Art Miami and CONTEXT open to the public on Tuesday 1 December at One Herald Plaza, and both fairs publish their clocks ahead of the week. The pavilions sit at NE 14th Street and Biscayne Bay. Valet costs $30. A Metromover station sits one block away. A free water taxi crosses to Miami Beach every 15 minutes.
Six public days, hour by hour
Tuesday 1 December runs 4 pm to 8 pm at Art Miami. CONTEXT runs 4 pm to 9:30 pm on the same evening. That 90-minute gap is the only difference between the two fairs all week.
Wednesday 2 December through Saturday 5 December both fairs run 11 am to 7 pm. Sunday 6 December both close at 6 pm.
The published schedule totals 43 public hours at Art Miami and 44.5 at CONTEXT across the six days. A group that arrives on opening day gets four hours at Art Miami and five and a half next door.
The organiser states that event times are subject to change. Tickets sell online only. No box office operates on site, so a group buys before it travels.
Arriving by car: valet at $30
Valet runs on a first-come, first-served basis at $30. The entrance sits at Bayshore and NE 14th Street.
The Omni Garage beside the pavilion holds 2,500-plus spaces at 1645 Biscayne Boulevard at NE 15th Street. It opens all day, Monday through Sunday. Extra entrances sit on Bayshore Drive and on 17th Street.
Three Citi Bike stations sit near the site. They are on NE 15th Street before the Venetian Causeway, on NE 14th Terrace at Biscayne Boulevard, and on Biscayne Boulevard at NE 15th Street.
The Metromover station one block away
The Adrienne Arsht Metromover station sits one block from the site. The service is free and connects Brickell and Downtown Miami.
The Wynwood Trolley and the Biscayne Trolley are free City circulators. Both connect at the Adrienne Arsht station.
Brightline runs rapid rail into Miami. The fair links to its booking page and publishes no group rate.
The free water taxi to Miami Beach
CONTEXT's practical information page publishes the operating detail. Boats run every 15 minutes from 10 am to 10 pm, subject to change. The crossing is free.
The route runs between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park in Miami Beach and the Venetian Marina and Yacht Club beside the fairs. Twelve hours at four boats an hour puts 48 crossings on each direction of the route in a day.
The pavilion and Maurice Gibb Memorial Park sit 2.61 miles apart in a straight line across Biscayne Bay. Maurice Gibb Memorial Park sits 0.91 miles in a straight line from the Aqua Hotel at 1530 Collins Avenue.
A Saturday that uses one ticket for two venues
The $184 multi-day ticket covers Art Miami, CONTEXT and Aqua Art Miami. The Aqua leg runs Thursday 3 December through Sunday 6 December.
Aqua opens at noon on Thursday and closes at 9 pm. On Friday and Saturday it runs 11 am to 9 pm. On Sunday it runs 11 am to 6 pm. A one-day Aqua ticket costs $32.
A Saturday plan holds on those clocks. The group works Herald Plaza from 11 am to 7 pm, walks to the marina dock, and reaches Aqua for the last two hours to 9 pm. The water taxi runs until 10 pm. A group that wants the reverse order takes the 10 am boat, works Aqua first, and returns to the fairs for the 7 pm close.
What the gate refuses
No outside food or beverage enters the fair. No firearms. No smoking and no vaping. Pets stay out, with the exception of assistance animals.
Large bags stay out. Suitcases, folding bicycles, scooters and laptops fall under the size rule, which covers anything larger than a handbag. The site checks bags and strollers for a small fee with very limited capacity. Coats and umbrellas check free.
Strollers do not enter Friday through Sunday.
Eating inside the gate
The site lists five hospitality areas. They are Plaza Bistro, the Venetian Cafe and Bar, the Spris Artisan Pizza Truck, the CONTEXT Indoor Cafe and the Sun Deck Lounge over Biscayne Bay.
One-hour tours at $25 a guest
Art Miami's guided tours run through Art Nexus. The published rate reads $25 per guest for a group of 10, or $250 for a private tour. An hour covers an overview of the fair and a curated selection of works from the exhibiting galleries. Reservations run through arttours@artnexus.com.
The group ticket rung starts at 10 people and sells at $48 a person. The tour is a separate purchase at $25 a head.
Choosing the day
Tuesday 1 December buys the CONTEXT evening to 9:30 pm. Wednesday to Saturday buys eight hours across both pavilions. Sunday buys seven hours and the earliest close.
A group that wants the boat and the second venue books a Thursday, a Friday or a Saturday. On those three days the fairs, the water taxi and Aqua all run at once.