Out and About in MIAMI. September 2010 news

 September 2010                                               www.MiamiandBeaches.com

OUT AND ABOUT IN MIAMI
Thank you for your continued support of Miami! 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!

COUNTRY’S ONLY CRUISE SHIP-THEMED CHILDREN’S EXHIBIT SET SAIL ON SEPTEMBER 1 AT MIAMI CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: In a nod to maritime tradition, Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines and the Miami Children’s Museum uncorked a confetti-filled bottle of champagne to officially re-launch of the country’s only cruise-themed children’s exhibit. After an extensive renovation, the redesigned 1,850-square-foot cruise ship-shaped attraction now features a host of new hands-on activities that provide oceans of fun and help kids learn the secrets behind one of South Florida’s largest industries. At the two-level exhibit, kids sail on a sea of discovery as they create their own cruise-themed puppet show, listen to actual recordings of a captain bringing a ship into port, dress up as entertainers, play steel drums and “see how low they can go” with a fun limbo activity. For more information, visit http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE AT THE BETSY-SOUTH BEACH!: Summer officially ends on September 23, but the joy of warm weather continues in South Beach where Miami Spice showcases the very best of Miami gastronomy created by world renowned chefs, including Chef Extraordinaire, Laurent Tourondel of BLT Steak at The Betsy. So pack your bags, and enjoy a luxurious two night stay on South Beach that includes one three-course dinner for two from BLT Steak’s Miami Spice menu. Additional amenities include: Continental Breakfast Daily, Beach Chairs, Plush Towels with Umbrella, Free Wireless Internet, and Daily New York Times. Inclusive rates start at $569 with your arrival from Sunday through Wednesday. Thursday through Saturdays, enjoy an upgraded BLT Blackboard Special at an inclusive rate of $729. Extend your stay with additional nights, available at prevailing rates. Book by calling 866.792.3879 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              866.792.3879      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

(Special Access Code: SPICE) or learn more at www.thebetsyhotel.com.

SOLEA AT THE W SOUTH BEACH INTRODUCES FIRST EVER COCKTAIL LIST: Located at the W South Beach, Solea, the award-winning culinary hotpot introduces its first ever cocktail list, created by bartender Tommy Merolla from the W’s bar/lounge Living Room, as well as a slew of exciting new dishes. Brought to the forefront nationally by the recent feature in the New York Times on Living Room’s couture cocktails, Miami’s evolving mixology movement has infused the restaurant with a vibrant new spirit. Honoring the restaurant’s Spanish roots and embracing the vibrant energy of Miami, the list of ten libations, priced at $14 each, is an exciting melding of classic and contemporary ingredients. Much like the individual layers that come together so exquisitely in each of Solea’s dishes, the cocktails’ ingredients are fresh, made in-house and often unusual or difficult-to-find. Elements such as fresh cilantro, basil and ginger root; aloe vera gel; lavender gin; strawberry yuzu; cinnamon simple syrup; bison grass infused vodka; orange blossom water; and cardamom bitters bring an intriguing balance and presentation of flavors, and make sipping a cocktail before, during or after a meal a culinary experience all its own. For more information, phone: (305) 938-3111 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (305) 938-3111      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

. www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels 

KIMPTON’S EPIC MIAMI ANNOUNCES THE PERFECT ’10-10-10′ MEETINGS PACKAGE: For planners looking for that “perfect 10” meeting experience this fall, Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel in Miami introduces a pull-out-all-the-stops meetings package just in time for October 10, 2010 (10-10-10). EPIC, the luxury lifestyle waterfront boutique hotel in downtown Miami offering the most comprehensive and distinctively designed meeting space in the market, with services and amenities to match, is committed to creating memorable meetings that are also strong on value. To mark what could be considered the most perfect date in the calendar, Miami’s luxury lifestyle, waterfront boutique hotel in the heart of Downtown Miami has created the perfect meetings package with special savings across the board for groups booking 50 rooms or more per night during October 2010. EPIC’s “perfect 10” meeting package includes:

