{"id":87208,"date":"2025-12-17T21:48:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/87208\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T21:48:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T21:48:07","slug":"things-to-do-this-weekend-in-south-florida-dec-18-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/87208\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do this weekend in South Florida: Dec. 18-21"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>SantaCon is here, as the Claus-clad masses gather for bar crawls in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale to celebrate in public displays of, um, holiday spirit? Not to sound like your mom or Father Christmas, but can we remember that when you don the red-and-white you are repping a cherished brand and an image. Nobody wants to see stumbling drunk Santa, especially when there are kids around. Be jolly, not Blitzened.<\/p>\n<p>THURSDAY<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t Miz out: This is opening weekend for the Broadway touring production of epic Tony-winning musical \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables\u201d at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, with performances through Dec. 28. Weekend shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $54.58 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/les-miserables-touring-ft-lauderdale-florida-12-18-2025\/event\/0D006323BE8F41A8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>. For more information, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browardcenter.org\/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">BrowardCenter.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Booting up: Charismatic country star Jon Pardi (\u201cHead Over Boots,\u201d \u201cDirt on My Boots,\u201d \u201cLast Night Lonely\u201d) brings The Christmas Show to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood at 8 p.m. Thursday. Along with seasonal themes, he\u2019ll also have music from new album \u201cHonkytonk Hollywood.\u201d Tickets start at $39.80 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/jon-pardi-the-christmas-show-hollywood-florida-12-18-2025\/event\/0D00632398292890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cool sounds: Electro-pop musician Helado Negro (known as Roberto Carlos Lange when he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/2015\/05\/07\/a-taste-of-helado-negro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">growing up in South Florida<\/a> with his Ecuadorian parents) brings music from his new album, \u201cThe Last Sound on Earth,\u201d to buzzy Miami music venue ZeyZey on Thursday at 7 p.m. The evening also will include a DJ set by singer-artist Devendra Banhart. General-admission tickets start at $42. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/zeyzeymiami.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ZeyZeyMiami.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Delray Santas: SantaCon returns to downtown Delray Beach on Thursday beginning at nightclub Honey at 10 p.m., with the costumed bar crawl scheduled to hit hotspots Good Night John Boy, Wine &amp; Spirits Kitchen, Throw Social, Coco Sushi and The Office. Registration begins at 7 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $19.10, with VIP access available. Proceeds from the event provide toys for local kids, and organizers also ask participants to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate. VIsit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.santacon.info\/Delray_Beach-FL\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">SantaCon.info<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Twain shall meet: Emmy-winning actor Richard Thomas (yes, the \u201cThe Waltons\u201d star, of \u201cGood night, John Boy\u201d fame) returns to the role of writer, humorist and social critic Mark Twain in the one-man show \u201cMark Twain Tonight!\u201d at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Thursday at 2 p.m. Tickets for the show start at $40.25 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravis.org\/events\/richard-thomas-in-mark-twain-tonight-by-hal-holbrook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Kravis.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A \u201cWonderful\u201d old time: Local theater ensemble New City Players will create a nostalgic radio-play version of the classic Frank Capra film \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d at General Provision Downtown in Fort Lauderdale. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday (sold out), 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, with tickets starting at $30. There will be a fun menu of casual food and drink, including the Bailey\u2019s Building &amp; Loan Latte. You get the drift. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/newcityplayers.org\/shows\/its-a-wonderful-life-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">NewCityPlayers.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Jolly jaunt: The third annual Jolly Jog 5K Fun Run &amp; Toy Drive returns to The Wharf in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday at 7 p.m. to benefit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handyinc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">local nonprofit HANDY<\/a>. Basic registration is sold out, but premium registration is available for $24.36, and includes a race bib, Santa hat, Christmas lights necklace, finisher medal and complimentary cocktail at the after-party. New, unwrapped toy donations for HANDY will be accepted. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/jolly-jog-fort-lauderdale-5k-fun-run-toy-drive-at-the-wharf-ftl-tickets-1967245178285?aff=jollyjogweb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">TheJollyJog.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ticket window: The powerful pairing of singer-actors Josh Groban and Jennifer Hudson is coming to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on June 20, with tickets available in a series of presales, including a venue presale at 10 a.m. Thursday. The general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. Friday. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/event\/0D00638B9F6186E1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>FRIDAY<\/p>\n<p>Night of Wonder: The intrepid Nu Deco Ensemble returns to the Arsht Center in Miami on Friday, joined by Grammy Award winner PJ Morton (Maroon 5) and others for an evening of music that will include a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the monumental Stevie Wonder album \u201cSongs in the Key of Life.