After a $15 million makeover, Huizenga Park will reopen with events on Saturday and Sunday, bringing a valuable green interruption to the rapidly developing downtown core in Fort Lauderdale.
For anyone who remembers the old park — in the center of everything at Las Olas Boulevard and Andrews Avenue, but somehow underloved and lightly used — this new gathering space on the New River is a revelation. At once both more attractive and more functional, it is even better than advertised.
The 3.6-acre space, dotted with 88 new shade trees, is divided into a series of thoughtfully planned outdoor “rooms,” including a play area with rolling, climbable hills. Visitors will also find a fenced dog run that has nearly doubled in size since the original plan (after “overwhelming feedback” from constituents), two local food vendors, public restrooms with an attendant, a groundskeeper and on-site security. Park hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
What you will not see this weekend is Sweetwaters, a stylish restaurant from the group that owns the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne. It is under construction in the southeast corner of the park and expected to open in the fall, which seems ambitious.
With more than 80 events scheduled through April, Huizenga Park is a space that “will serve our community in meaningful ways,” said Jenni Morejon, president and CEO of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority. “One of the big elements of a successful urban park is continuous activity, not just people passing through the park or sitting on the benches. We’ll have small opportunities, free and open to the public, for people to come and enjoy being social and making those community connections.”
Grand opening events on Saturday include the official ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., followed by guided tours. The first free Movie on the Lawn event will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Sponsored by this weekend’s Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, the film will be “Ratatouille.”
Sunday features will include yoga, a community market from Sunny Side Up Market, then “Muse and Meditation” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., a creative writing and mindfulness experience from writer-educator Darius Daughtry’s Art Prevails Project.
For information, visit HuizengaPark.org.
The $15 million makeover of Huizenga Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to debut with events on Saturday and Sunday. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
THURSDAY
Glorious food: The annual Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival continues this weekend with a wave of celebrity chefs from TV (Nancy Fuller, Eddie Jackson, Richard Blais, Jason Smith, Fabio Viviani) and local kitchens (Jeremy Ford, Brad Kilgore, Ryan Ratino, Timon Balloo, Rino Cerbone, Paula DaSilva, Pushkar Marathe and Daniel Ganem, among others), rubbing elbows with food fanatics at a variety of events through Sunday. Many of the main events are, as always, sold out. But not all: At press time, a few tickets remained for Thursday’s expanded Wok ‘n Roll party, curated by Alex Kuk (Wan’s) and Diego Ng (Temple Street Eatery) and hosted by celebrity chef Clarice Lam at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park. There’s also the Beachside Brunch on the lawn at Las Olas Oceanside Park on Sunday at 1 p.m., hosted by beloved Food Network chef Nancy Fuller (“Holiday Baking Championship,” “Farmhouse Rules”). VLFWF also has a free event, Picnic in the Park, at Las Olas Oceanside Park on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., highlighted by a 2 p.m. cooking demo by chef Jason Smith (“Food Network Star,” “Holiday Baking Championship,” “Best Baker in America”). For tickets and information, visit VLFoodWine.com.
This charming man: The last time we saw Morrissey, he was not the mopey misanthrope that we remembered (the Curt Cignetti of pop music), instead seeming to be almost happy to be there. While his year so far has already included several postponements, including a concert in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Morrissey posted a note on Tuesday assuring local fans that he is “looking forward to the show” (originally scheduled for last May) at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. It’s essentially sold out, but visit MyHRL.com for resale updates.
Morrissey seems down to perform at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday. (Ryan Lowry/Courtesy)
Bye, bye, bye: The Broadway tour of “& Juliet” ends its run at Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center this weekend with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The sparkly reimagining of what might have happened to Shakespeare’s Juliet without Romeo is set to a soundtrack of Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC and more. For tickets, visit BrowardCenter.org.
