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What's On

What's On in Fort Lauderdale

Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Fort Lauderdale, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.

Top story Holiday Fantasy of Lights 2026: Nov. 21 opening, $20 a car The Holiday Fantasy of Lights drive-thru at Tradewinds Park opens Nov. 21 and runs nightly to Jan. 2, 6 to 10 p.m. Early-bird tickets are $20 a car online. · 6 min read

Coming up

The full month
  1. Now through Feb. 14 Joel Meyerowitz: Aftermath NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
  2. Now through March 14 Wifredo Lam's Legacy NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
  3. Now through Feb. 14 Michael Richards: Escape Plan NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
  4. Now through Nov. 2 Flamingo Road Nursery Fall Festival Flamingo Road Nursery
  5. Now through Nov. 1 Nightmare Village Xtreme Action Park
  6. Now through Oct. 25 Slow Burn Theatre Co.: Come From Away Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts
  7. Thu. Oct. 22 High school football: Blanche Ely at Stranahan 7 p.m. · Stranahan High School
  8. Thu. Oct. 22 High school football: Chaminade-Madonna at Cardinal Gibbons 7 p.m. · Cardinal Gibbons High School
  9. Fri. Oct. 23 Museum of Discovery and Science 30th Annual Wine Event 5:30 p.m. · Museum of Discovery and Science
  10. Fri. Oct. 23 High school football: Flanagan at St. Thomas Aquinas 7 p.m. · St. Thomas Aquinas High School
  11. Sat. Oct. 24 Pumpkins and Palm Trees 10 a.m. · Las Olas Oceanside Park
  12. Sat. Oct. 24 Art Talk: Art as Medicine: Lessons from the Gilded Age 10 a.m. · NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale

