Two free youth music festivals are returning to Miami-Dade County this spring, offering thousands of students the opportunity to perform on large community stages while highlighting the impact of expanded arts education across local public schools.
The festivals, presented by Arts Access Miami in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and iHeartRadio, will take place in Miami Gardens and South Dade.
The Miami Gardens Youth Music Festival is scheduled for Feb. 28 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. The South Dade Youth Music Festival will follow on March 14 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Losner Park.
Organizers say the events will feature performances by K–12 students from across the district, alongside food vendors, interactive experiences and opportunities for families to connect with community partners. The Miami Gardens event marks its fifth year, while the South Dade festival returns for its second year.
In 2025, the two festivals combined drew more than 4,000 attendees and featured approximately 1,600 student performers, according to organizers. Supporters describe the events as both community celebrations and public demonstrations of what sustained, in-school arts instruction can produce.
“Arts Access Miami was created to move arts education out of silos and into a shared system,” said Alan Valladares, director of Arts Access Miami, in a press statement. “Instead of organizations working independently, we bring nonprofit arts partners together with principals, school district leadership, along with city and county partners to plan, fund, and deliver arts education collectively across entire feeder patterns.”
Community leaders backing the festivals include Miami Gardens Councilwoman Linda Julien, Homestead Vice Mayor Jenifer Bailey and Miami-Dade County District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins. The officials represent areas where Arts Access Miami has been integrated since its 2020 launch.
Arts Access Miami operates as a districtwide arts education initiative managed by Young Musicians Unite and fiscally sponsored by The Miami Foundation. Under a formal agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the organization serves as the district’s strategic partner for arts education development.
Collaborating arts organizations include Young Musicians Unite, Guitars Over Guns and Miami Music Project, among others, which provide mentorship and performance opportunities both in classrooms and on stage.
Organizers say the goal is to ensure that every student in every Miami-Dade public school has access to arts and music education.
More information, including performance schedules and partnership opportunities, is available through Arts Access Miami.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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