60 Plus Activities Announced For ARTSLAUNCH2018

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) is pleased to announce event details for ARTSLAUNCH2018 (#ArtsLaunch2018), a FREE annual celebration to kick off South Florida's arts season and celebrate the Center's official box office opening, on September 8, 2018*.

Created by the Arsht Center in partnership with the local arts community and DWNTWN Art Days, ARTSLAUNCH2018 includes a Community Arts Village featuring more than 100 of South Florida's cultural organizations, mini performances, interactive workshops, dance classes, chef demos, kids' activities, walking tours, food and beverage vendors, live bands and DJs, and more. On that day, the public will also have the first opportunity to purchase tickets to more than 170 shows for the Arsht Center's 13th season - with no handling fees all day* (details below and here).

ARTSLAUNCH2018 SCHEDULE:

ARTS AND CULTURE EVENTS

• Miami DDA Community Arts Village - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Everyone is invited to stroll through the Ziff Ballet Opera House stage where more than 100 of Miami's cultural organizations will showcase their arts offerings for the upcoming season in an indoor street fair. Bonus - guests are encouraged to take selfies on stage!

• Dance Classes on Stage - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guests interested in learning new dance moves are encouraged to participate in free dance classes on the Knight Concert Hall stage. The 45-minute sessions will include swing, hip-hop, line dancing, Haitian kompa led by KOTR (Konpa on the Rise) pros, salsa by the ever-popular Salsa Lovers, and flamenco led by renowned dancer and choreographer Siudy Garrido.

• Broadway in Miami - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Broadway lovers will have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities inspired by the Arsht Center's 2018-2019 Broadway in Miami series which includes Hello, Dolly!, Waitress, Les Misérables, Come From Away, School of Rock, Irving Berlin's White Christmas and Disney's The Lion King, along with Hamilton which will be making its Miami premiere in the 2019-2020 season. Broadway activations will be located throughout the Center's campus.

• Interactive Workshops - 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"Behind-the-scenes" workshops will be offered inside the Carnival Studio Theater by the Center's resident companies and community arts partners including Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, Zoetic Stage, City Theatre, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and more!

• A cappella Corner - 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Seven of Miami's most talented high school and college acapella groups will converge in the Knight Concert Hall lobby to provide a day full of vocal harmony and tonal delight - ALL voices without music! Participating groups will include North Miami High School, Melodic Minors from Miami Arts Studio, Ronald Reagan High School, Coral Reef High School, Florida International University Concert Choir, Maverick Singers and South Florida Harmony from Miami Arts Studio.

• Mini Performances - 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Intimate 30-minute performances will be offered inside the Ziff Ballet Opera House and Knight Concert Hall's Green Rooms. Featured artists include: Miami Symphony Orchestra, Microtheater Miami (English and Spanish performances), Miami Music Project, Joltradio.org, South Florida Symphony, Stratus4 String Quartet, Of One Mind, and Miami Theater Center.

· ARTSLAUNCH@NIGHT - 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

End the day on a high note with an evening concert featuring live music from local bands and DJs such as DJ Kumi, Jahfé and Locos Por Juana on the Thomson Plaza for the Arts.

FOOD AND DRINKS

· Farmers Market (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), The Café at Books & Books (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.) -

Florida-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables, meats, prepared food and beverages will be available for purchase at the Arsht Center's Farmers Market. The Café at Books & Books will be open for dining to all guests. Reservations are encouraged.

· Pop-Ups and Concessions* - Starting at 10 a.m.

o Pasta Pop-Up - BRAVA by Brad Kilgore's Porcini Campanelle pasta dish. Optional pairings include wine selections from Treasury Wines.

o Burger Depot - BRAVA's famous gourmet burger. Optional pairings include Bacardi Traditional, Summer Blueberry or Strawberry Mojitos.

o Sicilian Pizza Station - Pizza pies. Optional pairing is Pommery POP, the official champagne of the Arsht Center.

o MadLab Creamery - Pastry chef Soraya Kilgore will offer a variety of delectable and unique creamy delights direct from Design District outpost.

o Concession Stations will be offering a selection of hand-crafted sandwiches, popcorn, candy, chips, gourmet cheese, water, sodas, juices and a full liquor bar. All items will be available for purchase.

*Pop-ups and concessions will be located throughout the Arsht Center campus and items will be available for purchase starting at 10 a.m.

· Chef Demonstrations - 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Enjoy light tastings from the Center's on-site restaurant, BRAVA By Brad Kilgore, during two chef demonstrations. James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Brad Kilgore will demonstrate the culinary skills responsible that made BRAVA By Brad Kilgore one of Miami's hottest restaurants! Each chef demonstration lasts approximately 20-30 minutes. RSVP here, however entrance is not guaranteed due to limited capacity (first come, first admitted).

· A Taste of BRAVA - 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Foodies can enjoy a selection of small plates at BRAVA by Brad Kilgore. Menu items available for purchase include an Eggplant Parmesan Tartlet, Beef Wellington, Crab Risotto, Tiramisu and more.

