How to get to Calle Ocho’s big party — or get around it if you’re going somewhere else
The Calle Ocho Music Festival is back for real on Sunday, March 13, after a two-year hiatus.
That means music performances on several stages including a performance from this year’s King of Carnaval Yotuel Romero, the Cuban-born singer whose 2021 tune “Patria Y Vida” (Homeland and Life) turned into an anthem for the #SOSCuba movement.
There will be also be food booths and thousands and thousands of your neighbors lining 15 city blocks.
Though Calle Ocho 2022 had to scale back to about half the number of stages — seven stages this year, for instance — owing to the lingering pandemic, Calle Ocho is still a big deal and a massive street party.
So unless you want to look like you’re wailing like Romero as you sit in gridlock, you may want to heed some of these tips to help get you around the traffic at this Sunday’s Calle Ocho and find your way into the free festival.
Where is Calle Ocho?
Calle Ocho is along 15 city blocks in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.
Where: Between 12th and 27th avenues on Eighth Street (Calle Ocho).
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, March 13.
What streets will close?
There will be several street closures to accommodate the Calle Ocho festival, said Kiwanis of Little Havana/Carnaval Miami spokeswoman Mayra Hernandez.
You want to know this even if you aren’t going to the festival and want to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
Street closures start at 11:59 p.m. Saturday — a minute before midnight.
▪ Southwest Seventh Street closes from 12th to 27th avenues.
▪ Southwest Eighth Street closes from 12th to 27th avenues.
When do streets reopen?
You’ll also want to know this if you seek relief from traffic — though, in Miami, is there such a thing?
Streets reopen at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Southwest Seventh Street reopens from 12th to 27th avenues.
Southwest Eighth Street reopens from 12th to 27th avenues.
Parking
Street parking is available in Little Havana around the event’s perimeter or, as most people do, park on the lawns of locals — but note you can’t just blindly do so. Make sure the neighbors are cool with that. You will know rather quickly whether they are agreeable to having people park on their lawns as most of these enterprising residents have signs with the prices they are seeking to let you park on their property.
Maria Delgado, spokeswoman for Miami Parking Authority, listed the following surface lots that will be available: Lots 44, 45 and 46. But between them there are only 32 spaces. Maybe you’ll get lucky and someone will be pulling out just as you arrive.
Here’s where they are:
▪ Lot 44 (6 spaces) at Southwest 17th Avenue and Sixth Street.
▪ Lot 45 (13 spaces) at 1660 SW Third St.
▪ Lot 46 (13 spaces) at Southwest 17th Avenue between Second and Third streets.
The parking rate is $1.75 per hour for all of these lots.
You can also try your luck on street parking and use the PayByPhone app to pay for that parking.
Public transportation?
You can also take Metromover to the Brickell City Centre (Eighth Street) station. From there, it’s about a 20 minute walk to the festivities.
More information?
Head over to carnavalmiami.com.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 1:35 PM.
