There’s no excuse to be bored, Miami. Check out these free weekend events | Miami Herald

This is Miami so technically, Thursday is the weekend. Kick it off with Miami’s history guru Dr. Paul George. He’ll start his walking tour at the iconic Tower Theater in Little Havana and then take you through the historic neighborhood (now on the National Register of Historic Places) and wax poetic about its evolution and history.

North Beach is giving SoBe a run for its money – or trying to, anyway. The quiet town of Surfside kicks off its decade long Third Thursdays Block Party. The main event is the Surfside Ride, at which attendees are encouraged to bring a bike, skates or scooters for a competition. Kids can also enjoy interactive activities while local band Brothers of Others performs and everyone feeds their faces with food truck fare.

Maybe you went to last weekend’s Paradise City Comic Con. If you did, pull out that costume and cosplay as your favorite comic book character or superhero and you’ll get $1 off your pint at this second annual event. Geek out playing your favorite video games and join the costume contest. There will also be an art showcase by Nomiie, the screening of silent films and superhero music.

Spend the afternoon browsing at 2018’s first Miami Flea. The organizers have revamped the space and vintage wardrobes. Shop for updated vintage threads, art and home décor plus plenty of plants to green up the crib. Grab some grub from local eateries, a drink from Mac’s Pub, a poem written on the spot by The Biscayne Poet and listen to music by various local acts. Kids can get their faces painted and make crafts. By all means, bring along the pooch.

This concert must have been a good one, since it’s an encore showing of an Oct. 14 performance. Come early to grab a good spot, lay down your blanket and spread out your picnic. Then you’ll be ready to watch Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas lead the New World Symphony musicians play pieces by Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov. Pianist Yuja Wang was the guest artist at this concert.

Lovely foliage provides the perfect back drop for this weekend’s Fine Arts Festival, and the free admission makes attending even sweeter. The juried art show is a great place to view and buy paintings, sculpture, mixed media pieces, photography and handcrafted jewelry. And what would an arts festival be without live music and food?

When the Miami Heat players aren’t dunking on their opponents and there’s no major musical act in town, the Miami Downtown Development Authority has found another use for the AmericanAirlines Arena: movie night. This Friday they’re showing the Disney animated film “Moana.” Get there early and enjoy happy hour with food trucks and premium cocktails.