It was only after moving east that it became almost impossible to find a real deep-dish pizza. Even in Connecticut, where we lived for years and had Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, a perennial “Best Pizza” (and not bad), my wife and I, there as here, have been looking for real, good deep dish without success.

I get that there are lots of New Yorkers around who like to fold their pizza slices in half. So be it. But if you are going to have a Best Pizza contest you have to take into account best “style” of pizza. A deep-dish slice is to a flatsie what a beef hamburger is to a plant burger. Both can be delicious, but they are not interchangeable. — Craig Donovan, Hollywood

A: Craig, I know what you mean, it’s all about the New Yorkers here! But as I began my search for Chicago-style pizza for you, I was surprised at the abundance of places that serve the doughy, cheesy pies you are craving. There are also several that dish up Detroit-style pizza, a deep-dish pie with an airy dough and perimeter of caramelized cheese, sauce on top.

These deep-dish pizzas are big, built to feed two to three people. The restaurants warn that they need at least a half-hour to prepare them. So call ahead or have a leisurely dinner, and bring along your New York friends; most of South Florida’s deep-dish joints also serve the “flatsies,” or thin slices, which as you say New Yorkers love to fold before they take a bite.

BROWARD COUNTY

Il Baretto Italian Cuisine, 220 S. University Drive, Plantation; 954-473-9400; ilbarettoristorante.com

A small stuffed deep-dish pie goes for $26; a large is $39. As a patron posted in “Let’s Eat, South Florida,” the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s foodie Facebook group: “People rave about Il Baretto and after just one pizza, I get it. It’s about as legit a deep dish as you can get … Our pizza was a Chicago Deep well done with sausage (hold the grated Parmigiana cheese). It weighed in at 8 lbs., 10 oz., just 5 ounces short of my son’s birth weight. This was a hefty delicious meal.”

Chicago Stuffed Pizza Co., 238 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the Sea; 954-533-1808; chicagostuffedpizzamenu.com

This joint serves a deep-dish pie with an extra layer of dough on top. You can get it plain with cheese inside ($28.99) or with a variety of toppings and stuffings (the Special is loaded with sausage, onions, mushrooms and green peppers; $40.95). If you’re with some New Yorkers, this joint will sell them the pizza they like; a basic NY Cheese Pizza is priced at $17.99.

Emmy Squared, 468 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 754-296-0076; emmysquaredpizza.com

Emmy’s offers create-your-own Detroit-style pizzas ($14 for a six-slice pie, $23 for 10 slices). There are also vegan and gluten-free pies, as well as signature pizzas such as the Birria ($19 or $26) and the Big Hawaiian, with pepperoni, bacon and pineapple ($19 or $25). The shop, part of a chain with stores around the country, also serves burgers, salads and sandwiches. South Florida also has a location in Coral Gables.

Sarpino’s Pizzeria, multiple locations; gosarpinos.com

Sarpino’s recommends its deep-dish varieties for those who are “looking for something thicker, without compromising on delicious crunchability.” Pies include the Sausage ($18.99) and the Vegan ($18.99). Warning: The Fort Lauderdale location is crazy-busy on weekend nights.

Capone’s Italian Pizzeria, 3775 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 954-986-9192; caponesitalianpizzeria.com

This place shows its love of Chicago not only through deep-dish pizza but with its “Chicago Hit List” of items such as Chicago roast beef ($16.68) and Chicago Dog (on a bun with peppers, onions, tomato slices, pickles and relish; $8.63). Capone’s is known among locals, though, for its deep-dish pies ($20.13). Here’s what one foodie said on “Let’s Eat, South Florida“: “Capone’s on Hollywood Blvd. has the best deep-dish pizza. It is worth the drive from Pompano every time. Helpful hint … we order ahead to eat here, it takes an hour to bake.”

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Danny’s Pizza Kitchen, 3501 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach; 561-200-0739; dannyspizzakitchen.com

The basic Cheese deep dish goes for $19.95; carnivores will enjoy the Meat Lovers, with pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage and meatball ($27.50). There’s also a Buffalo Chicken for $26.95. New York traditionalists searching for a single triangular slice can get one here for $3.50.

Giovanni’s Pizza, 21401 Powerline Road, Boca Raton; 561-483-7900; giovannispizzaofboca.com

Giovanni’s has 10 deep-dish varieties, including the Supreme (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and black olives; $36.08) and the Veggie (mushrooms, green peppers and onions; $31.81). There are also New York-style pizzas, salads, subs and pastas.

Death by Pizza, 528 NE Second St., Delray Beach; 561-666-9111; deathbypizzadelray.com

Here you will find Detroit-style pizzas that serve two to three people, with more than a dozen varieties. Try the Mr. White (ricotta, mozzarella and basil pesto; $26), Eggplant Parm ($30) or Gandolfini (sausage, roasted red peppers and garlic, caramelized onions, broccoli, mozzarella, sweet sauce and basil pesto; $30).

Motor City Pizza & Coney, 1538 SW Eighth St., Boynton Beach; 561-736-3000; motorcitypizzaconey.com

The dough blend of owner Bisar Gorani, imported from his native Kosovo, relays a deep crunch, and he uses whole-milk cheese instead of the usual Detroit-style brick cheese from Wisconsin. “It’s my recipe,” Gorani told Sun Sentinel back in 2021. “I wanted to use bread from Kosovo because it reminds me of home. Which is funny because Detroiters tell me this pizza reminds them of home, too.” A deep-dish pizza is $18.

Both counties

Jet’s Pizza, multiple locations; jetspizza.com

Jet’s is a chain that began in 1978 and is known for its Detroit-style pizza. According to Casey Kolp, owner of the Boca Raton and Royal Palm Beach shops: “We make our own dough fresh every morning and use only the finest Grande cheese without additives or fillers.” A large pizza with pepperoni goes for $18.48.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities have arrested at least one person in connection with Matthew Perry’s death from an accidental ketamine overdose last year, a law enforcement official tells The Associated Press.

The official was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities have scheduled a news conference in Los Angeles to announce details in the case later Thursday morning.

