{"id":207234,"date":"2026-03-26T18:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/207234\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T18:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:30:12","slug":"barbie-dream-fest-in-fort-lauderdale-is-for-superfans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/207234\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbie Dream Fest in Fort Lauderdale is for superfans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

The first ever Barbie Dream Fest, taking place March 27\u201329, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida<\/p>\n

Barbie lovers: You don\u2019t have to wait for Margot Robbie to make a sequel. The next best thing is coming to Fort Lauderdale this weekend: The inaugural Barbie Dream Fest, Friday through Sunday.<\/p>\n

Put on your cutest pink outfit and channel your inner child at this event that\u2019s 100% dedicated to the iconic Mattel doll. Think immersive experiences, activations, and exhibits exploring six decades of her legacy and evolution.<\/p>\n

Friday night bonus: a screening of the 2023 blockbuster, with Robbie as the star suffering from an existential crisis who ventures into the real world with her beau Ken (Ryan Gosling).<\/p>\n

Not to miss for the \u2018Gram are a fashion show, \u201880s style roller rink and, naturally, a lifesize Barbie Dream House.<\/p>\n

Also expect some pretty awesome, famous people in attendance on Saturday, including tennis legend Serena Williams, WNBA baller Angel Reese and Marlee Matlin, the first deaf actor to win an Oscar for 1986\u2019s \u201cChildren of a Lesser God.\u201d They\u2019ll be signing autographs, taking selfies, and participating in moderated discussions about inclusivity, access and diversity.<\/p>\n

\"a360 Marlee Matlin Mat Hayward\/Getty Images for IMDb <\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like one of those events where joy, creativity and purpose all come together in one place, particularly as they pertain to women and girls,\u201d Matlin told the Miami Herald via email on why she wanted to participate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you create spaces where people of all backgrounds can see themselves reflected, that\u2019s powerful,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to be part of that. Beyond the fun, there\u2019s also a deeper message about individuality and dreaming big.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matlin knows a little about dreaming big.<\/p>\n

After her huge Oscar win, she went on to star in such popular TV shows as \u201cReasonable Doubts,\u201d \u201cPicket Fences\u201d and \u201cThe Practice.\u201d An unforgettable guest role in \u201cSeinfeld\u201d \u2014 aiding and abetting George by lip-reading what his ex is saying about him \u2014 earned her an Emmy nomination.<\/p>\n

These days, the \u201cI\u2019ll Scream Later\u201d author still stays active in the biz, attending the Oscars earlier this month, and meeting with the acting nominees.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the movies this year definitely deserved their nominations, and I was happy to see that international films also received Best Picture nominations,\u201d she said, referring to Brazil\u2019s \u201cThe Secret Agent\u201d and Norway\u2019s \u201cSentimental Value.\u201d \u201cThis year\u2019s selection showed a real range of storytelling, which is always encouraging, and I hope we continue to see more of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chicago native, 60, is also the subject of a new documentary about her inspiring journey, \u201cNot Alone Anymore,\u201d streaming on PBS, Amazon and Apple TV.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud of my director, Shoshannah Stern, who is deaf herself,\u201d Matlin said. \u201cShe was able to pull out all the important milestones in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matlin, who lives in L.A., typically communicates using American Sign Language, which is then translated into spoken English by her longtime interpreter.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarbie Dream Fest is all about celebrating real-life role models who embody Barbie\u2019s message that you can be anything \u2014 and Marlee Matlin is the definition of that spirit,\u201d said Melissa Anelli, CEO of Mischief Management, the fest\u2019s organizer. \u201cHer groundbreaking career, advocacy, and impact make her an incredibly powerful addition to our very first festival, and we\u2019re honored to have her join us.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you go<\/p>\n

What: Barbie Dream Fest<\/p>\n

When: Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m to 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

Where: Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n

Tickets: Single-day passes start at $33 for kids ages 3-12 and $72 adults.<\/p>\n

More info: www.barbiedreamfest.com<\/a><\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Madeleine Marr<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami Herald<\/p>\n

Celebrity\/real time news reporter Madeleine Marr has been with The Miami Herald since 2003. She has covered such features as travel, fashion and food. In 2007, she helped launch the newspaper\u2019s daily People Page, attending red carpet events, awards ceremonies and press junkets; interviewing some of the biggest names in show business; and hosting her own online show. She is originally from New York City.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first ever Barbie Dream Fest, taking place March 27\u201329, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Barbie lovers: You…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":207235,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[39792,94968,249,251,250,52088,24216],"class_list":["post-207234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-barbie","tag-barbie-festival","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-marlee-matlin","tag-serena-williams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}