Super Bowl host has serene, artsy sides under the glitz When 75,000 fans pack into Dolphin Stadium Feb. 4 for Super Bowl XLI, when the coin is finally tossed and that ball is first kicked, this city will become, temporarily at least, the football capital of the world. But no matter how many tens of millions of homes the game is beamed into, Miami is like a runway model wearing an oversized football jersey that hangs to her knees.
The city can't hide its seductive, playful, sleepless nature behind a facade of pigskin and turf. Those who descend here for the big game will be greeted by the sandy coastline and pulsating clubs that have long been synonymous with this tropical playground, but also a lively arts scene, distinct neighborhoods and surprisingly serene escapes. As game day nears, the opportunities for a visitor are as diverse as the city: both sleek and gritty, authentic and artificial, boisterous and serene.
Football: Game festivities kick off Monday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino in Hollywood, with Hootie the Blowfish performing and stars of Super Bowls past, including Jerry Rice, in attendance. Dozens of other events are scattered throughout game week, too, including the requisite fireworks. Families: An interactive football theme park, "The NFL Experience," will be open in the Dolphin Stadium parking lot this weekend and Thursday-Saturday (980 MacArthur Causeway, ).
Among other things, it offers the chance to test play-by-play broadcasting skills, experience a drive to the end zone while harnessed to a bungee and test passing accuracy. The Miami Children's Museum offers its own football program, giving kids a chance to learn referees' signals, dress up in football gear and try to kick a field goal. Arts: The city's profile in the art world has grown exponentially since Art Basel, the Swiss festival, established an American outpost on Miami Beach five years ago.
Art lovers will find, among other options, the spectacular exhibit of glassblower Dale Chihuly's work at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables ( ). Thousands of pieces of the artist's work hang from trees, rise from the ground and float on water. Elsewhere, Lorna Simpson's collection of photographic and video works closes at the Miami Art Museum (101 W.
Flagler St., ) on Super Bowl Sunday, and "The Syringa Tree," a tale of growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, closes at the Rose Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center in Fort Lauderdale ( ) a day earlier. Music: From Fergie to the Florida Grand Opera, musicians are packing in for concerts surrounding the game.
Dolphin Stadium will host the "Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash" Thursday, with Kanye West and John Legend among the performers. Steve March Torme, son of the late Mel Torme, and the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra will both be in West Palm Beach Tuesday, and Willie Nelson takes the stage at the glittering new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami on Wednesday. The beach: Special events abound on Miami Beach during Super Bowl week.
On Saturday, 350 top fashion models from around the world face off in Volleypalooza, a volleyball tournament billed as the "sexiest sporting event of the year." Clubs will likely be packed as game day nears, including Penthouse Magazine's "Going Deep" party at Mansion (136 Collins Ave., ) on Saturday with Snoop Dogg performing.
And in yet another "what it feels like to be in the NFL" event, Ocean Drive between Fifth and 15th streets will close to vehicle traffic to create the Motorola Mile. Visitors can walk through exhibits highlighting Super Bowl milestones and score the winning touchdown or perform an end-zone dance on an interactive football field. All that said, visitors would be remiss to pass up a day at the beach, as they would to leave without a nod to Cuban culture or Art Deco architecture.
The flavors: Joe's Stone Crab restaurant (11 Washington Ave.) is a South Beach institution, and locals say the crab specialty is worth the long wait for tables. In Little Havana, you can dine at another Miami icon, the Versailles Restaurant (3555 SW Eighth St.
). While you're in the neighborhood, listen to the tiles clatter during games in Domino Park or watch workers roll cigars at El Credito factory, 1106 SW Eighth St. The unexpected: Likely quiet escapes include a nighttime walk from South Pointe, along the South Beach shoreline.
The Holocaust Memorial is a moving, typically hushed spot that allows a guest to stand beside statues of the tortured, panicked and heartbroken (1933 Meridian Ave.).
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