Los Angeles police said in May that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system.

An assistant found Perry face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead.

His autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery.

The decades-old drug has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroner’s investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy.

But the medical examiner said Perry’s last treatment 1 1/2 weeks earlier wouldn’t explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner’s report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house.

Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said.

Perry had years of struggles with addiction dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest television stars of his generation as Chandler Bing alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit sitcom.

___

Balsamo reported from New York.

Reefs and trails await underwater explorers just beneath the surface of the ocean’s warm, blue waters off the shoreline in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Need an escape from the daily stresses of life? Grab a snorkel and mask, wade into the surf and submerge yourself in a world in which the only traffic you’ll encounter is a vibrant school of fish swimming by, or a graceful sea turtle crossing your path.

Of course, before you dive in, there are several things to figure out: the right location for your skill level, the necessary equipment, access points, cost, safety factors, and parking and other amenities.

We’ve taken all of this into account when compiling our list of must-snorkel spots that are easily accessible right from the beach — no boat required — and are either free or, in some cases, involve only parking or park fees.

SAFETY FIRST

Before anything else, let’s talk safety. Here are some important tips for snorkelers, courtesy of the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation department’s website:

• Know your personal swimming limitations and snorkeling abilities.
• Always snorkel with a buddy so you can share your experiences and have somebody to help if needed.
• Check the ocean conditions, including waves, currents, wind, water visibility and weather.
• Decide on entry and exit points.
• Keep in mind that the best time to snorkel is within two hours before or after high tide.

“If unsure of skills, stay within lifeguarded areas,” Fine said. “Look but don’t touch is the slogan to follow with snorkeling, and keep feet and hands off coral and marine life.”

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST

Next, we asked marine biologist and Master Scuba Instructor John Christopher Fine — who calls Boynton Beach home when he’s not traveling around the world exploring shipwrecks and studying ocean pollution — about the equipment first-time snorkelers need before heading out into the water.

He said to start with the basics: a mask, snorkel and pair of fins (or swim shoes). Also, “wear a dive skin or nylon tights and top to protect from sun as well as stings,” he added. “Skins are inexpensive online, last a long time and are far less expensive than coral-killing sunscreens.”

A dive flag and float are required for safety and to comply with Florida law, he said.

“For beginners, I suggest a car inner tube on a yellow (polypropylene) line with a weight at the end, so the line can be dropped and the tube not float away,” he said, adding that a dive flag can be tied to it or secured with a special device.

“A tube is great to rest, holding on to it,” but it should be made of strong materials, not a typical pool float.

PLACES TO SNORKEL

Ready to jump in? We’ve gathered six snorkeling spots where you can meet marine life and experience the serenity of the sea.

And if you want a snorkeling sneak peek beforehand, just search YouTube.com for underwater videos by divers and snorkelers featuring the locations on our list below.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Phil Foster Memorial Park Snorkel Trail 
900 E. Blue Heron Blvd., Riviera Beach

HOURS: Sunrise to sunset

PARKING: Free

INFORMATION: discover.pbcgov.org/parks

An underwater paradise awaits snorkelers of all levels on the south side of the Blue Heron Bridge, just beyond a guarded swimming area. Venture out about 200 feet to explore submerged structures and shark sculptures while keeping an eye out for some of the trail’s residents, including squid, octopuses, spotted rays and starfish. Six hundred tons of rock were used to build the artificial reef, made of limestone boulders and prefabricated reef modules that span 2 acres in 6 to 10 feet of water, according to the county. Need to take a break? Cool off in the shade on the beach under the bridge. To the south, you’ll see Peanut Island, another popular snorkeling location accessible by boat or ferry.

Ocean Inlet Park/Lofthus shipwreck
6990 N. Ocean Blvd., Boynton Beach

HOURS: Sunrise to sunset

PARKING: Free

INFORMATION: discover.pbcgov.org

Whether you park and walk across Ocean Boulevard or under the road by the jetty, when you see the shoreline rocks along the guarded beach on the south side of the inlet, you’ve found the entry point to another popular snorkeling spot. Suit up with your equipment and wade into the ocean. Sea turtles, nurse sharks, reef fish and corals have all been spotted in the waters. For intermediate to advanced snorkelers who swim beyond the guarded area, be aware of boat traffic.

For those looking for a challenge, the Lofthus shipwreck is 1.1 miles north of the inlet, about 150 yards offshore in about 10 to 18 feet of water, Fine said. Park at Ocean Inlet Park and make the trek along the beach before the high-tide mark. He has seen guitar fish, a nurse shark and spiny lobsters hanging around the wreckage.

“Watch the weather. When the ocean is rough, waves break in shore and the shipwreck remains are not safe to dive,” he said. “Calm ocean and little wind make it a fun place to explore.”

Red Reef Park Snorkel Trail 
1400 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton

HOURS: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

PARKING: $35 on weekdays and $50 on weekends/holidays (day pass); $3 per hour at metered lot across State Road A1A

INFORMATION: myboca.us

Twenty artificial reefs just offshore and a jetty that extends from the beach into the water make up the snorkel trail. Walk directly into the ocean from the guarded beach and be on the lookout for sergeant major, parrotfish, bar jack and spottail pinfish. Snorkelers also have reported seeing a small reef shark, eels, lobsters, crabs, stingrays, barracuda and a sea turtle on their adventures.

Fourteen of the reefs were installed in late 2021, which extended the snorkeling trail. They are constructed from native limestone boulders sourced from a quarry near Fort Pierce, according to the city.

“Creating an artificial-reef snorkel trail offers residents and visitors another unparalleled outdoor experience in the city,” said recreation services director Greg Stevens. “This unique attraction not only provides a stunning adventure for snorkelers but also fosters a thriving and sustainable habitat for local marine life.”

It’s the ideal location for children to learn to snorkel and get up close with ocean life as well.

“I was able to view beautiful sea life such as turtles, colorful and bigger fish,” said 12-year-old Boca Raton resident Shea Ferris, who snorkels there. “It’s a safe and peaceful place for them, and I was able to enjoy everything around me.”

