Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Miami Gardens, FL

Miami Gardens, Florida, is a vibrant city known for its diverse culture, beautiful parks, and family-friendly attractions. Whether you’re looking to soak up the sun, explore nature, or engage in educational experiences, Miami Gardens has something for every family to enjoy. Here are the top 10 family-friendly activities to experience in this dynamic city.

1. Visit the Miami Dolphins Training Facility

Sports-loving families will enjoy a visit to the Miami Dolphins Training Facility. You may have the opportunity to watch the Dolphins practice and learn about football from the pros. Check their schedule for open practices and events.

2. Explore the Amelia Earhart Park

Amelia Earhart Park is a sprawling green space with something for everyone. Enjoy picnicking, paddle boating, and fishing at the lakes, or explore the bike trails and playgrounds. The park also has a petting zoo and a water park, making it perfect for family outings.

3. Discover History at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center

The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center offers educational and artistic programs for families. Explore African and African-American culture through various workshops, exhibitions, and performances.

4. Have Fun at Sky Zone Trampoline Park

Sky Zone Trampoline Park is a fantastic place for active families. Bounce around in the trampoline area, play dodgeball, or try out the foam pit. It’s a fun and energetic way to spend quality time together.

5. Explore Oleta River State Park

Oleta River State Park is Florida’s largest urban park, offering opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, and mountain biking. Explore the park’s trails, have a picnic by the river, or relax on the sandy beach.

6. Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

MOCA in North Miami is an engaging art museum that offers a range of contemporary art exhibits and family-friendly programs. Explore the world of art and creativity with your kids through hands-on activities and guided tours.

7. Enjoy a Day at Calder Casino

Calder Casino provides a family-friendly gaming experience. Enjoy the thrill of slot machines and gaming tables while kids have their own fun in the play area and arcade. It’s a great spot for family entertainment.

8. Attend a Show at the Miramar Cultural Center

Check the schedule at the Miramar Cultural Center for family-friendly shows and performances. From theatrical productions to concerts and dance recitals, the center offers a variety of cultural experiences.

9. Play at Rolling Oaks Park

Rolling Oaks Park is a local favorite for outdoor activities. It offers playgrounds, sports fields, walking trails, and picnic areas. Let the kids run, play, and enjoy the fresh air.

10. Dine at Jackson Soul Food

Wrap up your day of family fun by dining at Jackson Soul Food. This local restaurant serves up delicious soul food classics in a family-friendly atmosphere. From fried chicken to collard greens, there’s something on the menu for everyone to savor.

The 10 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Miami Gardens, Florida – Summary

Miami Gardens, Florida, offers a diverse range of family-friendly activities that cater to sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, and art aficionados. Whether you’re watching the Miami Dolphins practice, exploring the natural beauty of Amelia Earhart Park, or immersing yourself in art and culture at MOCA, Miami Gardens provides numerous opportunities for family bonding and creating cherished memories in this vibrant Florida city. Explore the city’s rich culture, appreciate its natural beauty, and enjoy a variety of entertainment options as you make the most of your family time in Miami Gardens.

The post The 10 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Miami Gardens, Florida appeared first on Momtastic.

A group of developers are seeking site plan approval for a 35-acre mixed-use project just south of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, and the largest tenant would be a racing simulator and museum venue.

The City Council will consider plans for Miami Gardens City Center at 19199 N.W. 27th Ave. on Nov. 8. Miami Gardens Town Center LLC, a partnership between Aventura developers Faith Group, Immocorp Capital and Azur Equities, acquired the vacant property for $25 million in 2021.

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Under the plans designed by Deerfield Beach-based Ditman Architecture, the project would have 190,500 square feet of entertainment and amusement facilities, 45,410 square feet of restaurants, 17,998 square feet of retail, 518 apartments in two buildings of 10 stories each, and 10-story hotels of 180 and 120 rooms. There would be 1,598 parking spaces for the commercial development and 708 parking spaces for the apartments.