· Culturist Bacardi Hour - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Guests will experience the best of the Arsht Center with an interactive and informational behind-the-scenes look at the Center's Culturist membership program inside the Ziff Ballet Opera House Patrons Club. Limited capacity (first come, first admitted). Cheers!

· Chef Allen's Farm-To-Table Dinner - 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy Chef Allen's Farm-to-Table Dinner - a five-course, vegetarian meal. The highly creative menu is prepared by the James Beard award-winning chef and is served family-style at a shared communal table, under the stars with live music. Cost is $30 per person, with an $18 optional wine pairing. Reservations suggested through Eventbrite here.

AND MORE!

• Kid's Zone - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Families and children can enjoy a day of fun on the Center's Thomson Plaza for the Arts. Activities include storytelling, drumming workshops and more hosted by community partners such as South Florida Percussive Arts, Musical Fairy Tales, Radio Lollipop, Delou Africa, StepFlix, Magic City Opera, Fantasy Factory and the Greater Miami Youth Symphony.

• Walking Tours - 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Get to know the Arsht Center! Campus-wide walking tours will be offered every hour on the half hour starting at 10:30 a.m.

· Test Drive Your Subscription Seats - 1 p.m.

Jazz and classical music fans will be able to "test drive" different subscriber seat locations in the world-renown Knight Concert Hall.

PARKING

• Parking will be available in Lot C (1201 NE 2nd Ave.) for $5 throughout the day.

BOX OFFICE OPENING

In addition to the ARTSLAUNCH2018 activities, the Arsht Center's box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering guests a chance to be one of the first to buy tickets for 170+ shows in the 2018-2019 season - with no handling fees all day* (in-person only). For more info click here. Ticket may also be purchased by calling 305-949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org (phone and online transactions will incur fees).

The following shows will be on sale to the public for the first time:

• Broadway in Miami: Irving Berlin's White Christmas, School of Rock and Waitress.
• Jazz Roots: Artemis: Great Women in Jazz; From Brazil with Love: Sergio Mendes; Jazz in the Key of Ellison; Joshua Redman Quartet; Robert Glasper: Reflect + Respond=NOW.
• Live at Knight: Mariza; Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert.
• Masterworks Classical Music: Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Jeremy Denk; Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Muti; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra with Zubin Mehta; Itzhak Perlman in Recital; and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Javier Perianes.
• Theater Up Close: Hundred Days; Zoetic Stage productions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Every Brilliant Thing, Sweeney Todd; and House Theatre of Chicago's United Flight 232.
• Florida Grand Opera: La bohème; The Marriage of Figaro; Werther.
• Miami City Ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker; Program Two - Dances at a Gathering and Brahms/Handel; Program Three - The Four Temperaments, Duo Concertant, The Flower Festival in Genzano Pas De Deux and Heatscape; and Program Four - A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Miami Symphony Orchestra: Grand Season Opening; Ocean Drive in Vienna; A 60s Musical Journey with Rudy Perez and Friends; and The Three B's.
• New World Symphony: Helene Gramaud and Mahler; Pinchus Zukerman Plays Bruch.
• The Cleveland Orchestra: Mahler's Resurrection Symphony; Barbara Hannigan Sings and Conducts Gershwin (& More).
• Other: Henry Box Brown: A Hip-Hop Musical starring Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins
• Selection of shows already on sale: Celia: The Musical; Chinese Warriors of Peking; August Greene (Common + Robert Glasper + Karriem Riggins); Hello, Dolly!; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert; Zoetic Stage's Dracula; Eddie Izzard; Max Richter with the American Contemporary Ensemble; Miami City Ballet's Program One; Youssou NDOUR; Anna Netrebko & Yusif Eyvazov; Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy; Jazz Roots: Leonard Bernstein - 100 and Beyond; Buika; Gad Elmaleh; Contra-Tiempo; City Theatre's Winter Shorts; and more.

To view a video from ARTSLAUNCH, please click here. New updates on ARTSLAUNCH2018 can be found at www.arshtcenter.org/artslaunch.

ARTSLAUNCH2018 at the Arsht Center is presented by American Airlines and is supported by Outfront Media and brightline, along with additional support from OAI.

Public Transportation and Ridesharing

Ride the Miami Trolley to the Arsht Center stop on Biscayne and 13th street or the Metromover to the Adrienne Arsht Center Station. Ridesharing is also encouraged via UBER, the Center's official ridesharing partner. New users can use promo code ARSHTCENTER for one free ride!

Security Screening

All guests entering the premises will be subject to bag checks and inspection by hand-held metal detector. Backpacks and weapons are not permitted. Click here for more info and a list of prohibited items.

*If the event is cancelled due to inclement weather, it will be rescheduled for Saturday, September 22.

*Per-order fees will be waived for single tickets purchased in person at the Arsht Center Box Office on Saturday, September 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All orders by phone, mail, or online will incur regular fees; all subscription orders regardless of point of purchase will incur regular fees.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit www.arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world's leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida's diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 60,000 children each year. As Miami's new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market.