The Best Things to Do in Broward and Palm Beach This Week

Thursday, March 31

For whatever reason, art and beverages go hand in hand. Maybe it's a way to cope with the emotions provoked by evocative work. Maybe the stimulating conversation has a parching effect on the throat. Maybe it's a physiological response to deep thought. Or, it could be that gallery events usually take place in the evening. Either way, a night at an art event is far better than sitting around in a bar. On Thursday, the Brewhouse Gallery is celebrating all of its resident artists with its monthly Artist Opening. The bar and gallery is featuring a winetasting and complimentary hors d'oeuvres like charcuterie and cheese, chips and salsa, and fish dip. Diner Dogs will be onsite selling gourmet hot dogs and home-style snacks. Although the food and drinks are a nice substitute for happy hour, the real reason to go is the work. The evening includes a meet and greet as well as creative talks with local artists. Everyone who purchases a piece of art will receive a raffle ticket for a $50 gift certificate to the Brewhouse Gallery.

The event takes place on the last Thursday of every month, from 6 to 9 p.m. Open-mic night happens after the event with live music, poetry, and comedy by local artists. The Brewhouse is located at 720 Park Ave., Lake Park. Call 561-469-8930, or visit brewhousegallery.com. 

Any corporate suit worth his or her weight in leadership manuals knows there are a few innate personality traits that lend nicely to acquiring coveted "boss" status. Like the ability to call others out on their bull and still have them love you at the end of the day, the ability to unite a group around a common cause, and — most important — the gift of not taking anything too personally and never being afraid to be the butt of one's own joke. What they don't often tell you in management training is that these traits transfer expertly into a stellar run in standup comedy. Just ask legendary comedian Kathy Griffin, who brings her "Like a Boss" comedy tour to Broward Center for the Performing Arts' Au-Rene Theater (201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale) this Thursday. Her straight-for-the-jugular styled observations have meant no one is safe from the routine — whether it is current political candidates (she is an outspoken, frequently tweeting critic of Trump), our celebrity-obsessed culture, Hollywood's red-carpet ridiculousness, and even her BFF, CNN's Anderson Cooper, on occasion. Outside of the punch lines, Griffin has been known to champion causes close to the LGBTQ community and speak out against sexism within the industry she operates in.

Griffin's impressive work ethic further solidifies her boss-lady status with "two-time Emmy-winning, Grammy-winning, and New York Times best-selling author" often attached to her name. Griffin's "Like a Boss" tour includes five other Florida dates besides tonight. Tickets cost $37.50 to $95. Showtime is 8 p.m. Call 954-462-0222, or visit browardcenter.org.

Friday, April 1

The ninth-annual South Florida Beach Festival is back with a great lineup of music, food, and water-sports-related activities. Surfers for Autism, which has been unlocking "the potential of people with developmental delays, supporting advocacy for autism issues and scientific research" since 2007, has provided numerous successful surfing events for autistic surfers and has raised a pretty penny for research. Providing a safe and judgment-free platform for complete surfing immersion has done wonders for duck-diving, goofy-footing, and soul-arching newcomers to the sport. The weekend-long event kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday at 149 SW 21st Ave., Deerfield Beach, with music from Buddy Sparrow, the Copper Tones, Fireside Prophets, Bushwood, and the Resolvers, among others. Saturday will be all about the waves, with the evening bringing more music, drinks, and food, with a food-truck lineup including Che Grill, TikiZ 2U, Waffle Wagon, and Latin Burger. The weekend closes out on Sunday with paddleboard events. Volunteering opportunities are available during the festival, and registration for events is necessary.

Visit surfersforautism.org, or email [email protected]. 