BROWARD COUNTY

Shipwreck Snorkel Trail
Datura Avenue and El Mar Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

HOURS: Sunrise to sunset

PARKING: Metered parking on side streets or at South Ocean Lot, 4324 State Road A1A

INFORMATION: discoverlbts.com/diving-snorkeling

Just south of Anglin’s Fishing Pier, one of Broward County’s most popular dive and snorkeling areas provides a trail in 10 feet of water and three coral reefs just off the beach.

“Recognized as ‘Florida’s Beach Diving Capital,’ Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s quaint Florida town is teeming with beautiful marine life in the calm, clear waters less than 100 yards off the white sand beaches, making it one of the best beaches in Florida to go snorkeling or diving with the little ones,” said town spokeswoman Aimee Adler Cooke. “The whole family can enjoy snorkeling, diving, kayaking and paddleboarding right off the beach.”

She said the town is a designated Blue Wave beach, a distinction given by the Clean Beaches Coalition to clean and environmentally responsible beach communities.

The Shipwreck Snorkel Trail, which includes an anchor, five concrete cannons and a ballast pile, was dedicated in 2002 by explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau (Jacques Cousteau’s son), according to the town.

The waters also are home to the SS Copenhagen, a British shipwreck in a Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve, that is reachable by boat.

Vista Park Reef
2851 N. Atlantic Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

HOURS: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

PARKING: Metered parking lot open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

INFORMATION: parks.fortlauderdale.gov

Just steps from the parking lot at Vista Park, a hidden gem among snorkeling enthusiasts is bustling beneath the blue ocean waters. The reef line starts about 300 feet out from shore and extends past the buoys. The area is the midway point of the reef that runs north and south. More advanced snorkelers can head out to the deeper depths of the reef. What will you see? Hard and soft corals, tropical fish and sea fans. Go early when water clarity is at its best.

Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park/Erojacks
6503 N. Ocean Drive, Dania Beach

HOURS: 8 a.m. to sunset

ADMISSION: $6 per vehicle (up to eight people); $4 for a single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle; $2 for pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass

INFORMATION: floridastateparks.org/mizell

There are various places to snorkel along the 2.5 miles of beach in the park, but one of the unique areas is the Dania Beach Erojacks, an artificial reef that runs east to west made up of concrete jacks structures. To find it, park by the Whiskey Creek Hideout, walk across the bridge and to the right, follow the service trail signs in the sand heading south. You will enter the beach area at the spot where the reef is less than 600 feet offshore. The Dania Beach Pier is visible just to the south. Put your dive flag out and look for eels, fish, coral, slipper and spiny lobsters, stingrays, puffer fish and starfish. Keep in mind that the northern end of the state park, including the jetty parking lot, Jetty Pier and beach access, is closed to the public for construction.

On Friday, the nonprofit organization, launched by innovative schoolhouse and community fulcrum Space of Mind, will kick off a monthly series called Delray Nights Throwback to celebrate the old-school downtown vibe and the tribe that made it distinctive. 

The inaugural gathering will honor John Paul Kline, the revered chef who opened 3rd and 3rd, the music-friendly restaurant and bar in downtown Delray Beach, in 2013. Kline died three years later.   

Taking place at The Hub at Space of Mind (101 NW First Ave.) from 8 p.m. to midnight, the inaugural Delray Nights Throwback will include sets from local favorites Spred the Dub, along with light bites from chef Jessie Steele, a donation bar and an atmosphere that aims to recreate the spirit of Delray’s old-school music venues. Tickets cost $50. (Teacher tickets are 50% off to celebrate the back-to-school season.) Visit FindSpaceOfMind.com.

Ali Kaufman, founding director of the Community Classroom Project and its culinary program, the Community Classroom Kitchen, had a relationship with Kline that predates 3rd and 3rd. Friday’s event will raise money in his honor. 

“I’m looking forward to celebrating with JP’s longtime friends and all the lovers of the OG Delray local scene this Friday. We’ll be raising the vibe, raising some picklebacks and raising some funds to launch the John Paul Kline Culinary Arts Scholarship,” Kaufman says. “We will continue to carry on his dream of celebrating food, art and people, always all at once.”

THURSDAY

Weekend movies: Three Cinemark theaters in South Florida are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the chain’s debut with the Big in ’84 film series, offering $5 screenings of popular films from 1984, including “Purple Rain,” “Footloose,” “Ghostbusters,” “The Karate Kid,” “Gremlins,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and more. The films will be shown at the Cinemark Boynton Beach 14, Cinemark Bistro Boca Raton and Cinemark Paradise 24 in Davie through Sunday. Visit Cinemark.com.

The DJ is you: Best known for its burlesque brunch, hip vibe and elevated lounge-food menu, Pompano Beach restaurant-bar Revelry will host another bring-your-own-vinyl night, Wax On Wax Off, where experts help you learn to create a vibe while spinning your favorite records in 15- to 30-minute sets. Sign-up begins at 7 p.m. All genres welcome. Visit Instagram.com/revelryfla.

Bump & Shot: Bice Ristorante in Palm Beach will launch its inaugural Caviar Bump & Shot Happy Hour on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., when a special station will feature three types of caviar from Palm Beach-based Altima Caviar. The “bumps” of caviar will be served on a mother-of-pearl spoon and paired with a chilled shot of Truman Vodka (Austria). The price ranges from $25 to $50 depending on the grade of caviar selected (you can keep the spoon and shot glass). Attendees also may order caviar at a 30% discount and the vodka for 20% off during the event. Visit Facebook.com/bicepalmbeach.

Ticket window: Billy Joel is coming back to South Florida for a performance at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Saturday, Nov. 23. Ticket presales will take place on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., via the Hard Rock Facebook, X and Instagram accounts, as well as at Ticketmaster.com (password: MOVIN). The general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. Friday at MyHRL.com. 

