We are officially headlong into spooky season, which means half your friends are probably heading to Halloween Horror Nights for the weekend, and the rest are already wearing costumes every time they go out. The in-towners will have plenty of places to beta test their outfits, with a Hogwarts party at The Wharf, an orchid festival at Fairchild, and a new Instagram “museum” made entirely out of candy. All that and Niven Patel’s latest restaurant highlight the best stuff going on in Miami this weekend.

Friday, October 15
Harry’s Pizzeria Miami Beach
Michael Schwartz’s pizza outpost just opened a sparkling new location at 1680 Meridian Avenue in South Beach, and they’re hitting the ground running with a stellar happy hour this Friday. Check out the new digs between 4:30 and 7 pm to score half-off wine, beer, well drinks, and specialty cocktails. Then soak it up with half-priced snacks and $10 cheese and Margherita pizzas.
Cost: No cover; menu prices vary

Friday, October 15
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
The Miami Beach Botanical Garden—the pleasant oasis away from the crowds near the convention center—continues its concert series Friday with an outdoor show from Juke. The post-blues hybrid ensemble with “a high motor and bottomless soul” takes the stage at 6 pm.
Cost: Tickets run $25 per person

Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17
Aventura Mall
Miami Sweet—the city’s latest Instagrammable “museum”—is a full-scale, walkable installation with insane scenes crafted completely out of candy. You’ll swing on licorice vines, jump into a pit of pineapple candy, and stroll through a Versace-inspired Pop Art exhibit. The show opens Friday, and runs through February 22.
Cost: Tickets run $29 per person

Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17
The Wharf Ft. Lauderdale
Nothing brings to mind a gothic English castle tucked into the countryside like palm trees and yachts. Hence the spirit at HogWHARF, this weekend’s Potter-themed extravaganza at The Wharf. Look for magic-themed drinks, Hogwarts decorations, and folks dressed up like your favorite wizarding high schoolers. RSVP ahead of time to snag a free HogWHARF scarf.
Cost: No cover; menu prices vary

Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17
Orno
Celebrated chef Niven Patel of Ghee and Mamey fame, opens his newest restaurant this weekend at Coral Gables’ Thesis hotel. Inside, you’ll dine under a canopy of tropical plants, enjoying food grown on Patel’s Homestead farm alongside fresh pastas, wood-fired meats, and gourmet flatbreads. Book your table on Resy.
Cost: No cover; menu prices vary

Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17
Frost Museum of Science
Two new exhibits hit the Frost Science Museum this month, Skin: Living Armor, EvolvingIdentity and X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out. The former looks first at how animals utilize their epidermis across all species, before examining human associations with skin color. The latter is a traveling Smithsonian collection of x-ray prints of fish.
Cost: Admission runs $29 per person

Saturday, October 16
Virginia Key Beach Park
Nobody parties harder than the plant-based crowd, right? Find out from noon to 8 pm when a vegan block party takes over the beach at Virginia Key. You’ll find all the latest in animal-free eats, from burgers to pizza to “cheat foods,” plus live music and a vegan bar.
Cost: Tickets run $25 per person

Saturday, October 16
Wynwood Walls
Perhaps you’ve strolled the streets of Wynwood and thought, “No way I could ever paint something like that!” Find out if mural-making is easier than you thought when noted painter Nico hosts a Mural Basics class at 11 am, with an encore presentation at noon.
Cost: Tickets run $18 per person

Saturday, October 16
Dante’s HiFi
Miami just opened its first Tokyo-style HiFi bar by way of Dante’s HiFi in—where else—Wynwood. To introduce us to the concept—AKA guests enjoying a selection of vintage vinyl tracks with a spot of musical education on the side—musical director Rich Medina is throwing an intimate Q&A with Quantic, followed by a DJ set. Reservations are highly recommended.
Cost: $35 cover

Saturday, October 16 – Sunday, October 17
Fairchild Gardens
It’s like a mini-season for orchids this weekend when Fairchild blankets its 83-acre expanse with thousands of blossoms for Orchids in October. Roam the verdant paradise at your leisure, then find the perfect flowers to bring home or give as a gift.
Cost: Tickets run $24.95 for non-members (members get in free)

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