This is one of those weekends defined by an eclectic randomness that makes life fun in South Florida. It’s a vibe that sometimes seems to be in danger of fading into a haze of homogeneity. Maybe it’s me. But this weekend we have The Symphonia in Boca Raton playing Grateful Dead music with local Deadheads Crazy Fingers. A Las Olas hot spot is hosting a Yacht Rock Night, tongue firmly in chic. Boca Burger Battle returns with its very local and very chill ambience. Same with the Fairchild Mango Festival (we make beer with mangoes here). And if you are a fan of “The Office,” stars of the show will gather for a major fan convention this weekend in Miami. To prepare you, actors Angela Kinsey (Angela) and Kate Flannery (Meredith), in a recent conversation with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, offered two “Office” trivia questions below. Let’s go!
FRIDAY
Weekend laughs: Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias will be at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood this weekend for three shows that will be filmed for an upcoming Netflix special. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $70+ on Sunday. Seats on Friday and Saturday are nearly gone. Visit Ticketmaster.com. … Meanwhile, comedian Alfred Robles, a frequent opener for Iglesias, will perform on the Palm Beach Improv stage at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $27.50+ at Kravis.org.
Night of the living Dead: The Symphonia chamber orchestra in Boca Raton (celebrating its 20th anniversary this month) and longtime local Grateful Dead admirers Crazy Fingers will join forces to celebrate the improvisational adventures of Jerry Garcia and his band of brothers at Mizner Park Amphitheater on Friday at 8 p.m. Part of Boca Raton’s Summer in the City series, admission to the one-night-only event is free. Visit MiznerAmp.com or TheSymphonia.org.
“Lear” for nothing: This is opening weekend for the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival‘s free Shakespeare by the Sea XXXIV performances of “King Lear” at the Seabreeze Amphitheater at Carlin Park in Jupiter. The 8 p.m. performances are Friday through Sunday, and July 18 to 21. The company also will have Shakespeare by the Palms IV performances of “King Lear” from July 25 to 28 at the Commons Park Amphitheater at Commons Park in Royal Palm Beach. Admission to all performances is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Visit PBShakespeare.org.
Country Cats: The Florida Panthers’ Baptist Health IcePlex in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park will host Country Night on Friday, with skating to country hits from 7 to 9 p.m. Western wear encouraged. Price to skate: $17. Pre-registration required at FTLWarMemorial.com. … Meanwhile, on the other side of the Holiday Park pickleball courts, The Andrew Morris Band will be playing country hits during the free Starlight Musicals series. The music runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Visit Parks.FortLauderdale.gov/starlight.
Yachty by nature: Buzzy taqueria COYO Taco in downtown Fort Lauderdale (401 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 150) will host Yacht Rock Night on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., with smooth jams from DJ Avg Joe, extended happy hour specials and $5 margaritas all night. Guests are encouraged to dress the part. (Ask your dad about Thurston Howell III.) Visit Coyo-Taco.com or Eventbrite.com.
Summer lovin’: The Movies by Moonlight series on the lawn at Las Olas Oceanside Park returns to Fort Lauderdale beach on Friday with a free screening of “Grease” beginning at 8:15 p.m. Movie snacks and drinks will be available to purchase onsite, but visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic, blankets and lawn chairs. Visit Facebook.com/theloopflb.
New laughs: Riverwalk SoFlo Comedy Club is an intimate new spot for laughs, putting on every-Friday shows at the lovely Masa & More restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale (510 SE Fifth Ave., Suite 129). With host Brett Engle leading a lineup of local comedians, performances run from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $25+. Visit Eventbrite.com.
It’s Fry Day: All four South Florida locations of World of Beer Bar & Kitchen will celebrate National French Fry Day on Friday (yes) with a contest to see who can eat 2 pounds of fries the fastest. Also celebrating its 14th anniversary this weekend, the restaurant in Coconut Creek will award $100 cash to the winner, a $50 gift card for second place and 10 raffle tickets for third. Participation is limited, and you can sign up at Facebook.com/wobcoconutcreek. Also hosting contests with similar prizes are WOB locations in Royal Palm Beach, Miramar and Doral. Visit WorldOfBeer.com.
SATURDAY
‘Office’ trivia: Yes, the largest-ever reunion of cast and crew from popular TV show “The Office” will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Miami Airport Convention Center. The weekend will include the first fan-convention reunion of characters Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey), meet-and-greets, Q&As, unique interactive photo opportunities and special merch for sale. General admission for the event, called The Reunion, is $79.95+ for Saturday, $49.95+ for Sunday and $119.95+ for both days. Guests age 6 and younger get in free. Visit ReunionCon.com. To get you in the mood, here are two trivia questions we got from “The Office” stars Kinsey and Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer). Kate: “What happened to Meredith’s daughter?” Angela: “What is the name of the receptionist at Vance Refrigeration that Phyllis doesn’t trust?” Answers at the bottom of this article.
Where to meat: Boca Burger Battle 2024 is back on Sanborn Square Park in downtown Boca Raton on Saturday with its popular backyard-grilling vibe and unlimited noshing and sloshing. Returning to the competition this year are past winners Burtons Grill and Bar, Yard House and Tucker Duke’s. Among the new contenders will be PZZA in Boca Raton, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar in Boca Raton, Sonrisa restaurant at Marriott Boca Center and, from Rio de Janeiro, Sem Frescura Burger & Fries. Boca Burger Battle takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $69+ in advance (then $100), VIP is $89+ in advance (then $125+). Both tickets get you unlimited burger samples and other bites, as well as unlimited beer, wine and spirits. VIP tickets include 6 p.m. admission, while GA is at 7 p.m. Perhaps not incidental to your enjoyment, locals Barrel of Monks Brewing will lead the beverages, with help from Funky Buddha Brewery, Pompano Beach Brewing Co. and others. Also for your enjoyment, new this year is a system of high-tech fans placed around the event to lower the temperature and humidity. Visit BocaBurgerBattle.com.
