And All That Jazz!

North Miami has sponsored music and the arts for as long as I can remember (too long?) with an active city sponsored group, The Society of the Arts, which for many years sponsored The North Miami Arts Festival for a week every spring in Griffing Park. In later years the name was changed to Arti-Gras as a huge tent was put up containing a stage featuring everything from puppet shows for the children to plays, and live music, ranging from classical to folk to Jazz. When the city built the brand new building to house the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) by city hall a short street was blocked off and repaved to look like tile. There's also a brand new Starbucks next to the patio.

Just about every week there's a concert of somes sort, with the group playing on the Showmobile while well over a hundred people sit on folding chairs enjoying the music and socializing, while others meander through the museum checking out the latest exhibit or sample the coffees at Starbucks. Along the main road, N.E. 125th Street, which runs along there are a number of art galleries that often stay open late on concert nights.

The city even publicizes the events on a bus bench in front MOCA Plaza. If you look carefully you can just barely make out my face on the lower part of the photo just to the left of center. Here's where to check out what's happening: http://www.mocanomi.org/