Happy March 5!
Also known as “305 Day,” it's a day to celebrate Miami-Dade being Miami-Dade. One of the many things the 305 has to offer is Latin culture, celebrated in different corners of the county: and one of those corners is Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana.
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WATCH HEREWith millions of residents calling Miami-Dade home, over half of the population is Cuban or of Cuban descent. About 70% of the Miami-Dade population is Latino in general.
While Cuban and Latin culture can be found just about anywhere in the 305, the smell of empanadas and cortaditos, the sound of Latin music, and the vibrantly colorful artwork characterize the uniqueness of Calle Ocho.
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The heart of Little Havana was established in the 1960s. Maria Prieto, a tour guide with Little Havana Walking Tours, was born in 1960 and arrived in Miami with her family just 20 days after she was born. Her great-grandfather, Jose Miguel Gomez, was Cuba’s second president, with her grandfather, Julio Moran Cuello, founding the Cuban navy.
Though Prieto describes how instrumental her family’s political power was in establishing the Cuban government, she and her parents would soon have to flee during Fidel Castro’s communist regime, like the other tens of thousands of Cuban families who did the same and made Miami their home.
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"Miami is so close to the island. This is where most of the Cubans settled down and so a lot of the stores and shops are Cuban-owned," Prieto said. "We've all had children. Then our children have had children. And then we stayed."
Prieto describes to her tourists how Little Havana showcases Cuban culture.
“You feel like you’re in the Caribbean when all you did was just drive here. All the places are filled with restaurants and shops which are so fun and vibrant," Prieto said. "All the live music is on the sidewalk, so it’s like battle of the bands. Then, of course, there’s Domino Park. It is so much fun to look at all those people playing their dominoes."
Popular eateries include the historical Versailles, La Esquina de la Fama, Café La Trova, and Azucar.
Nowadays, Little Havana sees visitors from all over the world. Prieto says she’s had tourists in her group from India to Africa and South Asia.
Mike and Joan Parker just arrived Tuesday from the United Kingdom. A long way from home, they’re excited to learn about cultures they don’t always see in their neighborhoods.
“Cubans wouldn’t be people you’d come across every day in the United Kingdom,” Mike Parker said. “While working in the Salvation Army, I was very familiar with different migrant patterns to Europe. Now I am having a wonderful time as our friends are showing us around seeing the historical impact of Cubans here in Miami.”
Brought by Miami friends Majors Roy and Kathy Williams, the couple calls Calle Ocho a special place.
“We love Little Havana. We bring everyone. There are so many good restaurants, good people, and good fun," Roy Parker said.
If you haven’t gotten enough of Little Havana, join NBC6 and Telemundo 51 this Sunday, March 10, for Calle Ocho, a festival dedicated to all things Latin music.
