Print is definitely not dead, and you can see the proof of that in Paradise Plaza this weekend. The Miami Zine Fair is returning to the neighborhood this Saturday, April 4, from 12 to 5 PM. The event is completely free to attend and brings together more than 150 artists, writers, illustrators, and poets from South Florida and beyond.
A DECADE OF INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING
Founded back in 2015 by EXILE Projects as part of O, Miami Poetry Month, the fair has grown into a massive celebration of self publishing. You can spend the afternoon browsing through hundreds of zines ranging from experimental handmade booklets to meticulously crafted publications. It is a rare chance to actually meet the makers and buy their work directly without a middleman.
HANDS ON WORKSHOPS
Beyond the exhibitor tables, the schedule is packed with interactive programming. The workshop lineup includes a session on circular storytelling where teaching artist Alex B. Kostiw will show you how to make a never ending kaleidocycle zine.
You can also join community historian Nadege Green from Black Miami-Dade to create collages inspired by the 1959 civil rights trainings in Overtown. For something more meditative, the craft collective ENTRE is hosting a mending workshop where you can create a bookmark using fabric scraps and traditional stitches.
EXCLUSIVE LAUNCHES AND TRADES
You can catch several exclusive drops throughout the afternoon. Miami legend Michele Oka Doner is releasing a new zine called "An Immersive World" based on her recent excursion to Alaska. Laura Paresky Gould is launching "Chromatic Reflections," a zine capturing how murals reflect on cars and windows around the city. If you want to learn more about local plants, Forager authors Tiffany Noé, George Echevarria, and Nick Vagnoni will be signing copies of their expanded 2025 edition. Over at the O, Miami table, they are running a brilliant poetry exchange where you can trade an original poem for a Materva, Jupiña, or Cawy soda while supplies last.
The entire event is held on the ground level with wide walkways, making it fully wheelchair accessible and family friendly. You just need to RSVP online before you head over.
