Festival Mania
Miami Heads into Event Mode with the Best of the Fests

By Mary Damiano

	Miami Beach's Art Deco MARLIN HOTEL

Festival fever has hit the Magic City, with major festivals taking place this month in Miami. Whether you want to see rising performers from all over the country strut their stuff, explore what gives Miami Beach its distinctive look, or laugh your tails off, there’s a festival for you.

And January isn’t the only month for festivals in Miami. It’s festival season, and among the festivals coming up this spring are the Miami International Film Festival, March 3-12, the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, April 21-30. In February, look for the Coldwell Banker?? Miami Beach Festival for the Arts, which takes place in North Beach, and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, February 18-20, for which tickets just went on sale. To purchase tickets and get more info, visit www.CoconutGroveArtsFestival.com.

NFAA Arts Week: January 10-14

Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas

Talented young performers from all over the country will be featured at Arts Week, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts annual celebration of

The students participating in Arts Week are considered the best of the best. Chosen from many entrants, part of their prize is a trip to Miami and the opportunity participate in master classes and to perform before an audience. The week of events include evenings of music, theatre, jazz, film, writing and dance.

Performances take place at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, at Gusman Concert Hall in downtown Miami, with the photography exhibit taking place at Warehouse. Performances are free and open to the public. Arts Week culminates in "An Affair of the Arts", special gala celebration in which conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will be awarded the Arison Award, bestowed upon people who have had an impact on young people in the arts. The gala will take place in Bayfront Park in downtown Miami in Saturday, January 14.

For a complete schedule of Arts Week events, visit www.ArtsAwards.org.

Art Deco Weekend: January 13-15

This is the 29^th year the festival that celebrates Miami Beach’s quirky 1920 and 1930s pastel architecture is taking place. This year, the theme for Art Deco Weekend is Puttin’ On the Ritz, and the focus is the elegance and pageantry of the 1930s.

	Art Deco Weekend celebrates Miami’s distinctive design

Presented by the Miami design Preservation League, the events of Art Deco Weekend take place on Ocean Drive between 5^th and 15^th Streets, the heart of the Art Deco District. The weekend will begin on Friday night with a first ever parade featuring vintage automobiles and musical entertainment.

Highlights of Art Deco Weekend include screenings of films from the 1930s that showcase the look of the era, including Roberta, 42^nd Street, Dames, Grand Hotel, Flying Down to Rio, Gold Diggers of 1933, Gold Diggers of 1935 (apparently it was a good time for gold diggers) Top Hat and Footlight Parade.

There will also be lectures examining the era through fashion and the social significance of the art form. Live music and street theatre will also be plentiful, and there’s even a dog parade on the final day.

And of course there are the tours, in which guides share their knowledge of Art Deco, giving attendees an up close and personal look at Miami Beach’s crown jewels.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.mdpl.org.

Bud Light South Beach Comedy Festival: January 18-21

Diversity and comedy are the key words of the Bud Light South Beach Comedy Festival, which features many rising urban and Latin comedians do their best to make Miami laugh.

Comic and actress Kathy Griffin

Comedians at the Comedy Festival include Univision host Fernando Arau, David Spade, Kathy Griffin, D.L. Hughley, Dane Cook and Greg Giraldo. Performances are scheduled for Gusman Center’s Olympia Theatre, Byron Carlyle and the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road. There will also be some outdoor performances on Lincoln Road, a stage sponsored in part by the City of Miami Beach.

The festival is presented by Comedy Central, the William Morris Agency, Fantasma Productions and Bud Light.

Naturally, Miami’s warm winter weather played a part in setting the festival in South Beach.

"If you’re a fan of comedy, where else would you rather be in January than in South Beach?" says Raul Mateu, senior vice president for the William Morris Agency.

For a complete schedule of events and to purchase tickets, visit www.SouthBeachComedyFestival.com.