Fun weekend and more to come

Last weekend was jam-packed and it was a blast!

Me (not looking so great, terrible lighting and camera angle), with my friend and fellow culture lover Nicolle Ugarriza.

Marshall L. Davis, Sr. on the right alongside the film’s creative team during the post screening Q&A where they shared that they made the film in the hopes that more centers like the AHCAC will open up around the country.

I kicked off Friday night with a visit to the iconic Olympia Theater in Downtown Miami to attend my first of three Miami Film Festival viewings of the weekend. That night I watched “An Instrumental Start - A Model for the Nation,” a documentary focusing on the success of the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. I sat next to my friend Nicolle Ugarriza, a childhood friend (our fathers were competitive swimmers in Cuba and later in Miami and her father was also my father’s doctor) as we watched this heartwarming film about this center in Liberty City where they have been nurturing and teaching students from elementary to high school, to hone their artistic talent in dance, music, theater, acting and writing since the mid-1970s. Alumni include Robert Battle, former dancer and Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. As well as the likes of Barry Jenkins and Terrence Alvin McCraney, the Academy Award-winning duo who directed and wrote (respectively) the film “Moonlight.” Marshall L. Davis, Sr. has been at the helm of the center for four decades and is an amazing human being.

On Saturday I went to the Cosford Cinema on the University of Miami Campus to see the block of short-films all written, produced and directed by women. I enjoyed them (some more than others) and was happy to be supporting some Miami-made films. After the screenings, I was craving sushi so I stopped at Sakura Coral Gables and had THE most delicious chicken gyoza, sushi and edamame.

Vance and I at the Olympia Theater on Sunday.

Carol City Chiefs marching band drumline entertains us before the movie.

On Sunday, I returned to the Olympia, this time with Vance, to watch “The Mecca: Legends of Traz Powell Stadium,” about the football field at Miami-Dade North where some epic high school football games have been played that have produced more NFL players than any other football field in the country. It was so cool to hear the story of this historic sports venue where incidentally, my brother Mario played high school football, as did my nephew Danny.

Pablo Cano maneuvering one of his whimsical marionettes during Sunday’s show.

Pablo Cano gets assistance from Artist Kristin Thiele, who runs Bridge Red Studios, as they present the toothpaste and toothbrush romance portion of the show.

After the movie, I drove back up to my neighborhood to meet my friend Monica at what has become our new favorite spot, Bridge Red Studios, to watch artist Pablo Cano present a marionette show utilizing the ones that are on display in his exhibition there. He used whimsical and familiar recorded music as well as a live singer/guitarist as accompaniment to his little vignette performances. It was a fun afternoon and afterwards, I introduced Monica to Steve’s Pizza where we each enjoyed one of their monster slices and some garlic rolls.

Macaron tower at F&B@Sea was just too pretty to not photograph!

The week didn’t let up because by Wednesday and Thursday, I was back in the trenches, reporting for my third consecutive year from the floor at the F&B@Sea Convention at Mana Wynwood Convention Center. It was a tough two-day assignment, very tough, walking the entire floor, interviewing vendors, sampling their products and attending panels resulting in three articles I’ve already produced for Seatrade Cruise News and one more to come next week. One of the articles, on the first panel I attended, has already been published and you can read it here. The colorful tower of macarons pictured above was just one of the highlights of the two-day convention. I hope they ask me back next year because it’s a sweet gig!

The trivia gang at Old Tom’s, this week our team name was the Smarty Pints, Vance came up with that name.

Also on Wednesday, we were back in action at Old Tom’s Cafe which is inside the Ramada Inn in Miami Springs for trivia and once again took second place. It was extra sweet because Vance was able to join us since he’s been in Miami all week working the Seatrade Cruise Global Convention on Miami Beach.

To close out the week, tomorrow I’ll be volunteering at our monthly Food Rescue US South FL farmer’s market. This one is at one of my favorite places, Village Freedge in Liberty City, where I deliver food from Whole Foods every Monday. Looking forward to seeing them all, as well as all my fellow Rescue volunteers and having my sister Ana and her granddaughter Kaitlyn join us.

And finally, I’ll head to Little Havana to the Koubek Center in the early evening to watch a final Miami Film Festival flick “Poetry City,” which I’m really looking forward to! I know one of the producers Lisa Palley, a longtime Miami publicist who has over the years become a friend and been responsible for recommending me for lots of freelance work.

Phew! That’s a much busier week than normal for me and I’ve got several assignments I’m working on for Artburst Miami that I’ll share once those are published.

If you want to find great free and cheap things to do around South Florida this weekend, click here. You can find free concerts and performances, films, paddleboard lessons, Earth Day events and art walks.

Until next Friday…