South Dade Youth Music Festival Seeks Student Performers and Community Partners

The next generation of South Florida musicians, singers and performers will have another opportunity to take center stage as Arts Access Miami prepares to bring its Youth Music Festival back to Homestead in 2027.

The South Dade Youth Music Festival is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, at Harris Field Park, bringing together students, families, educators, local businesses and community organizations for a free celebration of music and arts education.

Applications are now open for student performers, school ensembles, food vendors, restaurants, nonprofit organizations and other community partners interested in participating.

The application deadline is December 10, 2026.

The Homestead event is part of a larger series of three Youth Music Festivals taking place throughout Miami-Dade County. The Downtown Miami festival will be held February 20 at Bayfront Park, followed by the Miami Gardens festival February 27 at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex.

Together, the three events are expected to attract more than 5,000 attendees.

While the festivals offer young performers an opportunity to showcase their talents, their purpose extends beyond a single day of entertainment.

For many students, access to music instruction, mentorship and opportunities to perform publicly can help build confidence, encourage creativity and introduce possibilities they may not have otherwise considered.

That opportunity is particularly meaningful in communities where families may face financial or transportation barriers to extracurricular activities.

Arts Access Miami was established in 2020 to help address inequalities in access to arts education across Miami-Dade County. Rather than having schools and community organizations work independently, the initiative brings together educators, nonprofit partners and supporters to expand the availability of free arts programming.

During the 2026–27 school year, Arts Access Miami expects to work with 31 nonprofit partner organizations across more than 88 schools and community locations, reaching over 17,000 students through arts instruction, mentorship and performance opportunities.

“The Youth Music Festivals are days when collaboration becomes celebration,” said Alan Valladares, director of Arts Access Miami.

Valladares explained that the festivals give students an opportunity to perform before their communities while allowing families and participating organizations to see the results of their collective work.

The return of the festival to Harris Field also presents opportunities for South Dade's small businesses and community organizations.

Local food vendors, restaurants and other businesses are encouraged to apply, creating a way for families attending the performances to discover businesses operating within their own community.

Nonprofit organizations involved in youth development and arts education can also participate, helping connect families with programs that may continue supporting students long after the festival ends.

Priority consideration will be given to applicants from the communities surrounding each festival location. Those interested in participating at multiple locations must submit separate applications.

For Homestead and the surrounding South Dade communities, events like these are an opportunity to recognize young talent close to home.

South Dade has no shortage of students with artistic ability or families willing to support them. Providing opportunities for those students to be seen, heard and encouraged remains an important part of building a community that invests in its younger generations.

The March festival will give participating students a public stage while bringing together the schools, businesses and organizations that help make those opportunities possible.

The festival is free to attend, and applications for participation remain open through December 10.

Students, performers, vendors and organizations interested in participating can find additional information and application details at artsaccessmiami.org/ymf.