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For Immediate Release:
June 08, 2012

Media Contact:
Laura Phillips
[email protected]
305-755-7842



Miami-Dade County Parks to Expand Its Free Noches Tropicales Concert Series Thanks to a $100,000 Knight Foundation Grant

Gala Presentation to Kick Off New Concert Series


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- 
A $100,000 matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is enabling the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, in partnership with The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, to expand its free Noches Tropicales cultural arts concert series countywide.  The new complementary and also free Tropical Nights concert series will feature a broader range of music genres, including  jazz, swing, and rhythm and blues.

A jazz ensemble made up of internationally recognized artists, including Latin Grammy winner Amaury Gutierrez, will kick off the new concert series.  The Gala Presentation event will be held on Friday, September 21, 2012 at 8:00 p.m., at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, 2901 West Flagler Street in Miami.  Additional free concerts will be held at Oak Grove, Country Village and Goulds Parks.  Further details will be made available as event dates draw near.

"This generous award from the Knight Foundation allows us to bring more great family entertainment and cultural arts experiences to more residents and visitors than ever before," said Parks Director Jack Kardys.  "Tropical Nights will further showcase our community's diversity and rich cultural heritage, as well as the diversity of our parks system."

Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights is among 31 Miami-Dade culture projects selected in November 2011 to receive a Knight Foundation matching grant.  More than 1,300 applicants competed.  The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's Knight Arts Challenge is a $40 million effort to bring South Florida together through the arts.

Now in its seventh year, Noches Tropicales, sponsored by Target and produced by Miami-Dade Parks, has showcased more than 20 evening concerts at Tropical Park that have included traditional Cuban contemporary music and zarzuelas, Argentinean tango, Brazilian jazz, and a Spanish version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  More than 40,000 patrons have attended Noches Tropicales concerts over the years. For more information on Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights, call 305-480-1717.

Sponsorship opportunities for the concert series are also available, with net proceeds supporting The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, a 501(c)3 established to support Miami-Dade parks, including cultural initiatives, recreation programs, parks facilities improvements and preservation of parks and green space.  For more information on sponsorship, call 305-755-7804.


About the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade Parks call 3-1-1, or visit Miami-Dade Parks.


 

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MIAMI-DADE PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACES DEPARTMENT
275 NW 2nd Street, 3rd Floor Miami, Florida 33128
(305) 755-7842