Night + Day: Ten Best Things to Do in Broward and Palm Beach Counties This Week

Thursday, November 5

You're in Fort Lauderdale; now imagine yourself on a boat. It shouldn't be too hard, because this place is the yachting capital of the world — precisely what makes the city a global destination for boat enthusiasts. Now in its 56th year, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show showcases some of the most exotic floaters on the planet. Boats of all types will be on display: sportfishers, high-performance dashers, skiffs, canoes, cabin cruisers, catamarans, sailing yachts, motor yachts, and megayachts. Everything's squeezed into 3 million square feet of space and seven locations spanning Bahia Mar to the Broward County Convention Center and everywhere in between. It's a huge exposition, but there'll be a network of shuttle buses, water taxis, and riverboats to get you around. Other than boats, there are several more reasons to go, like the food and exotic-car exhibits. When you start seeing masses of yachties in pink polos and navy-blue sport coats, you'll know the boat show has arrived. Poseidon, look at you now. 

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show takes place at seven locations, including the Bahia Mar Yachting Center (801 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) and the Sails Marine (2150 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale). The show runs from Thursday through Monday. Prime-time admission gets you in at 10 a.m. Thursday, and admission starts at $41. General admission starts Friday at 10 a.m. and costs $27 at the gate. Visit flibs.com.

Ever since the movie V for Vendetta, Guy Fawkes has become synonymous with rebellion against tyranny. Not long after, the mask popularized by the movie could be seen on the faces of millions of protesters worldwide during the Occupy and Arab Spring movements. If you knew the real story behind Guy Fawkes, would you still wear the mask? Fawkes was actually an English Catholic involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 that attempted — but failed — to assassinate the Protestant King James. The gig was up when several barrels of gunpowder traced to Fawkes were discovered in a cellar underneath Parliament. Fawkes was tortured and hanged for his role in the plot. However, his legacy lives on in the form of a worldwide annual holiday marked by millions of fans wearing Guy Fawkes masks each November 5.

Come wearing the Fawkes mask at Tate's Comics (4566 N. University Drive, Lauderhill) on Thursday and you'll get 10 percent off your entire purchase all day. Draw the "lit fuse" and you'll get an additional 30 percent off any one item. Join in on the group photo at 6:05 p.m. in front of Tate's and you'll get a free commemorative button. Participation is free but requires a Guy Fawkes mask, which costs $5 at the store. The event is happening all day during store hours, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 954-748-0181. 

Comedians Shayna Ferm and Tracey Tee love nothing more than shattering the illusions the Happy Mommy industry has been perpetuating on new mothers for decades. Think you can lose that baby weight quickly, regain a regular sleep schedule, and relaunch a productive career soon after that screaming, flailing, diapered disrupter exits the womb? Think again, say (and sing) Ferm and Tee in their touring musical-comedy extravaganza The Pump and Dump, a profanely honest and interactive tour through motherhood's misconceptions. The duo's folky and acidic music sounds like Indigo Girls B-sides scripted by Lisa Lampanelli: "When I Die, I Wanna Come Back as a Dad" mercilessly skewers many fathers' roles (or lack thereof) in child-rearing, while "Eat Your Fucking Food" pretty much speaks for itself. Their stress and hardship is your hilarious escape, which mixes audience-participation games like "Stump the Breeder" and "The Most Fucked-Up Thing Your Kid Did This Week" alongside the songs and standup. It promises to be a show that's worth calling a sitter for, though you might as well leave your hubby at home with the Gerber's — he probably won't get the jokes anyway.

The Bump Pump and Dump Validation Tour visits the Palm Beach Improv (550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets cost $18. Call 561-833-1812, or visit palmbeachimprov.com. 

