This weekend at Wynwood's monthly Art Walk, you'll be able to drink, be merry, and be surrounded by great art. The difference this month? You can do it all without worrying about getting hit by a car on NW Second Ave. -- and you'll be doing it for a good cause.

This Saturday, Bacchanalia will be kicking off on the 31,000-square-foot turf neighboring Panther Coffee during Wynwood Art Walk.

In the true spirit of Bacchanal, the event promises plenty of life's greatest pleasures, letting patrons eat and drink like the Greco-Roman gods as they partake in live entertainment and art.

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Photo courtesy of Kiehl's Corp.

Celebrity Bikers sounds like the premise for a new VH1 reality show. But even better than cheesy scripted drama, it's the idea behind the upcoming Kiehl's LifeRide for amFAR, a nine-day charity motorcycle ride to benefit HIV/AIDS research.

Lucky for us locals, this year's ride kicks off in our neck of the woods with a celebrity-hosted, pop-up urban picnic at the Kiehl's store on Lincoln Road Friday, July 13. Picnic attendees can hope to see the likes of John Corbett, Tyson Beckford, Jason Lee, and Marguerite Moreau, all aboard hogs to benefit AIDS research.

This free-to-the-public party is the first leg of the ride's next eight stops in various cities. The ride itself is an 1,800 mile hog trip across the U.S. to raise funds and awareness for The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). Kiehl's will make donations at each city along the way, totaling $90,000.

We spoke to Kiehl's President & CEO Chris Salgardo on his commitment to HIV/AIDS research, his hog of choice, and how he gets celebs to climb aboard for charity.

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Ahol's emergency self portrait

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Harbour Photography, via Miami Light Project on Flickr

One of last year's Dance Your @$$ Off revelers.

It always feels good to do a selfless charitable act. But it feels pretty darn awesome when that philanthropic act of kindness involves food, drink, and an all-night dance party.

So in an act of not-quite-complete-selflessness, an expectant 300 patrons of the arts will be coming out to party with Miami Light Project on Saturday, June 2, all with an underlying desire to contribute to the rise of Miami performers and artists.

And for its second annual Dance Your @ss Off party, the South Florida cultural nonprofit is upping the stakes. "Last year we knocked it out of the ballpark," said Rebekah Lengel of Miami Light Project in reference to the $18,000 collected in the event's start-up year. "That's why this year we've raised our goal. We're aiming for $20,000."

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Courtesy of MSG Cartel

​There was an ugly time in this country when soldiers returning home would get spit on by rabid hippies. But times have changed and now even those who are anti-war know that it's not cool to be anti-soldier.

Our boys and girls in the armed forces deserve a little respect. And this Saturday at the Raleigh Hotel, we have the chance to show our gratitude to our homegrown heroes. "Artists for the Walking Wounded" is a benefit and silent auction where graffiti crew MSG Cartel, as well as a plethora of local artists and DJs will offer their mad skills to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project -- one of the coolest non-profits we know. More »

Photos by Kassim Richards

​Today marks the year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti. The 7.0 magnitude quake took the lives of over 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless. This catastrophe brought international attention to this small country and the world has come to its aid.

With the heavy Haitian presence in the South Florida community, our city was seriously affected. Now, a year later, the community is coming together again to commemorate the lives of those who were taken in the quake. The MLK Community Mural Project, along with 12 local artists from Haiti and Miami and several local students, are painting a 5,0000-square-foot mural on 79th Street and Northeast Second Avenue, in the heart of Little Haiti. More »

Courtesy Kerry McLaney

Haiti-born Miami photog, Kerry McLaney.

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Kingmangostrut.org

Don Robertson bought his way into grand marshal history.

​There is no group of Miami celebrities, or pseudo-celebrities, more revered than the list of grand marshals at the end-of-the-year farcical King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove. Actually, that list is kind of hard to come by. Some of the organizers can't event locate such a list, if one actually exists. You might have to sit back and coax the names out of the original organizers over a beer or several at one of their "organizational" gatherings in Coconut Grove.

Luckily, the last such meeting for this year's King Mango Strut on December 26 is coming up tomorrow night at The Grove Spot at 7 p.m. At the meeting, organizers will announce this year's grand marshal. His, her, or its name will be added to annals of Grove lore--alongside such notables as Janet Reno, Mr. Clucky the Chicken, Don Robertson (who? He bid $5,600 for the honor on Ebay) and former New Times and Miami Herald scribe Jim DeFede.More »

Phillip Pessar via flickr

The water tower needs help.

​The City of Coral Gables prides itself on its historic structures: the picturesque Country Club Prado, the recently renovated DeSoto Fountain, and the always fun Venetian Pool. Another iconic building is the Alhambra Water Tower. But unlike those structures, the water tower is in bad shape and the city is short on the money needed to restore the 1924 structure.

So what do city leaders do when they need more money for a capital improvement project? They have a party. And there's one scheduled today for 3:30 p.m. in front of the water tower itself - at the intersection of Alhambra Circle and Ferdinand Street in the Gables.More »

Courtesy of Rydel Deed

Last year's Cranksgiving had about 100 riders.

​Crank for the homeless. But the good kind of crank. The kind that has more than a 100 bike riders cranking around town collecting food for the less fortunate in the second annual Cranksgiving Food Drive. After raising over $1,000 last year with close to 100 riders, organizers are confident the event will get bigger as momentum builds and cycling becomes even more popular in South Florida. 

"Everyone felt ecstatic riding for a great cause and being a part of something which unselfishly helps the local community," says organizer Rydel Deed (yeah, great name for rider who does good deeds). He describes the event as part scavenger hunt, part bike race with active participation from everyone.

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