[🌞 #H!L] What's Going On In The Greater FTL For August 6 to the 16th

25 Different Events Plus Adventures You Can Explore Through A Mask or Your Laptop

Aug 06, 2026

Thursday, August 6th, 2026 - Saying hello 👋 to our 73 new subscribers this week.

Dine Out Lauderdale is underway from now until September. 140+ restaurants feels like a list that is too long to be useful. If you could only pick ONE to send your friends to… which one are you picking?

For this week, a scary movies film festival, lighthouse tours and sunken ships to explore. Don’t miss the Price Is Right auditions. All of that and more👇👇👇

Stuff You Won’t Want To Miss This Week:

★ TOP PICK THIS WEEK: Starts TONIGHT, runs through Aug 16 | Popcorn Frights Film Festival at Savor Cinema. Florida's biggest horror festival takes over two Fort Lauderdale theaters for eleven straight days, and this is its twelfth year. 116 films, 19 of them world premieres. Opening night is a zombie double bill: the Florida premiere of Yeon Sang-ho's Colony, paired with a 4K restoration of Train to Busan for its tenth anniversary. If you only go once, make it the world premiere of Gator Face, a creature feature shot in the Florida swamps with real alligators, practical effects and zero CGI. You live here now. Go watch someone get eaten by a local. Insider Tip: Screenings split between Savor Cinema and the Classic Gateway Theater, so check the venue before you drive. All-Access Badges are limited.
TODAY - 11am–7pm | Free First Thursday at NSU Art Museum. Free admission all day, no card and no catch, right on Las Olas. There is a VR pigment-history piece running until 5, drop-in Mini Muse art-making, and short films by the Close to Home artists screening at 5 and 6. Ninety minutes here is the cheapest way to feel like you did something with your Thursday.
TONIGHT - 7pm | Hadestown: Teen Edition at the Broward Center. The final two nights of a summer camp production of the Tony winner, staged in the Amaturo by teenagers who have been rehearsing all summer. Tonight or tomorrow, then it is gone.
TONIGHT | Oldies Music Singo at the Herb Skolnick Center, Pompano. Bingo, except you win by recognizing the song. It is exactly as silly as it sounds and the crowd takes it seriously.
Friday - 2-3pm | Lego Club at the Main Library. Is there anything better that offering your lego-maniac a big box of blocks, and a new set of friends to built with?
Friday | Dine Out Lauderdale Cake Decorating Class. Dine Out is not only prix fixe menus this year. There is a whole run of hands-on classes attached to it, and this is the one where you leave holding something. Or… Saturday | Dine Out Lauderdale Ramen & Pottery Class. You make the bowl, then you fill the bowl. Runs again Aug 15 if this Saturday is spoken for.
Friday Night - 7–10pm | Starlight Musicals at Holiday Park. Free live music on the football field, and this Friday it is Mischief playing pop covers. Bring a lawn chair, a cooler and a picnic. There are only two Fridays left in the whole season.
Friday Night - 6–11pm | Food in Motion at 511 Bar & Lounge, Flagler Village. Food trucks, street eats, art and shopping in the parking lot on NE 3rd Ave. It is the Flagler Village version of a night out: loud, casual, and you can leave whenever.
Friday Night | Ode to Tomato: An Immersive Dinner Experience in Dania Beach. A whole dinner built around one ingredient, at peak tomato. This is the kind of thing you tell people about later.
Friday Night - 7pm | Completely Unchained at Revolution Live. A Van Halen tribute with a Ratt tribute opening. No irony required, the musicianship is the point. Or… (also Friday night) | Living the '80s in Pompano Beach. A full '80s tribute night at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center.
Friday - 6:30pm | Zumba by Domingo at Huizenga Park. An hour of dance-fitness outdoors downtown, open to anyone twelve and up.
Friday through Sunday | Professional Bull Riders at Amerant Bank Arena. Freedom Days, three nights of bull riding in Sunrise. Genuinely a spectacle if you have never seen one live, and eight seconds is a very long time.
Saturday Morning - 8:30am | Plantation Acres Estate Sale. John Deere equipment, tools and whatever else comes out of a Plantation acreage property. This is the good kind of estate sale, the one where somebody actually used the stuff. Insider Tip: 8:30am start, and the tools go first.
Saturday Morning | North Grove Estate Sale, Coconut Grove. 938 photos in the listing, which is either a warning or an invitation. Worth the drive if you are furnishing a place.
Saturday Night | "Presidential Palate" Chef Experience Dinner in Sunrise. A themed tasting dinner built around dishes served to US presidents. Odd premise, but real cooking.
Saturday | Clay Open Studio at Bailey Contemporary Arts, Pompano. Second Saturday of the month, the clay studio opens to anyone who wants to get their hands in it.
Saturday | U-Ball Beach Basketball Tournament, Dania Beach. Basketball in the sand, with former pros on hand. Free to watch.
Sunday - 7pm | Deep Purple at Hard Rock Live. Still touring, still loud, still the band that wrote the riff every guitar shop bans. A legacy act if that’s your schtick.
Sunday | The XXXI International Ballet Festival of Miami at the Broward Center. Thirty-one years old and it still only comes north for one night. Dancers from companies around the world on one bill.
Monday - 6-7:30pm | Play AND Singalong with Ukulele Fun at the Main Library. We stopped by one day because I was curious. Not only is it fun to see a bunch of folks (all abilities) playing together, but you won’t be able help yourself from singing along as they play many popular songs.
Tuesday | Wine Wise Fine Wine & Maine Oyster Cruise. Same boat, oysters added. Maine oysters (flown in for the event) on the Intracoastal feels a very fun Fort Lauderdale contradiction.
SAVE THE DATES for Next Week
1. Saturday, Aug 15 · 7:30pm | USA Rugby v Argentina XV at Chase Stadium. The USA Eagles host Argentina in a full international test match, in Fort Lauderdale, in a 20,000-seat stadium fifteen minutes from downtown. Tickets start around $48.
2. Saturday, Aug 15 · 7:30pm | Fort Lauderdale United FC home opener vs Sporting JAX. South Florida's only pro women's soccer club opens its third season at Beyond Bancard Field. Same night, same 7:30 kickoff, roughly the same corner of town as the rugby. Pick a side or do a very ambitious doubleheader.
3. Saturday, Aug 15 · boats 9am–3pm | Hillsboro Lighthouse Tour, Pompano Beach. Once a month a boat runs out to the lighthouse, and you can climb it. Not a view from the water, actually up the tower. Insider Tip: Boats leave hourly from South Florida Diving HQ, 125 N Riverside Dr, seating is first come first served, so show up 15 to 20 minutes before the hour you want. Your ticket is a Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society membership, which you can buy on the dock that morning.