Plan your weekend

Fourth of July Fort Lauderdale Fourth of July fireworks 2026 Fort Lauderdale's free 4th of July Spectacular is on the beach at A1A and Las Olas. In 2026: drones at 8:45 p.m., fireworks at 9. 2027 details to come. · 4 min read Halloween Trick-or-treat hours in Fort Lauderdale 2026 Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Fort Lauderdale sets no official hours; city parks host LauderBOO and park trick-or-treats on Saturday, Oct. 24. · 3 min read Valentine's Day Valentine's Day in Fort Lauderdale 2027: events and date ideas Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. Fort Lauderdale date ideas from official pages: Bonnet House, a sunset cruise, The MKT by the beach and Las Olas dinners. · 3 min read Spring break Spring break in Fort Lauderdale 2027: school dates and things to do Broward County spring break 2027 is March 22-26. Camps, the science museum, Bonnet House, the beach and what is open in Fort Lauderdale that week. · 4 min read Easter Easter in Fort Lauderdale 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services Easter 2027 is March 28, right after Broward spring break March 22-26. Fort Lauderdale egg hunts, brunch and church services as each one is announced. · 3 min read Mother's Day Mother's Day in Fort Lauderdale 2027: brunch, events and markets Mother's Day 2027 is May 9. Fort Lauderdale ideas from official pages: Bonnet House gardens, The MKT weekend market by the beach, brunch and a sunset cruise. · 4 min read Memorial Day Memorial Day in Fort Lauderdale 2027: ceremony, beach party Memorial Day 2027 is May 31. Fort Lauderdale's Great American Beach Party was May 23 in 2026, and the city's ceremony is at Lauderdale Memorial Park Cemetery. · 4 min read Summer camps Summer in Fort Lauderdale 2027: camps, pools and splash pads Summer in Fort Lauderdale: the city's Aquatic Center on Seabreeze, Carter and Riverland pools with water playgrounds, MODS Camp STEAMology and city camps. · 4 min read Father's Day Father's Day in Fort Lauderdale 2027: events, car shows, brunch Father's Day 2027 is June 20, the day after Juneteenth. In 2026 that weekend had the city's Juneteenth Celebration and the Stonewall Pride Parade. Ideas inside. · 4 min read Labor Day Labor Day in Fort Lauderdale 2027: events, closures, trash Labor Day 2027 is Sept. 6. Fort Lauderdale's Labor Day Block Party at the Galt was Sept. 6 in 2026; libraries close, and city trash pickup runs as normal. · 3 min read Christmas Fort Lauderdale Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026 The Winterfest Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12. Tree lightings: the Galt Nov. 12, Sistrunk Dec. 4, Carter Park Dec. 11. Light Up Lauderdale starts Nov. 5. · 4 min read High school football Friday night football 2026: Fort Lauderdale schedule Remaining 2026 games for Fort Lauderdale, Stranahan, Dillard, St. Thomas Aquinas, Cardinal Gibbons and Pine Crest. Regular season ends Oct. 30; playoffs start Nov. 13. · 4 min read Fall festivals Fall festivals and pumpkin patches near Fort Lauderdale 2026 Riverwalk Fall Festival Oct. 17, Pumpkins and Palm Trees on the beach Oct. 24, and pumpkin patches in Davie, Coconut Creek and Parkland. Dates and hours. · 3 min read Halloween Halloween events in Fort Lauderdale 2026 Halloween 2026 in Fort Lauderdale: LauderBOO Oct. 24, Nightmare Village haunts, Bonnet House family day and Wicked Manors on Oct. 31, Hollyweird Oct. 24. · 6 min read Thanksgiving Thanksgiving in Fort Lauderdale 2026: turkey trot, closures, trash Thanksgiving 2026 in Fort Lauderdale: the Turkey Trot on A1A Nov. 26, school break Nov. 23-27, library closures and what the city says about trash pickup. · 4 min read Black Friday Black Friday and holiday shopping in Fort Lauderdale 2026 Holiday shopping in Fort Lauderdale 2026: Galleria hours, Las Olas shops and parking, The MKT on Small Business Saturday Nov. 28, Christmas on Las Olas Dec. 1. · 5 min read Christmas Christmas on Las Olas 2026, Dec. 1, and Holiday Lights Christmas on Las Olas 2026 is 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1: real snow, a free ice rink, Santa and three stages. Plus Light Up the Beach and lights cruises. · 8 min read New Year's Eve New Year's Eve in Fort Lauderdale 2026 New Year's Eve 2026 in Fort Lauderdale: the city's Downtown Countdown and anchor drop, holiday lights cruises, library hours and New Year's Day trash pickup. · 4 min read Brunch Brunch in Fort Lauderdale: 12 places with weekend brunch hours Weekend brunch in Fort Lauderdale at 12 restaurants, with days, hours and addresses from their own sites: Las Olas, the beach, the Intracoastal, downtown. · 5 min read Dogs Dog-friendly Fort Lauderdale: parks, patios, beach and leash rules Dog-friendly Fort Lauderdale: Snyder Park's bark park and dog swim, Holiday Park, Canine Beach, patios that welcome dogs and the city's leash rule. · 5 min read Kids Kids' activities in Fort Lauderdale: parks, story times, rainy days Kids' activities in Fort Lauderdale: playgrounds and water playgrounds, library story times by branch, the science museum, ice skating and rainy-day picks. · 5 min read Trails Fort Lauderdale walking and biking trails: Riverwalk, beach, parks Walking and biking in Fort Lauderdale: the Riverwalk, the beach promenade, the 1.9-mile drive at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and park trails, with parking. · 4 min read Las Olas Boulevard A guide to Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale Las Olas Boulevard guide: restaurants, shops, galleries, parking garages, the