October comes in like a lion this weekend with the return of many seasonal favorites — Oakland Park Oktoberfest, West Palm Beach GreenMarket, Night Market in Boca Raton and Oyster Fest on Fort Lauderdale beach — that will be subject to the whims of the weather. Check the websites provided for updates. If it gets too bad, just stay home with a glass of wine, “Mean Girls” and Taylor Swift’s new album.
THURSDAY
The heat is on: The touring edition of Gordon Ramsay’s hit Fox TV cooking competition comes to Fort Lauderdale on Thursday as “MasterChef All-Stars Live!” heats up The Parker beginning at 7:30 p.m. The high-energy stage show is scheduled to include Season 15 finalists and fan favorites The Fiery Cooks (Rachel Sanchez and Julio Figueredo), Season 14 winner Michael Leonard and Season 9 winner Gerron Hunt. Florida resident and “MasterChef Junior” Season 9 runner-up Remy also is expected to make a guest appearance. Some seats remain available, starting at $41.30. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Night lights: Boca Raton’s popular Night Market will make its season debut on downtown’s Sanborn Square, where food, drink, craft vendors and live music will ensue under the signature glow of the square’s string lights from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Visit MyBoca.us.
Record time: As you may have heard, Taylor Swift has a new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” coming out just after midnight Friday (also known as Thursday night). Seems like the best place for fans to celebrate the new record is in an actual record store, which means Rust & Wax Record Shop in West Palm Beach, which will host a free listening party on Thursday beginning at 11 p.m. They’ll be spinning the songs you know all too well, and are encouraging Swiftie attire and bracelet trading. An RSVP is required for the party, and pre-orders of the album are definitely recommended. Visit Facebook.com/RustandWax.
Late one, great one: Mercurial rapper Lil Wayne will conclude his career-spanning Tha Carter VI Tour with a show at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Thursday at 7 p.m. Openers include Tyga and NoCap. Tickets start at $40.50 for general-admission lawn seats at Ticketmaster.com. Fair warning: A Charlotte Observer review of his Sept. 25 concert described a “mostly masterful” performance by the headliner, but one that began so late (he went on just before 11 p.m.) that the venue had given last call on drinks before Lil Wayne started his set.
Ticket window: Country singer and storyteller Eric Church is on his way to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on March 27 on a tour supporting his most recent album, “Evangeline vs. The Machine.” Kashus Culpepper will be the opening act. Presale tickets, starting at $105, are available now via the Hard Rock Facebook page and the venue’s other social media. The general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. Friday at MyHRL.com.
Weekend laughs: Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Nimesh Patel, who is supposed to be shooting a new Netflix special right around now, will be at the Fort Lauderdale Improv at Dania Pointe for performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $36.90. Visit ImprovFTL.com.
Have faith: Worship singer-songwriter Brandon Lake, most widely known for his collaboration with Jelly Roll on “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” brings his King of Hearts Tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $46 at Seatgeek.com. … Another faith-guided artist, soulful singer Madison Ryann Ward will perform at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $46.85 at MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
FRIDAY
Aw, shucks: Scenic sister spots on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale, Coconuts and G&B Oyster Bar will host their annual Oyster Fest on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. This tented affair (big giant tents!) will offer unlimited oysters, from classic raw varieties to innovative dishes prepared by local chefs. You’ll also find food stations with bites from other be nice restaurants, including Foxy Brown, Top Hat Deli and Lunchroom Sandwiches, as well as other vendors, live music, slurping contests and more. Tickets cost $85 and include unlimited access to eight food stations and bottomless pours of Funky Buddha’s Pearl Diver Oyster Saison (brewed with real oysters). Visit CoconutsFortLauderdale.com.
Brats and beers: A collaboration with Funky Buddha Brewery, the sprawling Oakland Park Oktoberfest rolls out this weekend with brats and beers and Bavarian beats taking over Jaco Pastorius Park from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. This is an all-ages event featuring live music and dancing, DJs, carnival rides, games, kids’ activities and the always-intense dachshund racing (5 p.m. Saturday). Admission is $5, free for kids age 12 and younger. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov/Oktoberfest.
Ghost stories: Real-life murders provide the source for an evening exploring true-crime mysteries in paranormal researcher, author and podcaster Amy Bruni’s “Walking With Ghosts” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available, starting at $41.30 at BrowardCenter.org.
So fetch: Notwithstanding what the day means in the Taylor-verse, Oct. 3 is still Mean Girls Day, a tradition that will be honored by Rooftop Cinema Club on South Beach (1212 Lincoln Road) with a screening of the 2004 Tina Fey-written Lindsay Lohan classic on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is for age 16 and older. Seat costs (Adirondack chair) start at $22, which is on waitlist. Next available is chair with popcorn for $25. Visit RooftopCinemaClub.com.