  • A credit of up to 10% to the master account
  • Up to 10 category room upgrades (for example, book 10 City View rooms  and receive up to 10 Water View room for the same price)
  • Up to 10 upgrades to Jr. Suites at group rate for your VIPs
  • 10 VIP amenities
  • A $500 American Express Gift Card for every $10,000 charged to the master account
  • 10 complimentary welcome cocktails for your VIPs
  • Meeting attendees receive 10% off their dinner at Area 31
  • Meeting attendees receive 10% off spa services provided by Exhale
  • $10 off per night for overnight valet parking

In addition to the above, for groups booked over 10-10-10, EPIC will host a complimentary private wine hour event for meeting attendees. Book another meeting at EPIC of equal or greater size to be consumed in 2010 and receive this same offer again. Upgrades are subject to availability. Minimum length of stay for eligibility is two nights, 50 rooms per night. Offer is subject to change without notice. A mutually signed contract must be received by the hotel by September 10, 2010. Offer is not applicable to already contracted groups. For more information, call EPIC sales at 305-424-5226 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              305-424-5226      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or to send requests for proposals to sales@epichotel.com.

A NEW PRODUCTION FROM THE CREATORS OF STOMP TO MAKE ITS U.S. DEBUT IN MIAMI THIS FALL LAUNCHING THE ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER 5TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON: The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announced the kick-off to its 5th Anniversary Season with the U.S. premiere of PANDEMONIUM: The Lost and Found Orchestra. From the creators of the blockbuster hit STOMP, this modern, urban symphonic adventure features a cast of 25 performers plus a 30-member choir of local Miami singers. Fresh from sold-out performances in London, Sydney, and Amsterdam, PANDEMONIUM is poised to take Miami by storm, September 16-26, 2010 in the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. Where STOMP creates rhythm with everyday objects, PANDEMONIUM transforms everyday objects into a plethora of invented instruments. Performed by the LFO (Lost and Found Orchestra), PANDEMONIUM recreates every section of a symphony orchestra, using musical saws, bottles, whirly toys and traffic cones. Out of chaos emerges an orchestra. Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information for details and schedules.

GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER-SONGWRITER JON SECADA PREMIERES INTIMATE NEW MUSIC VENUE IN MIAMI NOVEMBER 2010: Seating 200 guests, Secada’s at Magic City Casino will offer an ideal setting for meeting friends for cocktails and innovative bar bites, while enjoying great entertainment, ranging from dance-offs, Carnaval nights, and live DJ music. Secada’s will also bring back the intimacy of a live music venue to Miami, where guests will enjoy impromptu evenings hosted by Secada as well as performances by local musicians and emerging acts. Guests will also have the opportunity to buy new Secada’s signature merchandise, including cotton tees, camis, and hats. The venue is in tune with the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s affinity for music and the entertainment arts, and his passion for Miami. To celebrate the opening of Secada’s, Jon will star in a concert – Secada and Friends – on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. in the casino amphitheatre. The opening of Secada’s at Magic City Casino will be another career highlight for this internationally recognized Latin crossover singer-songwriter and actor who starred in Broadway hit musicals including Grease and Sam Mendes’ critically acclaimed version of Cabaret. In fact, Secada’s career is currently booming. He recently announced his participation on Univision’s first season of its dance competition show, Mira Quién Baila (Look Who’s Dancing), the Spanish equivalent of “Dancing with The Stars,” premiering nationwide on September 12, 2010. In addition, Secada is currently in the studio recording his upcoming Spanish pop album. For more about Jon’s music, concert tours, Secada’s at Magic City Casino, and Mira Quién Baila, visit www.JonSecada.com and www.magiccitycasino.com.

