The Las Olas Art Fair will return to downtown Fort Lauderdale this weekend, the first major event on the city’s beloved shop-lined thoroughfare since city leaders, after much deliberation, voted in January to remove the median and its regiment of black olive trees.
Their logic is unassailable: The sidewalks must be widened. The makers of Ozempic do not like to hear such things, but we’re just taking up more and more space these days. And just think about how much easier it will be to stroll the boulevard on an expanded sidewalk filled with tables and waiters.
I’ve heard a counterargument from some of you Einsteins. No, we must maintain the lane of storefront parking spaces on Las Olas because, what, you want me to walk? In case you haven’t noticed, it gets hot in the sun.
Throwing tree huggers a bone, city commissioners say they will replace the black olives with other trees, propped up along the new sidewalks. Why? A younger city commission would know that trees are very last century. Pretty much all of them are in the way of something we’re trying to do now. My dad says he used to climb them. To where? What’s he talking about?
In the event you disagree, head out to the Las Olas Art Fair — from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday — and see if you have any better ideas. Information: ArtFestival.com.
Are you smarter than a city commissioner? Look at this picture and see if you can figure out a way to expand the sidewalks on Las Olas Boulevard without eliminating the trees. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Thursday
Montreux in Miami: Back for a third year of eclectic jamming, an expanded edition of Montreux Jazz Festival Miami continues with internationally acclaimed drummer Makaya McCraven performing at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday at 8 p.m. The festival will move to The Hangar in Coconut Grove on Friday through Sunday for performances by Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty’s New Orleans Celebration (which includes PJ Morton of Maroon 5, Tank of Tank and the Bangas, La Reezy and others) on Friday; Nile Rodgers & Chic, joined by Toto, on Saturday; and Bomba Estéreo, Elena Rose and Pedrito Martinez on Sunday. Tickets: MontreuxJazzFestivalMiami.com.
Still the King: Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s buzzed-about “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” — a “breathtaking feat of cinematic virtuosity” (Daily Beast) based on “lost footage” shot during Presley’s famed 1969 return to live performances with a residency in Las Vegas — is screening in multiple theaters across South Florida through the weekend. Information and showtimes: EPiCmovie.film.
From Chevy to Guy: The 40th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival wraps up this weekend with nearly 20 screenings and some celebrity buzz, beginning on Thursday with Savor Cinema events for a showing of the documentary “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not,” with Chase scheduled to be in attendance. On Friday, Savor Cinema will have a 7 p.m. screening of the Harland Williams comedy “Wingman,” with co-star Jamie Kennedy at a 6:30 p.m. reception and post-film Q&A session. The closing night highlight, “Guy Harvey: The Documentary,” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Museum of Discovery & Science, with Harvey expected at events before and after. The Chase and Harvey films are sellouts, but FLIFF has added a second Harvey screening at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: FLIFF.com.
Local listening: One of the region’s grooviest bands, The Smoogies will set up at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Thursday for shows at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Highly recommended. Tickets: CrazyUncleMikes.com.
Driving away: This is closing weekend for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ critically praised production of “Driving Miss Daisy,” starring Debra Jo Rupp (“That ’70s Show”) and veteran actor Ray Anthony Thomas. Weekend performances at the downtown West Palm Beach theater will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday (sold out). Tickets: PalmBeachDramaworks.org.
Thursday tribute: Globally touring ABBA tribute band Arrival From Sweden says, on its website: “ABBA is the greatest pop group of all, only compared with Elvis and the Beatles.” Discuss. On Thursday at 8 p.m. they’ll perform in a concert collaboration with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets: BrowardCenter.org.
Friday
All about Boca: The 20th annual Festival of the Arts Boca — always a thoughtful cavalcade of entertainment and ideas — returns with a performance of Postmodern Jukebox on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Other highlights during the 10-day festival include a screening of “Jurassic Park” with a live orchestra (7:30 p.m. Saturday); celebrated author Walter Mosley (7 p.m. Tuesday); classical pianist Conrad Tao (7:30 p.m. March 6); Grammy-winning classical instrumental trio Time for Three (7:30 p.m. March 7); and Broadway great Patti Lupone (7 p.m. March 8). Tickets: FestivalBoca.org.
Bod Stewart: Still packing enough heat at 81 to generate a profile in Men’s Health a couple of weeks ago, Sir Rod Stewart will open his 2026 world tour at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: MyHRL.com.
Rod Stewart, here in a 2025 photo when he was merely 80, will open his 2026 tour at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday and Saturday. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Weekend laughs: Comedian, radio host, author and an incisive observer of modern times, D.L. Hughley will be at the Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach this weekend, with performances at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: ImprovFTL.com.
Friday night live: Singer-songwriter Willie Nile, a Zelig-like figure on the indie-music scene in New York in the early 1980s, will perform at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Friday at 9 p.m. Intriguing. Tickets: FunkyBiscuit.com. … Veteran blues-rock guitarist Eric Gales will play Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets: CrazyUncleMikes.com.
More laughs: Actor-comedian Steve Hytner, best known for his role on “Seinfeld” as Jerry’s nemesis Kenny (“Soup is not a meal”) Bania, will perform at The Studio at Mizner Park in Boca Raton on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Yes, there will be some “Seinfeld” trivia. Tickets: TheStudioAtMiznerPark.org.
