Things To Do

The trash fire that is 2020 is over. Here’s what’s open in Miami on New Year’s weekend

By Connie Ogle

Updated December 31, 2020 9:32 AM

It is the final weekend of 2020, the first weekend of 2021. We know you’re going to celebrate.

But how? The annual festivities of the Big Orange countdown at Bayfront Park have been canceled for the first time in three decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Restaurants are having New Year’s Eve specials, if you are so inclined. Personally, we plan to stay in and enjoy an intimate evening with an entire tortilla Española and a bottle of Rioja. But if you want to go out amid the hordes of tourists arriving in Miami, here’s what you need to know. Miami-Dade’s midnight-to-6 a.m. curfew is extended on New Year’s Eve to 1 a.m.

Masks are required in most businesses.

In Key West, you’ll have to wind down a little earlier: a federal judge ruled that the island’s 10:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve curfew stands.

And may we never see anything like 2020 again.

RESTAURANTS

Restaurants are open (except for those that have closed permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic. RIP.) Many new restaurants have opened in the past several months. They’re open for dining in, but many have outdoor areas and takeout or delivery options.

Not sure where to start? Miami Herald food editor Carlos Frias tells us the best dishes he ate in 2020 (hint: there’s a lot of comfort food on the menu).

BARS

Miami-Dade bars are open.

NIGHTCLUBS

Nightclubs are open but must conform to curfew. Check with individual clubs for more information.

BEACHES

Beaches are open.

MOVIE THEATERS

Movie theaters are open, although one popular theater chain has closed for the rest of 2020. Check Fandango for local listings.

COUNTY AND CITY PARKS

All Miami-Dade parks are open, and so are marinas and golf courses.

BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK

The park is open.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

Shark Valley remains temporarily closed due to flooding. The Ernest F. Coe visitor center in Homestead is open, though parts of the park are closed due to flooding, including the Pine Glades Lake, Sisal Pond and Pa-hay-okee areas.