FOR THE 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY WILL SERVE AS HOST TO NASCAR’S FORD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND IN 2011: South Florida again will be the site when NASCAR crowns its Champions in all three of its top national divisions–the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series– the weekend of Nov.18-20, 2011. It’s a unique privilege to host the Championship finales of America’s No.1 spectator sport for a 10th year running. No other city in any other sport can claim such a string: Consider that the Super Bowl, college football’s BCS, the World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals all rotate their Championship-crowning events from city to city each year. Since the debut of Ford Championship Weekend in 2002, Homestead-Miami Speedway has played host to historic NASCAR Championship moments, including last fall when Jimmie Johnson became the first driver ever to claim four consecutive Sprint Cup Championships. In 2004, Homestead-Miami hosted the first-ever NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, as Kurt Busch became the first to hoist the “Chase” hardware. All told, Homestead-Miami has seen 18 different NASCAR Champions crowned. Kids FREE: Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports Championships, and they’re doing it again in 2010 in hosting both the NextEra Energy Indy Championships (Oct.1-2) and NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend (Nov.19-21). Kids 12 & under are FREE to three of the five Championship finales. For more information, visit THEChampionshipTrack.com or call (866) 409-RACE begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (866) 409-RACE      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

A NEW PRE-HEAT GAME DATE SPOT: Amuse, a glossy den of modern French cooking, is now open at Tempo Miami hotel. Despite its location across the street from the AA Arena, this is a relatively quiet, off-the-radar spot to take a date. Walking into the third-floor restaurant, the first thing you’ll want to do is look out the great sprawl of glass framing views of the bay. Take a deep breath and bask. Then, claim a couple of leather chairs and get things socially lubed with a beer or a Cucumber Lemonade. When you’ve got her laughing about your thoughts on Dan Le Batard’s chest hair, step over to the adjacent dining room and ask for a table by the 30-foot-tall windows overlooking the arena. That’s where you’ll want to dive into the mostly Californian wine list and summon plates from the no-stranger-to-Michelin-stars Argentinean/French chef like Soft Shell Crab Tempura, sake ice cream and braised short ribs with scoops of mango beer sorbet. Nothing pairs with alley-oops like mango beer sorbet. For more information call (786) 369-0300 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (786) 369-0300      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit http://tempomiami.rockresorts.com/dining/amuse.asp.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT MIAMI CIRCLE SITE: At the mouth of the Miami River, an instant city of high-rise condos popped up around the 2,000-year-old Miami Circle in far less time than it took the state of Florida to devise a plan for public access to the ancient Native American site. Now, 11 years after taxpayers ponied up $27 million to save the archaeological relic from getting buried under a condo slab, earthmovers are finally at work transforming the 2.2-acre parcel into the city’s newest — and perhaps most resonant — waterfront park. That the first phase of the Miami Circle Park is close to completion is in large part due to an obscure state board — the Florida Inland Navigation District, known as FIND — that stepped in to help close a budget gap that threatened to again halt the long-delayed project. But by late November or early December, planners say, residents and visitors should gain unfettered access to the site via a new, palm-shaded riverwalk that connects to a year-old public baywalk behind the Icon Brickell condo complex next door. For an urban park, the roughly $1 million plan is simple and frugal: Aside from the riverwalk, it includes some landscaping, lighting and signage. A drop-off loop will provide auto access from Brickell Avenue. The ancient circle itself will for the foreseeable future remain buried for protection, its circumference delineated by paving stones. A new “ceremonial” circle will occupy the point where the river meets Biscayne Bay, a location archaeologists believe held special significance for the Tequesta tribe, Miami’s original developers.

Calendar of Events:

Miami Spice Restaurant Month
through Sep.30
              http://www.iLoveMiamiSpice.com
Miami Home Design & Remodeling Show
 Sep. 3-7
http://www.homeshows.net
XV Anniversary International Ballet Festival of  Miami
 Sep 3-12
http://www.internationalballetfestival.com
Publix Escape to Miami Triathlon  Sep. 26
http://www.escapetomiamitriathlon.com
So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2010
 Sep. 29
http://www.aaarena.com

TO CONTACT US AT: 1-888-766-4264 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-888-766-4264      end_of_the_skype_highlighting,