Happy Halloween, October 31st - 2023 - I have a little story to share.
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I just love the creativity on display when people really get into their costumes. A couple of years ago we arrived here in Fort Lauderdale and quickly took to our new adopted home.
One of the coolest traditions that we discovered was totally new to us - and that is the Day of The Dead celebration. By chance, we walked by Huizenga Park just as the parade-goers were gathering. We loved how the indigenous culture was shown and respected. The La Catrina Calaveras with period costumes and painted faces are eerily beautiful. The whole thing is an experience to see!
Saturday is the 14th annual Dia De Los Muertos here in Fort Lauderdale. More details in the featured section below.
Stuff You Won't Want To Miss:
- TONIGHT - watch our for our little ones as all kinds of ghost, ghoulies, and Wednesday Adams will be knocking on doors. Some neighborhoods (Victoria Park) even make a block party out of it all.
- Tonight and tomorrow - the Symphony of the Americas will have the Symphonic Fireworks. Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is a masterpiece of the classical era - a triumph of human spirit and resilience. Beethoven's Fifth is raw emotion and sheer power making it the world's most recognizable symphonic work. (Tickets)
- First Thursday of the month means Sunny Days/Starry Nights and free admission to the NSU Art Museum. Don't miss the "Mini-Muse" activities from 4:30-6:30pm for the little ones. (Free)
- Friday night at the Beach is the Diwali Festival of Lights celebration. Enjoy a free Diwali Celebration with live music, dance performances, and food and merchandise vendors at Las Olas Oceanside Park. (Free)
- Friday night is also Food In Motion, at their new location of Esplanade Park while the work is being done at Peter Feldman Park. Food trucks, food tents, DJ spinning tunes, come out and hang out! (Free)
- Saturday, the Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead Festival will start at 3pm at its new location of Esplanade Park. Come for the Folklorico Stage, face-painting, and the parade as the party rolls over to Revolution for an evening of fun! (Free)
- Saturday morning is the Birch Taylor State Park Walk With Friends fundraiser. All walkers must register and funds go to the 501(c)3 and to help, preserve, conserve, enhance and promote Hugh Taylor Birch State Park through community support. (Register)
- Saturday afternoon or night (2 shows), take in the Kidz Bop Never Stop Tour at the Broward Center. (Tickets)
- Saturday and Sunday is Cowboy Town Winter Fest at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie. a rootin' tootin' good time! We have something for everyone, even your little Buckaroo’sGiddy up with carnival rides, hang out with friendly animals at the Petting Zoo & Pony Rides, and experience the magic of winter in Florida with the Winter Fun Zone, featuring actual SNOW! (Free)
- Next Week - for the first time ever, FLIFF has partnered with the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center to present 12 films over three nights, Nov 6 - 8, at the stunning 900 seat theatre. There will be six blocks of films to enjoy. (Tickets)
Hey - quick question. What did we miss? Each week we do our research but you might know of an event, an organization, or a local business that deserves some love here in our weekly basket of goodies. Just hit reply to this email and let us know!
FEATURED Fort Lauderdale
Since 2010 during this sacred time of year, the gate between Florida and Mictlán, the mythological Aztec “Land of the Dead”, opens as thousands of participants costumed like playful skeletons honor their ancestors in a FREE Signature Autumn Event for all of South Florida.
As a centerpiece of the festival, the Folklorico Stage showcases over 100 performers presenting the best of indigenous and traditional folk dance and music traditions from Mexico and throughout Latin America – closing with an amazing Skeleton Processional!
This article in the Sun Sentinel shows how one of our favorite local festivals almost didn't happen!
Do you have a favorite event, place, business, or organization you would like to see featured on the podcast? HIT REPLY and let us know!
So... You Think You Know South Florida?
You probably know... Fort Lauderdale is bordered by the Everglades and that means all kinds of wildlife.
But what you might not know is... Fort Lauderdale occasionally experiences unexpected wildlife sightings. For example, there have been reports of wild vervet monkeys, native to Africa, dining near the city Additionally, there have been instances of kangaroos being spotted in the area.
One of the most amazing "can you believe this!" news stories of the year, was about the guy who was bitten by a bull shark IN THE EVERGLADES!! Like, crocs and gators aren't enough 😱
Classifieds & Giveaways
- GET FEATURED HERE >> SPONSORS NEEDED: Seeking several smaller sponsors to help support the Plunge Into The Arts - Children's Art Show on December 16th at Plunge Resort in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Hit reply to this email and we will get you the details.
- If you are hosting a fundraising event, you might want to look into Perfect Look Photos and their Selfie Station/Photo Booths that can be sponsored. Add an overlay of your choice with a logo, monogram, or a personalized message to make your event more memorable.
- Excited for the next Children's Business Fair? Our next Fort Lauderdale CBF is in May, but our friends in Coral Springs are gearing up for a January Event! Hope we will see you there.
Quote Of The Week
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou
Flotsam & Jetsam
Don't know about you, but I have hit "peak video" (like Peak Oil, but instead of petroleum it means I cannot add any more video into my life). If you feel the same way, you will love this next find...
Eightify is a Chrome browser extension gives you a little button on the YouTube video play page. You click “Summarize” and in a few seconds the Eightify AI gives you a very usable text summary of the video content broken into ten parts with time stamps. You can click on the time stamps to play that part. You get three free summaries per week, or you can pay for more at about 30 cents apiece.
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