[🌞 #H!L] July 2nd to the 9th - 300 Drones Over The Beach + Save The Date For A Flamingo Flotilla 🦩

Here's What's Happening In Greater Fort Lauderdale Over The Next Week

Jul 02, 2026

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 - Hey Lauderdale - Everyone's expecting fireworks Saturday. Wait till you see what flies over the beach first. Plus a , a pink flamingo beach party (save the date), and the full week for the holiday.👇👇👇

Stuff You Won’t Want To Miss This Week:

Thursday 11am–7pm | NSU Art Museum Free First Thursday. Free admission with late hours, so you can swing by after work. Catch the VR immersive art and the new Frantz Zephirin Haitian-painting show while you’re there.
Thursday 6–9pm | Broward Student Film Festival. A free night of short films from South Florida high schoolers at the city's art-house theater, with food, raffles, and the filmmakers in the room. Go cheer on the next generation before they get famous.
Thursday 5:30–7:30pm | Yappy Hour at Huizenga Park. Bring the dog, grab a drink, meet the neighbors in the redone downtown park.
Thursday 6:30–9:30pm | Ladies Night Market at The Shorely. Local handmade vendors and pop-ups with a free welcome drink. Worth a look if you like shopping small without the mall.
Friday 6 & 8pm | Influenced. A sharp satire on the superficiality of social media and influencer culture: an Upper East Side influencer chasing online fame trips over the real thing, friendship. Ensemble cast (David Krumholtz, Justin Bartha, Christine Taylor) with cameos from Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Matt Damon.
Friday and Saturday 9am | Oakland Park art & Swarovski estate sale. The listing names Dali and Rembrandt artwork, boxed Swarovski crystal, and mid-century furniture. Cash or Zelle, wraps by 1pm, so go early. A genuine “didn’t know that was here” find on a holiday morning.
Friday and Saturday 8pm | Old School Vinyl. A late-night throwback dance party over the holiday weekend downtown. If your idea of fireworks is a packed floor and old records, this runs till 1am.
Trying to decide which way to go on the fourth of July? Here’s what’s happening near you (or the ones worth the drive):
1. Fort Lauderdale Beach will be alive all afternoon and evening, with the Walker Hayes concert at 7:30pm, a Drone Show at 8:45pm, and what is promised to be a spectacular 250th-worthy fireworks at 9pm. Here’s the full schedule for the day.
2. Before the bash on the beach, come join the ‘picnic in the park’ (at Huizenga Park). Mr. Smashburger will be offering $2.50 burgers and hotdogs to celebrate the 250th. There will be games, live music, and giveaways.
3. Hollywood Star-Spangled Spectacular. The pick if you want toes in the sand and the Broadwalk within reach. A DJ at 5, live band at 7, offshore fireworks at 9. Pack a picnic for the marked beach zones. A1A closes to incoming cars from 8pm.
4. Pompano Beach Fireworks Spectacular. Set up near the Fisher Family Pier; the 9pm fireworks launch from a barge offshore, so the view stays clear down the beach. A Beach Boys tribute plays from 5.
5. Deerfield Beach 4th of July. Best if drones are your thing. Four bands play the beach from 4, then drones fly over the water at 9 instead of fireworks.
6. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Fourth of July. The small-town day: a morning parade down El Mar Drive, family stuff at El Prado Park till 2, then fireworks at 9.
7. Coral Springs Fourth of July. A roomy inland park party at Mullins with the Remix Band, lawn games, and free parking. Fireworks go around 8:30, earlier than the beach shows, so you will get home sooner.
8. Plantation 4th of July. A true all-day inland plan: a morning parade down Broward Blvd, then a kids zone, concert, and Zambelli fireworks at Central Park at night.
9. Sunrise Fourth of July. Two parts: a Sunset Strip parade in the morning, then an evening at Amerant Bank Arena with live bands from 6 and a fireworks finale. The arena gives you an AC break from the July heat.