The modern sport of boxing is a martial art that traces all the way back to ancient Greece, yet it's one developed from our own natural inclinations to fight or defend ourselves. Now boxing is practiced in nearly every country on the planet at all levels. Although amateur boxing may be a level many take for granted, it's a level where many can find emerging talent. On Friday, A&T Boxing will feature at least five bouts. Watch boxers such as Manuel "Venado" Ceballos (6-1, 5 KOs), Elias "Latin" Espadas (9-2, 5 KOs), and the undefeated Alexis Roamer Angulo (17-0, 15 KOs) trade punches with their opponents for the title. For the latter bout, Angulo faces off with American fighter Claudio Ariel Abalos (30-14, 3 KOs) for the supermiddleweight title. There's nothing like a good round of Friday-night fights.

This round of A&T Boxing starts at 7 p.m. at War Memorial Auditorium, located at 800 NE Eighth St. in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets start at $33 for general admission, $98 for VIP, and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com. Call the venue at 954-828-5380, or visit fortlauderdale.gov/wma. 

Back in 1985, Tony n' Tina's Wedding mainstreamed the idea of immersive theater, in which the audience becomes a part of the show. But after a film adaptation and engagements in more than 200 cities, those betrothed Italian-Americans are so 20th Century. For an interactive wedding experience more reflective of our progressive era, the Broward Center's world premiere of Diego and Drew Say I Do promises a wedding reception that is equal parts "fun, fierce, and fabulous." Lovingly lifting its formula from Tony n' Tina, it stars Benny Antipuna and Eric O'Keefe as the title characters, whose multicultural nuptials span from Puerto Rico to the American South and whose supporting cast of wedding guests includes a former boy-band celebrity, a drag-queen diva, and an uptight wedding planner. There is no "fourth wall" during the show, so spectators are welcome to dance and exchange barbs with the cast, which includes familiar faces like Mike Westrich, Vanessa Elise, and Steven Wilson-Chambers under the direction of Carbonell winner John Manzelli. Admission includes a feast with shrimp and grits, arroz con pollo, and succotash, along with a slice of wedding cake and a Champagne toast.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 6 p.m. Sundays, now through April 10. Tickets run $59.50. The Broward Center is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-462-0222, or visit browardcenter.org. 

Saturday, April 2

If you have a killer gumbo recipe or love a good crawfish boil, a bowl of jambalaya, and a po'boy or two, there's a food festival you should know about. For those who can appreciate all things Cajun- and Creole-inspired, the CrawDebauchery Food & Music Festival might be just what you need. Now in its third year, the two-day event has expanded to include more food and drink options. That includes a VIP tent featuring a full liquor bar with an exclusive happy hour, all-day discount pricing on special craft cocktails from the bartenders of Stache Bar, and free bloody marys and mimosas for the first two hours each day of the festival. If you're hungry, don't worry: Food vendors include some of the area's most talented chefs and Southern-inspired restaurants, including Shuck-n-Dive, Catfish Dewey's, the Royal Pig Pub, Texas Hold 'Em BBQ, Blue Moon Fish Co., and Fat Man's Gator Shack. In addition to a massive crawfish boil and plenty of art vendors, the festival will feature top-tier musicians including headliner Galactic — a New Orleans funk group that includes artists Ben Ellman, Robert Mercurio, Stanton Moore, Jeff Raines, and Rich Vogel — on Saturday night. But it's the festival's "Gumbo Rumble" that offers the biggest draw for area foodies, a cooking competition that — for the first time since the fest's conception — is now open to the public. Local master chefs will determine who in South Florida has the best recipe for the quintessential Louisiana dish. Details can be found on the festival website.

The third-annual CrawDebauchery will take place Friday and Saturday at the Pompano Beach Amphitheatre field grounds, located at 1801 NE Sixth St. in Pompano Beach. General admission is $25 per person, and children under age 10 are admitted free. Visit crawdebauchery.com. 

Ah, the Florida Derby. The informal kickoff for spring. Crowds of spectators gathering inside Gulfstream Park to watch 3-year-old thoroughbred horses sprint one and one-eighth miles around a left-handed track in a race to be the fastest. Gambling, shouting, cheering, loudspeakers, and adrenaline. You're at the races. If you're not there scoping seersucker suits, you're most likely watching the jockeys pit their horses against one another. It's considered one of the biggest racing days in South Florida. Jockey John R. Velazquez and his horse, Materiality, are the current reigning champs. Aside from a $1 million purse, winners of the Florida Derby usually go on to attempt the first leg of the Triple Crown at the Kentucky Derby in Churchill Downs, often considered the "most exciting two minutes in sports." Need a break from the excitement and the mint juleps? Like any racetrack, there must be a proper buffet, and there is, at Sport of Kings Theater, where you choose your own place to sit and the option to continue placing bets with betting machines conveniently located nearby.