Hey - quick question. Did we miss anything? 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

Keeping up with several recent features about the fun (conservation and snorkeling) up at Wahoo Bay, today’s focus is on Ship Wreck Park in Pompano Beach.

Ten years ago, a retired vessel embarked on an extraordinary new journey. Sunk intentionally to give back to the ocean, the Lady Luck transformed into one of South Florida’s most iconic and vibrant artificial reefs.

Fast forward over the last decade, and what was once an empty hull is now a bustling underwater metropolis!

Over the last 10 years, the Lady Luck has achieved incredible milestones:

A Marine Sanctuary: Home to thriving coral growth and countless marine species.
A Diver’s Paradise: A bucket-list destination attracting underwater adventurers from all over the globe.
A Community Triumph: A shining symbol of what’s possible when conservation, collaboration, and community come together for our oceans.

Her legacy stretches far beyond the ocean floor, sparking education, protecting our local marine life, and inspiring thousands of unforgettable dives. This is what the shipwreck looked like 9 years ago:

So... You Think You Know South Florida

You probably already know... there are lots of fun (and free) things to do all around the Greater Fort Lauderdale area.

What you might not know is... that one of those free (and fun) things is stargazing at the Fox Observatory at Markham Park every Saturday night, from sunset to midnight.

They have a members program (exclusive events for members) and public viewings take place every Saturday night (weather permitting), allowing visitors to view planets, the moon, and distant nebulas.

The primary telescope at the observatory is a 14 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain F/10 and several Dobsonian reflecting telescopes. The observatory also houses a 6-inch f/15 Brandon refractor donated in 1965 by the observatory’s namesake, Dr. Joseph Dennison Fox.

What to Expect

Telescopes: Access to large association telescopes and setup views from local hobbyists who share their personal scopes on the grounds.
Viewing Tips: Bring your patience, as lines for popular telescopes can form.
Weather Dependency: Sessions depend entirely on clear skies; check updates via the SFAAA Official Site or their social pages before heading out.

