There is no discernible theme to this weekend now that Miami Swim Week is over — because why torture the Edmontonians like that? But in its randomness, there’s something for (yes) everyone, both locals and visitors from the Great White North. You’ll find VR space travel at the Kravis Center, SpongeBob at the Broward Center, a World Cup cricket watch party (India vs. Pakistan!) at The Wharf, concerts by Megan Thee Stallion and Luis Miguel, comedian Whitney Cummings at Dania Improv, a Taylor Swift tribute band putting an exclamation point on Pride events in Delray Beach, the debut of Santo Dulce’s ChurroCones in Weston, The Smoogies on Sistrunk, the kitschy Mrs. Roper Romp, ABBA-inspired disco hits at Revolution Live, a rooftop for National Rosé Day and, at the former home of Prince’s South Beach nightclub Glam Slam, they’re going to party like it’s 1994. Let us proceed.
THURSDAY
Lost in space: This is opening weekend at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for “Space Explorers: THE INFINITE,” a VR-goggle-enabled, 360-degree cinematic journey aboard a 3D replica of the International Space Station. With unique access to the American space program that resulted in more than 250 hours of virtual reality footage, this fully immersive experience is like “nothing else in the world right now,” a producer told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Admission costs $45 to $50 for adults, $35 to $40 for students, and $25 to $30 for children age 8 to 12. The show is at the Kravis Center through Sept. 2. Visit Kravis.org.
New food hall: Block 40 Food Hall will open in downtown Hollywood on Thursday at 7 p.m., bringing 10 eateries and an expansive, sports-minded bar to an 18,000-square-foot space facing the ArtsPark on Young Circle. With an attractive architectural nod to the Mediterranean Revival warmth of the former occupant of the land — the stately old Great Southern Hotel, torn down in 2020 — Block 40 Food Hall is located on the ground floor of the 1818 Park residential tower. The venue will be operated by Society 8 Hospitality, known for Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, The House on the River and Wild Thyme Oceanside Eatery in Fort Lauderdale. Visit Block40FoodHall.com.
Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel
Block 40 Food Hall is on the ground floor of 1818 Park, behind an attractive re-creation of the facade of the historic Great Southern Hotel. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miguel all over: If you made a list of American markets on his North American tour where Mexican heartthrob Luis Miguel played three concerts on the same stop, No. 1 would be South Florida … And that’s it. The crooner has weekend dates at 8 p.m. Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise (tickets start at $71+ at SeatGeek.com), and 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Kaseya Center in Miami (tickets start at $91+ at Ticketmaster.com).
Just got hotter: Megan Thee Stallion brings her Hot Girl Summer Tour to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Thursday, fans still abuzz after she announced on Sunday the release date (June 28) for her new album, “Megan.” Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert start at $95+ at MyHRL.com.
Ticket window: Pop iconoclast Cyndi Lauper has announced that her 2024 tour, her first major headlining concerts in more than a decade, will be her last. The 23-city Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour will stop at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Nov. 8. Tickets for the show start at $85+ and are available via a venue presale (password COLORS) at Facebook.com/hardrockholly before the general on-sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Visit MyHRL.com. … Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne will bring the tour supporting new album “Long Way Home” (set for release on Aug. 16) to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 27. Tickets, starting at $39.50+, are on sale via an artist presale (sign up at RayLaMontagne.com) before the general on-sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Sing for your supper: Best known for a certain laidback allure, Yeasty Brews Artisanal Beers in Lauderhill will crank it up to 11 on Thursday when they debut a new monthly karaoke night. The other headline: distinctive dining from pop-ups @jennywiththepot and @kennysmashburger. The fun runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Visit Instagram.com/yeastybrews.
