Patti Roth

Fort Lauderdale is offering free New Year’s Eve festivities including an outdoor street party with a lighted anchor drop.  Music entertainment is featured at the event.  The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Countdown includes bounce houses, inflatables and games.  The event in 2025 is 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. December 31, at Southwest Second Street and Southwest …

Going out to see holiday lights is an important part of the holiday season. In South Florida, many of those lights are on palm trees and not on evergreens, but that doesn’t make them any less desirable. Florida Christmas lights are still beautiful, and we also have beautiful weather in which to enjoy outdoor light …

For folks who sign up for the free Family rewards program at Ikea, participating restaurants in the home goods stores offer deals. Some deals require the Family rewards ID, others do not.  Ikea restaurant deals include: Kids eat free Kids eat free in December with purchase of an adult entree. Valid for 1 or 2 …

It’s a party. New Year’s Eve events in Miramar Regional Park include entertainment, food trucks and fireworks. Entry is free. Parking is $10.  New Year’s Eve events in 2025 in Miramar include  12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 31, with kids’ activities including inflatables, face painting, and DJ entertainment 9 p.m. to 12:30 am. …

If you’re looking to soak  in the outdoors in South Florida, Fern Forest in north Broward is a lush oasis for nature walks and occasional free astronomy programs with telescopes. Delight in the scenic setting on your own or register for a guided hike. Most events are free or relatively inexpensive. Entry into the natural …

Water Taxi on The Intracoastal Waterway runs scenic routes in Fort Lauderdale & Pompano Beach, and an express route from Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood. Information about Water Taxi and purchasing tickets is at 954-467-6677 or online. Discount opportunities are offered.  Water Taxi routes in Fort Lauderdale Some use the yellow vessels to travel from place …

South Florida usually offers perfect winter weather to venture out. If you’re out and about December 25, festive light displays, restaurants, attractions, art installations, parks, and places to shop are open.  Please return to this feature as other information is added for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.   If you want to recommend a venue …

Library branches in Broward occasionally feature free entertaining events including live performances, yoga, and festivals. Holiday events include shows, DIY projects and photo ops.  Some events are for kids and families. Others are aimed at adults. At plenty of library branches, parking is free. Featured events in 2025 Holiday Jazz Emily Kennedy on trumpet and …

Winter festivals, fun with Santa, and dazzling light displays are part of the seasonal festivities in South Florida. Broward County offers all kinds of events to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the New Year. Parades, festivals, concerts, family festivals, light displays and more abound from Coral Springs to Hallandale Beach, from Hollywood to Pembroke …

Coral Springs will host an interactive light show every night downtown, with twinkling lights timed to classic holiday songs. The show will play every half hour from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly from Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025 and entry is free. The city plans a special Light Up the Lawn event on Saturday, …

Organizations in South Florida offer free food distribution for families needing help. Some sites provide drive-through pickups, while others offer doorstep deliveries for eligible participants. Eligibility requirements vary among different organizations. Some are open to everyone.  Food distributions are in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. Often the organizations accept volunteers and donations. This list is …