Bass Ball

Experience the art, the fun and glamour this Saturday, February 20 at The Bass Ball fundraiser with keep The Ball rolling…, an upbeat after party to benefit the Bass Museum of Art. The evening begins at 9:00 p.m. with a sensational performance by South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga. Experience for yourself why Ruga has captivated the art world with his portrayal of a vivid utopia told through fantastic costumes and sensuous choreography. Enjoy the thrill of a contemporary art auction with original works by Daniel Arsham, Tracey Emin and Paola Pivi and more. Dress code for the evening is Whimsical Black Tie. Prizes will be awarded for the Most Creative, Most Outlandish, Best Couple and Most Elegant. Complimentary valet parking is included. Purchase tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keep-the-ball-rolling-tickets-19966773156?aff=eac2.

Crash the Fire Kitchen – Carnivores Only!

Crash the Fire Kitchen – Carnivores Only!, a not to be missed chef collaboration between Francis Mallmann of Los Fuegos, Paul Qui of Pao by Paul Qui at The Dome and Gabriel Ask, Executive Chef of Faena Hotel Miami Beach.  Offering a special menu available, to the public for one night only at Los Fuegos at Faena Hotel Miami Beach on Wednesday, February 24^th.  The price is $195 per person with seating starting 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm.  Reservations can be booked by calling Los Fuegos at 786.655.5600.

SOBEWFF 2016

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (SOBEWFF^®) is celebrating its 15^th anniversary February 24 – 28, 2016, and continues to expand upon upgrades to its signature Miami Beach event.  The Festival’s signature white tents are home to the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid^® Culinary Demonstrations taking place Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, and are flanked by the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the iconic Art Deco cityscape spanning between 10^th Street & 13^th Street on Ocean Drive. Tickets for this event, and many more, are available online at sobefest.com or by calling 877.762.3933.

Third Annual Reception for the PAMM Fund for African American Art

On February 16, 2016, Pérez Art Museum Miami will welcome more than 500 Ambassadors for African American Art to the museum for a celebration at the Third Annual Reception for the PAMM Fund for African American Art presented by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The evening will showcase a performance, Ground (In Progress), presented by PAMM exhibition artist Nari Ward. Ground (In Progress) is a floor-based sculpture made from 700 copper-topped bricks and adorned with painted geometric symbols drawn from the Underground Railroad directional code. Five local dancers will perform and improvise atop Ward’s sculpture and respond to its ideas of the untouchable and monumental nature of works of fine art using a range of dance styles.

In addition, guests will enjoy a musical performance by Girl Power’s Girls’ Choir of Miami, a local organization that strives to provide opportunities for girls in a year-round quality music education program, and a complimentary dinner reception with a musical performance by Ketchy Shuby on the East Portico. For more information visit: www.pamm.org.

Valentines Day at Metropolitan Miami Beach

Metropolitan by COMO, Miami Beach, the inaugural hotel property in the U.S by COMO Hotels and Resorts, takes the art of sensual seduction to a new level this Valentine’s Day.  Celebrate this special occasion with your sweetheart during a memorable day filled with the most unforgettable gifts of love that will enhance your spiritual connection, courtesy of COMO Hotels and Resorts.  South Florida’s haven of silent luxury offers couples an ultimate romantic retreat, combining lavish accommodations together with the spa’s holistic health and wellness along with the restaurant’s nutritional gourmet seafood cuisine – all wrapped within a scenic beachfront sanctuary set against iconic views of the soothing Atlantic Ocean. A Valentine’s Day weekend at Metropolitan by COMO, Miami Beach is tailored to arouse all the senses with your nearest and dearest.  Developed especially for Valentine’s Day, and taking place on Sunday, February 14th, the hotel’s COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa will offer Partner Yoga on the outdoor COMO Shambhala Terrace. Starting at 10:00am, the hotel’s certified yoga instructor will give a couples yoga class, allowing participants to explore partner stretching, massage and heart-opening asanas that will focus on nurturing touch, trust, balance and compassion.  Following the yoga session, couples will enjoy a sparkling aperitif, together with a house made chocolate amenity box, courtesy of COMO’s master chocolatier, Stefan, as well as a Harmony Massage oil gift, created with all the aphrodisiac properties of Indian sandalwood and Ylang Ylang to envelope the senses. Partner Yoga on Sunday, February 14th is priced at $60 per couple and can be booked directly with the hotel’s COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa by calling 305.695.3600 or emailing met.mia@comoshambhala.com. Spaces are limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Boca Raton Resort & Club Celebrates 90 Years

Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in South Florida, pays homage to its 32,850 days as Boca Raton’s premiere resort with rotating festivities for guests to enjoy throughout the year. Since the 20’s, the resort has seamlessly blended its historic past with modern luxury additions and unforgettable experiences, including the Surf Boca surf school, FlowRider wave simulator, and Maserati house cars. Guests staying at the resort in 2016 will not only enjoy luxurious accommodations, gourmet dining, and family-friendly activities, but may also learn about the resort’s storied history through a variety of engaging initiatives. Upon entering their rooms, guests will be greeted with postcards containing little known historical facts and images of the property. Guests will also be invited to download an app offering a self-guided historical tour of the resort. (Fun fact: Addison Mizner would purposely crack the resort’s decorative tiles to create a more historic ambiance.) To learn more about or experience Boca Raton Resort & Club, visit www.bocaresort.com or call 1-888-543-1286. For more information about Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, visit www.waldorfastoria.com or http://news.waldorfastoria.com.

Love Letters

The Love Letters are back! Experience the power of murals by train on a Love Letter tour! Noted street artist and hometown hero Stephen Powers (aka ESPO) and crew, in collaboration with the Mural Arts Program, painted a series of 50 murals on rooftops that collectively express a love letter from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown and from local residents to their West Philadelphia neighborhood. Many of the murals have recently been restored and even some new ones have been added, so now more than ever is this the time to take this exciting and unique tour.
Each tour is led by a professionally trained guide that tells the stories behind these murals at different stops along the elevated train ride, as well as the 30-year history of the Mural Arts Program. Appropriate outdoor weather attire is strongly suggested.

The Third Annual Cheers for CHOP

On Saturday, February 20,  The third annual Cheers for CHOP will be an evening to remember.  It is hosted by Friends of CHOP, a dynamic group of Philadelphia’s most social and philanthropic young influencers who believe in the mission of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and are committed to advancing its research, teaching and clinical priorities through vibrant fundraising efforts. Composed of grateful families and those interested in activities that will further CHOP’s success, Friends of CHOP are public ambassadors of the hospital who promote CHOP as the charity of choice in the Philadelphia region. At last year’s Cheers for CHOP, nearly 700 guests helped raise more than $675,000 for the hospital’s Child Life, Education, and Creative Arts Therapy Program. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit CHOP’s Emergency Department, one of the most active pediatric emergency centers in the na tion. Home to the first Level 1 Trauma Center for children in the Delaware Valley and one of only 55 accredited poison control centers in the nation, CHOP’s ED treats nearly 90,000 patients each year. For more information about the Cheers for CHOP, please visit www.cheersforchop.org.

Housing Works’ inaugural Design on a Dime Miami will take place at the Moore Building in Miami from February 5-February 7. The three-day interior design benefit and sale will consist of a Chairman’s Preview Evening, Opening Night Reception and Sale, and Public Designer Sale. The event will feature over 25 notorious interior designers, who will each create unique room vignettes using donated merchandise. The furniture, art pieces, and home décor used in the vignettes will be available for purchase at 80 percent off of retail value. Proceeds will benefit Housing Works and its partners in South Florida.

Housing Works is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing and constantly expanding services to people affected by HIV/AIDs. All proceeds will support Housing Works and Housing Works’ AIDS-FREE USA 2015 campaign- an active mission to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States by the year 2025. Housing Works has been hosting Design on a Dime annually in New York City since 2004, and raised $1.3 million for its mission last year. Design on a Dime Miami will take the successful event nationally for the first time.

Tickets for Design on a Dime Miami start at $100, and can be reserved at www.eventbrite.com. For more information, donations, and volunteering opportunities,  visit www.housingworks.org.

Slow Food Miami presents its sixth “Snail Social” roaming Happy Hour event on Saturday, February 6, 2016. This time around, it will be a special edition with a farm tour at Teena’s Pride from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, followed by drinks and appetizers at RedLander Restaurant at Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery from 5 PM – 7 PM. The farm tour portion is free and open to the public.  This event is open to the public. There will be a Snail Social hosted by different Snail of Approval chefs and restaurants throughout Miami on the second Tuesday of every month. Kids are welcome. Other participating chefs and restaurants will be announced throughout the season via Slow Food Miami’s mailing list and social media tagged with #snailsocial. Follow Slow Food Miami on Twitter @slowfoodmiami and Facebook to stay current. Teena’s Pride is located at 20025 SW 270th Street, Homestead, FL 33031 http://michaelborekfarmsllc.com/ RedLander Restaurant at Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery is located at 30205 SW 217th Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030; http://www.schneblywinery.com/Redlander-Restaurant

On Saturday night, Solange Knowles performed a an intimate gathering at the Standard Hotel and Spa. The performance was a surprise for the special guests participating in the Camp Standard Weekend in honor of the hotel’s tenth anniversary.