More Treats To Try

We don’t let just anyone sponsor this newsletter. Here’s who “made the cut” this week:

(Hit reply to this email if you want to reach over 1400+ local families for just $100)

👉 Buy YOUR OWN Classified Ad Here 👈

Make your morning feel like a getaway with Fort Lauderdale’s Hollywood Early-Bird Cruise. Fort Lauderdale's Hollywood Early-Bird Cruise departs daily at 9 AM from Stop F4 – Hilton Marina & Convention Center, and is $20 roundtrip. Lot’s to do in Hollywood.
The Jury Experience: The Deadly Boat Ride. An immersive courtroom drama where you're the jury, staged at Savor Cinema. A boat crime, in this town — on the nose and kind of perfect. From $48.50.
This Weekend check out Smorgasburg South Florida. Over 40 vendors slinging global street food in Flagler Village, free to walk in. Go hungry and graze your way down the row instead of committing to one thing.
🎶 Music lessons for your child. Start building confidence on day one. See our special promotion for an extra 15-minute personalized onboarding session. Voice. Piano. And combo lessons. Text Shontel at 516-945-9742.
Ditch the endless swiping and meet real Fort Lauderdale singles in person at Jigsaw’s curated August lineup of speed dating, trivia nights, and happy hours across local hotspots. Complete with host-led icebreakers, interactive games, and post-event match codes.

Just hit reply to this email to get started. Work with us to reach over 1300+ Greater Fort Lauderdale families.

Quote Of The Week

“...much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on.” ~ Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs needs no explanation or link to understand his background. But this works words jumped out at me because I just finished reading “Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned” which is a counter-intuitive look at how setting goals can actually work against us. The solution? Seek our the curious and interesting options in life, because our greatest discoveries and breakthrough moments all came from an unexpected leap.

Flotsam & Jetsam

Remember during the COVID shutdowns when people were stuck and home and the began to connect and explore in the most unique ways? I remember seeing folks singing and playing music between balconies in Italy.

This “flotsam find” reminds me a bit of that playful peacefulness.

It is called WindowSwap and it is about seeing the world through the eyes (and the windows) of a stranger half a world away. There is also an Instagram feed showing more portals into someone else’s every day scenes.

Their stated mission is: WindowSwap is here to fill that deep void in our wanderlust hearts by allowing us to look through someone else’s window, somewhere in the world.

Word Play Of The Week

“Nightmares”

We THOUGHT it had to do with scary black horses trampling through our dreams. Turns out, the “mare” part actually is Old English for a demon that sits on our chest and terrifies us in our sleep. Who knew? ~ Source

‘Under-The-Radar’ Openings Job Board

Lot’s of folks offering cool positions here locally. Maybe there’s one for you or a friend?

Did you know about the Broward Center Teen Ambassador program? The deadline to apply is September 8th. What a great way to build skills and connections.
Want to be an extra on RJ Becker (the TV series set in Fort Lauderdale)? Casting TaylorMade is looking for extras for shooting that will take place next week.
This looks like an interesting one. Barry University is looking for someone to run their Simulation Learning Center. Extra bonus, your dependents get free tuition.
Animal Care / Lorikeet Attendant at Butterfly World (Coconut Creek) — $15/hr+ to wrangle lorikeets at the world's largest butterfly park. ALSO… Retail Sales / Tour Guide at Butterfly World. Part time. Hour-long tours through the largest butterfly park in the world.
Sea Turtle Overnight Monitoring (temp) at NSU Halmos College, Dania. Overnight surveys and nest relocation. Yes, this is a job where you walk the beach at night counting turtle nests.
Integrated Communications Assistant Manager at MODS. Run the science museum's voice. ALSO… Afterschool and Camp Manager at the Museum of Discovery and Science, downtown FTL. Run the programs that fill MODS with kids all summer.
Do you have a listing you would like to place here for next week? Hit reply and let us know.

Lastly… One Big Idea For Your Week

We all know a gratitude practice is a good thing. It is the antidote to victimhood. But what is your practice? Do you write it down? Do you drift off to sleep counting your blessings?

Tell Us How We Are Doing

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Please share your feedback. What do you love? What could we do better FOR YOU? What FTL businesses and experiences should we be highlighting?