\u201d Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert start at $35.10 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arshtcenter.org\/tickets\/2025-2026\/nu-deco-ensemble\/nu-deco-ensemble-featuring-pj-morton-and-friends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ArshtCenter.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Merry Creed-mas: Scott Stapp and Grammy-winning rock outfit Creed will play two weekend shows at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, joined by Sevendust. The Tallahassee-spawned band, with hits including \u201cWith Arms Wide Open,\u201d \u201cMy Own Prison,\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s This Life For\u201d and \u201cHigher,\u201d will perform at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $102.35 (more availability on Friday). Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/casino.hardrock.com\/hollywood\/entertainment\/hard-rock-live\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MyHRL.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Rock band Creed in a 2025 press picture. (Chuck Brueckmann\/Courtesy)\" width=\"3500\" height=\"348\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TFL-L-creed-press-Chuck-Brueckmann.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"13097375\" \/>Rock band Creed will play a pair of weekend shows at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. (Chuck Brueckmann\/Courtesy)<\/p>\n<p>Sweet sip: James Beard-winner Michelle Bernstein\u2019s revered Calle Ocho cocktail space Cafe La Trova (this year named one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theworlds50best.com\/bars\/northamerica\/the-list\/cafe-la-trova.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">50 best bars in North America<\/a>) is pouring some holiday spirit with a limited-time-only Cuban Coquito. Served through year\u2019s end, the festive drink is a mix of Bacard\u00ed Ocho Rum, Cardenal Mendoza Angelus, pandan syrup, condensed milk, coconut milk, cream of coconut, orange blossom water, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of salt. Cost: $13. You also can take home a 500 ml bottle for $25. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cafelatrova.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">CafeLaTrova.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Friday night live: Brock Butler and Perpetual Groove bring their sprawling, genre-defying sound to the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $30.55 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/event\/0D0062F5EE382667\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>. \u2026 Local funkateers The Heavy Pets will celebrate their first 20 years with a show at the historic Miami Beach Bandshell (great venue for them) on Friday at 7 p.m., with an opening set by Guavatron. Tickets start at $35.43. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/miamibeachbandshell.com\/event\/the-heavy-pets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MiamiBeachBandshell.com<\/a>. \u2026 Colombian rockers Aterciopelados will be at ZeyZey in Miami on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $60. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/shotgun.live\/en\/events\/zeyzey-presents-aterciopelados-genes-rebeldes-tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ZeyZeyMiami.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>SATURDAY<\/p>\n<p>Matisyahu\u2019s light: South Florida favorite Matisyahu will celebrate Hanukkah at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Saturday and Sunday. Each of his Festival of Light performances will include two sets, beginning with a 20th anniversary return to his career-changing album \u201cLive at Stubb\u2019s,\u201d followed by a closing mix of other hits, fan favorites and new material. Tickets cost $59.23. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/miamibeachbandshell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MiamiBeachBandshell.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Matisyahu will kick off the centennial celebrations at Temple Beth El of West Palm Beach with a performance on Dec. 18, 2025. (Jared Polin\/Courtesy)\" width=\"2500\" height=\"534\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tfl-l-bethelwpb-centennial-02-e1764606402459.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"13074176\" \/>Matisyahu will revisit his iconic album &#8220;Live at Stubb&#8217;s&#8221; at the Miami Beach Bandshell. (Jared Polin\/Courtesy)<\/p>\n<p>Local shopping: Some people (ahem) are not quite done with their holiday shopping. Good news: The Rust Market is back on Saturday in the Lake Park Arts District. Running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and hosted by Kelsey Vintage Goods and its discerning owner, Jesse Furman, the market will include 115 booths set up in the alley and streets around the shop, along with live music and food vendors. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/therustmarket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Instagram.com\/therustmarket<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday laughs: Comedian and master storyteller Ali Siddiq, who recently published a new book, \u201cApplied Advice,\u201d brings his In the Shadows tour to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $40.26 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kravis.org\/events\/ali-siddiq-in-the-shadows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Kravis.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Las Olas Santas: SantaCon comes to Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m. at a festively designed YOLO and continuing at O Lounge Las Olas, Rooftop @1WLO and The Wharf. It\u2019s free, with drink specials for registered participants dressed in holiday attire. For registration, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/santacon-fort-lauderdale-tickets-1802902402619\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Eventbrite.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"SantaCon Fort Lauderdale will kick off Dec. 21 downtown at Township and continue along Las Olas Boulevard.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"401\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/CPQMSM2IFVEUJCXQR6CRQU5IYE.