MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach has gone a few days without the 8 p.m. curfew because crowds have been lighter, but that changed on Thursday night.
The approach of a new weekend on South Beach brings a brand new batch of visitors.
“We have a group of 12 people, so we’re hoping that just ourselves will mingle well together,” said Stephanie Kirkland, visiting from Ohio.
Many of these tourists fresh in town have surely seen the viral videos and national attention for the near-record, out-of-control crowds that visited Miami Beach last weekend.
“We just got here and that’s the thing, we hope it doesn’t impact our trip, you know what I’m saying, because we came here to enjoy ourselves,” said Cise Precise of Maryland.
The fun will be limited in the city’s entertainment district because the area remains under a state of emergency due to the large volume of crowds associated with spring break.
[ FULL DETAILS: READ MORE ABOUT THE CURFEW ORDERS ]
Restarting Thursday night and running through Sunday night, restaurants and businesses will be closed by 8 p.m. between 5th Street and 16th Street.
The causeways leading into Miami Beach will be restricted to residents, workers and hotel guests by 10 p.m..
Those curfew orders began last weekend as a response to large crowds. Other areas of the city are still operating under the midnight curfew put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s just sad that it had to be like this, that we had to have a curfew,” said Jackie Gist, visiting from Maryland. She’s visiting for her birthday, which just happens to be around spring break time. “You can’t even go nowhere and enjoy yourself, just a few people impacted for everybody.”
People arriving ahead of the weekend are still determined to still have a good time, while police have tweaked their tactics to make sure it’s a safe experience for all.
“If you want to do a comparison with this Thursday from last Thursday, we are seeing fewer crowds today,” Officer Ernesto Rodriguez said. “However, we still have a full weekend ahead of us. Looks like perfect weather. It’s an attractive environment, and don’t get me wrong, we want people to come to Miami Beach.”
Precise said that if necessary he might need to drive up to Fort Lauderdale or the Seminole Hard Rock instead to enjoy his trip to South Florida.