World video travel guide

News • Miami • Florida • United States • 2011-08-29

OUT AND ABOUT IN MIAMI

Thank you for your continued support of Miami! The September issue of the monthly Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Media Relation’s e-newsletter is filled with story leads you can develop, including exciting news and events. Enjoy!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND SIZZLES AT FONTAINEBLEAU WITH PITBULL AND VOLI LIGHT VODKA: A host to celebrities and their entourages since the likes of Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleason took stage at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the resort will play host to award-winning Pitbull and his entourage of famous friends September 2-5, 2011 to celebrate Labor Day weekend with the launch of the much-anticipated Voli Light Vodka, the world.s first low calorie vodka with natural flavors. This exclusive celebrity-studded weekend will include events such as a private performance by Pitbull, vodka tastings, poolside parties and private lounges with special Voli cocktails developed by the resort.s mixologists. Fans will be able to partake in the festivities by booking one of the weekend.s limited packages that will give them access to the events and tastings. To take advantage of this opportunity, guests can either call 877-854-0131 or visit www.fontainebleau.com.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY JOINS INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION OF FASHIONЎЇS NIGHT OUT 2011: Miami-Dade County joins the list of host locations around the world that will celebrate Fashion.s Night Out 2011 (FNO) this September 8th from 6-11 p.m. The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County.s official economic development partnership, will spearhead local involvement in this one night event as part of its Fashion-Lifestyle Initiative. Joining The Beacon Council as the official host of Miami.s participation, additional partners include the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, Fashion Group International-Miami, and Miami Downtown Development Authority. More than 65 retailers and lifestyle centers, including Bal Harbour Shops, Miami Design District, The Falls Shopping Center, Village of Merrick Park, and Aventura Mall, will participate in this international .shopping party. by offering an array of unique opportunities that include local celebrity and designer appearances, fashion shows, gift sampling and more. Shoppers also can participate from home for the first time this year by shopping from FNO.s list of online retailers that includes many Miami-based brands. With133 fashion companies headquartered and more than 5,600 fashion companies in Miami-Dade County, the fashion industry in Miami-Dade County represented $176 million in total wages in 2010. Major companies with operations in Miami-Dade County include Benetton U.S.A. Corp., Perry Ellis International, Ferragamo Latin America, Tiffany & Co., Luxottica Sun Corporation, and more. A comprehensive list of official FNO events is available at: http://www.fashionsnightout.com/fno/outside-nyc. The latest local updates also will be available on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FNOMiami or Twitter at www.twitter.com/fnomia (@FNOmia).

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA) MOVER STARTS BOARDING ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2011: Renting a car at Miami International Airport (MIA) is about to get faster and easier. The MIA Mover, a 1.25-mile-long, elevated people mover system, is scheduled to begin connecting passengers from MIA to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) on September 9, 2011. The Miami Rental Car Center (RCC), a four-level facility housing the operations of 16 major rental car companies, opened in July 2010 as the first phase of the MIC. The shuttle bus service currently in operation between MIA and the RCC will be replaced by the electric-powered MIA Mover, which can transport 3,000 passengers per hour and will reduce fuel emissions at MIA 15 percent. The MIA Mover will also connect travelers to Miami-Dade County.s Metrorail system via the MIC upon completion of Miami-Dade Transit.s AirportLink connection, scheduled for April 2012. AirportLink is a 2.4-mile extension from the existing Earlington Heights Metrorail Station to the MIC. Miami Central Station - the second phase of the MIC scheduled to open in 2013 - will serve as Miami-Dade County\'s first ground transportation hub, providing passengers connections to additional ground transportation services including: Miami-Dade Transit.s

Metrobus service; Tri-Rail, a heavy-rail system that spans Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties; Amtrak; taxi and other private transportation services. For more information, visit www.miami-airport.com.

IN HONOR OF MICHIMUЎЇS 8TH BIRTHDAY MIAMI-DADE RESIDENTS GET $8 ADMISSION TO MIAMI CHILDRENЎЇS MUSEUM ALL THROUGH SEPTEMBER: Miami Children.s Museum and its lovable mascot Michimu are celebrating their 8th Birthday in their wonderful Watson Island location and they decided to give gifts to their Miami-Dade fans instead of receiving them. The $8 September Birthday admission for all Miami-Dade residents includes access to all the Museum.s many interactive exhibits including the newly refurbished Carnival Cruise Lines cruise ship, the Multi Cultural Teddy Bears, Music and Art galleries and the huge Sandcastle slide. It also includes entrance through September 11th to Bob the Builder, their latest interactive adventure where you can spend time in Sunflower Valley with Bob the Builder, Wendy and the rest of the Can-Do Crew. And don.t forget to help Michimu celebrate his birthday on Sunday, September 10th from noon to 5PM. There will be games, arts and crafts and host of other activities throughout the day. You can even enjoy decorating your own Mischa.s Cupcake to celebrate Michimu.s Birthday in a most delicious way! Regular admission is $15 for adults and children, $12 for Florida Residents outside Miami-Dade, free for children under 1 year and admission for Members is complimentary. For more information contact the Museum at 305.373.KIDS (5437) or visit www.miamichildrensmuseum.org.

