This will be one of the biggest street parties you will ever be a part of, as you walk the street filled with vendors offering Latin foods of every flavor, musical performances on every block, children’s activities, and even some freebies along the way!  Musical performances are nearly every block from 11th Avenue, all the way to 27th Avenue, and include huge stars like Pitbull, Fat Joe, Brook Hogan, Shaggy, Eddy Lover, and many, many more!

Calla Ocho 2009 will be held this Sunday, March 15th, from 11am-7pm, giving you plenty of time to party in the street with thousands of others from Miami, South Florida, and across the world!

Rhett, a Labrador Retriever, starred as Marley when he was a puppy for several of the scenes in the film.  One of Rhett’s most accomplished moments as a young star was his ability to bust into the screen door, as no other puppy on set would even attempt such a stunt!  He is also admired by many other pups for the scene when he knocks over the enormous bag of dog food, and lies on the ground consuming every last pebble of food.

Rhett’s current owner says he is full of energy, but thanks to great trainers, much of that energy can be controlled and does not cause quite as much havoc as portrayed in the movie.  Her home in West Kendall has a large yard, allowing for plenty of room for the 82 pound Labrador to play.

Photos of celebrities and pets are auctioned off and donations go toward the Humane Society of Greater Miami and Adop-A-Pet.  Some examples of celebrity pets that took their owners to the event in previous years include dog owners Jason Taylor Miami Dolphins defensive end player, singer Barry Gibb, Dr. Arthur Agatston author of The South Beach Diet book, and Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams.

Each year brings a different crowd to the Pawpurrazzi, but one thing is for sure; the day will be filled with fancy pooches being pampered! This year the event will take place at Jungle Island, on Friday, January 30th.

Club Mansion of Miami will be featuring Lindsay Lohan as their host as they count down to the year 2009. This New Years South Beach Miami celebration will be one of the hottest events on the beach, sporting a jungle themed atmosphere with green vines, lizard-like body painted dancers, and exotic floral decorations. Samantha Ronson will be spinning live at this event, and partying alongside with Linsday all night long!

General admission is $200, which includes an open bar all night, and VIP entrance into Mansion.  The Opium Group is also offering an upgraded All Access ticket, for $300, which gives you  VIP access to Mansion, Opium Garden and Prive.  It includes open bar at all venues, as well as entrance to the Louis Bar Lounge at Gansevoort, for a champagne toast at midnight!

Several VIP table and bottle packages will also be available.

Tuesday, December 9th, after the FBI received a tip from unnamed sources, DMX was found in a friend’s home on Palm Island near the Miami Beach area.  He was arrested for an open warrant in Phoenix, which was made after he did not show up to his scheduled court date on December 5th.  The charges against him are for animal cruelty and drug possession. Back in Arizona, his set bond is $120,000. Reportedly, DMX was in Florida attending rehab for the past two weeks…

In the month of June this year, he was also arrested in Miami for reported attempts to purchase illegal drugs on the street. And only a couple of months following that incident, again in Miami during August of this year, he was arrested on a another set of drug charges from Arizona.

He has pleady not-guilty to all of the charges against him so far.  However, one recommendation for DMX; if you are not guilty, attend your scheduled court dates!  Just a thought…

But Miami is not the only location in South Florida that you can spot celebrities living day to day.  Palm Beach County recently marked a purchase from celebrity Bruce Springsteen, and surprisley this Florida home purchase is not oceanfront!  Instead, Springsteen reportadley purchased a home in an equestrian community in Wellington called the Equestrian Club Estates.  This Palm Beach gated community features homes nothing short of what you would expect from a “celebrity home”, with a 6,000 square foot layout that is jaw-dropping.   Springsteen’s daughter is also an active equestrian student, which may have been a majority of the motivation to purchase this home.  Residents in Equestrian Club Estates are conveniently located next door to the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival, so there is no need to travel to far for this wonderful event for equestrian enthusiasts! 

All those who are interested in participating, must register their vessels by December 8th.  There will be several places to view this spectacular boat parade including Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale. Two levels of seating will be offered; public and reserved seating. Public seating is free and it is recommended that you come prepared with your own blankets and chairs for self seating, and reserved seating is $20.00. There is also a $2 park entry fee.

For those who wish to view the parade by boat, set anchor by 4pm so that you can avoid bridge closures. If you’re viewing the parade by boat, you can anchor your vessel at New River Cut, just South of Bahia Mar and the Western portion of Lake Santa Barbara.

The park will be accessible solely by shuttle bus, which departs at Holiday Park off Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale.

Comedian-actor Jim Belushi will be the grand marshal for the event. Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts Band will perform on stage at Hard Rock Live, December 12th.

Chef Todd English is opening up his new restaurant, da Campo Osteria, this Thursday. The restaurant features authentic Northern Italian cuisine. The restaurant will be located in the il Lugano Hotel and Residences. The address is 3333 NE 32nd Ave., Fort Lauderdale. You can call 954-564-4400 for more information.

Chef English established himself in 1989 with the opening of his restaurant Olives in Massechusettes.  He’s opened up many more restaurants throughout the year and has published three cook books.

Chef Johnny Vinczencz of Ft. Lauderdale’s Johnny V is scheduled to open up his new restaurant, Smith & Jones Bar and Grill on Wednesday.  Why the name? The chef says he thought of obvious American names for the restaurant. Smith & Jones will be located at 1313 E. Las Olas Boulevard in the old Louie Louie spot. The restaurant offers American comfort food at not more than $20 a plate.

Ft. Lauderdale is proof that you don’t have to drive far to get the best food at an inexpensive price!

Kardashian, the designated Master of Ceromonies for the mostly VIP and celebrity audience looks forward to the event which hosts a lavish dinner, presentation, and silent auction for charity.

”Miami is one of my favorite towns. I love the hot weather,” Kardashian gushed when given the opportunity. “When I am there I always stop and eat at Prime 112. The fried Oreos are unreal!”

As for Grenier, he will be performing with his country/glam-rock band The Honey Brothers with an ardent fervor.  A devoted Democrat, he has tons of energy now to celebrate after Barack Obama filling the role of President-elect.

“I have renewed faith in mankind and in Americans to make rational, heartfelt decisions,” Grenier said from Los Angeles.

When asked about his role in the Miami event, he responded “We believe it’s important to make wishes and to believe in dreams,” he said. “There’s nothing that does that as well as the whimsy of music.  I think we are the only band that rocks with ukulele, banjo, blues harp and melodica,” he said.  “We smile a lot and have fun; no emo here.”

The annual Make-A-Wish Ball has helped to make over 1,200 wishes come true in Miami communities, and will be held at the InterContinental Miami Hotel Saturday, November 8, 2008.

Gayot has been publishing since 1981. After the launch of their website in 2002 they continued to rate restaurants, hotels, wine, spas, cars and more online.

Meanwhile, Forte is launching a special menu for November only called Menu di Valore. This is a $30 per person, three course meal that includes your choice of dishes anywhere from pumpkin zuppa to osso buco veal burgers.  For dessert, you can experience the sorbetti or another delicious option.

Joining Forte on the list of top ten best restaurants in the nation were California based Gordon Ramsay’s West Restaurant and the New York’s Allen and Delancey Restaurant.

Forte is located on 225 Clematis Street West Palm Beach, FL,  Zip: 33401. You can call 561-833-3330 for more information.