#2 Sports Event
Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic took home the championship trophies at this year’s edition of Florida’s most prestigious tennis tournament, played in front of more than 300,000 fans at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. Next: March 23-April 5, 2015
#3 Sports Event
The three-day program, held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, crowns season champions in each of Nascar’s major nations series: the Spring Cup, Nationwide, and the Camping World Truck Series. Next: November 14-16, 2014
#4 Sports Event
A $9 million purse is up for the taking at one of professional golf’s biggest championship events, held each spring at the Trump National Doral golf club. Next: March 4-8, 2015
#5 Sports Event (up from #7)
The rapidly growing race now attracts more than 25,000 runners, plus a crowd of 40,000 for the associated health and fitness expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center, pumping an estimate $52 million into South Florida’s economy. Next: January 25, 2015
#6 Sports Event
The 10th anniversary edition of the polo-on-the-beach party marked a decade of successful events with four days of waterfront men’s and women’s polo matches—and announced its first overseas spin-off event, held this summer in China. Next: April 2015
#7 Sports Event
The four-week series of matches held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach is one of the sport’s most prestigious events, showcasing many of polo’s top players from around the world. Next: March 25-April 19, 2015
#8 Sports Event
Every Columbus Day weekend for the past six decades, Biscayne Bay fills with hundreds of watercraft and thousands of spectators eager to watch the annual boat race—and participate in the rowdy nautical event known as Miami’s answer to Mardi Gras. Next: October 11-12, 2014
#9 Sports Event
Launched in 2010, all funds raised at the charity event support research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center—with almost $7 million hauled in so far. Next: February 7-8, 2015
#10 Sports Event (up from #12)
The largest annual fund-raiser hosted by Florida’s favorite sports team, the Miami Heat Charitable Fund’s interactive fan festival is a carnival-like celebration held behind AmericanAirlines Arena. It benefits several community organizations. Next: March 2015
#11 Sports Event (new to the list)
Bolstering South Florida’s reputation as a center for equestrian events, the competition is the only one held at an N.F.L. football stadium for the past five decades; it moved this year to Miami’s Sun Life Stadium from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Next: April 3-4, 2015
