Things to do this weekend in South Florida: April 18-21
Thanks to the liberal Florida Supreme Court (and in spite of the valiant efforts of Attorney General Ashley Moody), this Saturday may be the last 4/20 celebrated with recreational use of marijuana still illegal in the Sunshine State.
After years of following the lead of enlightened states such as Arkansas and Alabama, Florida is set to allow its residents to decide the legalization question with a November ballot initiative. It just doesn’t seem fair.
But we should probably prepare. Apparently, there is a whole “lifestyle” surrounding marijuana, from music and fashion to food. Don’t get me started on how to roll a joint. I can’t even make a proper martini.
This weekend, especially on Saturday, 4/20 (pronounced “four-twenty”), there will be a variety of opportunities to educate ourselves on the culture and community of cannabis.
For instance, at Fort Lauderdale brewery LauderAle, the 4/20 celebration called Hops & High Notes begins at 4:20 p.m. Saturday and includes two instructional joint-rolling workshops at 6 and 9 p.m. (rolling material and hemp provided, but you can bring your own). There will be music from Marcus Amaya at 7 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/lauderale.
If you just need to dust off your rolling skills, Invasive Species Brewing in Flagler Village will have a joint-rolling contest (2-6 p.m.) included in its day-long 420 celebration. There will be special beer releases, live music and all that. Step Dad will be making pizza. Because they love you. Visit Instagram.com/invasivespeciesbrewing.
If you haven’t been there already, Saturday would be a good time to visit El Segundo, a new taco restaurant that marries Mexico City street food and Texas barbecue at The Peach in West Palm Beach, an art and hospitality venue operated by the creative community builders at SubCulture Group.
El Segundo will host Smoke & Fire: A 420 Joint on Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., with $4.20 tacos and margaritas from noon to 6 p.m., a performance by reggae band Fat Spliffs and more than two dozen vendors. There also will be a special menu of smoky barbecue craftsmanship from executive chefs Angelo Arboleda and Kevin Avellaneda, as well as special guest Mistah Lee’s Smokin’ Good BBQ, recently voted best barbecue in South Florida by Sun Sentinel readers. Visit Instagram.com/elsegundowpb.
Meanwhile, trendy South Florida taqueria Coyo Taco will have your munchies covered with its version of Klondike’s beloved Choco Taco available this weekend only. The 420 Choco Taco will cost $10 and be on sale Friday through Sunday at Coyo Taco locations in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Wynwood, Brickell, Coral Gables and South Miami.
A collaboration between Coyo Taco executive chef-partner Scott Linquist and Mike Romeu, owner of Kendall artisan ice cream shop Sweet Melody, this special-edition dessert is a riff on the handheld treat that Klondike discontinued in 2022, much to the chagrin of the Choco Taco cult. The 420 Choco Taco features scratch-made dulce de leche ice cream wrapped in a house-made waffle taco shell coated in cinnamon, sugar and dark chocolate, all topped with a drizzle of caramelized white chocolate and candied Rice Krispies.
The Fort Lauderdale location of Coyo Taco is at 401 E Las Olas Blvd., Suite 150, just north of Las Olas on the side street between YOLO and Bank of America. Weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Visit Instagram.com/coyotaco.
Elsewhere, this weekend brings the return of the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival and the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival, and we say goodbye to “Hamilton” and the West Palm Beach GreenMarket.
FRIDAY
On your side, ‘Hamilton’: The nationally touring production of the musical “Hamilton” that ends its run this weekend at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in downtown West Palm Beach has much to recommend. The hip-hop retelling of the founding of the nation is a cultural touchstone for a generation and a masterwork of creativity, but it’s also richly entertaining and thought-provoking, with more laughs than you might expect. This particular production — especially Blaine Alden Krauss (Alexander Hamilton), Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama (Eliza Hamilton), Deon’te Goodman (Aaron Burr), Carvens Lissaint (George Washington) and Jared Howelton (Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson) — is as powerful as any I’ve witnessed. The performance I saw last Thursday was punctuated by frequent, prolonged applause, culminating in a standing ovation from the all-ages audience. Shows this weekend are scheduled at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets (starting at $69+) remain, but not many. Visit Kravis.org.
The nanny: The touring Broadway musical comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” continues its run at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale through Sunday. The story of a divorced out-of-work actor who will do anything to see his kids — disguising himself as a Scottish nanny — stars two-time Tony Award nominee Rob McClure. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $39 at BrowardCenter.org.
Drinking Las Olas: South Florida’s longest cocktail party (in distance … time-wise it goes like that) is back this weekend as the Las Olas Wine & Food Festival sets up along five blocks in downtown Fort Lauderdale from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets for all-inclusive general admission cost $160+, which gets you unlimited sampling of dishes from top restaurants, spirits brands, wineries and breweries. VIP tickets (with early entry, a private reception at the Riverside Hotel and an exclusive wine list) cost $250+. All proceeds will benefit the South Florida chapter of the American Lung Association. Visit LasOlasWFF.com.
