Miami, Nov. 17, 2021 – Without a doubt, everyone’s favorite component of Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Book Fair (MBF) is the weekend Street Fair (Nov. 19 – 21), featuring hundreds of book vendors, author presentations and entertainment for all ages. Last year, MBF was completely virtual, but now the in-person Street Fair returns, along with The Porch, the coolest outdoor hangout space.
In addition to books for sale, the Street Fair will be buzzing with activities for all ages and tastes. Enjoy author presentations by bestsellers, such as Jan Beatty, Alan Cumming, Patricia Engel, Lauren Groff, and Chris Matthews, among others, live and in-person; The Porch will host a variety of local artists, including Richie Hell & The Gumbo Limbo Experiment, The State Of, Afrobeta, and more; Children’s Alley will feature fun learning activities for kids and teens; crafts and maker booths, food trucks, bites, brews and so much more!
Happenings at The Porch:
Friday
MDC Block Party
Friday, November 19 @ 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. EST
Miami Dade College students and staff are invited to a Block Party on the Plaza with DJ Ani Phearce and featuring The Miami Beach Rock Ensemble + Poetry On Demand by Oscar Fuentes – The Biscayne Poet.
Downtown Happy Hour
Friday, November 19 @ 5-9 p.m. EST
Join Miami Book Fair for an electrifying, kaleidoscopically psychedelic performance by Richie Hell & The Gumbo Limbo Experiment + Poetry On Demand by Oscar Fuentes – The Biscayne Poet.
Saturday
Ongoing DJ Sets
Saturday, November 20 starting @ 10 a.m. EST and going throughout the day
Kick off the second day of Street Fair with some throwbacks by Miami veteran DJ Carlos Menendez.
Cortadito
Saturday, November 20 @ 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST
Cuban musical traditions inspire this ensemble, named “Best Latin Act” by Miami New Times in its 2019 “Best of Miami” issue.
The Magic Show: Vegas Performer Joshua Jay
Saturday November 20 @ 12-1 p.m. EST
This mind-bending magic performance features Joshua Jay, author of How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters.
Sun & Sand Comic Anthology
Saturday November 20 @ 1-1:10 p.m. EST
A short talk about the anthology publication which features 10 comics about South Florida and its people, wildlife, and foods! Free copies will be given out following the discussion.
The Biscayne Poet – Live Performance with Strings
Saturday November 20 @ 1:15-2 p.m. EST
Oscar Fuentes is the Biscayne Poet, author of poems on demand and his latest, Body Furnace, a ’zine set in Miami’s now-gentrified Edgewater neighborhood.
Sons of Mystro
Saturday November 20 @ 2-3 p.m. EST
Ever heard violins speak? Rock, then roll? Hip AND hop? If you answer no, or yes, it doesn’t matter! You must meet the Sons of Mystro – violin virtuosos with roots in Jamaica but homegrown in South Florida.
Juke
Saturday November 20 @ 3-4 p.m. EST
Rock ’n blues, rhythm and soul sound experience.
Juanabe
Saturday November 20 @ 4-5 p.m. EST
Pop and rock covers of all your favorites from The Police, Rush, The Cure, The Struts, The Revivalists, U2, and many others.
Afrobeta
Saturday November 20 @ 5-6 p.m. EST
Formed by lyricist/vocalist Cuci Amador and synth-centric producer/arranger Tony Smurphio, this Miami duo has been tearing up dance floors across the world since 2006.
The ’90s Street Party
Saturday November 20 @ 6-9 p.m. EST
Sweat Records + Vagabonds-At-Large present The ’90s Street Party featuring live music by The State Of and DJs Lolo, Hottpants, and Carmel Ophir, with performances by The Drag Dolls.
Sunday
Ongoing DJ Sets
Saturday, November 21 starting @ 10:30 a.m. EST and going all the way to closing time
Enjoy eclectic tracks and jams by Miami’s own vagabond DJ Carmel Ophir.