10. Pembroke Pines Fourth of July. A no-fuss evening at the Pines Rec Center grounds: live band and DJ from 6, fireworks at 9. The easy choice for southwest Broward if a beach drive sounds like a headache.
11. Miramar Independence Day. Gates open early at 4:30 for a DJ dance party leading to 9pm fireworks at Miramar Regional Park.
12. Margate Fourth of July Extravaganza. The most packed single-town day: a 9am parade, a 1–4pm pool party at the Calypso Cove waterpark, and fireworks at 9 at Margate Blvd and 441.
13. Tamarac All-American Celebration. A free, easygoing evening at the Sports Complex with the band Extasy, bounce houses, and a vendor hall before the fireworks.
14. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Fireworks & Drone Show. Food trucks and bars open at 7, then both a drone show and fireworks at 9:30, the latest start of the night. Head to the rooftop parking garage for the best view and an easy exit.
15. Davie Fun on the 4th. Davie pairs a drone show at 9 with fireworks right after. One catch: it’s residents-only with pre-registration, so this one’s for folks who live in town, not a drop-in.
16. Freedom Fest at Gulfstream Park. For something that isn’t a beach: horse racing, the Village shops and restaurants, family activities, and a trackside fireworks show to close the night.
17. July 3rd · 6pm | Weston Hometown Fireworks. It runs a night early, so you can do Weston on the 3rd and still catch a beach show on the 4th. DJ and a live band from 6, fireworks to finish, with the city marking its 30th year.
18. Another July 3rd | Oakland Park All-American Picnic. A relaxed July 3 picnic at Centennial Park with live music and a library ribbon-cutting, not a fireworks night.
19. Wed–Sun, Jul 1–5 | Wilton Manors 4th of July Weekend. A multi-day LGBTQ-focused weekend on and around Wilton Drive (parties in the park, circuit events), not a single fireworks show. Worth flagging for readers who want the scene more than the sparklers.
Sunday and Monday | Frida Kahlo (documentary. A special-edition documentary on Kahlo's life and art, built with material from the Tate Modern and MFA Houston curators. A cool, air-conditioned hour-plus with one of the most magnetic artists of the last century.
Tuesday 11am | Showcase at Akiba Antiques. An antiques and jewelry showcase from one of Dania's go-to estate houses. Good browsing if you like to know what is out there before you buy anywhere else.
Tuesday 2pm | Adventures in Collectibles at Lion and Unicorn. A collectibles auction worth scrolling even from the couch. The lot list is where you find the stuff you did not know you wanted.
Tuesday afternoon 3pm | Press Play: Teen and Tween DJ Camp (Broward Main Library). Got a teen who loves music and dreams of DJ’ing? Join others in learning you don’t have to have all the fancy equipment.
Tuesday Night 5pm | Family Movie Night (also Broward Main Library). Come watch The Good Dinosaur (2015) and make a themed craft. Light refreshments will be provided.
Wednesday 6pm | Estate Jewelry, Fine Art & Décor at Kodner Galleries. An evening estate auction of jewelry, fine art, and home pieces. Worth a look even if you just want to see what real estate jewelry goes for.
Wednesday night 5–9pm | Food Truck Wednesdays at Plantation Heritage Park. A rotating lineup of trucks pulls into the park every Wednesday evening. Bring a chair, grab dinner from three different trucks, eat on the grass.
Daily at MODS | The Science of Guinness World Records. Test yourself against real world records at the Museum of Discovery and Science. A solid air-conditioned plan when it’s too hot to be outside.
SAVE for Next Weekend - Sat, Jul 11 · 11am–4pm | FlockFest Beach Party. Picture the ocean dotted with hundreds of pink flamingo floats and a DJ on the sand. Free to walk up to. Bring your own winged float or grab a VIP ticket that comes with one inflated and ready, plus a tumbler and a food voucher. Proceeds go to a local nonprofit.

