Playdate Miami Provides Fun Alternative to Club Scene

Miami might be the party capital of the United States but that doesn’t necessarily mean we want to hit the clubs every night.

Every once in a while, we like to have a chilled night sans the pretension and attitude that come with the clubs.

Of course that doesn’t mean we will bypass the alcohol, music, dancing, laughing, mingling and all-around fun that we thrive on.

Even on our chilled nights, we’re still going to rock the house.

And that is exactly what people will be doing this Friday during Playdate Miami, a night where hundreds of people will gather in a room to play board games, computer games, party games and even flirting games.

“You’re not going to see the club persona here,” said Fabiola Fleuranvil, organizer of Playdate Miami, part of a network of events held around the country in various cities.

“You’re not going to have the smoky rooms or the loud music where you can’t even mingle. The music will be loud enough to dance to but low enough where you can speak to the person across the table from you.”

Judging by last month’s Playdate Miami, which was the first time it was held down here, you will make quick friends. After all, almost 450 people attended the event, Fleuranvil said.

This month’s event

This month’s event will be held from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. at the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort, 16701 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles. Cost is $10. Drinks and food are extra.

“That was the most fun I had in a good while,” said 26-year-old Samantha Jenkins after stepping out of last month’s Playdate.

“I hadn’t played Twister since I was a kid.”

Playdate evolved ten years ago in Atlanta and is now held in various cities throughout the United States, including Houston, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington DC.

During last month’s event, we were all heralded into a room with various tables containing several board games, including Connect Four, Battleship, Checkers, Chess and Monopoly.

Once you are seated, it doesn’t take long to begin talking to the other people at the table because all you have to do is challenge them to one of the games.

And this is not enough of an ice-breaker, there is a full-bar in the room with normal prices, unlike what you will find in the nightclubs.

But then what happens is people start roaming the room, looking for other games to play, challenging new people to games. So before you know it, you’ll find yourself across the room playing another game with a whole set of new people.

And this continues throughout the night.

Meanwhile, an MC keeps the energy alive by creating hula hoop, Twister and dancing games, which is a great opportunity for the sexes to mingle.

At one point of the night, he had the men challenging the women in a game of Simon Says. The men lost, proving once again that we have a hard time following orders.

“It’s a great place for singles to mingle but it’s not a singles event,” Fleuranvil said. “Couples are welcome also.”

All photos by Carlos Miller

Related Categories: Miami: Local News, Carlos Miller is a featured writer at Miami Beach 411. He also operates Photography is Not a Crime, a blog about photographer rights, New Media and First Amendment issues. See more articles by Carlos Miller. See more articles by Carlos Miller Was This Post Helpful? Please Share It With Others! Tweet

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