Families celebrate Memorial Day weekend on Miami Beach
Visitors at the Hyundai Air & Sea Show 2023 in Miami Beach on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
After a wet and stormy week’s end, sunshine was beaming down on Miami Beach for Memorial Day weekend. Families, residents and vacationers were out in full force ready to enjoy good weather and the Hyundai Air and Sea Show on the sandy beaches
Booming flyovers and intricate military demonstrations on and off the beach had hundreds with smiling faces and high spirits along Ocean Drive.
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Ryan Skene, with his wife Alice and son Brayden, are frequent South Florida vacationers but it’s the first time the Canadian family’s been on Miami Beach during Memorial Day weekend.
Remembrance Day in Canada is not until November, so Skene had no idea he’d see roaring jets and parachuting soldiers on his vacation.
“I think it’s been great. It’s my first air show in the States and we’d love to come back and see it again,” Skene said. “I see how much people enjoy it and take pride in it so it is really fun and exciting to be a part of.”
He jokingly remarked that planes don’t “break the sound barrier” in Canadian military air shows, which was a delight for him and the family to see.
Former Army Lt. Col. Shad Lloyd also loved the welcoming, family environment on Ocean Drive and the beaches. It was also his family’s first time on Miami Beach for the holiday.
“It’s a great vibe, it seems safe and everyone just seems to be having a good time,” he said.
Lloyd served for 20 years and his wife Simge said it was great to see the large exhibition and showcase for Army service members as well as the many activities the Hyundai Air & Sea Show set-up along Ocean Drive.
“It’s a good crowd. We’d actually bring friends and family next time because the air show is wonderful,” she said. “This is a good location to get a taste of South Beach and then kind of enjoy Memorial Day and see something that you normally wouldn’t see.”
As part of it’s programming, the Hyundai Air & Sea Show had several exhibitions, including live matches by USA Boxing, motorbike shows by Monster Energy, military branch displays with tanks and more.
Jay Hayes was readying himself for his own fight in the USA Boxing ring. Living in West Palm Beach but a frequent visitor to Miami Beach for his TikTok brand, he said the crowds were calm for a Saturday.
Miami Beach “is usually jam-packed, shoulder to shoulder with everybody walking on Ocean Drive. So it’s actually pretty chill,” he said.
If he had to describe Memorial Day on Miami Beach in one word, he said he’d call it “lit.”
As night came to Miami Beach, families retired and the usual young crowds began to mill about Ocean Drive. Crowds sizes were about average for a Saturday night despite the holiday weekend.
Law enforcement officers from Miami Beach Police and Miami-Dade were still visibly present throughout Ocean Drive, patrolling on bikes, ATVs and on foot.
“Based on what we saw last night, we saw people here that are enjoying the weekend and taking advantage” of the air and sea show, Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements said. “Overall it’s a great feeling and we are enjoying it.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2023 9:02 PM.