Quit your wining: This is also closing weekend for “In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience,” part of the boundary-challenging Off Center Series at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. A hit from New York to Toronto and Las Vegas, the show features young Australian comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh cracking wise as a local wine expert leads the audience, seated at four-top tables, through a wine tasting. Shows take place in the intimate Abdo New River Room at 8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets include five tastings and a personal charcuterie board (vegetarian and alcohol-free options available). Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Australian comedians Sweeney Preston, left, and Ethan Cavanagh are hosting “In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale through Sunday. (Nick Robertson/Courtesy)
FRIDAY
Tragedy at sea: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz directs his haunting play “Sotto Voce” at GableStage Theatre Co.’s space at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, beginning on Friday. The work, which is receiving its first full English-language production in South Florida, was inspired by the true story of the MS St. Louis, the ship filled with 937 passengers, nearly all Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939, that was turned away by Cuba, the United States and Canada. Showtimes this weekend are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday (Saturday’s show is sold out). Performances continue through Feb. 15. Visit GableStage.org.
Monumental music: The world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra begins its annual season of Miami performances this weekend with Verdi’s powerful Requiem at the Arsht Center on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. The ensemble, conducted by music director Franz Welser-Möst, will be joined by The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and an elite lineup of soloists, including Grammy Award-winning, Mexican-American tenor Joshua Guerrero. Visit ArshtCenter.org.
Roger Mastroianni/Roger Mastroianni/Courtesy
Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra return to the Arsht Center in Miami this weekend. (Roger Mastroianni/Courtesy)
Bohemian rhapsody: Palm Beach Opera performs Puccini’s romantic tale of artful strivers in Paris, “La Bohème,” at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at Kravis.org.
Weekend laughs: Jerry Seinfeld brings the yada-yada to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood for 8 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets can still be had (more numerous on Friday) at MyHRL.com. … Jen Fulwiler is a comedian, author and former SiriusXM host who has an extended bit about a botched cosmetic procedure on her face, which is very funny and … who turns something like that into a joke? Catch her at the Boca Black Box in Boca Raton on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Visit BocaBlackBox.com. … Comedian, actor and hip-hop performer Lil Duval will be at the Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach for weekend shows at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit ImprovFTL.com.
Friday night live: Irresistible duo Afrobeta (they put the “arty” in dance party) will play a free show at Zey Zey Miami on Friday at 8 p.m., joined by Anemoia, Mike Deuce and Aramis. Visit ZeyZeyMiami.com. … Indie-rock favorites Say Anything and Motion City Soundtrack will be at Revolution Live at the Backyard in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with a set by special guests Sincere Engineer. General-admission tickets are available at JoinTheRevolution.net. … Gaelic Storm brings energetic Celtic singalongs to the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Visit CultureRoom.net.
Cabaret club: Claybourne Elder, the Grammy and Tony nominee currently seen as John Adams on HBO’s lavish 1880s New York drama “The Gilded Age,” will bring his song-and-comedy act to the intimate cabaret space 54 Below at The Rinker at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available at Kravis.org.
Take the kids: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings “The Greatest Show On Earth” to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise for performances at 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and noon and 4 p.m. Sunday. The 150-year-old troupe has reinvented the show for a modern audience, with animals replaced by music and high-flying stunts by more than 60 circus performers from 17 countries. Find tickets at Seatgeek.com.
SATURDAY
Masked affair: Florida Grand Opera returns to the Arsht Center in Miami with the joyful and glamorous Johann Strauss operetta “Die Fledermaus,” with performances at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Tuesday. The high jinks of Strauss’ chaotic masked ball are reimagined in FGO’s spectacular Art Deco set and Roaring ’20s atmosphere (recommended attire: 1920s-inspired gowns and tuxedos). Performances will be sung in German with English and Spanish projected translations. Visit FGO.org.
Horseplay: The 10th annual Pegasus World Cup brings major thoroughbred racing ($5.7 million on the line in race-day purses), a fashionable crowd and a club vibe to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. The party side of things will come courtesy of David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality and Myles Shear’s Palm Tree Crew, who have booked headliners Empire of the Sun (“Walking on a Dream,” “We Are the People”) in the reimagined Flamingo Room, and DJ duo Two Friends in the Carousel Club’s new VIP Garden and Fan Zone, hosted by Griffin Johnson (TikTok guy and horse owner). Visit PegasusWorldCup.com.
You can expect a stylish crowd at the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach on Saturday. (Wilfredo Lee/AP file photo)
Saturday night live: Indie-rock mavericks Red Wanting Blue bring their tour to The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Saturday at 7 p.m. with honky tonk singer Jason Eady opening. Visit FunkyBiscuit.com. … The Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale will host Close Enemies, featuring Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton, on Saturday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Get tickets at CultureRoom.net.
