It’s the first weekend of fall, and as it starts to cool down (almost imperceptibly), things start to heat up (obviously) on the cultural calendar. Which means soothing bowls of ramen from chef Takeshi Kamioka, the sweaty frenzy of Los Amigos Invisibles, Las Olas Hot Girl Social Club and notorious bikinis by Bunny Yeager. Let’s go …
THURSDAY
If you dare: Popcorn Frights Film Festival will indulge in a little pre-Halloween spookiness by hosting a half-dozen demonic movies during Wicked Weekend events taking place Thursday through Sunday at the historic Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale. Visit PopcornFrights.com.
Good walk: The community builders at Las Olas Hot Girl Social Club will return to downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night for a 2-mile walk-and-talk beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Laura Ward Riverwalk Plaza (on the New River next to the Stranahan House) and ending at 7:30 p.m. with GNO activities at Tin Roof. The female-only event is free and open to all. Visit Instagram.com/lasolashotgirlsocialclub.
Weekend laughs: Actor, comedian and Bud Light pitchman Shane Gillis, seemingly everywhere these days, will be at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood for 8 p.m. performances on Thursday and Friday. The shows are essentially sold out, but check for updates at MyHRL.com.
King of pain: As part of the 39th annual International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami, Teatro Avante will present “Lear,” a modern Spanish-language take on Shakespeare’s tragic tale, at the Arsht Center in Miami. Performances (in Spanish with English supertitles) will be at 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $35.10, $29.25 for seniors and students. Visit ArshtCenter.org.
FRIDAY
TV dinner: The captivating “Unseen Work” at MAD Arts in Dania Beach is a dinner party unlike any other. Taking place on Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., “Unseen Work” is an immersive dining experience with guests seated around an illuminated table composed of five conjoined 75-inch screens. A collaboration between Stockholm-based Venezuelan artist Jaime Reyes, South Florida chef Sam Diaz and sound artist Richard Vergez, the work features a four-course meal served over a slow flow of glowing text that tells the out-of-view backstories of kitchens, labor and the food being served. Tickets cost $195+ and include dinner, drinks, a limited-edition print by Reyes and same-day museum admission. Visit YesWeAreMadArts.com.
Looking up: Stylish British pop star Dua Lipa has the antidote in her Radical Optimism Tour, stopping at the Kaseya Center in Miami at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Expect to hear favorites including “Don’t Start Now,” “Levitating,” “One Kiss” and “Dance the Night,” along with newer hits “Training Season” and “Houdini.” Remaining seats for both shows are virtually all resale, starting at a little more than $100+. Visit Ticketmaster.com.
Dancing scene: On their ongoing North American tour, irresistible Venezuelan Latin-funk band Los Amigos Invisibles bring the sweaty dance party to the Miami Beach Bandshell on Friday at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.). General-admission tickets cost $54.99. Visit MiamiBeachBandshell.com. … Indie dance party We Are Your Friends takes over The Banyan Live in West Palm Beach on Friday at 9 p.m. with throwback club hits and retro attire encouraged. Admission is free with RSVP for guests age 21 and older, but costs $14.99 in advance for 18-20 or $18.99 at the door. Visit TheBanyanLive.com. … The touring DJ dance party Emo Night Brooklyn sets up at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 10:30 p.m. Tickets for the 21-and-older show cost $29 at JoinTheRevolution.net.
Bunny & Bettie: Screening this weekend, the documentary “Naked Ambition” remembers South Florida-based photographer and feminist trailblazer Bunny Yeager, best known for provocative pictures of iconic 1950s pinup Bettie Page. Against a backdrop of conservative, Eisenhower-era sensibilities, Yeager’s work displayed an unapologetic sexuality that has endured as a cultural touchstone of hip nostalgia across fashion and nightlife, film and television. Created by Emmy-nominated Miami filmmaker Kareem Tabsch and Miami Beach artist and documentarian Dennis Scholl, “Naked Ambition” has weekend screenings scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Coral Gables Art Cinema (GablesCinema.com); 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Cinema Paradiso Hollywood (CinemaHollywood.org); and a dozen screenings at O Cinema South Beach (O-Cinema.org). Saturday’s 8:30 p.m. screening at O Cinema will include pre-show burlesque by Sofia Luna (8:15 p.m.) and a post-film discussion with Tabsch and Scholl. The duo will do a Q&A after Saturday’s 1 p.m. showing at Gables Cinema, with Tabsch, editor/producer Dia Kontaxis and cinematographer Ed Talavera also at the theater on Sunday. Visit MusicBoxFilms.com.
