
The Calle Ocho Festival showcases Latino and Caribbean music more than any of the other festivals in Miami. The Mojito Cubano is another popular drink made of Bacardi Cuba white rum, lemon and mint. Popular drinks include café con leche (coffee with milk) and Cuba Libre, a mixture of rum and coke garnished with lime. Among some of the other popular offerings are ceviche (seafood), arepas, chorizos, tacos, tamales, ropa vieja con plátanos (shredded skirt steak with plantains), cabrito (baby goat) and many other Latin dishes from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking areas.

#Calle 8 fiesta free
Another common sight is a whole roasted pig including the head stuffed with the Caribbean staple rice and beans.įood kiosks are located at numerous spots and many will offer free samples to party-goers. Little Havana is one of the best Miami shopping spots to find Cuban and Latino products and food, and the festival is the showcase of Hispanic culture in Miami-Dade County.Ĭubans love pork and during the fiesta you will find many grills barbecuing pork on a stick along with other pork dishes including pork rinds and pork with mojo, a tangy orange-flavored basting sauce. The Mariel boatlift of 1980 further enlarged the area’s Cuban population. The Little Havana neighborhood has its origins in Cuban refugees that began settling the area around 8th Street (Calle Ocho) to escape turmoil in their homeland in the 1960s. The idea was to allow young Cubans to learn more about their culture, but the festival’s popularity soon spread out beyond the Cuban population and to the far corners of the globe. In 1998, dancers at the fiesta broke the world’s record for the longest conga line with more than 119,000 people participating.īack in 1978, residents of the Little Havana neighborhood started what would be become one of the most popular events in Miami. About 20 stages are set up at the neighborhood’s intersections offering a variety of Latin and Caribbean music including salsa and meringue. In 2012, the festival occurs on March 13 in its traditional location between 27th Ave and 4th Ave along SW 8th Street.Īccording to estimates, more than one million people crowd into the Little Havana enclave to enjoy food, music, dance and entertainment. Often described as the nation’s largest block party and Hispanic festival, the event takes place in Miami’s Little Havana and Flagler (West Little Havana) neighborhoods.Īlso known as “ El Festival de la Calle Ocho,” the Calle Ocho Festival is a one day celebration of “rumba” that takes place at the end of the Carnaval Miami. The Calle Ocho Festival in Miami is one of the most popular 2012 events and festivals in the entire state of Florida. For more information, call 644-8888 (Dade).Calle ocho Festival Little Havana Calle Ocho Festival Carnaval Miami stars today and runs through March 12 at various locations.

It is recommended that festivalgoers take Metrorail to the downtown or Brickell Avenue stations and catch the shuttle bus. Top entertainers include Rey Ruiz, Grupo Clasico, Jerry Rivera, Roberto Torres, Johnny Ventura, Nil Lara and dozens more. Hungry? There will be more than 500 vendors with dishes, sandwiches and drinks from around the world.

There will be musical groups from all over the world with folkloric sites featuring costumed dancers, 25 sampling sites for a taste of new foods, and youth sites with face painting, clowns and games for kids. Stretching along Southwest Eighth Street from Fourth to 27th avenues, Calle Ocho has music and entertainment on every corner. is the Calle Ocho Open House, with more than a million people expected for the world's largest street fair. Carnival rides, memorabilia, ethnic foods and star athletes also are featured. Biscayne Blvd, with interactive sports games for toddlers and adults. March 11 at noon is the Free Sports Festival at Bayfront Park, 301 N.
