‘Miami spring break is iconic.’ Why young people flock to Miami Beach in March
What goes in to choosing a spring break destination? Is it the weather? What about the food? What makes a city the go-to spot for thousands every year?
Particularly, what motivates the thousands of visitors to travel to Miami Beach year after year?
The answer, it seems, is pretty straightforward: “Why not?”
The short, sassy response was among a handful Herald reporters heard from more than two dozen spring breakers partying Saturday night along Ocean Drive.
It came from a group of three friends visiting from Bonn, Germany — they’d heard a lot about Miami Beach’s spring break; a duo from West Palm Beach who decided that morning to make the short drive down; and two friends from North Dakota.
“Why not?” one said. “It’s freezing up there.”
Like most other nights during spring break, every restaurant along the strip was full. Crowds walked along the sidewalks on either side of the road as Goodwill Ambassadors in pink hats worked to keep them from spilling over into the streets. (Unlike last year, Ocean Drive was open to cars, although authorities closed it at times last weekend due to the crowds.) Police stood on the grass near their parked cars or patrolled the streets on Segways, four-wheelers or golf carts.
Sometimes, without warning, a group would gather in a circle and begin to dance.
That was Saturday night.
Early Sunday morning, shortly after midnight, gunshots were fired around the 800 block of Ocean Drive and three people were treated at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Around 1 a.m. Monday, gunfire rang out again, this time at Seventh Street and Ocean. Two women were wounded.
Nine police officers also have been injured, city leaders said.
READ MORE: After 2 shootings, spring break gets curfew and state of emergency in South Beach
Gunshots prompt Beach emergency rules
The shootings prompted city leaders to declare a state of emergency, from noon Thursday, March 24, to 6 a.m. Monday, March 28, and enact new emergency rules, including a curfew. The curfew will be in effect from 11:59 p.m. to 6 a.m. during this period and applies to the area bounded by 23rd Street and Dade Boulevard to the north, Government Cut to the south, Biscayne Bay on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.
Stores in South Beach must stop selling alcohol at 6 p.m. Thursday, too, as part of the city’s emergency rules. Existing city rules allow alcohol sales to resume at stores between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. the following day. The alcohol sales ban will also be in effect on Friday and Saturday.
READ MORE: What you need to know about the curfew
Compared to last year, though, the restrictions aren’t quite as extreme. In 2021, Miami Beach imposed an 8 p.m. curfew during spring break and closed its major causeways to traffic coming into the city to minimize crowds during COVID-19’s peak.
This year, the major causeways leading to and from the island will remain open, but Miami Beach City Manager Alina Hudak said visitors should carry proof of residency or proof they are staying in a city hotel.
‘Miami spring break is iconic’
On Saturday night, the Herald spoke with more than 30 people along Ocean Drive. All but two — a couple from Austria — were there to participate in the night’s festivities. (The Austrian couple was not aware of spring break and just happened to be there.)
They were mostly young people and most came from out of town or state. A few, still, were from Miami-Dade.
Some were from Alabama, others came from Illinois, Michigan and Georgia. A handful traveled from Chicago. There were a few birthday celebrations. Most were visiting Miami Beach for the first time.
Everyone, though, came to have fun.
“Miami spring break is iconic,” said MacKenzie Galloway, who traveled from Washington, DC. “You have to do it at least once.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 2:30 PM.