Friday, November 6

Love bacon? An event in honor of the hog's most famous part will return for its second year thanks to Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale and Covenant House Florida. The second-annual Bacon Bash returns this week with a foodie-focused event that's all about the bacon. The celebration will take place in Esplanade Park on Friday and will feature bacon-inspired dishes — both sweet and savory — from several South Florida-based restaurants and food trucks. There's also plenty of beer for pairing with an expanded Biergarten Experience tent for all the imbibers out there. Tickets are available for purchase on Blacktie South Florida. General admission is available for a prepaid online price of $35 per person ($40 at the door) and provides eventgoers access to unlimited food tastings. Tickets for access to the VIP Biergarten Experience will be $75 per person ($80 at the door) and include general admission plus access to unlimited tastings of craft beers from Funky Buddha and other local breweries as well as bourbon samplings from Angel's Envy, Michter's, William Grant, and Woodford Reserve.

Participating restaurants in this year's event include Dos Caminos, Grille 401, It's a Cubano B food truck, M.E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom, Miami Smokers, and Public House. All proceeds from the event will benefit Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, a nonprofit organization responsible for the programming, beautification, and promotion of Riverwalk Park; and Covenant House Florida, a nonprofit dedicated to providing services and shelter to homeless children and youth. Bacon Bash will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at Esplanade Park (400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale). Visit goriverwalk.com.

Although videogames are a treasured pastime mostly reserved for cushy living-room couches, during First Friday, gaming moves out of the confines of the parentals' spare room and into the outside sphere at C&I Studios. Grab a couple of strong-thumbed friends and bring a full setup (TV, console, and controllers) for an entire night of tabletop and videogaming that will be streamed live on Twitch, a community platform for more than 45 million gamers. There's a $3 venue fee for participants, but those who come with a full set-up will get in for free. The staff of C&I Studios say the night that's dedicated to the gamers will feature "old-school classics and modern-day hits" kind of games, including a FIFA 16 Tournament. Enter the tourney for a $5 fee and take a shot at winning the grand prize of a $100 Visa gift card — plus, endless amounts of bragging rights and regal posturing. DJ Tonx will be onsite for the night, and there's even a plan for the cornhole boards, which will be out for the evening.

The festivities start at 8 p.m. at C&I Studios (541 NW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale). Call 954-357-3934, or visit C-istudious.com. 

Saturday, November 7

If you love food festivals, you don't want to miss out on this year's fourth-annual Delray Beach Wine & Seafood Festival this weekend. Organized and hosted by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, the festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday and offer visitors a free culinary-themed stroll down the city's scenic stretch of A1A. The festival will feature more than 100 exhibitors, including popular winemakers from Napa Valley's Cakebread, Plumbjack, Cade, Silver Oak, and ZD Wineries, as well as Sonoma's Chalkhill winery and Italy's Castello Banfi winery. The 2015 festival will also host a number of new events, including a Cupcake Vineyards Traveling Tour, live music from local and regional acts, and two wine gardens. To help soak up all that wine, local restaurants will prepare some of their finest seafood dishes for sampling along the way, everything from ceviche and lobster rolls to fried oysters, crab cakes, and coconut shrimp. There's no admission fee to attend the festival itself, but if you want to try any of the food and drink, you'll need to pay per stop.

Along with the food and drink, the Delray Beach Wine & Seafood Festival is also known for its vendor displays, highlighting dozens of local and national artists showcasing Florida coastal designed art and clothing. The 2015 Delray Beach Wine & Seafood festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Seminar availability is limited. To purchase seminar tickets, visit dbwineandseafood.com. 

Whether your dog is sitting and watching at ankle level while you chat up a date at a dog-friendly happy hour or patiently waiting by the front door for you to finish a 50-hour-plus workweek so he can go on that long walk you promised or even waiting out a home-cooked meal for some sloppy chef work that would allow a couple of choice bits to fall to the floor, your trusty companion is always there. It's not exactly the easiest gig being a four-legged friend. In fact, some might say it's downright ruff, er, rough. Why not reserve a day off to give back to said furry friend with the Miami-Fort Lauderdale Amazing Pet Expo? An entire day dedicated to the animals is complete with spa treatments from local groomers, discounted vaccinations, agility demonstrations, pet/owner look-alike contests, sample treats, furry fashions, pet care tips, and lots of information and chatting with representatives from local animal welfare organizations.

