Tuesday, March 7th - 2023 - It might take me a few days to catch up with folks. About the time you read this email, I will probably be nervously pacing the floor before we go on at SXSW. But we genuinely want to hear from you - our weekly readers - so we can give you more of what you want.

What FTL people, places, or things are you loving these days? What would you recommend to friends?

What do you want to know more about? Who should we bve featuring on the podcast?

Good comments will be applauded.

Great comments will be featured in upcoming newsletters.

Let's get to your basket of goodies 👇

Stuff You Won't Want To Miss:

1. Today (Tuesday) if you are downtown you can still catch the Noon Tunes at Stranahan Park, just off Broward and behind the Women's Club. Today the music is from the "RD Project" - so come out and enjoy the music AND botanical garden. (Free)
2. Also today, at the Broward Library - get your hands mucky with Slime Day, and Tomorrow Hair Design Day (Wednesday). (Both Free)
3. Thursday evening is your chance to come and meet the Women Trailblazers: Champions of Change in Broward County, hosted by History Fort Lauderdale and Galleria Fort Lauderdale. Lori Wheeler, Barbara Sharief, Heather Geronemus, Ramola Motwani, Stephanie Toothaker, and Joy Satterlee will be honored. (Tickets)
4. Friday night - Food Is In Motion at Peter Feldman Park with another Food Truck Takeover. Featuring a closed off street lined with quality food trucks, an incredible lineup of gourmet prepared food & greenmarket purveyors, plus plenty of art, craft, & boutique shopping through the park, Food In Motion remains a favorite! (Free)
5. Or go out Friday Night for Music Under The Stars in Pompano Beach. Come for music and entertainment as the Parks and Recreation Department presents Music under the Stars. The music kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at the Great Lawn located at the intersection of Atlantic and Pompano Beach Boulevard. Music under the Stars will be held the second Friday of every month. (Free)
6. Saturday will be a big day for the St. Paddy's Day Parade Festival. This year it is down by the beach. You can start your day early with the Shamrock Run. There is even a Lucky Leprechaun Kids Dash. The Festival itself opens at 10am at the Intercoastal Promenade Park and the parade begins at Noon. The day is capped by the 'Ultimate US Tribute Band' at 6pm.
7. If hoops are your thing... come out Saturday to see the best of the best in South Florida at the Orange Bowl High School Hoops Showcase. This is a free one day event that will bring together Florida high school seniors and juniors to meet with educational institutions in Division II, III, NAIA and Junior colleges from across the country. (Free)
8. Sunday the Flamingo Flea Market is back at Tarpon River Brewing. If shopping and exploring is more of your thing, you can also hit the New River Open Air Market, the Wilton Manners Market or the Sunday By The Shore Market at Las Olas Oceanside Park. (Free)
9. Calling all brave heroes to the Broward Center on Sunday for Dragons and Mythical Beasts! Enter into a magical world of myths and legends in this fantastical new interactive show for all the family. Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. (Tickets)

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FEATURED Fort Lauderdale

Longtime readers know that entrepreneurs are near and dear to our hearts. So much so, we have our Children's Business Fair coming up in June to stoke those sparks and dreams.

This week, we featured local entrepreneur Julie Janides on the podcast, to talk about her new business built on the Toy Trader App. Stop Buying Toys... And Start Trading Them!

Meet One of Fort Lauderdale's Innovative Entrepreneurs, Julie Janides of Toy Trader App (@toytradermama and @toytraderapp). She saw a problem and a potential solution for that endless line of requests - "can I buy a toy?" What if instead of buying... your children started trading? Join us as we dig into how the app got started.

Do you have a favorite event, place, business, or organization you would like to see featured on the podcast? HIT REPLY and let us know!

So... You Think You Know Fort Lauderdale?

You probably know... Fort Laduerdale is world-famous for its long sandy beaches.

But you might not know is... those same beaches are watched by our faithful lifeguards and rescue teams. And they are BUSY (to say the least). Consider some of these recent stats (Source):

• Beach Attendance: 3,756,196
• Public Contacts: 123,014
• Assists/Preventative Actions: 47,968
• Ocean Rescues: 104
• Victims Lives Saved: 144
• Major First Aids Requiring Transport: 108
• Red Flags (Hazardous Bathing): 68 days
• Yellow Flags (Hazardous Bathing): 123 days
• Purple Flags (Sea pests/Jellyfish): 84 days
• Missing/Found Persons: 22
  

Classifieds

• We still have 12 spots OPEN for the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Children's Business Fair. This event is open to all 5 to 14 year-old budding entrepreneurs. We do have a limited number of tables, so get your ideas together and your application in early.
• Have you visited Ren-Fest.com this year? This is Weekend #6 the theme will be
• ​PIXAR PUTT is the ultimate pop-up, mini-golf experience made up of 18 fun and interactive holes inspired by the stories, characters, and icons from some of Pixar’s most beloved films.
  Don’t miss this limited run at the LOOP, January 25 – March 26.
• Looking for a great place to do Fitness outside and with friends. Come down to #TheLoopFLB for a myriad of fitness classes. From morning yoga to sunset yoga, Tai Chi, Kettlebells, aerial decompression, and building buns of steel - we've got it all for you to try!
• ​Moxie's at 201 E. Las Olas Blvd has officially opened in The Main Las Olas! This modern-chic restaurant features two indoor-outdoor bars with a lounge, dining areas and covered patios.
  
  

Flotsam & Jetsam

This week's Flotsam is a challenge.

Take this simple typing test to see how fast you can type. Can you beat our score? ;)

Top scorers (send a screenshot as your proof) will make next week's leaderboard and get bragging rights.

Tell Us How We Are Doing

Every week 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? What could we do better FOR YOU?

And most importantly, what FTL businesses and experiences should we be highlighting?