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Miami Gardens City Center would be near Hard Rock Stadium.

The residential units would range from 500 to 1,248 square feet, for an average of 836 square feet.

Azur Equities CEO Pascal Cohen said their goal was to create a destination venue with international brands creating unique experiences. They don’t want companies that already have locations in South Florida. That’s why they handled the leasing in house.

“If we called a broker, they would come up with the same brand everybody knows and the same experience you can get 20 miles away,” Cohen said. “We are talking about strong operators and strong brands that committed to creating something new in Miami Gardens.”

Cohen and Gilbert Benhamou, the CEO of Immocorp, said First Racing agreed to create an 85,000-square-foot world of racing venue at Miami Gardens City Center. It would features exhibits and simulators from all types of racing, with a focus on Formula One and WRC. It would include Formula One simulators and museum exhibits such as engines and items from famous racers.

“Hard Rock Stadium is the only stadium in the world with football – two teams – the Miami Open – the second-largest tennis tournament in the United States – Formula 1 and all these concerts,” Benhamou said. “And we have the World Cup in 2026 and there’s talk of the Super Bowl coming in 2027.”

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Benhamou said the 180-room hotel, which would be an upscale AC by Marriott, could become the main hotel for football teams playing at the stadium.

As for the other tenants, Cohen said they signed an experienced amusement operator for 55,000 square feet of arcades and sports-related games. They have letters of intent for three restaurants, a 17,000-square-foot sports bar, an Asian fusion restaurant and an Italian eatery.

Cohen said they also have a 7,000-square-foot lease for the headquarters and showroom of Laffite Automobili, an Italian hypercar maker. Created by former Formula 1 racer Jacques Laffite, the cars are powered by 1000 hp V8 win-turbo engines.

“They only have one headquarters now and it’s in Monaco,” Cohen said. “They want to create a one-of-a-king destination here where people can test drive the car.”

Miami Gardens City Center would have about 15 tenants, he added. Another one of them is a 28,000-square-foot entertainment club with 350 to 400 seats for high-end dinner club shows, Cohen said. He described it as Cirque du Soleil-level quality.

Pending city approval, they plan to start site work on Miami Gardens City Center in the first quarter of 2024 and begin building the entertainment venues and the apartments in the second quarter, with the hotel and the other components to follow six months later, Benhamou said. They expect to open the first businesses on site by the end of 2025.

Fort Lauderdale-based attorney Stephanie Toothaker represents the developers in the application.

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Every year, Jazz in the Gardens tries to do something a bit different.

In 2019, it was an old school R&B lover’s dream. In 2022, it was the inclusion of more hip-hop acts. In 2023, it was a neo-soul revolution.

This year, JITG aims to attract a younger audience. Of course R&B and gospel legends like Maxwell, Babyface and Kirk Franklin will grace the stage but so will stars like Davido, Summer Walker and Jazmine Sullivan. The rest of the bill, which includes Omarion, Jeezy and Tamia as well as special DJ sets from Kid Capri, DJ Cassidy and Miami’s own DJ Nasty 305, has a little something for everybody.

The goal was to broaden the audience and “incorporate the next generation,” said Black Promoters Collective CEO Gary Guidry. The BPC partnered with the city of Miami Gardens to produce the 2024 festival that runs March 9-10.

No artist on the bill embodies that more than October London. Signed to legendary label Death Row Records, London had one of the most soulful records of 2023, “The Rebirth of Marvin.” The project, which featured singles “Back to your Place” and “Mulholland Drive,” exposed entire generations to the soulful sounds similar to Marvin Gaye.

“You can open up minds, you can open up new aspects of music,” London said of the value of being an artist whose music is multi-generational. After dropping “The Rebirth of Marvin,” London couldn’t help but notice the amount of younger kids in his comment section on social media who had never heard of Gaye. He considered it an honor to be the catalyst for younger generations to be able to explore artists like Gaye who inspired him. “It’s so great to bring all that together because they can now understand ‘Oh, that’s where it started from.’”