Good life decision: Clematis by Night brings free music back to the Great Lawn in downtown West Palm Beach on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. with Poor Life Decisions, Justin Enco’s Delray Beach-based rock quartet that has always deserved a wider audience. Seek them out — satisfaction guaranteed. Visit WPB.org/events.

FRIDAY

Weekend laughs: Actor, comedian, author, Peabody Award winner and radio host D.L. Hughley returns to the stand-up stage at the Miami Improv for performances at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $40+ at MiamiImprov.com. … Comedian and impressionist Aries Spears (he did nearly 200 episodes as a regular on Fox’s sketch comedy series MADtv) is at the Dania Improv in Dania Beach at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $30+. Visit DaniaImprov.com. 

Friday tributes: Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale will host 1980s rock cover band Hairdaze and Guns N’ Roses tribute Appetite for Destruction on Friday, with tickets for the all-ages show starting at $9.25+ as part of a four-pack. Doors open at 7 p.m. Visit JoinTheRevolution.net. … Rush tribute band Afterimage will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach. Admission is free, with table seating for two starting at $30. Visit Galuppis.com. … Magic 13 Brewing Co., a sweet spot in Miami’s Little Haiti, will have nationally touring Queen tribute band Almighty Queen at 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20+. Visit Magic13Brewing.com.

Let’s talk about sax: Smooth jazz saxman Jeff Kashiwa (The Rippingtons, The Sax Pack) has shows at 6 and 9 p.m. Friday at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton. Tickets start at $30+ at FunkyBiscuit.com.

Free music: The free Summer Jamz concert puts an exclamation point on the season at Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale on Friday with a performance by popular R&B group Jagged Edge (hit “Let’s Get Married,” “Where the Party At”). Summer Jamz takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. and includes food and drink, vendors and a kids’ zone with bounce houses, yard games and more. Admission is free. Visit Parks.FortLauderdale.gov.

SATURDAY

Rompers room: Members of the South Florida Chapter of the Mrs. Roper Romp will bring their roving band of bewigged and muumuu-ed Helens to The American German Club of the Palm Beaches in Lake Worth Beach on Saturday. The night will include music from the band Private Stock, which covers classic hits from the heyday of “Three’s Company,” and German Fest activities from 5 to 10 p.m. Admission is $30 and includes German and American food and all-you-can-drink beer, wine and soft drinks. For information, search for “South Florida Chapter of Mrs. Roper Romp” on Facebook.com.

Do you remember? The indelible hits of Earth, Wind & Fire (“Boogie Wonderland,” “Shining Star,” “September”) and Chicago (“25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”) come to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available, starting at $49.15+, at LiveNation.com.

Makers market: Beloved Fort Lauderdale staple The Flamingo Flea flees north to its traditional Palm Beach County digs at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The indoor-outdoor scene will include more than 30 vendors (including my new favorite, the make-your-own Hawley Trucker Hat Bar) and Crazy Uncle Mike’s beer, full bar and acclaimed food. Yet another reason to be there — live music from Joshua Diaz (remember Kids?), beginning at noon. Visit FlamingoFlea.com.

Let’s get luau-ed: Temple Street Eatery will celebrate 10 years in downtown Fort Lauderdale, on the Federal Highway seam between Flagler Village and Victoria Park, with a luau-themed block party on Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. The event will be a showcase for the acclaimed Asian street-food inspired cuisine of chef/partners Alex Kuk and Diego Ng, surrounded by live music, Chinese lion dancers, special cocktails, games and giveaways. Visit TempleStreetEatery.com.

Drinking Italy: The buzzy Small Wine Shop in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village will throw a party for the traditional Italian summer celebration Ferragosto on Saturday at 8 p.m., with Italian bites and free-flowing Italian wines. Tickets: $50 (15% off for Wine Club members). Visit SmallWineShop.com.

Plight of the honey bee: Copperpoint Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach will celebrate one of our ecosystem’s most critical workers with a gathering called Flight of the Honey Bee on Saturday, which is National Honey Bee Day. From 2 to 6 p.m. you’ll find special flights of four beers made with honey, including their popular Bee’s Squeeze. Joey McCoy of McCoy’s Florida Honey in Loxahatchee Groves will speak about the importance of bees, accompanied by a live hive, and will have samples of a variety of their honey. There also will be bottles of honey for sale. Visit Facebook.com/CopperpointBrewingCo.

Sushi Jo SoSo: Sushi Jo will celebrate the opening of its new location in the SoSo area of West Palm Beach (6200 S. Dixie Highway) on Saturday at 9 p.m. with complimentary sushi tastings, drink specials and music from Spred the Dub and DJ H-Bomb. Visit Facebook.com/SushiJoWPB.

They will rock you: If you are curious about Unravel — winners in the under-20 category at the Battle of the Bands competition at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton last Friday —  you can catch them at MarToni Pizza Lounge in Pompano Beach (555 S. Federal Highway) on Saturday at 8 p.m. Visit Instagram.com/unravel.band. (By the way, the other winners were the Miami-based Ryan Cooper Band in the over-20 category and, for the second consecutive year, Parkland’s Midnight3 took the People’s Choice award.)

Oakland Park cool: The free Oakland Park Art Walk on Saturday will showcase the funky diversity to be found along Northeast 12th Avenue. The three-hour open house (6 to 9 p.m.) will showcase creative and culinary talent in the area between Northeast 36th Street to 34th Court (east of the Brightline tracks, south of Funky Buddha Brewery). Participants include The Butcher’s Barrel,  Nour Thai Kitchen,  Rebel Wine Bar, Black Flamingo Brewery, D’Gusta Distributions and Beans-n-Dough Cookie Co. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov.

Cold as ice: The Wharf Fort Lauderdale will be the place to chill on Saturday during SlushyFest, with more than 75 unique frozen cocktails served at six bars at the waterside outdoor venue in the heart of downtown from 3 to 8 p.m. Admission is free, and drink prices vary. Just a reminder that The Wharf will be closing for renovations after send-off parties on Aug. 30-31. Visit WharfFTL.com.

