Thursday, February 12th - 2026 - This weekend in Broward: The Renaissance Festival hits its second week, Ignite Broward lights up the night, and we share a special look inside Acton Academy. Plus... From the "Cupid’s Lullaby" theme at Ren Fest to a dog fashion show at the Galleria, here is your weekly basket of goodies. Plus, why James Clear thinks boredom is a good thing.

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Stuff You Won't Want To Miss:

1. The Renaissance Fair is hitting its second weekend. That's means its Cupid's Lullaby as the theme for this weekend.
2. Lot's of great music options to pick from. Robert Cray at The Parker (Sunday). Valerie Tyson at The Loop at FLB (on Friday night). There's even free concerts on Wednesdays as part of the Noon Tunes series at Laura Ward Plaza (behind the Main Library).
3. ​Ignite Broward lights up tomorrow (Friday) night. This annual event is an immersive celebration of light, art, technology, and community at four distinct locations across Broward County.
4. If Valentine's Day is for lovers then Saturday at the Galleria is for pet lovers, as Love At First Bark will be center stage. This is a dog adoption AND fashion show. Register to be part of this fun "Red" dog fashion show and be eligible to win $250 and other prizes.
5. The "HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever" installation is up and sliding at MODS. Come out and test your skills and knowledge like a true hockey pro with a variety of interactive experiences.
6. This weekend is the last chance to catch Back To The Future (The Musical) at the Broward Center. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical.
7. And lastly, in the "are they really doing this" category, BATSU! - (comedians competing and agreeing to punishments) will be unlike anything else you see this year. Shows this weekend through all of next week.

😉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

As many of you know, this newsletter is from Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale, but we don't often talk about ourselves. It was created first for a short list of our families and friends. Now it has grown to over 1300 local families and far exceeds our little school.

The goal has always been to deliver a "basket of goodies" each week, in the form of a list of all the cool things happening in greater Fort Lauderdale, so you won't find out on a Monday or Tuesday that some really cool event just took place over the weekend.

Every once in a while, we DO SHARE some school news because we know a lot of you care and are curious. Today is one of those days!

We recently had a videographer (David) from @wildchild.films visit our school to meet our community. We think he did an amazing job of capturing how and why Acton is different. And we thought you might enjoy getting a glimpse of what is happening inside out little school.

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If you feel you know a family who might be looking for this kind of learning environment for their children, we would love to meet them and see if they would like to join us on one great big Hero's Journey together!

So... You Think You Know Florida

You probably already know... February is here. It got cold. The Iguanas started falling out of trees.

What you might not know... February also means the start of the 8-week extravaganza known as the Florida Renaissance Festival. And this year, there are a bunch of new things to explore.

Magic, Mayhem, and... Pirate Pups? The 2026 Florida Renaissance Festival is Here!

Dust off your bodices and polish your plate mail, lords and ladies! The Florida Renaissance Festival has officially returned to Quiet Waters Park for the 2026 season. Whether you’re a seasoned villager or a first-time traveler through time, this year is shaping up to be one for the history books (and the spellbooks).

Running every weekend from February 7th through March 29th, here is what you need to know before you step through the gates.

New Faces in the Village

This year’s lineup is a wild mix of the mystical and the slightly mad. Keep an eye out for these new arrivals:

• Ari the Bard: A Tiefling storyteller offering monster dating advice and showing off "Ari’s Absurd Arcanum."
• The Puppies of Penzance: Yes, you read that right. A pirate ship crewed entirely by dogs. Watch them walk the plank—just keep an eye on your turkey leg.
• Dash Rippington’s Dangerously Stupid Show: For those who like their entertainment with a side of "don't try this at home."
• Dungeons & Shakespeare: A brilliant mashup where the Bard’s greatest characters face monsters determined by the literal roll of the dice.

Level Up Your Game

For the nerds and adventurers (we say that with love!), the festival is leaning hard into the D&D world this year. You can join "Learn to Play" campaigns set in the world of Greyhawk or cheer on the D&D Spectacular hosted by Buckle and Swash. It’s the perfect year to live out your tabletop fantasies in real life.

Know Before You Go: Pro-Tips for 2026

Haggle if You Dare: On the weekend of March 7 & 8, there is a special incentive for the shoppers. If you spend $250 or more at the Artisan Vendor booths, you’ll snag a complimentary ticket to return later in the season. It’s the perfect excuse to finally buy that handmade leather armor you've been eyeing.

The festival is a sensory overload of music, mud, and magic—and we wouldn't have it any other way. See you at the joust!

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More Treats To Try

We don't let just anyone sponsor this newsletter. Here's who "made the cut" this week:

(Hit reply to this email if you want to reach over 1300+ local families for just $100)

• Studies show kids can lose 2–3 months of academic progress over summer break. The summer slide is real but it’s preventable. But when kids build robots, create, and problem-solve, they’re still using math, logic, reading, and teamwork - just in a different way.That’s not a brain-drain summer. That’s a brain-building one. It’s summer camp that actually counts. Learn more at www.esteamlearninglabs.com.
• Tickets are now available for 2026 Florida Renaissance Festival! Starts on Saturday, February 7th in Deerfield Beach
• 👉 Buy YOUR OWN Classified Ad Here 👈

Just hit reply to this email to get started. Work with us to reach over 1250+ Greater Fort Lauderdale families.

Quote Of The Week

James Clear is a writer and speaker. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits and the popular 3-2-1 newsletter. What we think is really interesting about this quote is that people often assume "I'm bored" is a bad thing. But it actually is the doorstep just before something really, really interesting.

Flotsam & Jetsam

Every wondered how tech companies and online retailers seem to know SO MUCH about us?

Turns out, it is not magic. It's math. In the form of a giant chart of correlations. And now there's a way to see how it works.

I Took "The Correlation Experiment" - And Now I’m Offended 😂

We all like to think we’re unique, right? We’re the "unclassifiable" outliers in a world of algorithms. So, when I stumbled upon The Correlation Experiment, a tool designed to predict your preferences based on data patterns, I went in ready to defy the odds.

The premise is simple: you answer a series of questions about your daily life, and the AI tries to guess your next move. No login, no fuss—just you vs. the data.

The Beauty of Being a "Glitch"

At first, failing the test felt like a badge of honor. Out of 60 questions, the algorithm missed about 20% of my answers. I felt like a digital enigma! There’s a certain thrill in knowing that a mountain of data can’t quite pin you down.

When the Data Gets Personal

But then, something shifted. I stopped feeling like a rebel and started feeling... insulted. How could it get me so wrong?

The algorithm’s "vision" of me was frankly chaotic. According to the data, I was apparently:

• A "messy" emailer: It pegged me as someone who doesn't do Inbox Zero. (got that one right)
• A deep thinker: It guessed I’d pick a good book over a horror flick. (Always.)
• A morning slacker: It claimed I don’t get up and running early. (I literally run at 4:30am.)

Want to see if you're as unpredictable as you think? Give it a spin and see which "misses" end up hurting your feelings.

Word Play Of The Week

This phrase likely originated in gambling. In the 19th century, the "bank" referred to the pool of money held by a gambling house or dealer. If a gambler won more than the house had on hand, they would literally "break the bank," forcing the casino to temporarily close that table. ~ Source​

Idea Of The Week

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