Sunny Isles, Florida, is renowned for its white sandy beaches and great shopping, but it will be known for jazz when the fifth annual Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Festival comes into town October 12 to 14.
The three-day event kicks off with an opening-night show at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Acqualina Resort & Spa. Head to the hotel’s oceanfront Piazzetta Marketplace and Restaurant to groove to smooth sounds of vocalist Gail Robin and Juilliard-trained composer-pianist Tony Sona and dine on a $65 three-course dinner. If you’re solely there for the music, hang out at the bar and enjoy the riffs for $25.
But this fest melds music and meals throughout the weekend. The free Saturday afternoon performance pairs the Afro-Cuban jazzers in the Oriente Band with a beachside barbecue (the eats will cost you), and the closing event is a buffet brunch with the Frank Axtell Quartet at Alba restaurant for $40.