Local sounds: The weekend will include a rare reunion show by the Groove Thangs, the soul-funk band that cut a memorable path through South Florida nightclubs (and beyond) in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Six years after their most recent gig (and 40 years after their first live show), original members Down Pat (Stacey), Bonefish Johnny, Kilmo and Tim Kuchta will perform at Tarpon River Brewing in downtown Fort Lauderdale at 7 p.m. Saturday, joined by Bob Taylor, Jeff Renza and surprise guests. Visit GrooveThangs.com.
Sweet life: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables will transform its 83 acres into a candy land for the 19th edition of A Festival of Chocolate on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities will include a marketplace of master chocolatiers, cooking demonstrations, workshops, wine pairings and chocolate martini flights, a kids’ zone and more. Visit FairchildGarden.org.
Saturday tributes: Nationally touring Meat Loaf tribute act Meet Loaf will play The Parker in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. … Long Island singer/piano player David Clark brings his Billy Joel tribute All About Joel to the Boca Black Box in Boca Raton on Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m. Visit BocaBlackBox.com. … Disbarred will perform a tribute to the music of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog) on Saturday from 9:30 to 11 p.m. at Mathews Brewing Co. in Lake Worth Beach. The Scream Queens will open with a set from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing.
SUNDAY
Good old ‘Daze’: The Miramar Cultural Center will celebrate HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) culture and community with a unique screening of Spike Lee’s “School Daze” on Sunday at 5 p.m. The interactive event — kicking off Black History Month celebrations at the venue — will feature dancers bringing the film’s scenes to life, along with concessions, free popcorn and curated photo areas to capture the atmosphere. Attendees are urged to dress to represent your fraternity, sorority or alma mater. For information on tickets, visit MiramarCulturalCenter.org.
Do you like piña coladas? If you can sing Hall & Oates’ “She’s Gone,” Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” or “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass out loud, in public, with earnestness, while also being in on the joke, Yacht Rock Revue is for you. The irreverent band and their terribly awesome fashion will bring all the hits you hated to love to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday at 7 p.m. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Sunday jazz: Incomparable jazz singer Diana Krall comes to the Arsht Center in Miami at 7 p.m. Sunday, with some tickets remaining at ArshtCenter.org, and 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, which is a sellout. Check for updates at Kravis.org.
Claude Paris, Associated Press
Jazz musician Diana Krall will perform at the Arsht Center in Miami on Sunday and at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Monday. (Claude Paris/AP file photo)
Shop talk: The holidays are over, but we’re still shopping local, right? The Flamingo Flea makes that easy by gathering favorite purveyors of crafty and handmade creativity at Tarpon River Brewing in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There will be live music, brunchy food and beer from TRB, the dog-friendly, indoor-outdoor downtown space. Visit Instagram.com/theflamingoflea.
Sexy Sunday: Busy day on Sunday for local burlesque performer Ruby Tesla: She’ll host the Burlesque Brunch at The Wilder in Fort Lauderdale from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Later she’ll lead a bevy of performers at Savor Cinema on the other side of downtown for “Temple of Tease,” a burlesque parody of the “Legend of Zelda” game series, from 7 to 9 p.m. Get information and tickets at RubyTesla.com.
Dog day afternoon: The touring canine comedy extravaganza “Mutts Gone Nuts,” featuring a cast of rescued shelter dogs, comes to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Visit AventuraCenter.org.
Green day: The green thumbs of nonprofit gardener group Rooted in Broward will collaborate with popular beer bar Laser Wolf in Fort Lauderdale’s Progresso neighborhood for a free, all-ages plant party on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. The day will include a vendor market with rare and exotic plants, La Condesa Taqueria food truck, a vinyl DJ, raffles, giveaways and Laser Wolf swag. Visit RootedInBroward.com.
Note to readers: Many South Florida venues now operate with a dynamic pricing model that changes the cost of seeing a show between the time we compile this roundup and when you see it. This is frustrating for you and us. So instead of specific prices, we have decided to provide a direct link to the latest information on tickets. Please let us know how you feel about this change: bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.