😉 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

South Florida is for foodies. We have lots of options and fan favorites to choose from. But there are exciting new venues that will soon be entering the market.

Sweetwaters will soon be coming to Huizenga Park as part of their revisioning of this popular downtown oasis. This venue is slated for a Fall 2026 opening.

And 17th Street Causeway is getting a new two-story tiki hut called Hula Kai!

Brought to life by James Flanigan (the mastermind behind the local favorite Quarterdeck restaurants), Hula Kai isn't just about the atmosphere. The treats (Crispy Duck Crab Rangoon, and Bang Bang Shrimp) plus flaming drinks is sure to make moments worth talking about after your visit.

Sounds like hanging with or entertaining friends (as well as our taste buds) is going to get even more fun later this year!

So... You Think You Know South Florida

You probably already know... 4th of July has meant fireworks for what seems like forever.

What you might not know... it now means drones, drones, and more drones lighting up the sky.

The traditional firework show is quickly becoming the encore, rather than the main event. At 8:45 PM this Saturday, before the first firework shell is even launched at Fort Lauderdale Beach, hundreds of GPS-guided drones will take flight to paint patriotic shapes across the night sky, serving as the official opening act before fireworks take over at 9:00 PM.

This shift represents a new era of Fourth of July entertainment taking over South Florida. Sunrise is deploying drones outside its arena. Miami’s Bayfront Park is hosting a massive display to celebrate the country’s 250th, and Lauderhill has completely done away with fireworks in favor of a drone-only event.

Here is the part that gets you: each of these drones acts as a single flying pixel. That’s one LED light married to a GPS unit accurate down to the centimeter, all fully choreographed using advanced animation software. Programming a single 300-drone show takes roughly 80 hours of work for just ten minutes of runtime.

Local governments love them because they are nearly silent. That makes for a show far easier on pets, local wildlife, and our veterans. They carry zero risk of causing brush fires or smoke pollution. Even better, if bad weather cancels the event, you can simply fly them again another night. While South Florida is flying “hundreds of drones,” China recently set a world record with a massive 11,198 drones in the air at once.

One twist before you completely write off traditional fireworks, though: when two California towns put the issue to a public vote, 80% of residents asked to bring the classic bang and smoke back.

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 👈

🎶 Summer 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.
Here’s a plug for the 14‑year‑old owner of Tater Tots Plushies, a mobile plush‑making business. She offers to bring a full bear‑stuffing experience directly to senior centers, adult day programs, birthdays, parties, school events, and so much more! Interested? Book with us here: linktr.ee/tatertotsplushies no party too big or too small!
Well, now that Giannis is coming to town… did you know you can take off season tours of the Miami Heat All Access Arena and facilities? Minimum group of 4 required. Tell Victoria you heard about it from us.
Urban Air Adventure Park Plantation offers the ultimate way to keep kids active all summer long and beat the heat and rain. For Summer Group Packages full of nonstop indoor adventure call or email today! Lea@elevatedvg.com or 561-831-4311 for fast turnaround.

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

Quote Of The Week

“This freedom is a funny thing,” he told them. “It ain’t something permanent like rocks and hills. It’s like manna; you just got to keep on gathering it fresh every day. If you don’t, one day you’re going to find you ain’t got none no more.” ~

From Florida-born author Zora Neal Hurston’s 1939 allegorical novel, Moses, Man of the Mountain. Seems ‘appropos’ for a 250th Independence Day holiday weekend and a global conversation about what it means to be free.

Flotsam & Jetsam

How will you spend your day today? We all are given the same 24 hours to work with. And I bet you (like all of us) enjoy the weekends for having a bit more leisure time and a lot less of what you need to do on your plate.

Well, that picture of how people use their time has changed over the decades. This fun video comes from the folks at Data is Beautiful (aren’t we all nerds each in our own way) and depicts the shifting usage of time over the last 100 years.

*only displays US adults, ages 25 to 35, and excludes sleep, work, and other activities with minimal variation.

Word Play Of The Week

“Dog Days of Summer”

The “dog days of summer” is an ancient astronomical idiom that refers to the hot, sultry, and stagnant days of mid-summer. It has absolutely nothing to do with earthbound dogs or heat-exhausted pets.

The idiom comes from Sirius (known colloquially as the Dog Star), which is the brightest star in the night sky and the eye of the constellation Canis Major (the Greater Dog).

Ancient civilizations noticed this alignment happened during the hottest weeks of the year. The Greeks and Romans falsely believed that the combined brightness and energy of the Sun and Sirius added extra heat to the Earth, bringing drought, fever, lethargy, and bad luck. ~ 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?

Science Facilitator, Sea Turtle Walks Lead at MODS. Runs the gamut from delivering high-quality educational programming that engages diverse audiences in science learning, including public engagement through exhibit interpretation, science shows, demonstrations, cart activities, ambassador animal handling, STEM classes, camps, overnights, school and group programs, tours, and community events.
Full-Time Captain at Jungle Queen Riverboats. Great team. Fun environment. Not for anyone who doesn't enjoy hard work outside every day.
Taproom Tour Guide at Funky Buddha Brewery. Give tours at SoFla’s largest brewery. Turn your passion for beer into the dream career.
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

What will be your worthwhile journey this week?

Tell Us How We Are Doing

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