HAMPTON INN & SUITES IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI SET TO BE MIAMI\'S FIRST LEED-CERTIFIED HOTEL: The new 221-room Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown Miami.s Brickell financial district due to open its doors in September 2011 is set to earn the distinction of being the first newly built LEED certified hotel in Miami. The Hampton Inn & Suites will likely receive its LEED Silver certification early next year. It is also the only hotel in the downtown Miami/Brickell area which is in the mid-range price bracket, as this area has more luxury hotel properties than anywhere else in Florida. Once Miami-based hotel development firm, Hospitality Operations Inc. opens the doors to this new hotel, guests will notice a plethora of environmentally friendly features. These include thermostats and lights which automatically turn off once a room is unoccupied, air conditioning systems which power down when guests are not in their rooms, low flow water fixtures and biodegradable recycled plastic room key cards. Owners of hybrid and electric cars will benefit from preferred parking spaces, with charging stations for electric vehicles. The rooms will be cleaned using environmentally friendly non-toxic cleaning agents, and an ozone laundry system will reduce the use of chemicals, energy and water. There is a 35,000 gallon cistern designed to harvest rainwater which will be used for public restrooms and irrigation purposes. Employees will be encouraged to bike and walk to work as there are bicycle racks and changing and showering facilities. For more information, visit http://hamptoninnmiamibrickell.com/.

FIRST-EVER Ў°CELEBRATE ORGULLOўзЎ± TO SHOWCASE LGBT HISPANIC PRIDE DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: On Saturday, October 1, the first-ever Ў°Celebrate OrgulloўзЎ± event will take place in Lummus Park on Miami Beach. Ў°OrgulloЎ± is Spanish for Ў°Pride,Ў± and this event celebrates the diverse cultural heritage and contributions of South Florida.s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Hispanic community. The event, which is free and open to the public will take place from noon until 6 pm at Lummus Park, between 10th and 11th Streets Miami Beach, featuring musical performances, folkloric dance, celebrity guests, drag performers, refreshments and vendor booths representing the both the non-profit and business community. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of food and beverages will benefit the LGBT Youth Scholarship Fund of Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Inc. With Hispanics in Miami-Dade County comprising 65% of the total population, (2010 U.S. Census), Hispanic Heritage Month is widely popular in South Florida, with a myriad of events taking place throughout the month long celebration. As evidenced by the more than 40,000 people who turned out for Miami Beach Gay Pride this past April, there are a significant amount of LGBT and LGBT-friendly supporters in South Florida, and many are Hispanic. Coincidentally, the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month 2011 is: Ў°Heritage, Diversity, Integrity and Honor: The Renewed Hope of America,Ў± therefore it is especially timely that the first Celebrate Orgulloўз will truly celebrate the diversity of Miami.s community. Celebrate Orgulloўз is a grassroots effort, conceived and implemented by a group of volunteers who decided that it was time for Miami Beach to lead the way in honoring the cultural contributions of the LGBT Hispanic community. The committee

unanimously voted to name the city.s mayor, Matti Herrera-Bower, as Ў°Honorary Orgullo QueenЎ± to recognize her support throughout the years. For further information, visit www.celebrateorgullo.com.

SOUTH MIAMI-DADE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER GRAND OPENING: A brand-new $51 million state-of-the-art performing arts venue will be officially introduced to the South Miami-Dade community on October 1 & 2, 2011. The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, designed by an internationally-acclaimed design team that includes Arquitectonica International, Inc. (architects), Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc. (theater design), Artec Consultants, Inc. (acoustics), and AMS Planning & Research Corp. (theater management), provides, for the first time, a state-of-the-art cultural venue and community gathering place in the southern part of Miami-Dade County. The Center features prominent works of art created by Miami artist Robert Chambers who was commissioned by Miami-Dade County.s Art in Public Places program to design a kinetic light wall and sculptures for the theater. The facility includes 966 seat state-of-the- art theater, which features a fly tower, orchestra pit, front of house spaces (box office, lobby, concessions, etc.) and back of house support spaces (dressing rooms, storage and work areas, administrative offices, etc.). The site also includes an activities building which houses lab / experimental theaters, and may be used for classrooms, rehearsals, and small-scale performances. A beautiful outdoor plaza allows for festivals, art shows, and other outdoor activities. The concert lawn Ў°back yardЎ± slopes to the Black Creek Canal, and can host outdoor concerts, performances and events. The much-anticipated South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center opens with two days of spectacular, high-quality performances open to the public, and is followed by an inaugural season of performances. The Grand Opening Celebration is highlighted by a multidisciplinary show featuring international artists, as well as some of Miami.s highest caliber performers. Tickets go on sale September 1. For information on how to buy tickets the public should call (786) 573-5316 or visit www.smdcac.org.

AN 11OZ MEATBALL INVADES SOFI: Local food maven David Manero has opened Vic & Angelo.s, in the former DeVito\'s (which he teamed up with Danny for) to fill you with Italian fare in a class-heavy space with exposed brick galore, made less exposed by ornate mirrors, huge white leather captain.s chairs, plus an outdoor area lined with private cabanas and a fire pit. The massive menu consists of antipasti like a whipped ricotta-/ peppers-/ basil-packed 11oz Kobe \"Old School Meatball\", truffle-cream-slathered four-cheese pear tortelloni and Nona\'s Sunday gravy macaroni topped with pork, sausage. Meanwhile, mains range from jumbo shrimp and Maine lobster, to rosemary-rubbed dry-aged steaks, plus coal-oven pizzas made with NYC-imported water including the Goat Cheese w/ pistachios and truffle honey, and the pepperoni/ mozz/ San Marzano Ў°Mott Street.Ў± For more information, visit www.vicandangelos.com.

RSS • All news