturday, Sept. 22, a free evening of Hispanic music and dance with a lineup of local performers, including Melina Almodovar, DJ Angelo, Cynthia D’Acosta, Mikey Chevalier, Mariachi Mi Mexico, and Fabian Avila. The event will also feature an art exhibition and Hispanic food.
MIAMI BEACH SALSA FEST
Oct. 11
Miami Beach Bandshell
7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach
Live salsa, social dancing, and community performances fill the Miami Beach bandshell during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration for all generations. The 12th annual festival takes place Sunday Oct. 11, at the Miami Beach Bandshell. Presented by Almodovar Musica Productions, the program combines concert performances, dance showcases, and participatory activities hosted and produced by singer Melina Almodovar. Known as La Muneca de la Salsa, the event features a senior salsa dance contest and free salsa lessons for participants of all ages and experience levels. An opening band to be announced will be followed by a concert from Almodovar, an orchestra, and special guest artists.
“BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB”
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
The Broadway company of "Buena Vista Social Club."
Sept. 29 to Oct. 4
Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Bld., Miami
Fresh from Broadway, the centerpiece of Hispanic Heritage Month is the South Florida premiere of “Buena Vista Social Club,” running Sept. 29 through Oct. 4 at the Arsht Center in Miami.
“Buena Vista Social Club” started as a 1999 documentary by German filmmaker Win Wenders, and follows renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son Joaquim as they travel to Cuba to assemble a group of the country's finest musicians to record an album. Artists included in the project are singer Ibrahim Ferrer and pianist Rubén González. Eventually the ensemble travels to the United States to perform in front of enrapt audiences. The musicians continued to perform under the Buena Vista Social Club name and the film was responsible for a resurgence of their careers.
The musical, with a book by Miami playwright Marco Ramirez, fictionalizes four of the musicians in the documentary – Omara Portuondo, Ferrer, Compay Segundo, and González – and follows their lives from the 1950s to through the 1990s, examining the effect communism and the Castro regime had on their lives and careers. Musical styles showcased in the musical include son, danzon, and bolero. The musical made its debut on Broadway in 2025 and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning 4 competitive awards and one special Tony, honoring the onstage musicians of the “Buena Vista Social Club” band.
FESTIVAL AT THOMSON PLAZA
Sept. 29 to Oct. 4
Thomson Plaza
1300 Biscayne Bld., Miami
Outside the Arsht Center in Thomson Plaza, the Arsht Center will host a free week-long celebration for all ages inspired by the South Florida premiere of “Buena Vista Social Club” during Hispanic Heritage Month.
From Sept. 29 through Oct. 4, guests can wander through a lively plaza filled with live music, DJs, dancing, domino games, local artisans, and pop-up vendors, plus free performances by internationally recognized artists and beloved local ensembles that will highlight Miami’s rich cultural landscape and its deep connections to Cuban and Latin American music. Featured artists include internationally acclaimed Cuban drummer Jesse Garcia, Latin Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Mr. Pauer, two-time Latin Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Leslie Cartaya, Miami favorites Cortadito and Sonlokos, the Juno award-winning duo Okan, and many more.
Everyone is invited to step inside the Arsht Center to explore exhibitions, artifacts, and photography that bring Cuban culture and stories to life. Visitors will also have the chance to contribute memories to a living oral history project. No ticket is required.
CHUCHO VALDES TURNS 85 IN STYLE
(Photo: Martin Espina Garcia)
Cuban pianist and bandleader Chucho Valdes is the center of a musical birthday celebration at the Arsht Center.
Oct. 9
Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Bld., Miami
Iconic Cuban pianist and bandleader Chucho Valdes turns 85 on Oct. 9, so what better way to celebrate a legendary musician than with a concert?
(Courtesy Aquiapo Films)
Joe Lovano is among the stars who will celebrate Chucho Valdes for his 85th birthday celebration at the Arsht Center.
Valdes will mark his milestone birthday with about 2,200 friends and guests on Oct. 9 at the Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center in Miami. Multi-instrumentalist Joe Lovano and jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard will also take the stage.
Valdes comes from a musical family and his son, Chuchito, has followed in his father’s footsteps. Valdes is a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and has won seven Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards. In a career that spans more than 60 years, he founded Irakere, one of Cuba’s best-known Latin jazz bands. He is also an original member of Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna, an all-star backing band that accompanied vocalists, including Omara Portuondo, who is portrayed in “Buena Vista Social Club.”
MARIONETAS DE LA ESQINAS: SUPERHEROINAS
(Courtesy Arsht Center)
Mexican puppetry troupe Marionetas de la Esquina will presents Superheroínas, a show for kids about two best friends who share everything.
Carnival Studio Theatre
Oct. 10-11
Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Bld., Miami
Mexican puppetry troupe Marionetas de la Esquina presents “Superheroínas,” a show about Azul and Ali, best friends who share everything, even birthday celebrations. While Ali’s mother insists on seeing them as princesses, the girls know they are something much better: superheroes. Aimed at children in kindergarten through third grade, the show will offer separate performances in Spanish on Oct. 10 and in English on Oct. 11. Both shows are at 11 a.m. at the Carnival Studio Theatre at the Arsht Center.
CAPULLI MEXICAN DANCE COMPANY
Nov 1
Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Bld., Miami
While Hispanic Heritage Month officially ends on Oct. 15, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an important Latin celebration that takes place on Nov. 1, and the Arsht Center is going all out to make sure the celebration and performance is accessible to everyone.
The fun begins on Thomson Plaza with a festive pre-show gathering immediately before the performance, inviting guests of all ages into the colors, music, and traditions of Dia de Muertos. The experience continues inside Knight Concert Hall with Capulli Mexican Dance Company’s vibrant performance, which follows a small town in Mexico as its residents joyfully welcome the spirits of departed loved ones. Through dance, storytelling, and cultural traditions, audiences will discover the beauty, history and meaning behind Dia de Muertos.
Tickets are an innovative pay-what-you-can model, and although $10 is suggested, free admission is also available.