Whether your idea of rest and relaxation features sitting back or wandering around, this post-New Year's weekend in South Florida has plenty to do that doesn't include much in the way of actually do-ing.
Unless you're an Oprah fan. And then Saturday — and presumably for the rest of 2020 — your head will be spinning with things to do.
Here's to fresh starts and a happy new year.
Friday, January 3
TGTG swings through South Florida this weekend. On the fourth year of their Positive Energy World Tour, the duo hit the absolutely frigid Pompano dive bar Lozer Lounge on Friday night. (Bring a jacket — and consider yourself warned.) They move on to Mad Robot Brewing Co. in Boca Raton on Saturday. Moving on is TGTG's thing. The couple — Tomás Gorrio and Becca Trevathan — left their workaday lives in Nashville in 2016 and have been on the road ever since, playing their signature Spanish-rhythms-infused indie pop with the mission of spreading light and love. TGTG's road show may be going international, as the pair are in talks for a Euro tour, according to a New Year's Day post on their Facebook page. The post also says in February, TGTG will begin releasing one new song a month for 2020. With Driving On Suspended and Circles. 9 p.m., Friday, January 3 at Lozer Lounge, 537 S. Dixie Hwy. East, Pompano Beach; lozerlounge on Facebook. No cover.
Oprah will be in Fort Lauderdale early Saturday to help get you started on a great 2020.
Image via Weight Watchers Reimagined
Saturday, January 4
Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour kicks off early Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, with more than 80 percent of nine-city event's tickets sold.Little wonder, when the Weight Watchers-sponsored wellness tour will feature Winfrey interviewing superstars that include former first lady Michelle Obama and singer Lady Gaga, who'll join Oprah at the stop at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
At this point in the 2020 presidential race, any of the three could easily earn the nomination for Democrats, even if she only half-tried.
Other celebrities scheduled to appear include Jennifer Lopez, Tina Fey, Kate Hudson, and Amy Schumer. Dwayne Johnson so far is the lone male special guest — he'll join Oprah for the stop in Atlanta. (Darn it.)
The tour has a pre-show dance party, lead by Daybreaker, and the event itself is an interactive one, with Oprah leading self-reflection sessions and serving as muse as attendees create "personal 2020 action plans."
If it's Oprah, you also know you'll be getting out of your seat. For 2020 Vision, Emmy Award–winning choreographer Julianne Hough will lead a "movement experience" for attendees. 9 a.m. Saturday, January 4, at BB&T Center, 1 Panther Pkwy., Sunrise; 954-835-8000; thebbtcenter.com. Tickets cost $70 to $300 via ticketmaster.com.
Need more reason that great shopping, bucket-list restaurants, and fairly entertaining people-watching to visit Las Olas? On Saturday and Sunday, the Fort Lauderdale Boulevard hosts its 32nd annual Art Fair — well, the first part, anyway. (Part II is set for March 7-8.)
More than 300 artists from around the world are expected to display work from across all mediums — and likely some you hadn't even imagined — lining the center of Las Olas downtown. Browsing is free, and the artists will be on hand to chat and answer questions at this pet-friendly street fair. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; artfestival.com. Admission is free.
Spill the Beans Comedy Show hosts its third stand-up comedy contest on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.
Photo courtesy of Spill the Beans
Six of the eight performers in Spill the Beans Comedy Show's third Stand-up Comedy Contest hail from the Atlantic side of South Florida. Nik Macik, of Pompano Beach, might be the top jack-of-all-trades among them. An up-and-comer at 38, Macik has been doing stand-up at venues across South Florida and hopes to win the cash prize and local tour dates that come with winning Spill the Beans' contest. In the meantime, while advertising himself on Yelp as a wedding officiant, Macik also hires out as a sailboat captain, a snorkeling guide, and a notary public.
Also among the contestants are Charly Esturilho and Chris Shepard from Boca Raton, Jackie Sanchez out of West Palm Beach, and Ace Johnson and Jay McCoard from Miami.
Seating is limited at the cozy Undergrounds Coffeehaus, a favorite venue for Spill the Beans — roughly 40 spots are available. STB producer Fasil Malik says the the Comedy Show's first two contests sold out. 8 p.m., Saturday, January 4, Undergrounds Coffeehaus, 3020 N. Federal Hwy. #5A, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $20 via eventbrite.com.
Huizenga Fountain at Bubier Park shines with holiday lights.
Photo courtesy of Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sunday, January 5
If slow and meandering sounds like a good way to spend Sunday — especially the first Sunday after the crazed holiday season — Let's Roam Fort Lauderdale offers a walking tour of just under two miles that fits the bill.Let's Roam is most fun with a group, with its scavenger hunt app guiding the way. The walk offers plenty of time to stop for selfie ops and to figure out the answers to riddles posed by the app.
On the tour, which times out at less than two hours and begins at Colee Hammock Park at Tarpon Bend, you'll recognize Bubier Park, one of the main stops, as the hub of western Las Olas. But Let's Roam has added fun trivia and facts about the place and its history, so the tour is a lot more interesting than just a walk down Riverwalk would be.
The walking tour also swings by other New River-area mainstays, including Stranahan House, the reputedly haunted King-Cromartie House, and Esplanade Park. Daily tours running from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., starting at Colee Hammock Park, 1500 Brickell Dr., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $11 via letsroam.com.
