Due to the scheduling of a concert by Ratdog, ex-Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir's band today, Secret Woods Nature Center postponed its annual Earth Day hippie jam fest, "Have a Grateful Day for the Earth," to May 3. Connoisseurs of jam-band music can be hard to come by when a Dead man is in town. But for some other area parks, this is still a day to celebrate all that's right with the world in an ecological sense. Quiet Waters Park (401 S. Powerline Rd., Deerfield Beach) features live musical groups, radio station appearances, dancers, dog adoptions, and even a recycled fashion show at Broward County's Earth Day Festival, held from noon till 9 p.m. on Saturday. For Broward residents, that may be the best bet. But up north in Palm Beach, NatureScaping 2003 at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park (A1A at the north end of Singer Island, North Palm Beach), on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., may be a bit more feasible. Featuring animal shows, a plant sale, nature walks, live music, and arts and crafts for the kiddies, NatureScaping promises fun for the whole family. No matter which county you may live in, you can find a boffo Earth Day event. Just try to forget the recent gutting of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. Call 954-360-1315 for Quiet Waters or 561-624-6952 for MacArthur Beach. Admission to NatureScaping is free, while the Broward County Earth Day Festival costs $1 per person or $5 per car. -- Dan Sweeney
>WED 4/23
Wine and Design
How elegant. Browsing through boutiques while sipping fine wine. Fancy folks do it. And so can those who participate in the Design & Wine events in downtown Hollywood. Purchase a hand-painted glass for $12 at Harrison's Wine Gallery, 1916 Harrison St., then go off to the designated shops and taste a selection of wines. The only fee is the glasses, which were made by a business called 2 Frenz. The ten or so wine-pouring shops at the event on April 23 from 6 to 9 p.m. are fashion related. For more information, call 954-921-3016, ext. 19. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency. -- Patti Roth
THU 4/17
Say It, Sista
When asked the main goal of Sisterspeak, organizer and performer Melissa Francis sums it up nicely: "It's an exercise in empowerment." This women-only, monthly poetry slam has definitely gotten people revved up. Participants can read original or published poetry, or just speak their minds. Either way, the event is completely uncensored. An exercise in empowerment is right. And these ladies aren't even close to being out of breath. Sisterspeak takes place the third Thursday of every month at Freez, 909 E. Cypress Creek Rd., Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 8 p.m. Call 954-772-0324 or visit www.sisterspeak.org. -- Audra Schroeder
WED 4/23
Get a Real Job
Sure, more than 2 million people have lost their jobs since 2000. And, yes, the number is expected to reach the three million mark by election year, which ensures more war and mayhem to come. But if you happen to be one of the unlucky unemployed, that's hardly important. More significant, perhaps, are rent and grocery money. Luckily, the Broward Partnership for the Homeless (920 NW Seventh Ave., Fort Lauderdale) offers a job fair from 1 to 5 p.m. this Wednesday. For a $20 set-up fee (scratch those steaks off your grocery list), you can meet representatives of all manner of companies, from restaurants to healthcare to construction. Call 954-779-3990. -- Dan Sweeney
