A recent essay in The New York Times Magazine, under the headline “How Nearly a Century of Happiness Research Led to One Big Finding,” chopped through a lot of ideas about how human contentment is affected by marriage, family relationships, upbringing, societal and economic influences. Which, in hindsight, seems intuitive.
But its most useful and essential takeaway (not to keep you from reading the NYT story, which is worth seeking out) is what can be gained by small connections made throughout the day with strangers, whether in line at a coffee shop, the dog park or the D.M.V. The story cites an experiment at the University of Chicago that asked people to interact with commuters on public transit and the unexpected mood boost that was recorded.
One researcher said: “If someone were to ask me what’s the one thing you could do tomorrow to be happier, that’s my answer: having a conversation with someone — or a deeper conversation than you normally do.”
Here are some places to test the theory this weekend.
THURSDAY
Light and sand: The new exhibit at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is a talker. A monumental, multisensory work by artist Laddie John Dill, a pioneer in the California Light and Space movement, “EST (Eastern Standard Time)” is a display of hand-blown glass tubes filled with light-emitting gases layered into a bed of sand that nearly fills one of the Norton’s largest galleries. Meditative, mysterious and mood-enhancing, “EST” will be up through Oct. 19. The Norton is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Friday (10 a.m.-10 p.m.) and Tuesday (closed). Admission is $18, $15 for seniors (60+), $5 for students, and free for guests age 12 and younger. Visit Norton.org.
What would you say: The Twilight Tribute Concert series continues Thursday night on Old School Square in downtown Delray Beach with The Dave Matthews Tribute Band at 7:30 p.m., joined by energetic openers The Holidazed at 6 p.m. These picnic concerts are BYO lawn chair, and space fills up quickly when the gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $15 at the gate (no cash). Kids age 12 and younger get in free. VIP tickets cost $50 and include access to lounge seating and a free drink at the bar (no cash). Visit DelrayOldSchoolSquare.com/events.
Bye, Boy: One of the most popular correspondents among young people in the post-pandemic age, the masked singer known as BoyWithUke is on his final tour in the persona before 22-year-old Korean-American Charley Yang moves into a new musical realm. He’ll perform at Revolution Live at the Backyard in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Doors open at 7 p.m. Pembroke Pines singer-pianist Ethan Bortnick is the special guest. Tickets are still available, starting at $33.50+ at JoinTheRevolution.net.
Thursday night live: Actor and musician Rubén Blades will be at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Thursday, a stop on his Fotografías Tour. Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert start at $78.74 at Ticketmaster.com. … Hauser, the cellist with a rock ‘n’ roll heart, plays Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.85 at MyHRL.com.
FRIDAY
Funny girls: Maybe we should just be happy that Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes decided to bring their tours to Florida at all, instead of lamenting the fact that their performances are on the same night. You’ll find Cho on her Live and LIVID! Tour at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $53.10. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. … Meanwhile, Sykes performs at the same time at The Fillmore Miami Beach on her Please & Thank You Tour with special guest Keith Robinson. Tickets start at $64. Visit Fillmore-Miami.com.
Spring cleaning: Hosted by Hollywood-based vintage shops Decade Alchemy and Red Hot Vintage (as seen at Yellow Green Farmers Market), the Spring 2025 Clothing Swap at LauderAle Brewery in Fort Lauderdale on Friday will help you refresh your wardrobe while supporting a good cause. Taking place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, the swap will feature items from Decade and Red Hot (restocked every 30 minutes) along with clothing and accessories donated by people such as yourself. Participants must bring at least one bag (grocery size) of clothing or accessories to donate toward the swap. Tickets cost $20 and include a free drink ticket from LauderAle. A portion of ticket proceeds and leftover clothing will be donated to The Caring Place, which supports homeless families in South Florida. Visit Facebook.com/lauderale.
Ticket window: Just a reminder that tickets for a stop on The Who farewell tour at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Aug. 16 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 16, at SeatGeek.com. Other popular concerts going on sale include: Lee Brice (with former Parkland resident Ashley Cooke among the openers) at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 12 (FTLWarMemorial.com), comedian Shane Gillis at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sept. 26 (MyHRL.com), Peach Pit at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 1 (JoinTheRevolution.net), The Commodores at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Oct. 3 (Kravis.org), and Alex Warren at Hard Rock Live on Oct. 8 (MyHRL.com).
SATURDAY
Last call: The Delray GreenMarket sets up on Old School Square on Saturday for the final time this season, gathering 50 or so local vendors offering straight-from-the-farm eggs, raw milk and butter, grass-fed (and antibiotic- and hormone-free) Florida beef and poultry, artisan baked goods (with gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free items), fresh-cut flowers, plants and more. The market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit DelrayOldSchoolSquare.com/events.
