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Josie Gulliksen

Josie Gulliksen is a freelance writer and major arts advocate and enthusiast who loves everything cultural and is excited to live in such a thriving community as Miami. A Miami native, aside from Miami on the Cheap, she currently writes for Artburst Miami and contributes to Edible South FL and Miami Media Group. She has contributed to Miami.com, Biscayne Times and Miami New Times. She worked for nearly a decade at Miami Today as Calendar Editor and arts writer and then worked for 13 years in public relations. She has her own blog Scene Around South FL at josiegulliksen.com

The wacky 42nd King Mango Strut Parade, known for being a spoof of the year’s craziest, most outrageous headlines, of which there are plenty in Miami, weaves through the streets of Downtown Coconut Grove on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at 2 p.m.  This year’s theme is simply “Everything is Fine,” but don’t let that simplicity …

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Happy New Year! It’s 2026, the holidays are over and the festivals and more are back! Here’s a list of fun to be had around Miami-Dade County during the first month of the year. King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove It’s tradition, the first weekend of the year is when by far the wackiest parade takes place …

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The faculty of the Miami International Piano Festival Academy will be tickling the ivories from Jan. 6-12, 2026 during a week-long concert series happening at the Miami Beach Woman’s Club. Each night will feature a new artist taking the stage and the schedule is as follows. All concerts are at 7 p.m. except for Jan. …

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“& Juliet” is making its South Florida premiere as part of the 2025-2026 Broadway in Miami season at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Dec. 30, 2025 through Jan. 4, 2026. The play is a reimagining of the William Shakespeare classic “Romeo & Juliet” that asks the question… what if Juliet went on …

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The Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami is the place to check out groundbreaking and thought-provoking exhibitions and catch live jazz acts on the last Friday of the month during the free Jazz at MOCA. However, it’s also where to go for other free and cheap events. Here is the January lineup: Saturday, Jan. 3 …

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The folks at Citytheatre.com are once again hosting “City Reads,” for 2026 that feature live musical accompaniment and professional actors reading fast and funny short plays exploring various topics. After the readings, attendees are invited to stick around for a lively community conversation. Admission is free, refreshment prices vary.  The first event of the season …

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Put your dancing shoes on because the 10th Annual South Beach Jazz Festival is going to jazz things up from January 8-11, 2026 and will feature several free concerts during the four day event.  The concerts will take place at several locations throughout South Beach. Here are the free concerts, for which RSVP is required. …

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With the City of Coral Gables transforming Giralda Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly street it made sense to create a monthly live music series and calling it Giralda Live. It is conveniently held on the first Friday of the month, the same night as the decades-long running and always popular Gables Gallery Night. On that first …

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The Ocean Drive Promenade Music Series presents a free concert every Sunday from 5-6:30 p.m. between 14th Street and 14th Place in Lummus Park on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach in front of The Betsy Hotel.  Concerts feature talented local South Florida performers. Bring a picnic, lawn chairs, blankets, and your whole gang to enjoy …

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Gables Gallery Night is one of Miami’s longest running first Friday of the month events, spanning nearly four decades now. The evening is a great way to visit the multitude of galleries in the City Beautiful.  Click here to see a list of participating galleries open from 6-10 p.m. While traipsing through Downtown Coral Gables, …

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