This idea is part of why the BPC, which took over the production of JITG after LiveNation, curated the lineup in such a way.

“That’s really what Black culture is about: family, togetherness,” Guidry said. “We’re the kings and queens of backyard barbecues – that is multi-generational loving on each other. You got to give a platform for people to party together and love on each other and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

And few DJs can rock a party like Cassidy, a man who’s always considered himself a “bridge builder.”

“Connecting artists and connecting people has always been at the core of what I do,” the New York native said. “Through ‘Pass the Mic,’ I’ve had the privilege of continuing this journey as I’ve been able to bridge musical genre, to bridge generations, to bridge walks of life.”

In 2020, Cassidy’s career exploded to new heights following his creation of “Pass the Mic,” a social media show turned full-blown concert series that featured classic hip-hop and R&B artists performing a medley of their hits. JITG will be Cassidy’s first festival performance of “Pass the Mic” and he brought with him a brilliant cast of characters – Uncle Luke, Lil Kim, Too $hort and T.I. – that spans across regions.

“It was really important for me to not only represent Miami but to represent the entire country,” Cassidy said.

Early indications are that BPC’s approach has worked. After JITG attracted roughly 8,000 people per day in 2023, this year’s iteration expects to double attendance, according to Guidry.

“It’s a testament to what we can do by letting our culture be presented by people who understand it,” the Texas Southern University graduate said, his voice trailing off a bit before quipping “and numbers don’t lie.”

WHAT: Jazz in the Gardens

WHEN: 2 p.m.-midnight March 9; 2-11 p.m. March 10

WHERE: Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens

TICKETS: $105-$1,500

Small businesses, remote workers and local employees have a new place to work, thanks to Miami Gardens-based Co-Space, which opened in May under the leadership of Joy St. Clair.

Growing up in Liberty City, St. Clair said that her mother was intentional about supporting Black-owned businesses, which often brought her to Miami Gardens as a child. Now, she's continuing that intentional effort by providing a space for collaboration, focus, networking and entrepreneurship.

"During the pandemic, I was one of the many people who became remote workers. As a cancer survivor and a person who was pregnant at the moment, it was very important to be home and be safe," St. Clair told NBC6. "There'd be times where I'm working all day and I didn't realize my stop time had come, or there'd be times where it's the middle of the day and I'm doing dishes, and I forgot I had a meeting 10 minutes ago. So, I knew I wanted to separate work and home."

In February of 2023, St. Clair came up with the idea for Co-Space, a shared office space that also offers a private room for meetings or podcasts.

"I was originally driving to Brickell or to Miami to commute, and then, once this space opened, it was just so convenient for me," Eat Well Exchange co-founder and registered dietician Ashley Carter said. "I feel like I'm an introvert at times, but I feel like Co-Space creates this environment where I can choose to talk to people that come in to work, without feeling the pressure of having to network."

Carter, whose nonprofit uses nutrition education to address health disparities, said that she also uses Co-Space as a location for meetings.

"You can be in your community," St. Clair said. "You can be around people who are like-minded and who resemble you an respect you, and still get work done, and be in a cozy but creative and productive space."

Located off of Unity Boulevard in the Shoppes at the Gardens, Co-Space features several different work tables, a lounge area, snacks and coffee, a content creation space, and a private meeting room with podcast equipment. The location can also be rented out for events.

"I made sure that I started off with just what I needed to get the vision created, and as I began to get memberships and events that were booked, then I began to slowly add more of the nicer amenities," St. Clair said. "When my first couple of members walked in here, we had the paintings, we had some tables, good music and a vibe, and then that was enough to keep us afloat until we were able to keep adding and adding, and as our membership grows, I continue to do that."