Earlier in the evening, Adriana Lima attended the Miami City Ballet’s 30th anniversary gala in a beautiful tent on Miami Beach.

Spotted at STK Miami on Friday night was Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, Sam Smith, who dined with a group of friends.

Rosie Perez was the guest of honor at this year’s YoungArts Backyard Ball, which took place Saturday, January 9 on the YoungArts campus.

Orange is the New Black star, Australian model, Ruby Rose hosted the grand opening of Icon Nightclub Saturday night. Rose DJed for almost 2 hours and was lively and interacted with the crowd.

Kevin Hart was on-hand on South Beach for the premiere of Ride Along 2 last week.

Michael Bay hosted a screening for his new movie, 13 Hours at the AMC theater in Aventura.

Andy Garcia dined at Brickell’s newestst hotspot, Komodo, on Thursday night.

Ryan Phillippe hosted the Five Star New Year’s Eve party on Watson Island on December 31, alongside fiancé, Stanford Law Student, Paulina Slagter. The pair danced and enjoyed spirits while ringing in 2016.

Pamela Anderson hosted the NYE party at Fifty Ultra Lounge.

Jennifer Lopez rang in the New Year at E11even at a party hosted by Drake.

JLo’s ex, Puff Daddy hosted a late night (early morning) New Year’s Eve party at his Star Island manse. Spotted at the party: The Weeknd, Rita Ora, Alonzo Mourning, and Jermaine Dupree.

Andrea Bocelli performed an intimate concert at a private home at the Ritz Carlton Residences Key Biscayne. The concert was a fundraiser hosted by Pomellato jewelry hosted to benefit Baptist Health South Florida.

Pitbull has been spotted at the new Palmeiras Beach Club in Grove Isle.

The 7th Annual Simon’s Soiree

Plymouth Meeting based Simon’s Fund is hosting its seventh annual Simon’s Soiree at the Sheraton Valley Forge, an event that will raise awareness about the warning signs and conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in children. The gala is expected to raise more than $200,000 to allow Simon’s Fund to continue their work in checking hearts and saving lives. The evening includes an auction, cocktails, dinner, awards presentation and dancing. Michael Barkann will serve as Master of Ceremonies. For more information visit: www.simonsfund.org.

Zama Offers Super Bowl Sunday Specials

Zama announces that on Sunday, February 7^th, Zama will be open for lunch on a Sunday, in honor of the Super Bowl from 2:00-7:00 PM. Zama will also be selling sushi trays for takeout for Super Bowl entertaining. The sushi trays will feature ten maki rolls for $50, or pre-ordered for$45 by calling 215.568.1027, and will also be available with a six-pack of Kirin or Sapporo Light for $15 per six-pack.

The trays will be plated and ready for serving and will feature a variety of rolls including spicy tuna, spicy salmon, eel and avocado and California rolls. Each tray will come with a bag of accouterments including low sodium soy sauce, wasabi and chopsticks.

Inia Nua Theatre Company Presents American Premiere of Spine by Clara Brennan

Inis Nua Theatre Company turns a new page at The Drake with the American premiere of Spine, by English playwright Clara Brennan. Spine is a heart-warming, funny and defiant love-song to libraries, an increasingly endangered species under Britain’s austerity government. A fiery and wise-cracking teenager forges an unlikely friendship with an elderly widow living in a house of stolen books. Together, the two discover they may be each other’s last resort in life. Spine opens on Friday, February 19 at 8:00pm, with previews on Wednesday, February 17 and Thursday, February 18 at 7:00pm. Spine runs for a total of 16 performances, through March 6, 2016, at the Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake (1512 Spruce Street). Tickets are on sale for $25-$30 by calling (215) 454-9776 or visiting inisnuatheatre.org. Patrons will have their choice of $5.00 off tickets at the door for Spine (or off upcoming The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning) by donating a new children’s book to the Free Library of Philadelphia. Collection bins will be available at all performances.