Cristobal Herrera / Sun Sentinel
Iconic pinup Bettie Page is photographed by Bunny Yeager with two cheetahs in Boca Raton in 1954. (South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Ticket window: Pop explorer Ed Sheeran is coming to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Oct. 29-30, 2026, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Ticketmaster.com. … Barry Manilow (the Ed Sheeran of his time) will bring what is billed as a farewell tour to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Jan. 6. Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. Friday at Seatgeek.com.
Almodovar in English: The Lake Worth Playhouse will offer Pedro Almodovar’s first English-language film, “The Room Next Door,” in four screenings this weekend: 6 p.m. Friday, 3 and 5:15 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The drama about the complicated reunion of two old friends, one battling a terminal illness, is a showcase for powerhouse actors Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Tickets cost $9+. Visit LakeWorthPlayhouse.org.
New car smell: The Miami International Auto Show, one of the largest in the world, covering more than 1 million square feet, sets up at the Miami Beach Convention Center from Friday through Oct. 5. The show will include never-before-seen cars from leading automakers, the EV test track and a new feature, Memory Lane, dedicated to classic rides. Weekend hours will be 3 to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $18, or $7 for guests ages 6 to 12 and free for 5 and younger. Visit MiamiAutoShows.com.
Go Fish: South Florida’s other overachieving sports team (along with the Florida Panthers), the Miami Marlins will close out their MLB season at loanDepot Park this weekend against the rival New York Mets. Each game features a ticket package that includes an apparel giveaway: 7:10 p.m. Friday (“Stranger Things” jersey night), 4:10 p.m. Saturday (Venezuelan Heritage Celebration jerseys), and 3:10 p.m. Sunday (’90s-era Marlins windbreakers). Visit Marlins.com.
SATURDAY
Farm livin’: Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in Boynton Beach welcomes the season with its annual Fall Festival, beginning on Saturday and running through Oct. 31. The farm will offer a corn maze, pumpkin patch, animal encounters, tractor rides, sunflower picking and a variety of seasonal food and drink, including cider doughnuts, sweet corn, homemade ice cream and frozen apple cider. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $24.99+ on weekends, $19.99+ weekdays. Visit Facebook.com/Bedners.
John McCall / South Florida Sun Sentinel
Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in Boynton Beach will kick off its Fall Festival on Saturday. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Art of the city: The 30th annual Downtown Delray Beach Craft Festival will turn the heart of the city into a massive outdoor gallery and block party on Saturday. Beginning at East Atlantic Avenue and Northeast Fourth Avenue, the festival will offer a juried selection of photography, painting, mixed-media, jewelry, glass and fiber pieces from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/DowntownDelray.
Send in the clown: Puddles Pity Party is singer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Geier’s moody Pagliacci persona with impeccable taste in pop music covers — you may hear Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?” or Blink-182’s “All the Small Things.” Fresh from a performance at Shaky Knees Music Festival last weekend with Weird Al Yankovic, Puddles will perform at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40.71 at BrowardCenter.org.
Saturday laughs: Veteran comedian and actor George Wallace, most recently seen on the Amazon Prime comedy “Clean Slate,” starring Laverne Cox, will be the headliner on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center. Myra J and Just Nesh will open. Tickets start at $40 at LPACFL.com.
Take the kids: The sixth annual edition of Rainbowpalooza, a free children’s art and music festival and fundraiser, will take place at Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free, with VIP access also available. Proceeds support The Children’s Rainbow Fund, which combats child and teen depression. Visit Rainbowpalooza.com.
SUNDAY
Eating Japanese: Chef Takeshi Kamioka will celebrate five years of his popular Kaminari Ramen food trailer with an event at Progresso craft beer bar Laser Wolf in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. The event, called Kaminari and Friends, will take place during Laser Wolf’s Sunday Service from 2 to 7 p.m. and feature all Japanese vendors, including apps by Souper Samurai, refreshments from Fruity Cane, the artful trees of Hiko Bonsai, and Flower of the Mountain, which makes craft Japanese soaps. Visit Instagram.com/kaminariramen.
Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel
Fort Lauderdale chef, painter and tattoo artist Takeshi Kamioka will celebrate five years of serving from his Kaminari Ramen food trailer on Sunday. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Old glory: Revered bluegrass group Alison Krauss & Union Station, featuring Grammy-winning dobro player Jerry Douglas, will bring new music to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sunday. In March, the band released their first album in 14 years, “Arcadia” (Down the Road Records), a gloriously stripped-down acoustic collection that should play well at Hard Rock Live. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert start at a wallet-friendly $25. Visit MyHRL.com.
Pups and a flea: The Flamingo Flea returns to Tarpon River Brewing in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Sunday for an afternoon of local vendors, TRB beers and brunchies, and adoptable pups from Good Karma Pet Rescue of South Florida. The market will run from noon to 4 p.m. Visit FlamingoFlea.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.