Look at the Florida Panthers go! Okay, so our team isn’t off to the hottest start, floating somewhere along the bottom of the Atlantic division standings. But the season is young and if this year is anything like the last, the Panthers will get hot eventually. So, let’s cheer them on before it’s trendy. Thursday’s game against a solid Edmonton Oilers team is a good time for the Panthers (and their fans!) to turn up the heat. 7 p.m. on Thursday at BB&T Center, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise; ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $15 to $250.
Friday
Vince Gill’s list of collaborators reads like a music biz who’s-who. He’s rocked with everyone from Guy Clark to Bonnie Raitt to his wife Amy Grant and has more than 20 studio albums to his name nearly 40 years into his career. These days, you can find him jammin’ and touring with the Eagles. On Friday, you’ll get to see him up close and personal at Pompano Beach Amphitheater. 8 p.m. on Friday at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, 1806 NE 6th Street, Pompano Beach; theamppompano.org. Tickets are $39 to $90.
Saturday
Downton Abbey diehards already know a movie is in the works. And as icing on the post-Edwardian cake for local fans, a big-time exhibition is opening in South Florida. After a highly-celebrated debut in NYC, the second city to house Downton Abbey: The Exhibition is... West Palm Beach! It opens at CityPlace in downtown WPB on Saturday with elaborate sets, costumes and footage to enjoy. 10 a.m. on Saturday at CityPlace, 575 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; downtonexhbition.com. Tickets are $35; children under 14 are free.
You go, girl! The Women Empower Expo (WEX) is coming to town, loaded with knowledge for executives, leaders and entrepreneurs. This year’s WEX is projected to attract more than 3,000 attendees, 100 exhibitors and more than 50 big-time speakers. This year’s speakers that are sure to inspire include the Mane Choice CEO Courtney Adeleye, ECOlifeSTYLE Pioneer Marci Zaroff and Cardone Capital’s Elena Cardone. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; womenempowerx.com. Individual tickets start at $40.
Quit watching reruns and experience it live: So You Think You Can Dance and all of your favorite performers are hitting the Broward Center on Saturday evening. The high-energy evening features the latest season’s top 10 finalists, including champ Hannahlei Cabanilla, runner-up Jensen Arnold, Jay Jay Dixonbey, Chelsea Hough and others. And, you’ll probably end up shaking your rump throughout the evening, too. 8 p.m. on Saturday at Au-Rene Theater at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; browardcenter.org. Tickets are $34.50 to $99.50.
Who’s hungry? The 9th Annual Boca Raton Wine & Food Festival is Saturday evening, so save your appetite. This food fest boasts a number of vibrant areas showcasing culinary delights spanning the tri-county area, including a fine wine and artisanal cheese village and sweet endings village. And, for a fifth consecutive year, there will be a Craft Brew Battle, so leave some room for good ol' beer. 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday at Sanborn Square Park, 72 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton; bocaratonwineandfoodfestival.com. Tickets are $68.99 to $93.99.
Sunday
A new Miss Arc Broward will soon be crowned. Will you be there to cheer her on? The Miss Arc Broward competition features girls ages six to 17 with disabilities. The competition aims to empower them and celebrate who they are on the inside. The whole shindig is sponsored by Arc Broward, a non-profit that provides all kinds of services to kids and adults with developmental disabilities. Everyone will leave this one a winner! 3 p.m. on Sunday at Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale; parkerplayhouse.com. Tickets are $15.
A bunch of lucky locals just participated in the latest Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, meaning they got to jam all week with rock 'n' roll gods like Joe Perry of Aerosmith and Jason Bonham. Now, you can experience everything they learned at camp with a special live performance at Hard Rock Café. Slated to join the campers onstage are Vinny Appice of Black Sabbath, Ricky Byrd of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and a slew of other rockers. 8 p.m. on Sunday at Hard Rock Café (inside the Seminole Hard Rock), 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; rockcamp.com. Admission is free.
Sharon McGowan appears at the Fall LGBTQ Leadership Forum on Monday during The Time of Trump.
Courtesy photo
How in the world do the LGBTQ community and those living with HIV defend and advance their rights these days? You can learn how at Our Fund Foundation's Fall LGBTQ Leadership Forum on Monday evening, aptly titled The Time of Trump. Panelists slated to appear from the Lambda Legal defense and education fund include the organization’s chief strategy officer, Sharon McGowan, and senior counsel Karen Loewy. 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday at NSU Art Museum, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; our-fund.org. Admission is free and RSVP is required.
Wednesday
Don’t be distracted by all the new buildings, glitz and glamour: West Palm Beach has some awesome history, too. A great place to brush up on it is during the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s Distinguished Lecture Series. For this month’s chat, author and lecturer Richard René Silvin will zoom in on the history of the Mar-a-Lago mansion, from the era of Marjorie Merriweather Post through today’s occupants, the Trumps. 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Historical Society of Palm Beach County, 300 N. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; hspbc.org. $20 for non-members.
