Thursday, October 2nd - 2025 - Kick off spooky season with concerts, cooking classes, and can’t-miss family fun. ABBA tributes, Taylor Swift sing-alongs, haunted nights, and a toy truck extravaganza. This week’s basket of goodies: luxury dreams, farm feasts, and local festivals.👇​
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Stuff You Won't Want To Miss:

1. We are officially in October now, which means the Halloween Haunts are gearing up. Starting tomorrow night the Nightmare Village at Xtreme Action Park will be opening.
2. Also on Friday night (and ONE NIGHT ONLY!) is a Tribute to ABBA at The Parker. Mamma Mia! This tribute to the Swedish pop sensation will have you dancing in the aisles. Known as "the closest thing to ABBA that you'll ever see," this band dazzles audiences with fantastic re-creations of ABBA's most iconic hits.
3. And this weekend at Howl At The Moon - there will be a Taylor Swift Takeover. Maybe take in the Food In Motion first (on Friday night).
4. Saturday at Snyder Park is the Big Toy & Truck Extravaganza. Children, teens, and adults will have an opportunity to view, climb aboard, and operate fire-rescue trucks, police vehicles, SWAT and bomb squad vehicles, a front loader, bucket trucks, an excavator, a crane, dump trucks, a school bus, an electric cart, and more.
5. On Saturday starting at 10am, there will be a Craft Fair at the Stranahan House right on the River and Las Olas. There is also a list of all the local markets (there may be one close to you) that you can see on the Visit Lauderdale website.
6. Then in the evening, hit the Mediterranean Feast Cooking Class at the Sistrunk Marketplace. This is a hands-on cooking class where you'll prepare and enjoy a delicious Mediterranean feast made from scratch.
7. Sunday is the Arts Launch Broward. Kick off the arts season at Arts Launch Broward! Join us Oct 5 for live shows, art, family fun & more at the Broward Center—free to all!
8. Sunday is also Jazz Brunch on the Riverwalk and at Esplanade Park.

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😉Hey - quick question. Did we miss anything? Each week we do our research but you might know of an event, an organization, or a local business that deserves some love here in our weekly basket of goodies.​

Just hit reply to this email and let us know!

Featured Fort Lauderdale

Why are some people calling Fort Lauderdale the new Monaco?

Fort Lauderdale is setting its sights on global luxury status with a massive new $2 billion development planned at Bahia Mar. The project—led by Related Group, Tate Capital Enterprise, and ROK Acquisitions—will feature a St. Regis hotel, high-end residences, shops, restaurants, and a marina capable of hosting mega-yachts up to 350 feet.

Slated to open in 2029, the development could transform the city into a posh international destination, raising the bar for America’s yachting capital. As Nick Perez of Related Group put it, “This is kind of what the market has been missing.”

The buzz around this project will no doubt carry into the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), set for the end of this month at Bahia Mar, where the world’s yachting community will gather right where the city’s next chapter is being imagined.

So... You Think You Know South Florida

You probably already know... our little corner of greater Fort Lauderdale is filled with SO many places to dine and entertain.

But what you might not know... the most exclusive dinner in Florida is also in our backyard, in fact it is a backyard farm with a 2-year Waitlist! And they just got featured in Travel & Leisure!!

Tucked into the Sailboat Bend neighborhood, less than a mile from Fort Lauderdale’s high-rises, lies Regina’s Farm—a working farm, a community kitchen, and perhaps Florida’s most exclusive dinner event.

Every Saturday evening (with occasional Sundays), farm owner Regina Rodrigues opens her backyard to host a four-hour Brazilian feast for up to 150 guests. The experience blends farm life, family-style dining, and culinary tradition. Guests sit at long communal tables, sip fresh sugarcane juice, uncork their own wine or Champagne, and wait for the parade of courses to begin.

What Makes It So Sought-After

• Waitlist to rival Michelin: Regina’s Farm is booked up years in advance—some reservations stretch into 2029.
• Roots in Brazil: The menu channels flavors from Rodrigues’ childhood in Minas Gerais. Expect soups with pão de queijo, stews like feijoada, grilled meats (churrasco), fish, and more, with vegetarian and gluten-free options included.
• All proceeds reinvested: Profits support Regina’s husband’s church (Las Olas Worship Center) and its international missions, and leftovers go to the local community after Sunday services.
• Kid-friendly & community oriented: Children can ride a little train, climb ropes, feed animals, and roam freely. It’s not just dinner—it’s an evening in the backyard with neighbors.

Need-to-Know Details

• Prices: ~$65 for adults, ~$35 for kids.
• Reservations: Text your name and number of guests (adults + kids); ask for the “short wait list” when cancellation openings appear.
• Availability: The farm closes during South Florida’s peak summer (July–August) and operates rain or shine.

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Treats To Try

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• Come Play The Fort on October 19th for Family Fun Day. Gather the whole family for an afternoon of music, tasty food, games, shopping, and activities for kids and adults alike.
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Quote Of The Week

Computer scientist and electrical engineer Lynn Conway on making the future a reality. Source: "Surfing the waves of techno-social evolution”

Flotsam & Jetsam

The Flotsam & Jetsam section fits our nautical because of course, Fort Lauderdale is powered by water.

But because of the our side explorations in AI for education, we also come across some fun new technology projects that don't exactly fit the "Family Friendly Fort Lauderdale" mission, but we know you might enjoy knowing about them all the same.

Today is one of those days.

We found a Gen AI website that will create a faux shopping page for ANY kind of product you can imagine - including the most fantastical ones. They probably could have picked a better name, but I think that was part of the irreverent fun of creating something that is playful and provides no practical purpose.

All the same - it feels like a perfect point of inspiration since we are not in the 2-month sprint until the Children's Business Fair at the end of November! I wonder if any of the learners will use this resource to dream up ideas!

Word Play Of The Week

To "Steal Someone's Thunder" means to take credit for someone else's idea or achievement, or to upstage someone by doing or saying something that draws attention away from them.

This idiom has a fascinating theatrical origin. In the early 1700s, English dramatist John Dennis invented a new method of creating stage thunder for his play Appius and Virginia. The play wasn't successful, but his thunder technique was. Shortly after, Dennis attended a performance of "Macbeth" and heard his thunder effect being used. He reportedly exclaimed, "Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!"~ Source​

Idea Of The Week

Tell Us How We Are Doing

Every week we are working to improve #FFFTL every week, both for your reading experience and to provide a cutting-edge media apprenticeship opportunity for our learners.

We want to hear from you. What do you love? What could we do better FOR YOU?

And most importantly, what FTL businesses and experiences should we be highlighting?