Swift action: The dance-party sorority known as Le Petite Fete will host The Eras Party, a Taylor Swift dance night, at the legendary Gramps in Wynwood on Saturday. The 21-and-older evening will include a DJ playing her hits, a costume contest, lip sync battle, bracelet trading and more. Tickets: $15. Visit LePetiteFete.com.

SUNDAY

New Maren, old Maren: Maren Morris told social media followers that her new EP, “Intermission,” represents a “new chapter of my life” after the Grammy winner came out as bisexual in June. On her way to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sunday, Morris has been sprinkling new songs into recent tour sets, but for the most part her concerts lean into the music that has made her such a popular country performer, including “My Church,” “80s Mercedes,” “I Could Use a Love Song,” “The Bones” and her Zedd collaboration “The Middle.” Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert are available, starting at $29.99, at MyHRL.com.

Horn of plenty: Former Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble trumpeter Summer Camargo, now a member of the house band on “Saturday Night Live,” will share music from her new debut album, “To Whom I Love,” over two nights on Sunday and Monday at All That Jazz Café in Sunrise. At 7 p.m. each night, Camargo, who turns 23 this weekend, will lead a band that includes Austin Ford (trumpet), Jim Gasior (piano), Michael Ramos (bass), Max Marsillo (drums on Sunday) and Tyler Pons (drums on Monday). The Monday show was added after Sunday’s concert was sold out. For reservations, call 954-572-0821, text 954-260-5076 or email allthatjazz@bellsouth.net. Visit Facebook.com/Summer.Camargo.

Celebrating India: India’s Independence Day celebrations will unfurl on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Hosted by the South Florida chapter of the Association of Indians in America, the event will include a free cultural program highlighting dance and music from across India, food, a vendor market, an art exhibit, henna artists, kids’ activities and more. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/AIASFL.

The King of tributes: Longtime local favorite Chris MacDonald will bring his popular “Memories of Elvis in Concert” show to the Miniaci Performing Arts Center at Nova Southeastern University in Davie on Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $29.44+ at Ticketmaster.com.

LOOKING AHEAD

Keep on rollin’: Perhaps the ultimate outdoor, sing-along concert of the season in South Florida, Train and REO Speedwagon will perform at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Get there for the opening act, the hilariously awesome Yacht Rock Revue. Tickets start at $48.65+ at LiveNation.com.

Country dance party: A dance party dedicated to the music, fashion and fandom of a platinum-selling star is now a familiar template but the themed night called Down South is different. Taking place on Friday, Aug. 23, at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale, this gathering will take place to the hits of country stars Luke Combs, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen. Kind of a brilliant idea. Tickets for the all-ages show start at $13+ at JoinTheRevolution.net. Doors open at 8 p.m. Bracelets optional.

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

Tickets for the concert are scheduled to go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at MyHRL.com. But, first, tickets will be available in presales the day before, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., via Hard Rock’s Facebook, X and Instagram accounts, as well as at Ticketmaster.com (password: MOVIN).

Joel last month concluded a record-setting residency at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, a series that included 150 concerts over more than a decade. 

The New York native broke out more than 50 years ago with 1973’s autobiographical “Piano Man,” and any debate over his best song gets heated in South Florida. Candidates include “Just The Way You Are,” “The Longest Time,” “Vienna,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Tell Her About It,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl” and others.  

For more information and updates, visit BillyJoel.com.

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

After graduation and a short stint as a fashion writer, she started working as an analyst in the male-dominated Silicon Valley tech ecosystem. Now her third novel, May the Best Player Win, is scheduled to come out this fall.

Q: Can you talk about how you came up with the ideas for your most recent book, Valley Verified?

A: A few months after graduation I made the switch from the high fashion industry to the high tech industry. With that came a lot of impostor syndrome and a massive confidence crisis.

I was feeling really down about myself, and I didn’t think I could really confide in anyone, because all my friends seemed so successful and accomplished.

So I kept it all bottled up within myself. But at some point, I just had to get all these feelings out of me, so I started writing this story of this young woman who works in fashion in New York City, but because of circumstance, she’s forced to move across the country to Silicon Valley to take on a new role and a tech startup. And she’s like a fish out of water.

Q: How does the book touch on themes from your own life experience?

A: There’s just so many amazingly smart people here [in Silicon Valley], I think impostor syndrome is a lot more common than we realize.

I expected that only people around my age would relate to my book. But then I realized that people from different ages, from different stages of their careers, saw how much my story resonated with them. That’s honestly the best feeling because I wrote this book by myself, and it’s in some way inspired by my own experience. To know that my experience is something that other people could relate to as well, that’s a really awesome feeling for any writer.

Another theme that’s really important to me in this book is exploring what it means to be a woman in a very male-dominated industry. And especially how women can support one another.

I think growing up, women or girls have been taught to see one another as competition. Only one girl gets to be the homecoming queen, only one girl gets to be the prettiest, only one girl gets to date the most popular guy. And so from a young age, we think of it as a zero sum game. In order for one of us to succeed, it means that another woman cannot succeed.

That’s why in my book, you have this cast of female characters, they are very different on paper, but they learn to accept one another, and they learn to come together to support one another.

Q: Many people will be going on vacation in the next few weeks, and might be looking for something to read while they’re laying on the beach. Why might someone want to pick up Valley Verified?

A: I describe it as Legally Blonde set in Silicon Valley. It’s about a woman who goes from fashion to tech. These are two fascinating industries, and because I have personal experience with both I’m able to craft an authentic portrayal of these two worlds and all the niche references.

A lot of people have told me that my main character is someone who is very relatable. She’s not perfect, she doesn’t always make the right decisions, but she does try her best. And she has a good head on her shoulders.

Because this is set at a tech startup, you have this ensemble cast of characters who are all very quirky in their own ways. Even though people might recognize some stereotypical features of the tech industry in them, they are much more than a caricature of what people imagine tech people to be like.