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"219717\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Stocker, Mike \/ Sun Sentinel<\/p>\n<p>Scene from a SantaCon past on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)<\/p>\n<p>Taylor made: Sing along to some of the most singiest songs of the past decade when the Taylor Swift celebration The Taylor Party takes over Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Tickets for the 18-and-older show cost $29. Doors open at 8 p.m. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/event\/0D006344287465EF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Balling out: The Y100.7 Jingle Ball returns to Miami\u2018s Kaseya Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with a lineup that includes Nelly, Kehlani, BigXthaPlug, mgk, Feid, Monsta X and Zara Larsson. Tickets are available, starting at $47.35, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/y1007s-jingle-ball-presented-by-capital-miami-florida-12-20-2025\/event\/0D00632A2FE0611C\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Christmas picnic: New World Symphony will offer its \u201cSounds of the Season\u201d concert with a range of holiday music, including familiar melodies from \u201cThe\u202fNutcracker,\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThe Polar Express, \u202f\u201dGreensleeves\u201d and traditional carol \u201cSleigh Ride\u201d at the New World Center on Miami Beach at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The concert is sold out, but it can be enjoyed for free during a WALLCAST screening, with picnic-style viewing on the side of New World Center at wired-for-audio SoundScape Park. For WALLCAST information, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nws.edu\/events-tickets\/concerts\/2025-2026\/wallcast-concert-sounds-of-the-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">NWS.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>SUNDAY<\/p>\n<p>Bowlful of Bocelli: Poperatic singing star Andrea Bocelli will express the joy of the season as only he can during a concert at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Seats are available, starting at $111.10, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/andrea-bocelli-in-concert-miami-florida-12-21-2025\/event\/0D0062740B5E5750\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Andrea Bocelli posa en Nueva York en octubre de 2015.\" width=\"1200\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IKNSXQQHDVH2ZBX6JF2YXF26WA.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"1833439\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Drew Gurian\/Drew Gurian\/Invision\/AP<\/p>\n<p>Andrea Bocelli brings a voice for all seasons to the Kaseya Center in Miami. (Drew Gurian\/Invision\/AP file)<\/p>\n<p>Sister brother: The buzz for solo shows by Drew Copeland (Sister Hazel) is very good, so catch him at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center on Sunday at 7 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $43.60 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ticketmaster.com\/intimate-evening-with-drew-copeland-of-pompano-beach-florida-12-21-2025\/event\/0D006338B54A3033\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Ticketmaster.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Green day: Local entertainment royalty TP Lords will host the Grinch Drag Brunch at the Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach at noon Sunday. Tickets start at $24.90 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.improvftl.com\/shows\/348212\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">ImprovFTL.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>LOOKING AHEAD<\/p>\n<p>Holiday sweat: The Holiday Ugly Sweater Run will take place at Tarpon River Brewing in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Like it sounds, most of the fun is dressing the part for this free, 2-mile run. And there\u2019s beer at the end. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/tarponriverbrewing.com\/events-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">TarponRiverBrewing.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A pair of Matzoballs: The energetic Jewish singles mixer on Christmas Eve known as the Matzoball will take place in two South Florida locations on Wednesday. There\u2019s a Matzoball planned at Boca Luna Luxe Lounge in Boca Raton at 9 p.m. (tickets start at $55) and at LIV nightclub at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach at 10 p.m. (tickets start at $65). Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/matzoball.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Matzoball.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Three nights with Shakira: You can still get tickets to see Colombian pop star Shakira when she plays three consecutive nights at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, beginning on Dec. 27. Tickets start at $169 on Dec. 29, $215.10 for the other shows. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/casino.hardrock.com\/hollywood\/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">MyHRL.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sun-sentinel.com\/2025\/12\/17\/weekend-things-to-do-les-miz-matisyahu-santacon-helado-negro-and-a-cuban-coquito\/mailto:bcrandell@sunsentinel.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bcrandell@sunsentinel.com<\/a>. Follow on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/BenCrandell\/\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/BenCrandell\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IG: @BenCrandell<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SantaCon is here, as the Claus-clad masses gather for bar crawls in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale to&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87209,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[506,104,684,28,249,251,250,13573,13574,114,373,2609,557,109,685,106],"class_list":{"0":"post-87208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-lauderdale","8":"tag-broward-county","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-events","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-fort-lauderdale","13":"tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","14":"tag-fort-lauderdale-news","15":"tag-go-guide","16":"tag-go-guide-blog","17":"tag-latest-headlines","18":"tag-miami-dade-county","19":"tag-music-and-concerts","20":"tag-palm-beach-county","21":"tag-social","22":"tag-the-eat-beat","23":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87208","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=87208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}