Weekend things to do: Maniscalco, ‘Figaro,’ Michael Yo and 40,000 rubber ducks in the New River

This is about the time when snowbirds are packing for their return north to more reasonable environments (it’s not as hot there either), but this weekend may give them pause. The forecast is postcard-bright and rain-free (crosses fingers), with plenty of ways to immerse yourself in distinctively local things to do. There’s Tortuga Music Festival and the Delray Affair, performances by the Palm Beach Opera and Miami City Ballet, two dueling Taylor Swift dance parties, the quirky Duck Fest Derby, the annual orchid freakout at Bonnet House and, at Boynton Beach restaurant Driftwood, an explosion of local flavors and a philosophy in one dish. Let’s go …

THURSDAY 

A Maniscalco weekend: When comedian Sebastian Maniscalco first announced a two-date visit to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, demand quickly pushed him to add a third show, then a fourth. Shows are set for 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. You can still find tickets for the Sunday performance, starting at $75+. The other dates are down to scattered singles or crazy money. Visit MyHRL.com.

A real whodunit: The interactive, life-sized version of family favorite board game Clue ends its run (walk) in downtown Fort Lauderdale this weekend. As you may have heard, “Clue: A Walking Mystery” begins in the Peck Courtyard at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, where players (cosplay encouraged) set out to sleuth their way through downtown looking for clues to the murder mystery spawned in the 1943 board game. Teams (slotted into 20-minute intervals) can begin play from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the final day of the game. Tickets start at $39 a person. Visit BrowardCenter.org.

Your weekend dish: Jimmy Everett at Boynton Beach restaurant Driftwood is one of the more accomplished chefs in South Florida and a consistent champion of harvesting, buying and serving local — which yields dishes of uncommon freshness and flavor. This weekend he is offering Local Fish Ceviche, a new menu item inspired by the classic Peruvian version and adapted with local ingredients. This includes bigeye tuna caught off Fort Pierce partnered with passionfruit picked in Homestead, green plantains and jalapeños from Holman’s Harvest in Loxahatchee Groves, daikon radishes from Kai-Kai Farm in Indiantown and cilantro from the Driftwood garden, all pooled in a sweet potato gazpacho. Price: $20. For information and reservations, visit DriftwoodBoynton.com.

Ticket window: Tickets go on sale at noon Thursday for three summer concerts by Lady Gaga at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Mayhem Ball global tour, which includes her first arena concerts in almost eight years, is coming on Sunday, Aug. 31; Monday, Sept. 1; and Wednesday, Sept. 3. Visit Ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY

Stetson fest: Plenty of reasons to love the 2025 edition of Tortuga Music Festival, the boots-and-bikinis party taking place noon to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. Strong headliners: Jelly Roll (Friday), Keith Urban (Saturday) and Luke Combs (Sunday). Solid undercard: Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis, Cody Jinks, Ludacris, Shaboozey, Marcus King, Yelawolf and up-and-comer Wyatt Flores. There’s even a local act: Delray Beach-based Artikal Sound System. One-day tickets are available for $199+, while three-day passes start at $355+. Visit TortugaMusicFestival.com. (To get you in the mood, here were the best moments of Tortuga 2024, and here’s what it looked like.)

Taylor made: One night, two Taylor Swift dance parties in South Florida. The Taylor Party, a nationally touring 18-and-older homage to the music, fashion and aura of Taylor Swift, will take place Friday at Revolution Live in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 8 p.m., with the show at 9 p.m. Yes, dress the part. Tickets start at $18+ at JoinTheRevolution.net. … Meanwhile, also on Friday, cooler-than-thou dive bar Gramps in Wynwood will be the setting for The Eras Party. Organized by Taylor fans at Orlando-based Le Petite Fete, the costumes-encouraged evening will include a DJ spinning hits of different eras, lip-sync battles, bracelet trading and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21-and-older party cost $15. Visit Gramps.com.

Affair warning: The Delray Affair will unspool over seven city blocks along Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach this weekend, with hundreds of artists and makers displaying work, plus live music, the popular Beer & Wine Garden on Old School Square and an infectious joie de vivre. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Among the parking options are the Old School Square Parking Garage ($5 all day, with all proceeds going to Delray Beach Explorers), Delray Market Garage (use ParkMobile app), St. Paul’s Episcopal Church ($10) and the Palm Beach County Administrative Complex (free parking, free shuttles and service to and from Tri-Rail station). Also check out Freebee (RideFreebee.com) for free golf-cart transportation from your parking location. For details on the event, visit DelrayAffair.com.