Waves of beer: The eighth annual Ocean Brews & Blues festival returns on Saturday, bringing more than 170 beers from across the Sunshine State and elsewhere to the Deerfield Beach event’s distinctive spot just steps from the sand. Taking place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the main parking lot near the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier, the festival also will include a selection of spirits, wine, ciders and seltzers — and, for your ears, live sets by Blues Fuze with David Hadley Ray (3-3:45 p.m.), Low Ground Trio (4:15-5 p.m.), Shaw Davis & the Black Ties (5:30-6:30 p.m.) and The Shaelyn Band (7-8 p.m.). Admission is free. Tickets for unlimited sampling cost $55+, or $100+ for VIP (includes early entry at 3 p.m.). You can save $10 when you enter code SENTINEL at OceanBrewsAndBlues.com.
Come together: The romantics at Fever will present one of their popular candlelight concerts, this one devoted to “The Best of the Beatles,” at Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Featured will be the Collins String Quartet. Tickets are available, starting at $50.50+. Visit FLIFF.com.
Night moves: One of the underrated hangout destinations in Broward County will be in the spotlight on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. during the Oakland Park Art Walk. This self-guided evening stroll along Northeast 12th Avenue, which faces Dixie Highway near City Hall, offers pop-ins at Rebel Wine Bar, The Butcher’s Barrel, Funky Buddha, Nour Thai Kitchen, Red Sea, Bandoleros, Black Flamingo Brewery and Voodoo Brewing. And across Dixie Highway you’ll find Tripping Animals Brewing, BMC Smash Burgers (highly recommended) and Satellite Pinball Lounge (also highly recommended). Parking is free. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov/opaw.
Saturday night live: Country-pop singer-songwriter Niko Moon (“Good Time,” “Better Days”) brings music from the album “These Are the Nights” to the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $33+ at Seatgeek.com. … Jamaican dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel brings his tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $195+ at Seatgeek.com. … Pink Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd will celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Wish You Were Here” in a tour stop at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64+ (fees included) at Fillmore-Miami.com.
Bee yourself: Garden District Taproom in West Palm Beach, home of the self-serve beer wall, hosts another installment of Buzzed Spelling Bee on Saturday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Like it sounds, there will be drinking and wording and waves of cachinnation (spelled correctly, I think, but look it up). Sign up in advance at GardenDistrictWPB.com.
More laughs: Actor and comedian Jessica Kirson comes to the Palm Beach Improv stage at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for shows at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. If you have seen her new special on Hulu, “I’m the Man,” you know Kirson is not for the easily offended. Tickets start at $48.88+. Visit Kravis.org.
Take the kids: The Ben hotel in West Palm Beach will host the Never Grow Up Character Brunch on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m., when kids (you, too, Dad) are invited to dress up for an elevated breakfast with Peter Pan, Wendy, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. All-inclusive tickets cost $55+ for kids and $120+ for grown-ups, with a buffet breakfast and bottomless bellinis, mimosas and bloody marys. Discounted valet parking will be $8 per car. Visit TheBenEvents.com.
SUNDAY
‘¡Azúcar!’ Sunday: A salsa legend finally gets the ultimate pop-culture reward on Sunday during Celia Cruz Bobblehead Day at Miami’s loanDepot Park, where the Marlins take on the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:40 p.m. The first 8,000 fans receive bobbleheads. Visit Marlins.com.
Sounds familiar: Pompano Beach restaurant and entertainment venue Galuppi’s will host a kid-friendly Sunday evening performance by Love Story, the nationally touring tribute to Taylor Swift by singer Rikki Lee Wilson. The concert runs from 4 to 7:30 p.m. General-admission seats (assigned on arrival) cost $30+, or $15+ for kids age 12 and younger, and there are food and beverage minimums (children’s menu available). Tables also may be reserved. Visit Galuppis.com. … The Sunday on the Waterfront series at Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach will feature a free concert by Cars tribute band Touch & Go on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. Visit WPB.org/events.
LOOKING AHEAD
Local dining: Chef Jimmy Everett and his restaurant Driftwood in Boynton Beach will host the second annual Locals Dinner on Monday at 6 p.m., a multicourse celebration of ingredients cultivated in South Florida and the local farmers and fishers who provide them. The dinner will be served at communal tables, so you may find yourself sitting next to a chocolatier or an oyster farmer who, at some point in the evening, will have the chance to tell their story. “We’re giving the producers an opportunity to see what we do with the food that they produce, to actually be able to see it in a restaurant,” Everett says. Locals Dinner costs $125+ per person. An optional beverage pairing is $50. Visit Facebook.com/eatdrinkdriftwood.
Oh, it’s on: Two of South Florida’s most popular ramenistas will match bowls at 7 p.m. Tuesday when LauderAle Brewery in Fort Lauderdale hosts Ramen Battle, a dinner and competition featuring Takeshi Kamioka of @kaminariramen vs. upstart Chef Daichi of @soupersamurai. No matter the outcome, you win. A $30 ticket gets you two bowls of ramen and a LauderAle lager. Visit Facebook.com/lauderale.
Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel
When it comes to ramen, chef Takeshi Kamioka, best known for his Kaminari Ramen food truck, does not play. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and X @BenCrandell.
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