South Florida is not a shy and modest place. We like the sound of our own voice, enjoy our music loud, say a lot about ourselves on local menus, and our design and fashion decisions speak volumes. But two of the most powerful statements this weekend will be made quietly, with silent disco and Skittles. Let’s go …
THURSDAY
Cashing in: Robert “Raven” Kraft is a legendary South Florida runner — he has famously run the same 5- to 8-mile route on Miami Beach every day for more than 50 years — but he is also a musician and frontman for the goth-country band Raven and the Dark Shadows. Performing at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of the Miami Beach Bandshell’s North Beach Social series, the band will unleash music that concert organizers says “feels like Johnny Cash wandered into a David Lynch film.” Admission is free. Visit MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
Words of wisdom: Multidisciplinary artist and word worker Oscar Fuentes, better known as The Biscayne Poet, will offer an evening of poetry, performance and conversation at Books & Books‘ location in Coconut Grove on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Miami-based writer, born in Manhattan to immigrant parents from Honduras and the author of 10 books of poetry and prose, hopes you’ll also come prepared to participate in an open-mic session, sharing your own poetry. Free admission. Visit BooksAndBooks.com.
FRIDAY
Holding your beer: LauderAle Brewery & Tap Room, the Fort Lauderdale gathering spot that puts the “hidden” in hidden gem, will celebrate 11 years of beers with an anniversary festival running Friday through Sunday. The weekend will include more than 20 beer releases (classics and new creations) and some of your favorite food trucks, bands and DJs. Friday highlights will include music from popular party band Got You Covered (8 p.m.) and food from Pizza Piez; Saturday events begin at noon with brunch eats from Di Big Jerk, more food from Kaminari Ramen and The Lazy Oyster, and music from Remake Yourself (8 p.m.); Sunday gets going at 10 a.m. with Ales and Asanas beer yoga, followed by music from Hellabaloo (2 p.m.) and Hold My Beer (5 p.m.), and food from Ikigai Sushi and Catering. Visit LauderAle.co.
Light in the dark: The weekly Art After Dark series at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach may be especially rewarding this Friday. From 5 to 8 p.m., there will be a pop-up market and fashion show from aZul Fashion, Art & Design Inc., a nonprofit organization offering alternative art-focused programs for adults with Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities, and their caregivers and families. In Stiller Auditorium, there will be screenings of “Faith’s World,” a BYkids Films documentary directed by Faith Guilbault, a 16-year-old from Baltimore who shines a light on life as one of 61 million people in the United States living with a disability. Screenings of the 30-minute film will be at 6 and 8 p.m. The night will conclude in the Great Hall with silent disco from Be You Disco, which encourages judgment-free movement and mindfulness. Art After Dark tickets cost $10, or $5 for students, and can be purchased at the reception desk or in advance at Norton.org.
Friday I’m in love: Musically and visually one of the most effective tribute bands working in South Florida, Lovesong will bring favorite singalongs of The Cure to Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Friday at 8 p.m. Part of the Summer in the City concert series, admission is free. Gates open at 7 p.m. Visit MiznerAmp.com.
Who can it be now? Some of the 1980s’ biggest hits will be heard when Toto, Christopher Cross and Men at Work bring their co-headlining tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Friday at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are available, starting at $30+ for general-admission lawn seating, at Ticketmaster.com.
Diamond dogs: The confounding Miami Marlins will return from the midseason break for the MLB All-Star Game with Dollar Hot Dog Night on Friday. The 7:10 p.m. game at loanDepot Park will be against the Kansas City Royals, of which we have no opinion. Because it’s Dollar Hot Dog Night, when Sahlen’s premium hot dogs will go for just one George Washington. Tickets start at $18+. Visit Marlins.com.
SATURDAY
Hard candy: West Palm Beach artist Harold Caudio will take part in an Artist Talk, titled “Not Candy,” at the Cornell Art Museum in downtown Delray Beach during a reception on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Caudio is best known for “JUSTUS,” a portrait of Trayvon Martin made from Skittles, the candy that the teenager had purchased before being shot and killed on his way home from a convenience store near Orlando in 2012. The Haitian-American artist has done Skittles portraits of cultural figures including Tupac, Bob Marley, Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman, and on Saturday he will introduce a unique tribute to local tennis star Coco Gauff. Caudio’s discussion will take place at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Visit DelrayOldSchoolSquare.com.
Mango mania: A celebration of summer and the variety of fruit harvested at Chef Dan Ramos’ Red Splendor Farm, MangoFest will gather local chefs at Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach on Saturday for an afternoon of themed dishes, drinks and desserts. Running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., MangoFest will include dishes from Palm Beach Meats, Ahmay’s Cuisine (Burmese delicacies) and How Ya Dough’n (buzzy pizza), tastings from Red Splendor Farm and Miss Marsha’s signature mango pie (if you know, you know). The menu is a la carte, with main dishes running $12 to $25, slices of pie available for $7 and take-home mangoes at $5 per pound. For more information, visit PalmBeachMeats.com.