Sistrunk funk: Charismatically funky, jazzy local quartet The Smoogies — Vaughn “V.Keys” Henry (keyboards, vocals), Dion Kerr (bass), Harvel Nakundi (percussion) and David Chiverton (drums) — have a Fort Lauderdale concert on Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Circuit at Destination Sistrunk, 1033 NW Sixth St. Highly recommended. The concert is presented by the Broward County Cultural Division, Destination Sistrunk Cultural & Community Investment Partnership, and Arc Labs. Tickets cost $15, or $10 for students. Visit Instagram.com/thesmoogiesband or Eventbrite.com.
Happy place: Coral Springs-spawned rapper Robb Bank$, son of dancehall star Shaggy, will play a hometown show as he brings his I Think I Might Be Happy Tour to Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. Doors open at 7 p.m., with music at 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show start at $22.50+ at JoinTheRevolution.net.
Weekend sweets: Miami’s beloved churros and ice cream pop-up Santo Dulce has a new summer residency on the edge of Weston and Southwest Ranches at 5140 SW 208th Lane (roughly Griffin Road and Highway 27). It is there that you can enjoy their newest creation, the ChurroCone. These treats begin with warm, crispy, flavor-infused churro dough twisted into a cone that is topped by Santo Dulce’s signature ice cream. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. As you know, Thursday is National Churro Day, when they’ll also stop in Tamarac from 4 to 9 p.m. (8800 NW 78th Court) and Plantation from 5 to 9 p.m. (1244 S. Pine Island Road). Visit Facebook.com/santodulcechurros.
FRIDAY
Purple pros: One could argue (I will) that South Beach did not become a thing on the pop culture map until Prince opened his East Coast version of nightclub Glam Slam at 1235 Washington Ave. 30 years ago. The space, later known as Mansion, now M2 Miami, will host a party for the pop icon on Friday, when he would have turned 66 (regally). The multimedia evening runs from 7 to 11 p.m. and will include live music (!) from a Prince cover band and cocktails inspired by his songs. Tickets cost $10. Visit M2Miami.com.
Night fever: The global phenomenon Gimme Gimme Disco, a DJ dance party fueled by the music of ABBA, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor, comes to Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night. Disco attire very recommended. You know who you are. Doors open at 10:30 p.m., with music at 11 p.m. Tickets for the 21-and-older show cost $13+ at JoinTheRevolution.net.
Free music: The free community picnics known as Starlight Musicals return to downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park on Friday with the infectious grooves of Marijah & The Reggae All Stars. Set on the football field on the east side of the park each Friday for the next 10 weeks, these concerts are BYO-whatever events, with lawn chairs, picnic baskets and coolers encouraged, and plenty of room for the kids to run off pent-up energy. Food and beverages also will be available for purchase. The music runs from 7 to 10 p.m., but insiders know that the lights don’t come on right away. The Pantry of Broward and LifeNet4Families will accept donations of nonperishable food, and you can donate pet food to Abandoned Pet Rescue. Visit Parks.FortLauderdale.gov/starlight.
SATURDAY
Weekend laughs: Smart and accomplished actor, writer, producer and podcaster Whitney Cummings somehow has found her way back to the stand-up stage on a tour that will stop at the Dania Improv in Dania Beach on Saturday. She has performances at 7 (sold out) and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $40+ at DaniaImprov.com.
Sponge worthy: Slow Burn Theater Co. on Saturday opens its two-week run of “The SpongeBob Musical” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, a Tony-nominated show based on the wacky and beloved Nickelodeon cartoon that premiered in 1999, with music from David Bowie, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Sara Bareilles, The Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! at the Disco and others. Tickets start at $54 at BrowardCenter.org. My favorite review of the show, published last fall at ChicagoOnStage.com, began: “I have never watched a single episode of ‘SpongeBob Squarepants.’ As I entered the Chopin Theatre to see the opening night of Kokandy’s ‘The SpongeBob Musical,’ pretty much all I knew was the fact that the title character lives in a pineapple under the sea — I have no clue how I even knew that much.” One paragraph later, the reviewer pronounced it “one of the most purely entertaining shows of the year.”