Saturday also offers the chance to talk about expanding the brood, because there will be several adoptable animals onsite to choose from, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale). Call 800-977-3609, ext. 104, or visit miamiftlpetexpo.com.

Fort Lauderdale has grown exponentially in terms of art. Thanks to places like FAT Village and Jump the Shark, it has become the new alternative for those who can't (or don't want to) drive to Wynwood and instead want to stay in the Broward area. Monthly art walks leave those yearning for a cultural event excitedly awaiting the end of the month. Now, art lovers don't have to wait. Thanks to the Fatto a Mano ArtWalk Market, creative connoisseurs can now start their month off with a fun art event, or, depending how you look at it, get more than one art event per month almost simultaneously. Artists and craft and artisan vendors will be present, but "green," organic, and other vendors are also encouraged. For accessories, art, and apparel, there is Aim High Brand, Gina Black Art, FQ Creations, Artistic Journey, Sunrise Scent Works, Tire Planters, Aaltia Handmade Soaps, and the Modern Alchemist. Here's a fun fact: Gina Black, who sells necklace, crystals, earrings, rings, bracelets/ bones, insects, and flowers, was featured on Deco Drive. Food vendors include Nutty 4 Chocolate, Gan Eden Farms, Stellar Eatz, Biscotti Girl, Ai/Island Fusion, Inika Foods, and Eve's Naturals. The market will be a recurring event that takes place the first Saturday of each month. In other words, there is no need to fret too much if you miss this weekend.

The Fatto a Mano ArtWalk Market takes place at North Beach Restaurants and Shoppes (NE 33rd St., Fort Lauderdale) starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 11. 

Sunday, November 8

Let's face it: Florida may be graced with great weather, but there are some areas where it's lacking. Take, for instance, certain outdoor sports. There is no way to ski or go sledding in the Sunshine State. As for real rock climbing, forget it. However, for those that want to witness it as much as possible, there is a solution. The Reel Rock Film Tour will be shown on Sunday at Coral Cliffs Rock Climbing Center (3400 SW 26th Terrace, Suite A4, Fort Lauderdale). The film tour was founded in 2006 by filmmakers Josh Lowell of Big UP Productions and Peter Mortimer of Sender Films and is now in its tenth year. The tour brings the best in climbing and adventure films of the year to live audiences worldwide. Aside from topnotch adventure films, there will be numerous food trucks, prize giveaways, and climbing and slack-lining challenges. Let's not forget about the High-Energy Party, which boasts the best in Florida beer and DJs. In addition, there is a raffle with proceeds benefiting the Recreation Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth overcome fear as well as patterns of war in Uganda. Furthermore, the Recreation Project strives to rebuild confidence through participation in outdoor sports and adventure.

The event takes place starting at 5 p.m. and ends at 11. The outdoor screening is at 6:30. Tickets cost $20. Visit flocktotherock.lutn.co/. 

Wednesday, November 11

Bucking the big beer trend, mass advertising, and branding, craft breweries traded instead for word-of-mouth accolades and peer support. Rather than treating one another as competitors, craft breweries lend a hand in boosting their brewing brethren, either through tap takeovers or meet-your-brewer events. Craft-beer fans will get a chance to meet Casey Hughes, brewmaster for Coppertail Brewing in Tampa, on Wednesday at the Craft Beer Cartel. Originally from the Finger Lakes area in New York, Hughes found himself working on the bottling line at a Key West brewery by the time he was 18 years old. After a stint at Flying Fish Brewing in New Jersey and winning a few medals at the Great American Beer Festival, Hughes eventually became a beermaster at Coppertail. There are plenty of more interesting things about Hughes the brewing world might like to know — and now's the chance to find out.

Show up, grab a beer, and start asking questions. Think of it as a Reddit Ask Me Anything, except it's a face-to-face interaction and you get to drink beer. The event starts at 6 p.m. at Craft Beer Cartel (557 SW 12th Ave., Fort Lauderdale). There is no cost to attend. Call 954-541-3206, or visit coppertailbrewing.com.