Tech billionaires are becoming more mainstream celebrities. You see Jeff Bezos rubbing shoulders with the Kardashians, and Elon Musk is just doing what Elon Musk does. People are getting so much more fascinated with the ecosystem, but it can be very opaque sometimes, and my book is just like a really nice entryway into that. You see this ecosystem through the eyes of an outsider who is sometimes just as bewildered by what is going on as the rest of us.

Q: You graduated from Stanford and got a job working in tech, so what made you want to be an author as well?

A: I never saw myself becoming an author, but during the pandemic I was in my third year at Stanford University, then the pandemic broke out, and I wanted to go home to be with my family in Singapore but this was also a time when every country was shutting down borders, so I decided to stay put in California. For most of 2020 I was living alone and I got very homesick, very lonely, and also just kind of depressed.

I just got so tired of seeing Asians like myself be portrayed in such a negative, derogatory manner. I really wanted us to be portrayed in a more vibrant and fun and joyful manner. That’s when I got the motivation to start writing my own story, set in my home country of Singapore, it became my very first novel, The Fraud Squad, published in early 2023.

It’s kind of like Crazy Rich Asians meets The Devil Wears Prada. It’s really fun.

Q: Your next book is coming out soon, what will May the Best Player Win be about?

A: I describe my next book as a family-friendly version of The Queen’s Gambit, without the drugs and everything, so parents can read it with their kids. It is also set in the Bay Area. It’s about a chess player who makes a bet with a sexist rival, that girls can be as good as boys at the game. That is coming out in September.

I actually wrote the first draft over one month in November 2020, the election month. I just felt very jaded and cynical, seeing grown men say such hateful things, so I really wanted to write a book that was from the perspective of someone younger, someone who still has that youthful innocence.

I grew up playing chess, I was on Singapore’s national junior squad, so I think the commonality between this book and Valley Verified is that it explores what it’s like to be a girl, or woman, in a very male-dominated space.

My main character in this next book also has to deal with people doubting her abilities just because of her gender. She has to find a way to prove herself, but as she tries to prove herself and as she tries to win the bet, performance anxiety begins to creep in. I hope that kids in Silicon Valley, or even adults, can relate to some of what my main characters going through.

Kyla Zhao

Age: 26Position: Author, tech workerEducation: Stanford UniversityResidence: San Jose, CaliforniaFamily: Parents in Singapore, brother at UC Berkeley

Five things about Kyla

1. Has to have three drinks when writing: coffee, water, and something special2. Loves cold desserts: if it’s cake, it should be ice cream cake3. Goes to a pilates studio where she is the youngest but least fit4. Writes in size seven font, so she doesn’t get tempted to edit before a full draft is done5. Comfort movie is The Devil Wears Prada

“Best water on the planet,” shouted a guy selling plastic bottles of water for $5.

You could see, of course, airborne antics, parachutists, a biplane. The Blue Angels. Two men playing chess. There was a man with a colorful parrot on his shoulder and a woman whose face was painted red, white and blue. And near Oak Street, I saw an older man in a chair reading comics.

These days it’s a rarity, seeing a person reading a newspaper the old-fashioned way, which is ink on paper and not on a phone or laptop. But comics?

The man, who told me he lived in Kenosha, said he had been reading comics since he was a kid, “and that was a long time ago.” There was a newspaper on the ground at his side and the comics were in his hands. We talked for a while and then his two grandkids ran over and the Saturday sky show started.

“Have a look,” he said, handing me the comics.

Now, I have never been a regular reader of comics, not even as a kid, but I respect those who do (one grandmother was a rabid fan) and know they have been popular entertainments for more than a century.

Some people see them as firmly part of the country’s cultural fabric. Richard Marschall, the author of “America’s Great Comic-Strip Artists,” told me years ago. “The comic strip and jazz are the only two American art forms.”

Though many newspapers, the Tribune included, were running some pages of Sunday drawings and comics in the late 19th century, they were not in color and had no continuing characters.

The first newspaper comic strip character was featured in Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World in 1895. He was “The Yellow Kid,” a gap-toothed, jug-eared urchin dressed in a nightshirt. He became an instant sensation.

William Randolph Hearst, publisher of the rival New York Journal, hired the artist behind “The Yellow Kid” and made the comic the star of a Sunday package touted later in 1896 as “Eight Pages of Polychromous Effulgence That Make the Rainbow Look Like a Lead Pipe!”

The newspaper world recognized a circulation builder. After World War I, as comics were becoming daily staples in an increasing number of papers, the Chicago Tribune’s bosses, cousins Col. Robert R. McCormick and Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson, started to cultivate their own comics.

Patterson led the way, especially after moving to New York to start the Illustrated Daily News (soon to become the New York Daily News) in 1919.

“It is probably true that no other publisher in history — not even Hearst — took as much interest in the comics he published as Patterson did,” wrote Stephen Becker in his 1959 book, “Comic Art in America.”

Patterson helped create and nourish, among many other strips, “The Gumps,” “Gasoline Alley,” “Moon Mullins” and “Terry and the Pirates.” He was enthusiastically hands-on, offering advice, advising artists and coming up with promotional ideas. He often gathered cartoonists to discuss characters and storylines.

My favorite comic story concerns the day an artist came into Patterson’s office with a proposal for a strip called “Little Orphan Otto.” Patterson looked at the drawings. “He looks like a pansy,” he said, using derogatory language common at the time. “Put a skirt on the kid and call him Annie.”

Here’s another notable Tribune comic story.

When a man named Chester Gould arrived in Chicago in 1921, he found it “exhilarating” and decided to stay. He attended Northwestern University where he studied business and commerce. He married, started a family. He took classes at the Art Institute.

And he created comic strips for the city’s newspapers. He tried the Tribune but for a decade was unsuccessful. Then he came calling with drawings of a detective he called “Plainclothes Tracy.” Patterson had a look, shortened that to “Dick Tracy” and the strip was launched on Oct. 4, 1931.

It was an immediate hit. Gould and his family settled onto a farm in Woodstock and he commuted six days a week to Tribune Tower and, rarely taking a vacation, created in both places for half a century a vast array of strange characters and compelling plots and technological gizmos that fascinated the readers.

