Tuesday, March 14th- 2023 - This weekend is going to be crazy busy (if you want to be) with tons of events, from the Yoga Expo, dancing on the beach, to Family Day at the Bonnet House. But if you ONLY read one thing this week, make sure the FREE SWIM LESSONS from the Y gets in front of someone you know who needs it. You might just save a life...

Let's get to your basket of goodies 👇

Stuff You Won't Want To Miss

1. Saturday its the Florida Aids Walk & Music Festival at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. Flo Rida and DJ Citizen Jane will be performing for this 5k Walk and epic concert. (Donations)
2. Saturday is also a big day at the Convention Center for the The Yoga Expo. This event is an unforgettable experience for each and every member of your family. All ages are welcome and children under 12 attend free! (Tickets and Free)
3. At Esplanade Park (also Saturday) it's the Vegan Block Party. Good food, music and entertainment, activism + art, contests and giveaways... all in one event. (Tickets)
4. Saturday and St. Paddy's Day means The Lucky Charms Market under the Society Building on Las Olas. Hosted by Sunny Side Up Market. (Free)
5. Got a 'Little Library' in your neighborhood? You can volunteer by helping to restock and keep the readers fed with good books. Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30. They will give you the route to restock 5-10 libraries from your own private vehicle. Please RSVP if interested. (Free)
6. Saturday also happens to be Family Day at The Bonnet House Museum & Garden. There will be music from the Gold Coast Youth Orchestra, K9 and Equine units from the FTL PD. Visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the historic house museum filled with a delightful collection of art and personal treasures from the Bartlett family as well as explore the nature trails filled with native plants, trees, and an occasional monkey. (Tickets)
7. In the afternoon (Saturday), Meet author John Baily at History Fort Lauderdale for Scribes and Stories. John's previous best selling history books include "Sentinel of the Jersey Cape," "The Story of the Cape May Lighthouse; Cape Island," "The Jewel of the Jersey Shore," and "Juet’s Journal, Henry Hudson’s Explorations on the Half Moon." (Free)
8. Saturday night its Splash Jam and a Movie at Croissant Park. Bring your family out and join us for a fun-filled evening at the pool featuring games in the water playground followed by the showing of Space Jam: A New Legacy in the pool. (Free)
9. Take a Saturday Brunch with the Mermaids at B Occean Resort. every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for their signature Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas. Enjoy a delicious meal while watching their mermaids swim in the background. Don’t miss the photo opportunities! (Tickets)
10. Then... do a Sunday Family Lunch and Kids Workshop at Restaurant Mia Oceanfront in Hallandale. Put away the iPads and engage in fun culinary and art workshops for kids of age 4-8. Enjoy your lunch while your kids are cooking or making art! (Tickets)
11. Sunday is also the MS Walk. Walk MS brings together passionate people for a powerful purpose: to end MS forever. Feel the support that can only come from a community whose steps fuel breakthroughs, solutions, and a cure. (Donate)
12. Or come by Esplanade Park for Rhythm By The River: A Festival Celebrating Black Voices. The free event features live music, dance, drama and spoken word poetry performances as well as interactive events for the entire family. (Free)
13. And lastly... maybe most importantly, you know we are the 'Venice of America' which means we are surrounded on all sides by water and canals. Next week the Broward YMCA is hosting Swim and Water Safety Lessons at all Six Locations. (Free)

FEATURED Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a vibrant arts community, with monthly Art Walks, Art Fairs that shut down main thoroughfares, and dozens of building-sized murals that brighten the day. Behind all this amazing art, are the artists who make it possible.

Next Wednesday (March 22nd) is an opportunity to meet one of those artists, as 14-year-old Victor Bevanda will be displaying his work at Plunge Into the Arts with Viktor Bevanda for Autism Awareness Month.

Victor is a 14-year-old who can't speak. Diagnosed with Autism at an early age, he hasn't let his limitation in comprehension and verbal abilities limit his artistic talent.

Viktor began to show signs of Autism at the age of 2. After a change in behavior testing led to a diagnosis of autism. By the age of 5 his parents began to take notice of his talent in art and within a few years his technique developed even though he was self-taught and he started to express himself through his art. He paints what he loves the most - animals and flowers. He is painting since he could hold a pen.

He proves Autism is no barrier to creativity. He has ability to focus on detail and he can understand how colors interact with each other.

He was raised in Serbia and his parents made a big step in their lives and moved to the USA in the end of 2018. He lives in Florida.

His artwork is available at vichysart.com

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 Fort Lauderdale?

You probably noticed... that the streets and beaches are busier this time of year. Yes - Spring Break has sprung!

But you might not know is... while Fort Lauderdale has always been a vacation destination, the tourism magnet is pulling more and more people in to visit our beloved 'Venice of America' - consider some of these numbers:

• Nearly 32 million (and growing) people flying through Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
• Over 2.2 million people boarding cruise ships at Port Everglades
• More than 2500 hotel rooms, with 8 major hotel projects in the works for 2024-2025

(Source: Visit Lauderdale)

South Florida is booming - and Fort Lauderdale is right in the heart of it all, with beaches, rivers, The Riverwalk, parks, innovative businesses and more.

Classifieds

• We have 9 still spots OPEN for the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Children's Business Fair. This event is open to all 5 to 14 year-old budding entrepreneurs. We do have a limited number of tables, so get your ideas together and your application in early.
• Have you visited Ren-Fest.com this year? This is Weekend #7 (second to last weekend) the theme will be "Highland Fling, with a Celtic Celebration."
• ​PIXAR PUTT is the ultimate pop-up, mini-golf experience made up of 18 fun and interactive holes inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films.
  Don’t miss this limited run at the LOOP, January 25 – March 26.
• Looking for a great place to do Fitness outside and with friends. Come down to #TheLoopFLB for a myriad of fitness classes. From morning yoga to sunset yoga, Tai Chi, Kettlebells, aerial decompression, and building buns of steel - we've got it all for you to try!
• ​Moxie's at 201 E. Las Olas Blvd has officially opened in The Main Las Olas! This modern-chic restaurant features two indoor-outdoor bars with a lounge, dining areas and covered patios.
• Last week - we shared the newsletter from the road as I was on my way to SXSW EDU to speak about innovative schools. For folks who are curious, here is a link to the video recording from the event.

Thought Of The Week

Flotsam & Jetsam

Are you a history buff? You might enjoy HistoryMaps - a way to explore the happenings of history by following a visual timeline. Pick key periods like the American Revolution, The Civil War, or Ancient History. Then you can browse and scroll through the map to see how history was made.

If you ALSO like playing games, you might enjoy HistoryMap's Timelines Game, with hidden puzzles and extra features to make learning fun!

Tell Us How We Are Doing

Every week we are working to improve #FFFTL every week, both for your reading experience and to provide a cutting-edge media apprenticeship opportunity for our learners.

We want to hear from you. What do you love? What could we do better FOR YOU?

And most importantly, what FTL businesses and experiences should we be highlighting?