What an interesting time of year! Halloween is behind us, but this weekend is full of events that mark the transition into the holiday season.
- Our South Florida Day of the Dead Festival is known as one of the best country-wide!
- For the sports-minded, November weekends are a must visit to MODS
- Jazz Brunch, Open Air Market, and Seminole Art - all in Old Fort Lauderdale village on Sunday
Things You Won't Want To Miss This Week:
- The week marks the Dias de los Muertos or Day of the Dead Festival here in Fort Lauderdale (voted one of the best in the whole country). On Saturday afternoon, there is a whole host of events, including the "not to miss" Skeleton Processional, Aztec and Mayan performers doing dance and music rituals, the Folklorico festival stage with hundreds of performers, and Boneyard Bandstand with New Orleans-style Brass Bands. Thrown in an artisan market and a Latin food truck rally - this is one amazing event! (Free)
- Sunday is Jazz Brunch along the Riverwalk, this month featuring Davis and Dow, the RD Project, and the Peter Betan Trio. Make sure you stop and visit the New River Open Air Market in Old Fort Lauderdale village on the way in or out of the event for food and great gift ideas! (Free)
- Also on Sunday, you can stop by History Fort Lauderdale for the opening of the Exhibition "Chono Thlee: Sparking a New Era in Seminole Art." This will be an opportunity to celebrate Native American Heritage with an exhibition of contemporary art by an intergenerational cadre of Seminole artists. (Free)
- Saturday AND Sunday, you can catch the Miami Ballet's rendition of Romeo & Juliet at the Broward Center. Considered to be one of the great ballet scores and an ageless love story, prepare to be swept away by the heart-breaking ballet. Do you think they might work Mark Knopflers beautiful version into the story? 😉 (Tickets)
- On Saturday morning you can go birding at The Bonnet House Museum & Garden. Learn how observing bird behavior can be an essential tool to help in identifying a bird. Gain knowledge about flight and feeding behaviors that are unique to a variety of birds. (Tickets)
- On Saturday evening, you can enjoy a tropical party for a good cause, as the Abandoned Pet Rescue hosts their annual fundraiser at the Church By The Sea. All proceeds benefit South Florida’s largest no-kill shelter. (Tickets)
- And lastly for the month of November, the Museum of Discovery & Science (MODS) will be going "Sport Spectacular" with exciting science behind sports! Challenge yourself using physics to solve some of sports’ greatest questions. Why do golf balls have dimples, footballs fly faster through the air in spirals and curveballs curve? Test your engineering and athletic skills by constructing a mini golf course and hitting a hole-in-one! (Free with Admission)
Featured Fort Lauderdale
One week from today (Thursday the 10th), it is the official start of the holiday season with the first Light Up Lauderdale event at Esplanade Park. This is a BIG event with fun for the whole family. There are games and bounce houses for the younglings, a petting zoo, music, food trucks, and holiday spirit galore.
This is also the start of the annual 10-week celebration of sparkling holiday lights, including Light Up Galt (Nov 17th), Light Up The Beach (Nov 22), Light Up Sistrunk (Dec 2), and the Menorah Lighting Celebration (Dec 18). The holiday season is officially upon us!
So... You Think You Know Fort Lauderdale?
You probably know about... the 24 miles of golden beaches that make Fort Lauderdale world-famous.
But do you know about... havens like Pompano Beach is a paradise for snorkelers and scuba divers. Many of the coral reefs are reachable right from shore, while you’ll find 18 shipwrecks further out (head to Shipwreck Park for a mix of artificial reefs and art installations). The area is also popular for sport fishing, and the Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center can arrange charters on their modern fleet for half or full-day trips. If you’re visiting with kids, you’ll find plenty of attractions to keep them entertained, from multiple playgrounds to an interactive water fountain with ocean views.
Classifieds
- Do you have a business or organization doing cool things here in Fort Lauderdale? Next week we are launching the Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale podcast to create more spotlight features on our local adventures and treasures. If that is you - hit reply and tell us about who you love - so we can feature them in their own episode. Coming soon!
- So... how RADICAL would you be willing to be, for your child? RADICAL enough to give them this kind of opportunity to race ahead in life? You have to see this TEDtalk with Sugatra Mitra. And if you want to see what this approach might look like here in Fort Lauderdale, give us a call at AAFTL.
- Tonight, come see Strawberry Heart at Factory 110! Grab dinner at VeganJunkie. Don't miss the Tres Leches cake (a fan favorite). We also heard the "Gordi Burger" is a hidden speciality!!
Flotsam & Jetsam
Got a great idea for a business? Find an equally great name with https://namelix.com/
You might not know that Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale and Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale sponsor the Children's Business Fair in the spring. We have young entrepreneurs from the ages of 5 to 14 who apply, plan their business, and then show up for the big day with their wares.
Registration will open in the spring, so start preparing your ideas now! Our learners at AAFTL will be preparing all spring with the "E-Ship" (Entrepreneurship) Quest. The event is open to any young entrepreneurs who 1) meet the age qualifications; and 2) whose applications are accepted for registration (space is limited).
Tell Us How We Are Doing
We are working to improve #FFFTL every week, both for your reading experience and to provide a cutting-edge media apprenticeship opportunity for our learners. We want to hear from you. What do you love? How could we do better?
And most importantly, what FTL businesses and experiences should we be highlighting?