Art Deco Weekend brings people together for three days of fun, history, design and architecture

Today’s Miami is a haven for all kinds of art and artists, but historically, it’s most known for Art Deco. Launched in 1976 by the nonprofit organization Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL), Art Deco Weekend is a three-day celebration of that movement — a weekend filled with art, architecture, history, culture, entertainment and more. Originally created as a way to bring more people to Miami Beach at a time when tourism was low and preserving Art Deco history wasn’t a priority, today, this popular annual event is still the longest-running free community cultural festival in Miami Beach.

Returning to our South Beach shores on January 15th, 2021, this year’s festival will be virtual for the first time.

Miami’s Art Deco History
Dating back to the 1930s, Miami’s Art Deco movement is an indelible part of South Florida history. Found all along Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and its surrounding area, Art Deco architecture is easily recognizable—it’s bright and colorful, with playful shapes and glamorous elements that simultaneously make them both adorable and ostentatious.

Despite their noticeable traits, the collection of more than 800 buildings that make up Miami’s Art Deco scene went virtually unnoticed until 1976, when the Miami Design Preservation League formed to preserve, protect and promote the architectural, cultural, social and environmental integrity of Miami Beach. Highlighting the significance of the Art Deco movement, this organization fought to get the buildings added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, making Miami’s Art Deco Historic District the first nationally-recognized, 20th-century urban neighborhood in America.