I was more than surprised to find Dick Tracy in the pages that Campbell had given me, “Doonesbury” too. I did not recognize such other strips as “Wumo,” “Frazz,” “Bound & Gagged,” or “Sherman’s Lagoon,” but assume they are popular with some people.

The pages also told me there was a place to “check out more than 75 other strips.” Seventy-five! Among them I found an offering called “Breaking Cat News” by Georgia Dunn. Ever seen it?

When it debuts in December, this new coastal Italian bistro from husband-and-wife restaurateurs Eddie and Christina Pozzuoli will take over the longtime Tavolino space in Coral Springs, the couple tell the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The Pozzuolis, who once owned Tavolino, want to transform their space into something new and swanky while also paying tribute to the past.

The new family-run restaurant, named after their children, Eddie, 6, and Vinny, 3, promises to be a seafood-forward Italian sit-down touting fresh daily catches, olive-oil carts with bread service, wine lockers and a 10-seat “pasta room,” where chefs hand-roll pasta shapes by day.

After a long career of giving other acclaimed South Florida restaurants like Prezzo and Corvina Seafood Grill a jolt of youthful ambition, the Pozzuolis say Eddie & Vinny’s, for once, is entirely their own.

“We want to light something on fire and go after it,” Eddie Pozzuoli says. “This is completely us from scratch.”

It is not, Eddie Pozzuoli adds, a comeback for Tavolino, the highly regarded Italian bistro that closed in April after 17 years, amid the growing legal and financial woes of its most recent owner, Sidharth Sethi, he says. The Pozzuoli family has owned the Tavolino building on West Sample Road since 2007 but sold the restaurant to Sethi in 2019. Then last fall, Tavolino’s chef of 15 years, Bruno Silva, exited the restaurant to open his own farm-to-table Italian eatery, Livello, also in Coral Springs.

“Bruno was what was keeping [Tavolino] together, so we wanted to turn the page and do something new,” Pozzuoli says.

Eddie & Vinny’s will carry traces of its predecessor’s DNA, starting with the name, a nod to Tavolino founder and Eddie’s father, Ed Pozzuoli Sr., and Christina’s father, Vinny. The menu, still unfinished, will pay homage to Tavolino’s classic Italian fare (veal Parmigiana and chicken Milanese, for example) while offering dishes such as blue crab bruschetta, Florida rock shrimp with broccoli puree and shellfish nage, and lobster linguine fra diavolo created by chef Jeff Tunks (Boca Raton’s Corvina Seafood Grill).

“This project connects our sons and our dads because we had so many good memories here,” Christina Pozzuoli says. “Our customers kindled relationships here. They had baby showers, bat mitzvahs.”

The 30-something power couple behind Eddie & Vinny’s rose up the culinary ranks by taking over Burt Rapoport’s rebooted Boca Raton Italian joint Prezzo in 2020, and expanding the trattoria to Palm Beach Gardens in 2021. Last spring, the Pozzuolis also became managing partners of Corvina Seafood Grill through their P Hospitality banner, and have since refreshed its cocktail program, introduced glasses of welcome cava for diners and added a “land” section of the menu for non-seafood eaters.

Christina Pozzuoli sees similarities between Corvina and Eddie & Vinny’s, describing the latter as Corvina’s “cool older brother.”

The Eddie & Vinny’s menu will carry “maybe 60% seafood and 40% Italian classics,” adds Eddie Pozzuoli. Other dishes will include steamed Prince Edward Island mussels with garlic, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme-limoncello cream and grilled crostini, and yellowtail livornese with Gaeta olives, capers and tomato. For carnivores, there’s a Tuscan cowboy ribeye steak topped with rosemary and balsamic glazed cippolini onions.

The Pozzuolis say they’re awaiting construction permits to start revamping the dining room, hopefully by September. The sumptuous vibe, which Christina Pozzuoli describes as “darker, intimate and more nightlife-y,” will come alive with dark navy and caramel-wood tones, and brassy gold barstools and banquettes. Gold pendant lighting will be fixed within black exposed ceilings, while a live-music stage will carry five-piece jazz bands and DJ sets.

Happy hour and lunch service will launch roughly a month after opening, Eddie Pozzuoli says, but craft cocktails and an Italian-leaning wine list will be available on opening night. Eddie & Vinny’s will also offer wine memberships, in which customers buy bulk wines at discount and store them inside chilled wine lockers to pair with meals on future visits without paying corkage fees.

“Because of Tavolino, we have a pretty good idea of what the clientele likes out here,” he says. “We don’t want to completely move away from the classics, and I don’t want to alienate what made us very popular, what made us near and dear to everyone’s hearts. There’s got to be something for everyone.”

Eddie & Vinny’s, at 10181 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs, is expected to open in December 2024.

Staff writer Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@sunsentinel.com. Follow him on Instagram @p.v.guide and X/Twitter @PhilValys.

People disappear, during war, in crimes, from accidents, even by choice. Juliet Grames explores how each disappearance comes with secrets in her sophisticated second novel, “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.”

Set during 1960 in a remote Italian village, “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia” looks at old-fashioned ways thrust into a modern world, small-town life, politics and the lingering influence of WWII. At the center is a young woman trying to find her way on her own.

Francesca Loftfield, a 27-year-old American, is as lost as that mysterious boy. Francesca has come to Santa Chionia, “nestled in the remote heart of the Aspromonte massif in Southern Calabria” to establish a nursery school. The idealistic Philadelphian believes the school not only will educate the youngsters but also their parents in matters of hygiene and nutrition to reduce the child mortality rate. She wants to save “one needy child at a time.”

This isolated mountain village with its sheer cliffs hasn’t quite been able to embrace the 20th century. The village was ignored by the government after WWII, and a cholera epidemic wiped out a quarter of the residents. There is no running water, electricity, nor a proper road — getting there is quite arduous, as part of the journey must be done on foot. None of this deters Francesca, who believes she can make a difference.

