The Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL), an anchor not-for-profit organization in Miami Beach, created the annual Art Deco Weekend (ADW) festival forty years ago as a way to draw people to Ocean Drive in an effort to preserve and protect the historic architecture of the area. The annual three day event, which takes place over Martin Luther King weekend, is the City’s longest running free community cultural festival, full of family-friendly activations, educational lectures, live music and a class car parade. Recent enhancements to the festival have included the Jazz Age Lawn Party, improved vendor and food experience and partnerships with Miami Beach businesses, like the Faena District. The festival annually attracts over 150,000 attendees, 57% of whom are out of town visitors, 71% of which stayed in a Miami Beach hotel, according to a 2017 Touch Poll Survey commissioned by the MDPL.
For the 41st edition of ADW, taking place Friday, January 12 through Sunday, January 14, on Ocean Drive from 5 to 14 Street, including the closure of Ocean Drive in this area, MDPL estimates the following costs, based on the 2017 edition:
- Police: $63,832
- Fire: $15,296
- Parking: $6,840
- Electrical Permit Fee: $1,984
- Sanitation (dumpster fee): $903
- Liquor License: $400
Total Fees: $89,255
Given the historic importance and tourism value created by ADW, MDPL is requesting the City of Miami Beach agree to sponsor ADW at a $100,000 value.
At the May 19, 2017 Finance and Citywide Projects Committee meeting, the Committee made a favorable recommendation to consider funding for MDPL during the FY 2016/17 budget development process.