Drum Circle, which has been in South Beach for 10 years, could be moved after neighbors complained about noise

What began as a spontaneous Sunday afternoon gathering of a group of friends in Miami Beach’s South Pointe Park, a decade later is one of the signature events for locals and tourists alike.

The Drum Circle (a circle of drums and percussion) began with friends getting together to play drums in a square and to this day is the gathering of hundreds of people who go to listen to the musicians, bring their own instruments to join and play different types of artistic expressions, from dance to acrobaticss. Performances last for hours and take over virtually the entire park on Sundays.

If for many this meeting of artists can be very picturesque and attractive, for others it has become a nuisance. South Point This is Miami Beach’s exclusive neighborhood made up of the small area south of 5th Street, with the sea as its boundary on one side and the bay on the other.

The most luxurious buildings in South Florida are located within these few blocks and, unlike the increase in violent situations and criminal acts that have been seen in other areas of Miami Beach, South Pointe continues to be a very safe and generally quiet location. Until Sunday, when hundreds of people arrive for this cultural event.

It is also true that for ten years that the percussion circle has met, there were no incidents of violence or drug problems. But there is a lot of noise and the neighbors have started complaining. Cities are financed by property taxes. South Pointe residents pay huge sums each year to the City of Miami Beach, given the high cost of their properties (several million dollars each). This is why these types of complaints are taken very seriously.

Miami Beach Commissioner, Alex Fernandezis the one proposing to move the event to another park.

“The problem is that more and more people are coming. The entire park is invested and the noise is amplified, affecting the quality of life of thousands of inhabitants. We cannot allow this,” Fernandez told local press.

The suggested park to move the event to is the Soundscape, located about a 15 minute drive from South Pointe Park in the same town of Miami Beach. It is a green space dedicated exclusively to artistic expressions and culture in general.

“There we can give them a weekly schedule for the event and do it in an orderly fashion,” added Fernandez.

But not everyone appreciates the move. Actually, 2,000 people have already signed a petition to keep the South Pointe drumming club going.

The Miami Beach Commission (the city’s legislative arm) will debate the issue at a meeting later this month.

CONTINUE READING