Brothers Marley: In news that may have nothing to do with 4/20, Bob Marley’s sons Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian have announced that tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for The Marley Brothers: The Legacy Tour, their first tour together in two decades. The tour includes a stop on Oct. 5 at FPL Solar Amphitheatre in downtown Miami. Visit MarleyBrothers.com.
Country at Coco: Country singer Chris Young performs at 8 p.m. Friday at The Stage at Coco Outdoors at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Best-known for hits including “The Man I Want to Be,” “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” and “Think of You,” Young released a new album, “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” on March 22. Tickets for the 18-and-older concert start at $50+ at Ticketmaster.com.
Let it go: Revolution Live in downtown Fort Lauderdale will turn itself over to a Disney soundtrack on Friday during Be Our Guest: The Disney DJ Night. Costumes are encouraged for this night of dancing to music from your favorite films and shows, as well as songs from one-time Disney Channel stars such as Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and the Jonas Brothers. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 18-and-older party start at $18+. Visit JoinTheRevolution.net.
Weekend laughs: A regular at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas, actor, comedian and self-proclaimed “Bad Girl” Luenell will perform at the Dania Improv in Dania Beach on Friday at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30+ at DaniaImprov.com.
Friday night live: Transfixing guitarist Ottmar Liebert and his band Luna Negra will perform “the blues of the gypsies” at 8 p.m. Friday in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Scattered tickets remain, starting at $59.50+, at BrowardCenter.org. … Alabama natives The Brook & The Bluff will share the soulful, infectious grooves heard on new album “Bluebeard” at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22.50+ at CultureRoom.net.
SATURDAY
See food, eat food: The 38th annual Pompano Beach Seafood Festival returns this weekend with a wide array of seafood and other dishes, more than 100 vendors and a strong lineup of local bands and musicians on two stages. The event takes place at Pompano Beach Community Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday’s music lineup includes Vibes Farm (11:30 a.m.), Ploomie Steel Drums (noon), Food for Fish (1:15 p.m.), The Flyers (3:30 p.m.), Andrew Morris (3:30 p.m.), Shaw Davis & The Black Ties (5:15 p.m.), Crazy Fingers (7 p.m.), Mark Zaden (7 p.m.) and Zac Brown tribute Homegrown (8:30 p.m.). Sunday’s lineup is Shannon Battle (noon), Tasty Vibrations (2 p.m.), 33 Years (3:30 p.m.), Killbillies (3:45 p.m.), Bruce Springsteen tribute The Boss Project (3:45 p.m.) and Ajeva (5:45 p.m.). Tickets cost $15 daily, $20 for the weekend. Kids age 12 and younger get in free. Proceeds go to a variety of local charities and civic groups. Parking is free. For more information, visit PompanoBeachSeafoodFestival.com.
Market watch: Saturday brings the season’s final edition of the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, the locally beloved and nationally ranked (in multiple USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice polls) gathering on lower Clematis Street. The market, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes more than 125 vendors, live entertainment, workshops and more. Visit WPB.org/GreenMarket.
Saturday laughs: Comedian Ron White has tossed around the idea of retiring from the road, but he quit drinking and looks pretty stylish and re-energized right now. So who knows? You can catch him at 8 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood. There are scattered tickets starting at $66+ at MyHRL.com
Paying tribute: If you’re looking for a tribute-band fix on Saturday, Wide Awake (U2 tribute) plays at 8 p.m. at Pompano Beach Brewing Co. Visit Facebook.com/pompanobeachbrewing. … Touch & Go (The Cars) plays at 8 p.m. at Mathews Brewing Co. in Lake Worth Beach. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing. … Toma La Ruta (Soda Stereo) is at nightclub La Noche Palm Beach in West Palm Beach. Doors open at 8 p.m., band goes on at 11 p.m. Visit LaNochePB.com.
Horsing around: The Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach will celebrate its second anniversary on Saturday with a heightened degree of merrymaking. You get a complimentary cocktail with an RSVP at CarouselClub.com.
Meat up: The Smoke on the Water BBQ Feast, hosted by Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale, returns to riverside Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, gathering local pitmasters, food trucks and restaurants for your grazing pleasure from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/RiverwalkFTL.
Want your ’80s? The Bite Eatery food hall in Pompano Beach will host an ’80s Night party with dancing to all the hits you hate to love and prizes for the best dressed. The fun begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free. Visit Instagram.com/thebiteeatery.
SUNDAY
Sunday laughs: Charlie Berens was born and raised in Wisconsin, majored in journalism at the University of Wisconsin, and once won a regional Emmy Award as a TV newsman. And that’s not even the funniest part. Currently best-known for cracking wise about the Midwest as the host of the sketch comedy series “Manitowoc Minute” and author of New York Times bestseller “The Midwest Survival Guide,” Berens will bring his Good Old Fashioned Tour to the Dania Improv in Dania Beach at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $30+ at DaniaImprov.com.
Take the kids: Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton will host a 50th anniversary celebration of the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District with free carousel rides and cupcakes on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The party will include food vendors, live music and family activities. Visit Facebook.com/BocaRecreation.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.
