February sizzles in South Florida at a host of Miami outdoor festivals. One of the best, considered a signature event on the calendar, is the annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival held in the captivating village that bears its name within the city of Miami. Coconut Grove is just south of the hustle and bustle of downtown Miami, overlooking the breathtaking and expansive Biscayne Bay. Visitors and residents alike can meet and greet renowned artists while they sample culinary creations and listen to live bands play the night away in the beauty of the outdoors. The annual outdoor festival has grown over the years into one of the premier events in the country.

The 48th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival will be held February 19, 20, & 21, 2011, and is expected to attract over 150,000 attendees. Over 360 of the best and brightest artisans and craftspeople from around the nation and Canada will be featured at the Miami event. A rigorous selection process ensues in order for an artist’s work to be featured at the festival. Last year, 1,230 applicants from 35 states and our neighbor to the north submitted a sampling of their artwork in genres such as mixed media, digital art, watercolor, claywork, sculpture and wood.

In addition to the stunning artwork pervading the grounds, the exciting Culinary Pavilion maintains its place at the center of the Festival. Top chefs prepare their top dishes and are on hand to explain and describe their cooking techniques. Popular restaurants throughout South Florida send their world-renowned chefs to Coconut Grove each year. In 2009, we saw the likes of Executive Chef Philippe Pinon from the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Wok Star Inc.’s Eleanor Hoh and Chef Hugh Sinclair from Irie Spice.

The Coconut Grove Art and Historical Association, Inc produces this outdoors festival in Miami each year. The non-profit community organization contributes the proceeds from the successful event to help fun arts programs in and around South Florida each year. An astounding four million dollars of artwork was sold during the three days of last year’s event!