Weekend DJs: The sprawling three-day DJ festival We Belong Here will bring big names including Tiësto, Kaskade, Lane 8, Elderbrook and others to Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami on Friday through Sunday. Tickets: WeBelongHere.world. … Meanwhile, in a more manageable space, global DJ godfather Paul Van Dyk is scheduled to perform in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night at Himmarshee District nightclub Kemistry. Tickets: KemistryNightclub.com.
Welcome to the cabaret: Broadway star Kyle Taylor Parker (“Kinky Boots”) will bring his divine vocalism to intimate cabaret space 54 Below at the Rinker in the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, with shows set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets: Kravis.org.
Think succinct: The Art Prevails Project will present Of House and Home, a festival of new short plays written by local playwrights, in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Showtimes will be at 8 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: BrowardCenter.org.
Friday tributes: The Shakira tribute Hips Don’t Lie will be part of the lineup at Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach on Friday beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Galuppis.com. … Singer-actor Robert Neary’s touring Neil Diamond tribute So Good! will be at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets: ParkerPlayhouse.com. … At Respectable Street in West Palm Beach, you’ll find tribute bands Godsmacked and Evil Pony (Rage Against the Machine and Deftones) on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets: Facebook.com/respectablestreet.
Saturday
Clove love: The 27th annual Delray Beach Garlic Fest will return to its old stinking grounds at Old School Square for the first time in a decade — a happy occasion dimmed by the recent deaths of two of its signature personalities, co-founder Nancy Stewart-Franczak and Tom Johnston, the original Mr. Garlic. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, you can expect dozens of vendors offering drinks and dishes creatively infused with garlic, plus live music from headliners the Spin Doctors, plus locals The Fabulous Fleetwoods, Pearl Jam tribute band Given to Fly and pop-punk act band If I’m Lucky. Tickets: GarlicFestFL.com.
You’ll find garlic everywhere (and we mean everywhere) during the Delray Beach Garlic Fest this weekend. (Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Cool moves: Miami City Ballet will bring its Winter Mix program, “Into the Magic City,” to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Along with George Balanchine favorites “Serenade” and “Tarantella,” the program will feature the world premiere of choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s “Roses From the South (Three Waltzes for Toby),” an homage to Miami City Ballet founder Toby Lerner Ansin. Tickets: MiamiCityBallet.org.
Fast company: FuelFest will return to the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach on Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. with more than 800 rare and exclusive cars and trucks, live-action drifting, music on multiple stages and, as always, appearances by “Fast & Furious” film franchise stars Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker. Tickets: FuelFest.com.
Saturday night live: Renaissance man 50 Cent is scheduled to perform at nightclub DAER at the Hard Rock in Hollywood on Saturday. Doors open at 10 p.m. Tickets: HardRockNightlife.com. … Country Music Hall of Famers Alabama will be at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: PompanoBeachArts.org. … The cult-fave North Mississippi Allstars will play The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: FunkyBiscuit.com.
Turning 10: Fort Lauderdale’s beloved Flagler Village lounge Rhythm & Vine will celebrate its 10th anniversary (can that possibly math?) on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., with cocktail specials, raffles, limited-edition merch and DJ Dombresky. He looks cool. Visit Rhythm-Vine.com.
Fort Lauderdale lounge Rhythm & Vine will celebrate 10 years of chill vibes on Saturday. (Rhythm & Vine/Courtesy)
Saturday laughs: Actor and comedian Katt Williams, who just released a new Netflix special, “The Last Report,” will bring his stand-up tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: Seatgeek.com.
Island vibe: The Afro-Carib Festival will celebrate the diversity of the African Diaspora at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater on Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m., bringing a wide variety of food and drink and a long lineup of music led by Steel Pulse, Skinny Fabulous, Shuga and more. General admission is free, but tickets are required. Tickets: AfroCaribFestMiramar.com.
In the moo’d: Fort Lauderdale brewery LauderAle has tapped into a local obsession — drinking beer with Highland cows. Go on, try to resist. On Saturday at 2 p.m., LauderAle’s Cow Moos and Craft Brews event will offer 10-minute petting sessions, with each ticket also including a beverage of choice (craft beer, wine, champagne, sake and many nonalcoholic options). Admission is free for kids younger than 5 with an adult ticketholder. Tickets: Facebook.com/lauderale.
Saturday tributes: Popular Eagles tribute band The Long Run will play Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: Galuppis.com. … Vintage Vinyl Live will re-create Boston’s self-titled debut album on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens. Tickets: VintageVinylLive.com. … Accomplished South Florida Elvis artist Matt Stone will perform at The Studio at Mizner Park in Boca Raton on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: TheStudioAtMiznerPark.org. … Shelley Keelor will bring her Bette Midler tribute show to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: AventuraCenter.org.
Sunday
Classic sounds: You can witness a bit of rock ’n’ roll history at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sunday when original band members Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman (also Bachman Turner Overdrive), touring together as the Guess Who for the first time in more than 20 years, perform at 7 p.m. Visit MyHRL.com. … Longtime Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett will bring hits and rarities to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: BrowardCenter.org. … Jazz fusion trailblazers Spyro Gyra, joined by special guest Stanley Jordan, will perform at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Sunday laughs: Ubiquitous (in a good way!) aw-shucks comedian Nate Bargatze is bringing his Big Dumb Eyes World Tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets: Seatgeek.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.