One of the walls of Co-Space is nearly covered with art from St. Clair's personal collection. But since then, members have started to give back to the business that gave so much to them. For example, the space has locally made candle burning up front, curated by one of the co-workers who frequents Co-Space. There is also a shelf full of art, highlighting the work of local Black artists, which can be displayed and purchased.

"I love coming here because it is quiet and you get to really focus. It gives me the idea that I'm going to work, but I'm actually working for myself," The Official Glue founder and CEO Tollisha Joseph said. "It's so rewarding and comforting to know that you can come and have someone else that it experiencing the same experience that you're having as a small business owner, going through the troubles that you might be having."

Co-Space offers monthly memberships, as well as day passes for those looking to come and go as needed.

"We started off as just an open space for you to come and work and have meetings, and we've become a business resource. We've become a hub for the community," St. Clair said. "As we continue to grow, I'm excited to see what happens. I'm excited to see what else we add under the list of services that Co-Space offers. I'm very open to it; very open to listening to the community and finding out what are the needs of the community."

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens comes alive on football gamedays. Before the gridiron action starts, there is a lot to see and do at the stadium. Our Gameday City Guide is designed to help you make the most of your visit.

Tailgating

Tailgating is allowed at the stadium, so bring your gear and have a great time with fellow fans before the game begins.

Parking lots open four hours before kickoff. For the first hour, park wherever you like as long as you have an orange parking pass. After the first hour or for the entire time in yellow lots, the stadium uses directed parking, meaning you should park in the next available spot. Either way, it’s wise to arrive with tailgating friends, so you will have adjacent spaces to party together.

Before leaving your space to enter the stadium, extinguish hot coals or flames with water, dispose of cooled coal briquettes by wrapping them in aluminum foil and throwing them in bins, and clean up your area.

Remember if you are drinking at the game, plan for a sober ride home!

Luxury pregame celebrations

Clubs and suites throughout the stadium offer an elevated gameday experience, both before and during the game.

If you have season tickets, you can add on a membership to a club that opens two hours before kickoff and offers a food and drinks menu, and TVs with game day broadcasts. The air-conditioned space is open until four hours after the game ends. A VIP lounge includes access to this same lounge and adds its own space with included food and drinks.

Throw your own pregame party at the stadium by renting one of the 1,600-square-foot furnished garages that feature four covered parking spots and can host up to 50 guests. In each garage, you’ll find a stocked fridge, a pantry loaded with snacks and supplies, a grill, two 75-inch televisions, Bluetooth speakers, activities such as arcade games and cornhole, and access to a tailgate store.

Art

Don’t miss the chance to check out the stadium’s murals and paintings, created by artists from around the world. Made using more than 3,000 cans of spray paint, these street art-style murals cover 29,000 square feet of walls.

Food and team gear

You’ll find over 80 concession stands and restaurants selling food and drinks of every flavor to enhance your game day experience. You can also fit in plenty of shopping to buy gear for the game and other merchandise from retail stops on every level of the stadium.

The stadium no longer accepts cash for payment, so bring a card or mobile payment. Otherwise, convert your cash to a prepaid card at the guest experience headquarters in section 143.

Sensory and nursing rooms

If you or anyone in your party has a sensory sensitivity issue and needs to decompress from stadium activity, the sensory room in section 153 offers an air-conditioned space for children and adults. It has a padded floor, padded wall-mounted equipment, a tablet to play music, and noise-canceling headsets. You may also check out a noise-canceling headset from guest experience headquarters locations in sections 115, 143, 215, 243, 315, and 343.

If you’re a nursing parent who wants a private space — though you're welcome to nurse wherever you feel comfortable — you may ask to use one of the nursing rooms, also in section 153. Each private, air-conditioned room has a TV, changing table, and vanity sink with a mirror, where you can nurse or feed your baby, or use a breast pump.

Attending a football game is not just about the action on the field; it's an all-encompassing experience that caters to fans of all ages. Taking part in the many available activities will help make your Miami gameday memorable.