Class act: Palm Beach Opera will romp through Mozart’s sly, madcap romance “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Kravis Center’s Dreyfoos Concert Hall in West Palm Beach this weekend, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $25+. Performances will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Visit Kravis.org.

Soaper star: Mauricio Martínez, telenovela heartthrob (“Señora Acero,” “La Mujer del Vendaval”) and Broadway actor (he played Emilio Estefan in the biographical musical “On Your Feet!”), will bring his cabaret show to 54 Below at The Rinker, the intimate, clubby space inside the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The show, titled “5’11 Based in NYC,” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44+ at Kravis.org.

Friday laughs: Actor and comedian Michael Yo, who has been so ubiquitous in the last few years that we almost forget he was a popular afternoon radio host on Miami’s Y100 radio, brings his Issa Truuue! Tour to Persson Hall at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50+ at Kravis.org.

SATURDAY

On their toes: Miami City Ballet brings Spring Mix to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale for performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday  and 2 p.m. Sunday. The program includes “Glass Pieces,” which pairs Jerome Robbins’ choreography with the mesmerizing rhythms of Philip Glass, along with Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, José Limón’s “Chaconne” and a company premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Tickets start at $40. The company also is set to perform Spring Mix at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach at 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 12 and 1 p.m. April 13. Visit MiamiCityBallet.org.

Weekend laughs: Former “Saturday Night Live” and “Portlandia” star Fred Armisen brings his (of course) idiosyncratic and critically praised tour, titled “Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome,” to the Kravis Center‘s Palm Beach Improv stage for performances at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are sold out at Kravis.org, but check on resale tickets.

Lucky ducks: The 19th annual Duck Fest Derby will fill the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale with 40,000 yellow rubber ducks on Saturday to raise money for Kids In Distress. The slow-moving “race” is the centerpiece of a free, family friendly festival presented by JM Family Enterprises from noon to 3 p.m. at Esplanade Park, which will include kids’ activities, food trucks, a petting zoo and live entertainment. Visitors can adopt a duck for $5, with a chance to win a variety of prizes, including a grand prize of $10,000 cash. Proceeds support the work of Kids In Distress with foster care and early childhood education programs. Visit DuckFestDerby.org.

High bar: The hospitable and attractive self-pour bar Garden District Taproom in downtown West Palm Beach will celebrate its second anniversary on Saturday from 2 to 10 p.m., with drink specials, giveaways, raffles, food trucks, music and more. Visit GardenDistrictWPB.com.

More laughs: Another “SNL” ex, Melissa Villaseñor was the first Latina member of its core repertory ensemble, spending six seasons on the show before departing in 2022. Villaseñor will be at the Dania Improv in Dania Beach for performances at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $25+, or $35+ for reserved VIP seats. Visit DaniaImprov.com.

Flower power: The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens in Fort Lauderdale hosts its 16th annual International Orchid & Garden Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Along with being surrounded by the dazzling panorama of rare orchids, tropical plants, herbs and fruit trees for sale by local and international vendors, the festival includes food and drink vendors, art, live music and lectures on orchid care and gardening. Tickets cost $25+, but are free for guests age 12 and younger. The popular Tropical Luau Lunch takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. both days on the historic Bonnet House’s waterfront veranda, with a catered buffet, wine, beer and mai tai cocktails, live Tahitian music and dancers. Luau tickets cost $100+. Visit BonnetHouse.org.

SUNDAY

Lazy Sunday: One of the best ways to laze away a few hours in the shade with a picnic basket this weekend happens at Sunday Jazz Brunch on downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (get there early for a spot under a tree), the free first-Sunday concert and brunch series brackets the brick-lined path along the New River with food and drink from local restaurants, shopping among local merchants and, of course, live music. This Sunday’s bands are The Brass Evolution (Esplanade Stage), The FM Band (Connie Hoffman Gazebo) and LiCi Soul (Peck Courtyard at the Broward Center). Visit Parks.FortLauderdale.gov/jazzbrunch.

Local music: Guitarist, singer and songwriter Mike Garulli — best known for invigorating South Florida-based jam bands The Heavy Pets and Tand — brings his original psych-rock project Mike Garulli and The Floating Brains (an evolving assembly of friends) to Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Sunday at 7 p.m. General-admission tickets start at $15. Visit CrazyUncleMikes.com.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and X @BenCrandell.

Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT