Free Weekend Events in Broward & Miami-Dade

Tri-Rail’s “Winter Wonderland” presented by Herzog returns to the Miami Airport Station on Saturday, December 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will include interactive games, food trucks, face painting, cookie decorating, bounce houses, a balloon station, a coloring station, holiday characters, and photo opportunities with Tri-Rail’s mascot Conductor George Green. A special appearance by Santa Claus will make the day extra memorable.

Attendees will enjoy live holiday music performed by the South Florida Chamber Ensemble and onstage entertainment featuring Santa Claus and the Mouse-tacular Holiday Celebration show. Families can also engage in activities hosted by HistoryMiami Museum, Museum of Discovery and Science, Florida Panthers, Gold Coast Railroad Museum, City of Miami Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum, City of Miami and the Florida Department of Transportation. Food from I Love Panzerotti, Emmy Beth’s Ice Cream and more will be available for purchase.

The first 100 event goers to visit the Tri-Rail booth will receive a free gift. Attendees are encouraged to ride the train to the event. Weekend fares are $5 for unlimited day rides, or $2.50 with a registered discount EASY Card. Children under 5 years old ride for free.

For more details, visit http://www.tri-rail.com or call 1-800-TRI-RAIL.

Help to make a child’s holiday dreams come true this year by donating a gently used bicycle to Rick Case Bikes for Kids, now in its 43rd year. The community is encouraged to drop off bikes from October 1 through December 20 at select Rick Case Automotive Group dealerships in Broward County.

Since 1982, Rick Case Bikes for Kids has collected upwards of 120,000 gently used bicycles from the local community at their dealerships in Broward County, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. For more than 40 years, bikes have been donated to children through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club in Georgia, Habitat for Humanity of Broward, Women in Distress, Broward County Public Schools and other local charitable organizations, churches, synagogues and schools.

The dealerships are open seven days a week. Visit RickCase.com for specific hours.

MODS is open an hour early for sensory-friendly Museum exploration and activities followed by an IMAX film at 12:30 p.m.

To provide a more sensory-sensitive environment for individuals on the autism spectrum, the theater lights will be turned up and the sound will be lowered. All films will be presented in 2D. No trailers will be shown before the movie. Audience members are welcome to get up, sing, walk, dance and shout without worrying about complaints. Families may bring snacks from home, as well as blankets and other small items to be comfortable.

Guests can also participate in a variety of sensory based activities throughout the Museum. Children will engage in social interactions and improve the processing, modulation and regulation of sensory input to increase participation in a natural environment.

Don’t miss this special opportunity to experience South Florida’s award-winning attraction featuring 150,000 square feet of dynamic science exhibits, an outdoor science park, a live animal collection, a rotating schedule of science shows, learning labs, café, store and a grand atrium featuring the Great Gravity Clock, a 52-foot-tall kinetic energy sculpture; the largest clock in Florida. The showpiece of the museum since 1993, this unique timepiece is one of only three in the world.

Sensory-Friendly Sundays are sponsored by ABA Centers of Florida.

Free for both members and non-members. To register, please visit mods.org/sensorysunday.

For more information, visit mods.org or call (954) 467-MODS (6637). Like us and follow us on social media at Facebook: facebook.com/modsftl, Twitter: twitter.com/modsftl and Instagram: instagram.com/modsftl.

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale has launched Sensory Saturdays, a new sensory-friendly program FREE for children on the Autism Spectrum ages 6-17 and their families.
Experience NSU Art Museum from 9:30 – 10:30 am on the second Saturday of September, November, January and March, before regular museum hours for a sensory-friendly environment and free museum access. Join us in making art in workspaces and wandering through galleries that have been adjusted for low lighting and reduced sound. Sensory-friendly materials will be available for all visiting children on the spectrum, including noise-canceling headphones, weighted lap pads, soft seating, sensory-friendly art materials and a special gift for each child.
Registration opens one month prior to each date.
Admission to Sensory Saturdays is FREE with a required RSVP. Space is limited.
Registered families are requested to alert the museum of cancellations in advance. Please only register your own family. If you or someone you know needs assistance registering, please call 954-262-0204 or email education1@nova.edu