Oct. 3 is Mean Girls Day (from a line in the movie, duh), which honors the 2004 film that starred Lindsay Lohan, left, Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams and Lacey Chabert. (Michael Gibson/AP/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy)
Friday night live: The Commodores (with founding member William King, Walter Orange’s sons Cody and Colin, and vocalist Brent Carter) will bring the hits to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.86 at Kravis.org. … Mexican troubadour Marco Antonio Solis brings his world tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $78 at Seatgeek.com. … Salsa icon Willie Colón and vallenato star Jorge Celedón perform at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $88.50 at MyHRL.com.
Local sounds: When Louisiana blues singer and songwriter Marc Broussard performs at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, he’ll be joined by local eclectics SOSOS, who deserve this stage and your ear. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $42.80. Visit CultureRoom.net.
Venezuelan sounds: The Art After Dark series on Friday at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach — still one of the coolest spots around here for a cocktail and conversation — will preview Nuestra Cultura Community Day (11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday) with docent tours, interactive art activities and a performance by the Arturo Romay & Antulio Mora Quartet. Led by two esteemed Venezuelan musicians, the band will perform in the Great Hall from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Art After Dark tickets cost $10, or $5 for students, and can be purchased at the reception desk or in advance at Norton.org.
SATURDAY
Growth market: One of the signature events of the season in South Florida, the nationally ranked West Palm Beach GreenMarket returns on Saturday, spreading out along the downtown waterfront with a record 150 vendors (including 45 new ones), longer hours (8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.) and an extended season (through May 30). As always, the 31st annual edition of the market will include the Master Chef Showcase, with this season’s lineup so far including chefs May Aungthet, Austin Beckett, Kenson Cesar, Christine Munoz, Eirene Quinto, Boris Seymore and Hannah Workman. For information, visit WPB.org/greenmarket.
The West Palm Beach GreenMarket returns on Saturday with a record number of vendors and extended hours. (City of West Palm Beach/Courtesy)
My favorite Martin: Longtime buddies Steve Martin and Martin Short — stars of “Three Amigos,” breakout TV hit “Only Murders in the Building” and even more relentlessly, their Wells Fargo commercials — bring “The Dukes of Funnytown!” show to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Saturday, joined by the Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko. The show was rescheduled from Jan. 11, and tickets from that date will be honored. Only a few scattered tickets remain, starting at $98.70, at Ticketmaster.com.
New Aldean: South Florida fans will likely hear some new music when bro-country king Jason Aldean performs on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, joined by openers Nate Smith, RaeLynn and Dee Jay Silver. Aldean recently released a single, “How Far Does A Goodbye Go,” from a new album that he reportedly just finished. In speaking with American Songwriter magazine, Aldean said he set out to write songs that are emotionally honest and a “little more thoughtful.” Scattered resale seats remain under the roof for Saturday’s show, starting at $89.25. Visit Ticketmaster.com.
Country star Jason Aldean will perform at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Saturday. (Greg Allen/Invision/AP file)
Hunks unplugged: Veteran pop heartthrobs Rick Springfield (“Jessie’s Girl,” “”Don’t Talk to Strangers”) and Richard Marx (“Right Here Waiting,” “Hold On to the Nights”) are on a co-headlining acoustic tour stopping at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Saturday at 8 p.m. To the surprise of no one, the show is almost sold out. Check for updates at Kravis.org.
Brunch for good: Batch New Southern Kitchen & Tap in downtown Fort Lauderdale says that all pets are welcome, no matter their size, during the Blessing of the Animals Brunch fundraiser on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Pets must be leashed or in a carrier.) Mention “Good Karma” and 15% of proceeds will be donated to the foster-based Good Karma Pet Rescue of South Florida. Visit Instagram.com/batchftl.
Take the kids: If your kids (like mine were) are entranced by fire trucks, police vehicles, cranes, dump trucks and excavators, the Big Toy & Truck Extravaganza in Fort Lauderdale‘s Snyder Park is for you and them. Hosted by Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation, this hands-on, climb-on gathering of big machines takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Visit Parks.FortLauderdale.gov/bigtoy.
Bold and new: The most entertaining and visually compelling night of music is likely to come from indie singer-producer Noga Erez, who brings her world tour to the Miami Beach Bandshell on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Israeli-born Erez, who counts Billie Eilish and Missy Elliott as fans, was recently named to the bill at Coachella 2026 and just released an irresistible single, a percussive groove called “Penny Lame.” Tickets for the all-ages show cost $46.87. Doors open at 7 p.m. Visit MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
SUNDAY
Free expression: Arts Launch Broward, a new free celebration to kick off the cultural season, will bring a variety of music, dance, art, theater and family fun to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Easily accessible for visitors to the city’s popular Sunday Jazz Brunch happening just outside along the New River at the same time, performances will take place both in the lobby and in a ballroom setting. Accomplished South Florida vocalist and violinist Nicole Yarling will perform at 11:30 a.m. Again, it’s all free. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Hard place: Papa Roach and Rise Against bring the rock-and-metal brotherhood of their Rise of the Roach Tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available, starting at $35 for general-admission lawn, at Ticketmaster.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.