Young Musicians Unite Presents The Jazz Collective
November 21 @ 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST
Standout young Miami musicians continue the traditions of a uniquely American musical art form: jazz!
Tamboka
November 21 @ 12-1 p.m. EST
Free-spirited individuals born from Latin grooves and soulful jazz … They’ll make you feel, love, live, and vibe through their tropical and earthy sounds.
Shira Lee & The Space Cowboys
November 21 @ 1-2 p.m. EST
Inspired by old folk, country, jazz, blues, world music, alternative, indie, and Americana, Shira Lee & The Space Cowboys will take you on a mind-expanding journey through story and sound.
Sol + The Tribu
November 21 @ 2-3 p.m. EST
These ambassadors of the New Miami Sound bring you a retro-futuristic mix of Caribbean rhythms and all that Miami-licious swagger! They’ll get you off your feet and dancing your way into a “Conga Inferno.”
Stone Groove
November 21 @ 3-5:30 p.m. EST
Lyricists/Vocalists/Spoken Word/Poetry
Vagabonds-At-Large resurrect Stone Groove, hosted and MC’d by Marcus Blake, featuring a special performance by Bowery Poetry founder and legendary poet Bob Holman, with the J. Howard and The Experience band and the vocal stylings of Jahzel Dotel, Elle Michelle, Nia Devine, and Animal.
Yoli Mayor
November 21 @ 5:30-6:30 p.m. EST
Alternative R&B/soul singer and songwriter Yoli Mayor catapulted to stardom with her incredible voice as she propelled through to the semifinals of America’s Got Talent, and has been delivering her special vocal gifts across the globe ever since. A Cuban American Miami native who has been singing since she was 2 years old, Mayor has found her voice, which is often reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, Etta James, and many other soulful icons.
Agapè Featuring Nadia Harris
November 21 @ 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST
This music collective delivers a blend of dub/reggae, funk, soul, nu-jazz, ska, broken beat, Afro beat, batucada, electronic, neo soul, Latin soul, psychedelic, and classical – all thrown into a solar-powered blender running on maximum!
All Weekend @ The Porch
22 Cuban Stories: What’s Yours? If you or your family came from Cuba, and you have a story to share, the Abre Caminos Foundation wants to hear it. Visit the Foundation’s booth all weekend long to record your story. For more information, visit www.abrecaminocollective.com.
The Porch is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Miami DDA, and Geico. All events at The Porch are free with admission to the Street Fair.
Street Fair Tickets
Online price: $8 single day tickets; $15 two-day tickets for adults; $8 two-day tickets for children.
Onsite price: $10 adults; $5 for ages 13 – 18 and over 62; kids 12 and under free.
For Miami Book Fair information, visit www.miamibookfair.com and/or miamibookfaironline.com and/or download a PDF of the guide https://www.miamibookfair.com/downloadable-guide/ or call 305-237-3528 or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.
Follow the Miami Book Fair on social media @miamibookfair.
#MBF2021 #MiamiBookFairOnline #MBFO2021
About Miami Book Fair
Founded in 1984 by Miami Dade College and partners, Miami Book Fair engages the community through inclusive, accessible programs that promote reading and support writers year-round. The annual eight-day festival has grown into the largest and most comprehensive community-rooted literary gathering in the United States generating discourse on contemporary literature and current issues of international importance. Throughout the rest of the year, Miami Book Fair responds hosts an ongoing schedule of activities, including The Little Haiti Book Festival; creative writing and publishing workshops; author presentations; reading campaigns; and Read to Learn Books for Free, a partnership with The Children’s Trust that distributes more than 150,000 free books a year to children in Miami-Dade County. Miami Book Fair programming is made possible through generous support from the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; Miami Downtown Development Authority; and Friends of the Fair; as well as many corporate partners. Miami Book Fair: Building community, one reader at a time.
Miami Book Fair contact: Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132 lpalley@bellsouth.net.