The best June events in Miami

Fairchild Garden transforms into a prehistoric playground this summer. Explore the lush grounds where life-size dinosaurs hold court amid a collection of cycads, ferns, conifers and all sorts of flowering plants that date back to primitive times. Kiddos can get hands-on during the ancient artifact digs, egg hunts and more while learning all about what the world was like 65 million years ago. Be sure to check the Fairchild Garden website for up-to-date information on upcoming dino events.

"The Messi Experience: A Dream Come True" launches its world tour in Miami this spring, just as the city's fever for the famed footballer kicks into high gear. The sprawling, immersive multimedia exhibit traces Leo Messi's childhood and powerhouse soccer career to now, taking visitors of all ages through approximately 75 minutes of projection-mapped installations and interactive games at The Hangar Coconut Grove.

Hyde Beach at the SLS South Beach is basically a nightclub—but it’s during the day, everyone's in a bathing suit and the dance floor is a pool. If it’s a Vegas-style bash with bottle service and champagne showers you seek, the SLS Pool party is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 7pm, while the Haus of Hyde nightclub rages on from 10pm to 3am. Though weekends are the busiest, hit up the SLS pool any day of the week for a guaranteed fist-pumping good time—especially during Spring Break and Miami Music Week, when the party programming doesn't stop.  

For a long time, Miami had politely excused itself from partaking in annual World Pride Month celebrations. By June, the Miami sun is already hot enough to melt off even the most seasoned drag queen’s full face—and who wants to plan a parade in the midst of hurricane season Besides, New York pretty much has the East Coast covered when it comes to Pride festivities, and April’s Miami Beach Pride is a fun way to kick everything off. At least, this had been the thinking from 1995 until around five years ago, when Wynwood Pride was born. The annual Pride celebration on the mainland stands defiantly in the face of heat waves, tropical storms and gay flight to Fire Island, boldly asserting: We’re here, we’re queer and Miami’s LGBTQ+ community deserves the world—including a proper World Pride celebration alongside everyone else. The concept was to create a more music and performance-driven atmosphere in the heart of Miami’s booming arts district that appealed to different ages and underserved groups. “The core belief was to be a Pride for everyone,” says Liza Santana, Wynwood Pride’s founding spokesperson. When is Wynwood Pride 2024? Don we now our gay apparel. Wynwood Pride is almost here! The annual LGBTQ+ festival kicks off June 1 with a fabulous party at Arlo Wynwood, followed by a month of speaker panels, drag performances and more. Stay tuned to their Instagram page for the latest.

There are few better places than sun-soaked South Beach to show off what’s hot in bikinis, coverups and beyond. Art Deco swimming pools and beachside catwalks make the perfect backdrop for this annual fashion extravaganza showing the latest trends in swimwear. For 2024, expect more than 50 events, 200 designers and satellite events at hotspots including Strawberry Moon, M2, Joia Beach and E11EVEN. The Official Shows go down at the SLS South Beach from May 29 to June 2. At various locations

This timely dramedy from playwright Sean Grennan enjoyed its world premiere in 2023. Dr. Lynn Cummings, an astrophysicist with little patience for magical thinking, finds her beliefs challenged when a UFO is spotted hurtling toward Earth. When a journalist misquotes her reaction to the phenomenon, she invites him to witness the fly-by together, with both of their credibilities at stake. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile (305-444-9293, actorsplayhouse.org). May 15–June 9: 8pm Wed–Sat, 3pm Sun; $40–$100

The Coconut Grove Farmers Market is probably Miami’s most well-known. Every Saturday, Homestead's Glaser Organic Farms transforms an unoccupied corner of Coconut Grove into a full-fledged produce market with dozens of fruit and vegetable stands, a raw bar featuring prepared foods and salads and coolers filled with cold-pressed juices and nut mylks. There’s even velvety vegan ice cream for sale and several rows of picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy your bounty. Along its periphery, you’ll find other local vendors selling honey, homemade soaps, handmade jewelry and other artisanal items. And the setup and breakdown are so fascinating to watch! Much like the circus leaving town, everyone quickly dismantles their tents and packs up just after sunset, leaving no trace of the bustling day on the empty gravel lot.

Kick off the season with an assortment of South Florida’s sweetest all-natural treats. The annual event showcases local and tropical fruit and fruit trees, and guests are invited to browse, sample and purchase their favorites. Once you’ve indulged in the cornucopia of tropical fruits, partake in arts and crafts activities and lawn games and make sure to walk the grounds and experience the gorgeous park.

This recently premiered, quintessentially Miami story from playwright Alexis Scheer has already been praised as “a new American classic.” It’s set during Art Basel, and charts the personal and professional fallout when Wynwood gallery owner Mariana finds her inventory stolen. Arriving at this inopportune time is Mariana’s estranged movie star mother Estella and her assistant Jenny, who may have shared a past with Mariana. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave (305-445-1119, gablestage.org). May 17–June 9; various show times; $40–$65

Legion Park is the place to be on a beautiful Saturday morning, as tents pop up from Biscayne Boulevard all the way to Biscayne Bay. Run by Urban Oasis Project, which oversees some of Miami’s most important farmers markets, you’ll find produce from local favorites like Little River Cooperative and French Farms, artisan-made goods like fresh bread, hummus and empanadas (the Chilean ones are excellent), and even dog treats. (Don’t worry, Fido always gets a free sample.) In the morning, a hundred or so yogis gather under the Spanish oak-draped banyan trees for a donation-based yoga class and then stock up on goods from some of the new-age vendors onsite.