Country comfort: It’s been nearly 20 years since “Hootie” shifted gears on a platinum-selling pop career to release his first country album for a skeptical nation. Darius Rucker seems to have made out OK, with four No. 1 country albums and 10 No. 1 singles (his cover of “Wagon Wheel” is one of the most popular country songs of all time). In concert, he leans into Hootie and the Blowfish hits, wanders into covers of classic country and R&B, and just seems to have a good time. A perfect summer concert. One of the Miami Dolphins’ most famous fans, Rucker returns to South Florida to play Hard Rock Live in Hollywood at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available, starting at $94.60, at MyHRL.com.
Handy snack: The third annual Riverwalk Tacos & Tequila Festival returns to the banks of the New River at Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. Top food spots will be taking part, including Tulum Taco Shop, EO’s Tacos, Pinky’s Tacos and Emily’s Garden, but save room for the fried-dough splendor of Santo Dulce and Heavenly Churros. The afternoon will include music, beer, tequila cocktails and lawn games. Admission is free, with food and drink available for purchase. Visit GoRiverwalk.com.
Take the kids: The Ben hotel in West Palm Beach will host the Frozen Fever character brunch on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m., when kids (and parents) are invited to dress up for an elevated summer soiree with “Frozen” characters Anna, Elsa and Olaf. All-inclusive tickets cost $45+ for kids (including kid-friendly brunch buffet, themed desserts, character meet-and-greet and story time) and $99+ for grown-ups (with a buffet breakfast and bottomless bellini, mimosa and bloody mary bar). Attendees get discounted valet parking at $8 per car. Visit TheBenEvents.com.
Her lips are sealed: The odds of a painfully shy 12-year-old from Oklahoma accompanied by a puppet rabbit named Petunia winning over “America’s Got Talent” curmudgeon Simon Cowell were, um, not good. But Darci Lynne Farmer’s unique ventriloquism-singing act brought down the house and ended with a standing ovation from everyone, including Cowell. She went on to win Season 12 of “AGT” in 2017. Eight years later, she’s bringing her tour to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for performances at 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $43.13 at Kravis.org.
Progresso party: Patio Bar & Pizza on Saturday will celebrate the third anniversary of its opening in a beautifully renovated space in the historic, 100-year-old Progresso Plaza in Fort Lauderdale. Rolling out from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., the party will include music from DJs Ani Phearce and Rizzo, and specials on the signature Spicy Hawaiian pizza ($12), Corona beers ($5) and bottles of Moët & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot ($60). Fair warning: The cool vibe will disintegrate at 10 p.m. when UFC goes on. Visit FreakiTiki719.eventbrite.com.
John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel
It’s been three years since Patio Bar & Pizza opened in the renovated Progresso Plaza in Fort Lauderdale. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Nu-metal night: Stache Drinking Den in Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee District will host The PsychoSocial on Saturday, a night devoted to nu-metal music and all the energy that inspires. Led by MC AJ Diaferio (vocalist for the band We’re Wolves) and DJ Lindersmash — curators of the popular Emo Night at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach — you can expect plenty of rap-metal fury from Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Nonpoint, Slipknot and more beginning at 10 p.m. Admission to the 21-and-older show is $20.05 in advance, $25.69 day of show. Visit StacheFTL.com.
Nonstop beats: The Great Juggling Showcase is probably not what you think it is, though that would be cool, too. This event, taking place at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, is a dance party fueled by top reggae DJs who will be “juggling” — a turntable artform of mixing, beat matching and scratching — in uninterrupted sets of 15 to 30 minutes. The lineup includes one of the originators of the sound, Rory Stone Love, and South Florida mixer King Waggy Tee, along with British DJ David Rodigan, Jah Works (Japan) and Dynamq (South Sudan). Tickets start at $81.25 at Ticketmaster.com.
SUNDAY
All that brunch: The Restaurant at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach will host another Jazz Brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with music from multitalented composer and guitarist Russ Spiegel, joined by Mikailo Kasha on bass. The price of brunch, which includes museum admission, is $60 per person, or $35 for kids age 12 and younger (free for age 3 and younger). Unlimited mimosa and bloody marys are available for an additional $25 per person. … If the timing is right, check out the Norton’s summer Hollywood Gems film series, which will show “She Done Him Wrong,” a 1933 rom-com starring Mae West and a young Cary Grant, from 2 to 4 p.m. The series screens “films of Hollywood glamour with jewelry as the star,” and is pegged to the current exhibit, “Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection.” The film is free with museum admission. Visit Norton.org.
‘Love’ again: Powerhouse R&B singer Keyshia Cole will perform at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sunday at 7 p.m., a stop on a tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her 2005 breakout album, “The Way It Is,” and hits including “Love” and “I Should Have Cheated.” The concert will include opening sets by Tink, Amerie and Elijah Blake. Tickets start at $60.75 at MyHRL.com.
Bottomless burlesque: Downtown Fort Lauderdale restaurant-lounge The Wilder continues its Burlesque Brunch summer series on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. with Disco Inferno, a themed afternoon with $12 disco-inspired cocktails, bottomless drink options and interactive burlesque (the best kind). Visit IntoTheWilder.com.
Dancehall hits: Music festival Y2K Summer Jam: Best of the 2000s Till Now will bring 25 years of dancehall, hip-hop, soca and R&B hits to Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater on Sunday from 3 to 10 p.m. Headliners include Baby Cham, Willy Chin, Buzz, DJ Calli B, DJ Nicco and others. Tickets start at $41.25 at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit Y2KEvent.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.