Mango guide: The Mango Festival returns to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami this weekend, a beloved annual showcase for hundreds of varieties of the “king fruit.” Taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, it will include fruit vendors, cooking demonstrations, live music and family-friendly games. Insiders know to get there promptly to buy Fairchild-grown mangoes and trees, as well as the famed mango smoothies ($8 each, two for $14, and $16 for a spirit-infused smoothie). You’ll also find mango cocktails and mango craft beer from La Tropical. Tickets are $24.95+, $17.95+ for seniors, $11.95+ for kids (age 6-17), free for guests age 5 and younger. Visit FairchildGarden.org.
Yes, mango pizza: To the north, Chef Daniel Ramos of Red Splendor Farm and Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach will celebrate the season’s bounty with their own Mango Festival at PBM on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature a variety of farm-grown mangoes to taste and to purchase, a mango menu that includes mango pizza (courtesy of Stepdad’s Pizza), Burmese curry with green mango slaw (Ahmay’s Cuisine), mango pie (Miss Marsha’s) and more. Visit Instagram.com/redsplendorfarm and Instagram.com/palmbeachmeats.
Free jams: The free Concerts at the ArtsPark series in downtown Hollywood will bring popular roots-reggae band Jah Steve & the Counteract Crew to the lawn at Young Circle on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Get there in time to catch the openers, funky instrumentalists TWYN (highly recommended). You can bring a picnic, but this also may be a good time to check out Block 40 Food Hall, which has 10 eateries and a large bar just across the street. The attractive 15,000-square-foot space is on the ground floor of the 1818 Park residential tower, in the southwest “corner” of Young Circle. Visit Instagram.com/hollywoodartspark.
Weekend pie: Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop locations in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Wynwood and Coconut Grove will recognize the 10th anniversary of his first brick-and-mortar location (Wynwood) with a weekend celebration that includes slices of chocolate-dipped Key lime pie on a stick for $5. The signature treat, a throwback to Fireman Derek’s food truck days, will be available Saturday and Sunday (open noon-11 p.m. each day), while supplies last. At the Wynwood shop, festivities also will include a new mural on the building by artist Carlos Solano, with signed prints of the work ($30) raising money for local arts organizations. Each purchase of a mural print also will come with a free Fireman Derek’s Birthday Box of treats. Visit FiremanDereks.com.
Lavender haze: Miami-based Lite Up America, which has choreographed laser shows for Ultra Music Festival, III Points and Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, will shine its lights on a Taylor Swift soundtrack at Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday (the 13th, as her fans know). There will be two shows at 7 and 9 p.m., each featuring more than a dozen music videos from Swift’s various eras, with lasers and Lite Up America’s signature Liquid Sky, a glowing layer of color flowing over your head. Tickets cost $39+, $49+ at the door. Visit Facebook.com/LiteUpAmerica.
Seeing red: The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, brings The Best of All Worlds Tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Saturday at 7 p.m., with special guests Loverboy. Tickets start at $38.05+ as part of a four-pack. Visit LiveNation.com.
Saturday comedy: Longtime writer and performer on the “Comedy Central Roast” series, Tony Hinchcliffe brings the barbed wit heard on his “Kill Tony” podcast to The Parker in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $39.75+ at ParkerPlayhouse.com.
Home boy: Acclaimed Wilton Manors blues guitarist Albert Castiglia and his band will be at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton on Saturday to celebrate his new album, “Righteous Souls,” scheduled for release on July 19. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show start at $20+ for standing room at FunkyBiscuit.com. For more on the album, visit Facebook.com/albertcastigliaband.
SUNDAY
Dare ya: DAER dayclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood will host a Copa America watch party by the pool on Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. The music will be by DJ Pope, longtime sideman for Colombian star J. Balvin, so you might want to leave your Messi jersey at home. Tickets cost $30+. Visit HardRockNightlife.com.
Sisters with voices: You’ve seen Bravo’s TV series “The Queens of R&B” — now witness the real thing. R&B groups Xscape and SWV bring the tour that shares its name with the 2023 TV show to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Sunday at 7 p.m. Other 1990s female hitmakers on the bill include Mya, 702 and Total. Tickets start at $41.30+ LiveNation.com.
It’s always Sunny: Sunny Side Up Market’s OG event in the MASS District in downtown Fort Lauderdale (844 NE Fourth Ave.) has been bringing the fruits of farmers and artisans together for five years. It returns on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with more than 40 vendors, food trucks, live music and more. You can pre-game at 11 a.m. with an hour of yoga and mimosas across the street under the trees at The Parker (BYO mat). Visit Instagram.com/sunnysideupmarket.
‘Office’ trivia answers
What happened to Meredith’s daughter? Kate Flannery: “It was mentioned that she had a daughter in ‘The Alliance’ episode, the one where Michael throws Meredith a birthday party even though it’s not her birthday. We did a webisode where Meredith explains that her ex-husband got her daughter, the nice one, and she got stuck with the son.”
What is the name of the receptionist at Vance Refrigeration that Phyllis doesn’t trust? Angela Kinsey: “I was just rewatching the (“Cafe Disco”) episode where Phyllis is not happy with Bob Vance’s new receptionist. It’s Jessica.”
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.
