This is one of those weekends defined by an eclectic randomness that makes life fun in South Florida. It’s a vibe that sometimes seems to be in danger of fading into a haze of homogeneity. Maybe it’s me. But this weekend we have The Symphonia in Boca Raton playing Grateful Dead music with local Deadheads Crazy Fingers. A Las Olas hot spot is hosting a Yacht Rock Night, tongue firmly in chic. Boca Burger Battle returns with its very local and very chill ambience. Same with the Fairchild Mango Festival (we make beer with mangoes here). And if you are a fan of “The Office,” stars of the show will gather for a major fan convention this weekend in Miami. To prepare you, actors Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Kate Flannery (Meredith), in a recent conversation with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, offered two “Office” trivia questions below. Let’s go!
THURSDAY
“Lear” for nothing: The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival kicks off its free, Shakespeare by the Sea XXXIV performances of “King Lear” on Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Seabreeze Amphitheater at Carlin Park in Jupiter. Performances will continue Friday through Sunday, and July 18 to 21. The company also will have Shakespeare by the Palms IV performances of “King Lear” from July 25 to 28 at the Commons Park Amphitheater at Commons Park in Royal Palm Beach. Admission to all performances is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Visit PBShakespeare.org.
Sons rise: Brazilian trio Gilsons, the sons and grandsons of world-music icon Gilberto Gil, are bringing their blend of tropical rhythms and modern pop to the Miami Beach Bandshell on Thursday as part of their first U.S. tour. Tickets for the all-ages 8 p.m. concert, part of the Global Sounds Series presented by the Rhythm Foundation and Tigre Sounds, cost $30.90. Doors open at 7 p.m., and there will be an opening set by vinyl DJ Marcello Bentine. Visit MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
Music movies: Cinema Paradiso in downtown Hollywood will screen a pair of well-reviewed music documentaries on Thursday. “Revival69: The Concert That Rocked the World” goes behind the scenes of the 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival, which featured John Lennon’s first public performance with The Plastic Ono Band. Screenings are at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $9 for the 2 p.m. matinee, $12 ($10 for seniors) at 4 and 6 p.m. At 7:45 p.m., the theater will show “The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie.” There will be a 7 p.m. reception, and a post-screening discussion with filmmaker Mark Moorman about the documentary and the influence of McLean’s iconic song. Tickets cost $12 ($10 for seniors) at FLIFF.com.
Cocktails for good: Batch New Southern Kitchen & Tap in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village will host Paws n Pints 2.0 on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., a fundraiser for Saving Grace and Her Furry Friends, a local nonprofit animal-rescue organization. If you make a $10 donation, you’ll get a free drink. There also will be raffles, WhistlePig Whiskey merch giveaways, custom pet portraits and more. Visit BatchSouthernKitchen.com or SavingGraceFL.org.
FRIDAY
Weekend laughs: Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will be at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood this weekend for three shows that will be filmed for an upcoming Netflix special. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $70+ on Sunday. Seats on Friday and Saturday are nearly gone. Visit Ticketmaster.com. … Meanwhile, comedian Alfred Robles, a frequent opener for Iglesias, will perform on the Palm Beach Improv stage at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $27.50+ at Kravis.org.
Night of the living Dead: The Symphonia chamber orchestra in Boca Raton (celebrating its 20th anniversary this month) and longtime local Grateful Dead admirers Crazy Fingers will join forces to celebrate the improvisational adventures of Jerry Garcia and his band of brothers at Mizner Park Amphitheater on Friday at 8 p.m. Part of Boca Raton’s Summer in the City series, admission to the one-night-only event is free. Visit MiznerAmp.com or TheSymphonia.org.
Yachty by nature: Buzzy taqueria COYO Taco in downtown Fort Lauderdale (401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 150) will host Yacht Rock Night on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., with smooth jams from DJ Avg Joe, extended happy hour specials and $5 margaritas all night. Guests are encouraged to dress the part. (Ask your dad about Thurston Howell III.) Visit Coyo-Taco.com or Eventbrite.com.
New laughs: Riverwalk SoFlo Comedy Club is an intimate new spot for laughs, putting on every-Friday shows at the lovely Masa & More restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale (510 SE Fifth Ave., Suite 129). With host Brett Engle leading a lineup of local comedians, performances run from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $25+. Visit Eventbrite.com.
It’s Fry Day: All four South Florida locations of World of Beer Bar & Kitchen will celebrate National French Fry Day on Friday (yes) with a contest to see who can eat 2 pounds of fries the fastest. Also celebrating its 14th anniversary this weekend, the restaurant in Coconut Creek will award $100 cash to the winner, a $50 gift card for second place and 10 raffle tickets for third. Participation is limited, and you can sign up at Facebook.com/wobcoconutcreek. Also hosting contests with similar prizes are WOB locations in Royal Palm Beach, Miramar and Doral. Visit WorldOfBeer.com.
