Magic City 305

March 5th is 305 Day in Miami. It’s a celebration for South Floridians, named in honor of the Miami area code. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate what’s wonderful about Miami, a.k.a. the Magic City.

The event began a few years ago as a social media campaign called 305 Cafecito to honor the city of Miami by encouraging locals and tourists to drink a shot or two of espresso.

Today it has grown into a major party, with businesses who offer special deals and promotional discounts, charity fundraisers, city-wide entertainment, and Miami-inspired food and drink items for this one very special day.

If you’re not from Miami and you visit the city during this time, you might see pots and pans hanging around as decoration. That’s because it’s a city tradition to bang on them to celebrate Miami Heat, the city’s NBA team. At the time of this writing, Heat is in first place in the Eastern Conference, so you can be sure there will be lots of pots and pans banging in front of La Carreta, and fans yelling as they ride down Bird Road.

If you were not able to visit Miami for 305 Day this year, you missed getting free cafecito at La Cañita, the latest Cuban-Caribbean concept-driven restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein and partner David Martinez. You also missed the Cafe La Trova 80’s dance party where you could get a free cocktail if you showed up in your best Miami Vice duds.

So besides being a city of tech startups, cultural diversity, a hot NBA team, great weather, and being what some call “the cryptocurrency capitol of the world,” Miami has a lot of fun going on too. In challenging times, make sure to take care of your mental health and enjoy a celebration.

Join me on Twitter @shervin and let’s talk 305.