Art Fair Oct. 17-18 and Christmas on Las Olas Dec. 1, from downtown to the beach. · 5 min read Live music Live music and nightlife in Fort Lauderdale: venues and late spots Live music and nightlife in Fort Lauderdale: the Broward Center, The Parker, Culture Room, late-night Las Olas, waterfront bars with bands and free concerts. · 4 min read Free Free things to do in Fort Lauderdale Free things to do in Fort Lauderdale: the beach and Riverwalk, city parks, weekly free music, library story times and free festivals through the year. · 4 min read Date night Date night in Fort Lauderdale: dinner, theaters, wine bars, cruises Date night in Fort Lauderdale: waterfront dinners on Las Olas, the Broward Center and The Parker, wine bars, late kitchens and a sunset cruise, with hours. · 5 min read Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Fort Lauderdale boat show: Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 dates, tickets, parking The 67th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, 2026, at six waterfront sites. Tickets are online only, from $48 a day. · 7 min read A1A Marathon Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon: Feb. 14 date, course, parking The Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon, half marathon and 6K are Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, downtown to the beach; the 5K is Saturday, Feb. 13. · 6 min read Fort Lauderdale Air Show Fort Lauderdale Air Show: May 15-16, 2027, Blue Angels, parking The Fort Lauderdale Air Show returns May 15-16, 2027, over the beach at Birch State Park, with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Ticket prices are not out yet. · 6 min read Restaurants Where to eat in Fort Lauderdale: lists by category Every Fort Lauderdale Journal food list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, sushi, dessert, bakeries, patios and brunch. · 4 min read Wings Where to get wings in Fort Lauderdale: 17th Street, Galt and Sunrise Six places for chicken wings inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, downtown and on SE 17th Street, South Andrews, Davie Boulevard and Sunrise. · 5 min read Pizza Where to get pizza in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas, the beach and US 1 Fifteen pizza places inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, from Las Olas and the beach to Federal Highway, Cordova Road and Davie Boulevard, with hours. · 6 min read Mexican food Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Fort Lauderdale Ten Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, on Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway, with hours. · 5 min read Barbecue Where to get barbecue in Fort Lauderdale: smokehouses and grills Six barbecue places inside Fort Lauderdale city limits: smokehouses on Federal Highway and Commercial Boulevard plus Argentine and Brazilian grills. · 4 min read Breakfast Breakfast and coffee in Fort Lauderdale: Flagler Village to the Galt Thirteen breakfast spots and coffee shops inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, in Flagler Village, on Federal Highway, Las Olas and Cordova Road. · 5 min read Burgers Where to get burgers in Fort Lauderdale: beach, 17th Street, Galt Six places for burgers inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, from the beach and Cordova Road to South Andrews, Davie Boulevard and Cypress Creek Road. · 4 min read Sushi Sushi and Asian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale: SE 17th Street Seven sushi, Thai, Chinese, Filipino and pan-Asian restaurants inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, most on SE 17th Street, Federal Highway and Las Olas. · 4 min read Ice cream Ice cream and desserts in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas and US 1 Six ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt and dessert shops inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, on Las Olas, North Federal Highway and SE 17th Street. · 4 min read Bakeries Bakeries in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas, Federal Highway and Davie Four bakeries inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, French, Italian, Cuban-Argentine and bundt cake, on Las Olas, North Federal Highway and Davie Boulevard. · 3 min read Outdoor dining Patios and outdoor dining in Fort Lauderdale: the beach and waterways Seven Fort Lauderdale restaurants whose own sites list a patio, outdoor seating or waterfront dining: the beach, the Intracoastal, Las Olas and US 1. · 5 min read

Event news

Things to do Things to do in Fort Lauderdale this weekend, Oct. 16 to 18 The free Las Olas Art Fair fills East Las Olas Boulevard Saturday and Sunday, the Riverwalk Fall Festival is Saturday and Buena Vista Social Club closes Sunday. · 6 min read Nutcracker Fort Lauderdale Nutcracker 2026 and holiday shows by date Arts Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker plays The Parker Dec. 18-20 and a touring Nutcracker hits the Broward Center Dec. 28, plus Cirque Dreams Holidaze and Messiah. · 5 min read Winterfest Boat Parade Winterfest Boat Parade 2026: Dec. 12 route, where to watch The 55th Winterfest Boat Parade is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 6 p.m. on the New River and Intracoastal. Free from shore; viewing-area tickets are not on sale yet. · 5 min read Arts Arts and exhibitions in Fort Lauderdale: October 2026 Hamilton at the Broward Center Nov. 10-22, Miami City Ballet Oct. 24-25, Come From Away, five shows at NSU Art Museum and a free museum day for residents. · 4 min read