Soon after Francesca arrives, the post office is swept away during a flood following a torrential storm that lasts weeks. This cuts off the mail service and destroys the footpath out of the village. The post office’s destruction unearths a decades-old skeleton that few village people seem to care about. Although busy planning the school, Francesca can’t resist the pleas of the priest’s housekeeper who wants to know if the remains are that of her son, who supposedly left more than 40 years before. Her son, Leo, was 15 years old when he left for America but has never been heard from since. Then a second woman wonders to Francesca if the remains may be her missing husband.

Francesca’s inquiries reveal aspects of Santa Chionia that villagers have tried to hide. The past may be buried even deeper in a place where the residents often refer to themselves as a big family.

Grames’ skill at building solid characters shines in “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.” Despite being in her late 20s and living in Italy for a couple of years, Francesca comes to Santa Chionia a bit naïve at the struggles of others, especially those in an isolated area. She thinks she understands the area because her mother’s heritage is Calabrian, but she has much to learn.

Grames subtly shows the contrast between the modern world Francesca is used to and life in the village, where running water would be a luxury. Television and rock ‘n’ roll would be inconceivable. It’s revealed that Francesca is telling events that happened to her more than 60 years before. Her time in Santa Chionia will influence the choices Francesca will make for her future.

Breathtaking vistas of Italy further seal the enthralling story of “The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia.”

If you’ve lost track of how many people in your orbit have recently posted pictures of themselves at a Formula One race or Taylor Swift concert, chances are you’re not alone. According to new research from Collinson International Ltd., which owns Priority Pass and LoungeKey airport lounges around the world, sports and music tourism are growing at unprecedented rates and are forecast to represent a $1.5 trillion industry by 2032.

Sports tourism represents the overwhelming majority of that figure. Valued at $564.7 billion in 2023, it’s expected to skyrocket to $1.33 trillion in the next eight years. Music tourism, meanwhile, is projected to contribute an additional $13.8 billion, more than doubling its current valuation of $6.6 billion.

For the purposes of its report, published on July 29, Collinson defined travelers as anyone who flew to an event, whether internationally or within their own country. Of 8,537 surveyed travelers from 17 countries, more than four in five (83%) have flown to a sporting event while 71% have boarded a plane for a concert in the past three years, or plan to in the next 12 months.

Collinson used those results to model how the industry has expanded and may continue to do so — assuming linear growth in spite of history-making events such as Swift’s Eras Tour or the first Summer Olympics in eight years to allow in-person spectators, which are currently underway in Paris.

“People are placing high value on experiences over objects,” says Christopher Ross, president of Collinson International EMEA. “If you are going to a sports or music event, the experience does not just start when you walk into the stadium. It’s the planning, travel itself and excitement.”

About 83% of people traveling for events are heading to soccer matches, basketball games, the Olympics, F1 races or tennis tournaments — the five most popular sporting events in descending order. In a world where streaming networks have created easily accessible pathways to fandom, Ross says, “the ability to become a global fan has become much more of a reality.”

Soccer captured 69% of the survey’s sportsgoers, who said they’d recently traveled to a live match or had plans to do so in the next year. That includes those who were among the more than 1 million fans in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but not those who plan to attend the next World Cup, in 2026.

Formula One, meanwhile, has been surging in popularity with younger generations ever since Netflix Inc. premiered its Drive to Survive docuseries, in 2019; a full 30% of F1 fans attributed their interest in the sport to the show. In 2023 the average race weekend had more than 270,000 in-person spectators, up from 195,000 in 2019.

It’s not just that more people are interested in the sport; ticket prices are also on the rise. Tickets for races in the U.K. this summer have reached £600 ($765) for prime “grandstand” seats, with general admission often costing more than £400 per person — up from about £300 just two years ago — prompting British driver Lewis Hamilton to publicly criticize the rising price tag.

To Ross’ point, those tickets are just one aspect of the sports tourism economy, which also includes hotel stays, restaurant meals, taxi rides, merchandise and other expenses. Collinson data show that 77% of travelers arrive one or two days before a concert or competition, and some 80% will stay one to three days after. Sports tourists spend the most, with 51% exceeding $500 per trip per person on flights and other expenses, not including the event tickets.

Take Las Vegas, which hosted an F1 Grand Prix race in November 2023. The event brought $1.5 billion in economic impact to the city, 50% more than the Super Bowl would raise just three months later. “It’s a younger demographic,” Ross says of F1 fans, who are among the most likely to add extra expenses to their sports trips. “It seems counterintuitive, because you would think they have less disposable income,” Ross adds.

That doesn’t diminish the effect of other events. The Paris Summer Olympics, while less of an international tourism juggernaut than expected, are still attracting enough tourists to send Airbnb bookings up 133% from the same period last year. International tourists have been expected to pay around $5,000 for hotel stays, airfare and event ticket costs. And sports fans, Collinson says, are willing to spend in airports too — which is of note to the company. Over half of sports fans, its research shows, spend $500 or more in the airport alone; those aged 25-34 are the highest spenders, with a third of them spending in excess of $1,000 while waiting for their flights to board.

On the music front, Collinson cites major events including Rock in Rio, Coachella and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour as tourism drivers. But the latter is an unprecedented anomaly. Swift fans have driven 45% year-over-year increases in airfare sales to destinations such as Milan and Munich during concert dates, according to United Airlines Holdings Inc., and the tour resulted in larger booking spikes for Paris’ top-tier hotels than even the Olympics.

For those in the hospitality industry, the question now is how to cash in on the trend. Marriott International used the Eras Tour as an opportunity to earn new members for its Bonvoy loyalty program, promising free tickets via raffles. By contrast Auberge Resorts Collection, which has 27 five-star resorts from Italy to Hawaii, is teaming with Mercedes-Benz to create a new concert series starting in October, with live performances so far featuring Kate Hudson, Maren Morris and LeAnn Rimes. At Tennessee’s iconic Blackberry Farm Resort, which has its own concert hall on-site, the events lineup includes performances by Kacey Musgraves, Emmylou and Friends, and Noah Kahan in the coming months, with general access tickets typically starting at $1,000 per person.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.