THU 8/11
Until now, Thursdays were reserved for your weekly escapade with a bottle of domestic beer and a private screening of Urban Cowboy in your living room. Maybe it's the dream of falling in love while two-stepping at a honky-tonk that gets you all itchy in the saddle, or perhaps it's the sight of Scott Glen swallowing tequila worms while wearing that mesh top that makes your boots rub together. Tequila Ranch at Seminole Paradise (5760 Seminole Way, Hollywood) knows why you can't tear yourself away from the Wild West fantasy; it's the sexual tension that builds when a mechanical bull is the focal point of an event. That's why the bar is provoking you to shine up yer spurs, tip yer hat, and hang on, little filly. (If you're lucky, maybe some hot young cowboy will make a similar request.) Mechanical bulls are an endangered breed in the wild world of western bars, and this rowdy devil comes with prizes, if you can tame him. Helping you get relaxed for the bucking are drink specials from Bud and Jack Daniels. Maybe you need to ease into the evening? Live country bands provide beats to make your boots scoot in the two-step area out front. Still not coaxed? KISS Country will be on hand, registering guys and gals for tickets to see Tim McGraw. Who knows? You might git lucky. Call 954-556-7430. -- Jamie Laughlin
Ink Inc.
Tat's all, folks
FRI 8/12
If the sea of tats and piercings at last week's Warped Tour concert left you feeling a little naked, here's your chance to check out the appropriately timed South Florida Tattoo Expo at the Coral Springs Marriott (11775 Heron Bay Blvd., Coral Springs). Now in its tenth year, the expo is the place to be for inkers and inkees alike -- or anyone who wants to get down to a weekend of rockin' bands, hot cars, and fetish-loving freakiness. With more than 115 booths pooling together artists from here to Japan, the event is an international affair. For those already covered in tats, why not enter a competition? There are more than two-dozen categories to enter, so there's a good chance that the giant back portrait of your ex wasn't entirely in vain. The expo takes place Friday through Sunday and costs $15 per day or $30 for the weekend. Visit www.sofltattooexpo.com, or call 954-343-5585. -- Jason Budjinski
Good Spirits
The Bon Festival makes for an enchanted evening
SAT 8/13
It's not quite Halloween, although it is a celebration of spirits who have passed. It's not quite Mardi Gras, although there is a beer garden. No, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens' (4000 Morikami Park Rd., Boca Raton) lovely Bon Festival memorializes the dead with ghost stories, Japanese drummers, and fireworks on Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. For $5, you can buy a paper lantern and write a message on it to honor a lost loved one. At the end of the evening, hundreds of lanterns are lit up and floated onto the museum's pond, along with a miniature wooden boat that is burned in a funeral pyre -- making a gorgeous, spectacular display. Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. Call 561-495-0233. -- Chris Negelein
Disco Stu Does the Hard Rock
SUN 8/14
The rhinestone cowboys and platform queens will be out in full force Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (1 Seminole Way, Hollywood) for the Disco Ball. Join Tavares, Heatwave, France Joli, and Evelyn Champagne King -- all relics of the '70s who've been keeping the dream alive. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $60. Call 954-523-3309. -- Jake Smith