SATURDAY
‘Office’ trivia: Yes, the largest-ever reunion of cast and crew from popular TV show “The Office” will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Miami Airport Convention Center. The weekend will include the first fan-convention reunion of characters Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey), meet-and-greets, Q&As, unique interactive photo opportunities and special merch for sale. General admission for the event, called The Reunion, is $79.95+ for Saturday, $49.95+ for Sunday and $119.95+ for both days. Guests age 6 and younger get in free. Visit ReunionCon.com. To get you in the mood, here are two trivia questions we got from “The Office” stars Kinsey and Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer). Kate: “What happened to Meredith’s daughter?” Angela: “What is the name of the receptionist at Vance Refrigeration that Phyllis doesn’t trust?” Answers at the bottom of the article.
Where to meat: Boca Burger Battle 2024 is back on Sanborn Square Park in downtown Boca Raton on Saturday with its popular backyard-grilling vibe and unlimited noshing and sloshing. Returning to the competition this year are past winners Burtons Grill and Bar, Yard House and Tucker Duke’s. Among the new contenders will be PZZA in Boca Raton, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Boca Raton, Sonrisa restaurant at Marriott Boca Center and, from Rio de Janeiro, Sem Frescura Burger & Fries. Boca Burger Battle takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $69+ in advance (then $100), VIP is $89+ in advance (then $125+). Both tickets get you unlimited burger samples and other bites, as well as unlimited beer, wine and spirits. VIP tickets include 6 p.m. admission, while GA is at 7 p.m. Perhaps not incidental to your enjoyment, locals Barrel of Monks Brewing will lead the beverages, with help from Funky Buddha Brewery, Pompano Beach Brewing Co. and others. Visit BocaBurgerBattle.com.
Michael Laughlin / South Florida Sun Sentinel/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Returning to downtown Boca Raton on Saturday, the laidback vibe of Boca Burger Battle is part of its attraction. (Michael Laughlin / South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Mango guide: The Mango Festival returns to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami this weekend, a beloved annual showcase for hundreds of varieties of the “king fruit.” Taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, it will include fruit vendors, cooking demonstrations, live music and family-friendly games. Insiders know to get there promptly to buy Fairchild-grown mangoes and trees, as well as the famed mango smoothies ($8 each, two for $14, and $16 for a spirit-infused smoothie). You’ll also find mango cocktails and mango craft beer from La Tropical. Tickets are $24.95+, $17.95+ for seniors, $11.95+ for kids (age 6-17), free for guests age 5 and younger. Visit FairchildGarden.org.
Lavender haze: Miami-based Lite Up America, which has choreographed laser shows for Ultra Music Festival, III Points and Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, will shine its lights on a Taylor Swift soundtrack at Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday (the 13th, as her fans know). There will be two shows at 7 and 9 p.m., each featuring more than a dozen music videos from Swift’s various eras, with lasers and Lite Up America’s signature Liquid Sky, a glowing layer of color flowing over your head. Tickets cost $39+, $49+ at the door. Visit Facebook.com/LiteUpAmerica.
Seeing red: The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, brings The Best of All Worlds Tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Saturday at 7 p.m., with special guests Loverboy. Tickets start at $38.05+ as part of a four-pack. Visit LiveNation.com.
Saturday comedy: Longtime writer and performer on the “Comedy Central Roast” series, Tony Hinchcliffe brings the barbed wit heard on his “Kill Tony” podcast to The Parker in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $39.75+ at ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Home boy: Acclaimed Wilton Manors blues guitarist Albert Castiglia and his band will be at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Saturday to celebrate his new album, “Righteous Souls,” scheduled for release on July 19. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show start at $20+ for standing room at FunkyBiscuit.com. For more on the album, visit Facebook.com/albertcastigliaband.
Norma Hinojosa / Courtesy
Blues Music Award winner Albert Castiglia will share music from a new album at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Saturday. (Norma Hinojosa / Courtesy)
SUNDAY
Sisters with voices: You’ve seen Bravo’s TV series “The Queens of R&B” — now witness the real thing. R&B groups Xscape and SWV bring the tour that shares its name with the 2023 TV show to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Sunday at 7 p.m. Other 1990s female hitmakers on the bill include Mya, 702 and Total. Tickets start at $41.30+ LiveNation.com.
It’s always Sunny: Sunny Side Up Market’s OG event in the MASS District in downtown Fort Lauderdale (844 NE Fourth Ave.) has been bringing the fruits of farmers and artisans together for five years. It returns on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with more than 40 vendors, food trucks, live music and more. You can pre-game at 11 a.m. with an hour of yoga and mimosas across the street under the trees at The Parker (BYO mat). Visit Instagram.com/sunnysideupmarket.
‘Office’ trivia answers
What happened to Meredith’s daughter? Kate Flannery: “It was mentioned that she had a daughter in ‘The Alliance’ episode, the one where Michael throws Meredith a birthday party even though it’s not her birthday. We did a webisode where Meredith explains that her ex-husband got her daughter, the nice one, and she got stuck with the son.”
What is the name of the receptionist at Vance Refrigeration that Phyllis doesn’t trust? Angela Kinsey: “I was just rewatching the (“Cafe Disco”) episode where Phyllis is not happy with Bob Vance’s new receptionist. It’s Jessica.”
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.