Delray pride: The Delray Beach Pride Festival will bring food, vendors and live entertainment to the crossroad emblazoned with the city’s iconic Pride flag (Northeast Second Avenue between East Atlantic Avenue and Northeast Second Street) on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Events will lead into a free concert on Old School Square by duo The Little Things and the Taylor Swift tribute Lovestory. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Bring a chair. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Visit Facebook.com/DelrayOldSchoolSquare.
Think pink: Probably no more fitting spot to enjoy National Rosé Day on Saturday than at Rosa Sky Rooftop, perched over the panorama of Miami’s gleaming Brickell neighborhood (it became the second-most attractive rooftop operated by The Restaurant People after they opened Nubé on Fort Lauderdale beach). Bottles of rosé will be half-price all day until 10 p.m. Visit Instagram.com/rosaskyrooftop.
Helen back: The caftan-ed and bewigged Helens of the South Florida chapter of Mrs. Roper Romp are planning to gather at Thrōw Social in Delray Beach on Saturday at 3 p.m. to celebrate the patron saint of spousal frustration (played by Audra Lindley in the bawdy sitcom “Three’s Company”). Who knows where they’ll end up? For information, look for the group page on Facebook. In possibly unrelated news, Thrōw Social recently introduced a self-pour wall with 20 taps serving cocktails, seltzers, wine and beer. Visit Facebook.com/throwsocialdelray.
Cat match fever: The Florida Panthers return to the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday with a Game 1 match in Sunrise against the perfectly innocuous Edmonton Oilers (after series against Tampa, Boston and New York, Panthers fans are out of insults anyway). When it comes to watch-party plans for the series, the best-kept secret around is the Barrel Room around back of Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, which is a little tricky to locate if you don’t know where you’re going. The brewery has posted a map on Facebook to guide you. The Federal (Instagram.com/the_federal_ftl), the Panthers’ restaurant on the second floor of their new Baptist Health IcePlex practice facility, has been packed with enthusiastic crowds for big-screen viewing. There is free admission to the facility and plenty of free parking (Instagram.com/ftlwarmemorial). I’ve also heard good things about watch events at Pompano Beach Brewing Co. (Facebook.com/pompanobeachbrewing) and Tin Roof in Delray Beach (TinRoofDelrayBeach.com).
Blast from the past: Founding member Carmine Appice, joined by former Savoy Brown lead singer Jimmy Kunes, brings his revival of legendary early-’70s blues-rock group Cactus to The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton at 7 p.m. Saturday. The band, once proclaimed as America’s answer to Led Zeppelin, has a new album, “Tightrope.” Tickets start at $50+ for standing room. Visit FunkyBiscuit.com.
Saturday tributes: Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale hosts Metallica tribute band Hardwired and Alice Cooper tribute Billion Dollar Babie$ in an all-ages show on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets: $15+ at JoinTheRevolution.net. … Mathews Brewing in Lake Worth Beach has Alice in Chains tribute In A Nutshell at 8 p.m Saturday. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing. … Funkin’ Grateful, a mashup of Fusik, The Heavy Pets and Unlimited Devotion, reimagines the Dead songbook on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton. Tickets start at $15 at CrazyUncleMikes.com.
SUNDAY
Cricket watch: If you are cramming for upcoming cricket matches at Broward County Stadium in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, The Wharf Fort Lauderdale will host a watch party on Sunday for the highly anticipated World Cup game between India and Pakistan. The event will include big-screen viewing of the game (sound on), food, drink and music. There also will be a VIP area with special perks. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with the game at 10:30 a.m. Visit WharfFTL.com. The ICC T20 World Cup is making its U.S. debut this year, with four matches at Broward County Stadium in Central Broward Park in Lauderhill: Sri Lanka vs. Nepal (7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11), U.S. vs. Ireland (10:30 a.m. Friday, June 14), India vs. Canada (10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 15) and Pakistan vs. Ireland (10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 16). For information, visit Broward.org/Parks.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.