The buffet is only $50 on Florida Derby Day. An all-day event, Florida Derby runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Gulfstream Park, located at 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach. Call 954-454-7000, or visit gulfstreampark.com/florida-derby. 

Sunday, April 3

Many are called, but few are chosen. This time, humble homebrewers of northern Broward County have been called to Pompano Beach brewery Bangin' Banjo Brewing Co. for the Iron Banjo Homebrew Competition. In this competition, dozens of local homebrewers square off against one another as they bring their best brews using only specific ingredients. This is the first round of the contest, and only six will advance to round two. There will be at least a dozen homebrews to sample, and you'll have a hand in judging. A $10 entry fee gets you all-you-can-drink samples and two votes. Competitions like these are also venues for creative brews you may not taste anywhere else. Bangin' Banjo is simply the logical progression of a hobby turned profession by owners Matt Giani and Adam Feingold, whose earlier recipes included a beer called Goat Scrotum Porter. If you haven't been paying attention to South Florida's growing craft-beer industry, homebrew competitions like these were — and still are — the seminal events that inspired the movement here.

The Iron Banjo Homebrew Competition is Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Bangin' Banjo Brewing Co., located at 3200 NW 23rd Ave., Pompano Beach. Call 954-978-3113, or email [email protected]. 

If you missed the South Beach Food and Wine Festival or, more likely, just couldn't afford it, there is an event might offer you a little taste of what you missed. WorldFest is composed of numerous aspects, and there is a huge food component. There will be ethnic-food vendors, as well as a cooking demonstration where guests can sample rare food items. In other words, eat a light breakfast to enjoy a potentially large feast. At the center of WorldFest is all things Coral Springs. The gist of the event is to "experience the diverse cultures that make up the community of Coral Springs." There will be live entertainment, arts and crafts, music, and children-friendly activities such as Kid's World.

WorldFest takes place at the Coral Springs Sportsplex, located at 2575 Sportsplex Drive in Coral Springs. The event is an all-day affair and takes place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Although there is no admission for this fun foodie event, there will be a $3 parking fee. In addition, the costs for food and rides are separate. Call 954-344-1063, or visit coralsprings.org. 

Wednesday, April 6

"There are only two things wrong with money: too much or too little," proclaims the tag line of Money, an American crime thriller with Spanish-cinema cachet. But it might as well have originated from Confucius. The insatiable lure of greenbacks — and the comeuppance owed to the thieves who swindle it — is a timeless theme, and it lies at the core of this world premiere, which opens the 21st-annual Palm Beach International Film Festival in red-carpet style. Set in the Hamptons, Money centers on two unscrupulous businessmen whose plot to make off with $5 million is disrupted by the presence of an uninvited houseguest. Actor-model Kellan Lutz, one of those fangy hunks from Twilight, stars alongside an ensemble of actors whose names you don't know but whose faces you'll recognize, including Jesse Williams of Grey's Anatomy and Jess Weixler of The Good Wife. This debut feature by award-winning Spanish director Martin Rosete will christen a big year for the PBIFF, its first under the new leadership of chairman Jeff Davis, and it's the first of 172 features, shorts, and documentaries screening in four Palm Beach County theaters through April 14. Money screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Muvico Parisian 20, located at 545 Hibiscus St. in West Palm Beach. A dance party, complete with cast and crew, at a location still to be decided will follow.

Tickets cost $25. Call 561-362-0003, or visit pbifilmfest.org. 

For more events, visit our online calendar or pick up the print edition of the New Times Broward-Palm Beach every Thursday. To submit an event, use our online form.