FORT LAUDERDALE & BROWARD COUNTY
The Weekender
Your curated guide to the best events this week
☀️ WEEK OF MAY 16 - 22, 2026 🌊
Hey Weekender 👋
All-you-can-eat Cajun crawfish on the beach is the Saturday headline, but the week's got range. Willie Nelson outdoors Tuesday at 92 and counting. A free Joe Lovano jazz set on a Hollywood lawn. Samantha Bee's no-filter comedy at the Broward Center. And the Sistine Chapel frescoes, somehow, in a Fort Lauderdale storefront. Twenty picks below.
⭐ The One Thing
All-You-Can-Eat Boozy Crawfish Festival
Six hours. Unlimited Cajun crawfish. Ocean breeze doing the rest. The kind of all-you-can-eat where the all-you-can-eat is actually the headline — bibs on, claws cracking, drinks flowing, sand within walking distance. Saturday's most decisive move if you eat with your hands.
📅 Saturday, May 16 · 12:00 PM–6:00 PM · 📍 Las Olas Oceanside Park · Fort Lauderdale Beach · 💵 From ~$60 · Get Tickets
🌊⛵ Sun, Sand & Sea
Outdoor adventures, water sports, fitness & all things active
The MKT at Las Olas Oceanside Park
Sat–Sun May 16–17 · 9 AM · 📍 Las Olas Oceanside Park · Fort Lauderdale Beach · Free · Details
Fresh produce, global street food, handmade goods, ocean breeze. Both weekend mornings handled.
Yoga on the Lawn at Las Olas Oceanside Park
Sat May 16 · 9 AM · 📍 Las Olas Oceanside Park · Fort Lauderdale Beach · By donation · Details
Lisa Pumper leads on the Main Lawn. Bring a mat, stick around for the MKT after.
Live Music at Hollywood Beach Theatre
Wed–Sun · 7 PM · 📍 Hollywood Beach Theatre · Hollywood Broadwalk · Free · Details
Five nights a week of free live bands on the Broadwalk, Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop. Programmed by Margaritaville.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
Tue–Sun · 10 AM · 📍 Bonnet House · Fort Lauderdale Beach · $30 / $8 kids · Details
A 35-acre estate just off the beach with one of the only intact subtropical hammocks left in Fort Lauderdale. Gardens self-guided, house tours led.
🍷🍤 Sip & Savor
Food festivals, pop-ups, markets, fairs, tastings & culinary experiences
All-You-Can-Eat Boozy Crawfish Festival
Sat May 16 · Noon · 📍 Las Olas Oceanside Park · Fort Lauderdale Beach · From ~$60 · Details
Six hours of unlimited Cajun crawfish on the beach. Bibs on, claws cracking — the big Saturday move if you eat with your hands.
Espresso Martini Festival at The Wharf
Sat May 16 · Noon · 📍 The Wharf FTL · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · Free RSVP · Details
The Wharf turns into an espresso martini bar — featured menu, riverside seating, free RSVP.
2-for-1 Martini Thursdays at The Wharf
Thu May 21 · 4 PM · 📍 The Wharf FTL · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · $14 for two · Details
Two martinis for $14, plus the dedicated espresso martini bar from last week's festival. The Thursday move.
Music Bingo at Funky Buddha Brewery
Thu May 21 · 8 PM · 📍 Funky Buddha Brewery · Oakland Park · Free to play · Details
Music bingo with prizes in the biggest taproom in South Florida. Pints of Floridian on tap.
Friday Happy Hour at The Wharf
Fri May 22 · 4 PM · 📍 The Wharf FTL · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · Half-priced cocktails · Details
Half-priced specialty cocktails, Wharf Lager, and house wine on the New River. Start the weekend here.
🎨🌳 Out & About
Arts, culture, community events & local discoveries
Joe Lovano Quartet + Dillard Jazz Ensemble
Sat May 16 · 7 PM · 📍 ArtsPark at Young Circle · Hollywood · Free · Details
A living tenor-sax legend, free, on a lawn. Opening set from Dillard Center for the Arts' nationally ranked high school jazz band — bring a blanket.
Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk
Sat May 16 · 6 PM · 📍 Harrison Street · Downtown Hollywood · Free · Details
Galleries open late, mural tour, artisan market, live music, magic show. Third-Saturday tradition that keeps showing up.
Beauty in the Community: Faux Stained Glass
Sun May 17 · Noon · 📍 Fern Forest Nature Center · Coconut Creek · Free (RSVP) · Details
A free Broward Cultural Division workshop in the hammock at Fern Forest. Make something, then walk the trails — park rangers lead a hike right after.
"I'm Still Here: Exploring Mental Wellness" — Closing Week
Through Fri May 22 · 📍 ArtServe · Fort Lauderdale · Free · Details
ArtServe's spring exhibition on resilience and mental wellness wraps up this week. Last call to catch it.
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Through Sun Jun 14 · 📍 Galleria Fort Lauderdale · Fort Lauderdale · TBD · Details
The Sistine Chapel frescoes, full-size, at eye level. The closest you'll get without flying to Rome.
👨👩👧👦🎉 The Whole Crew
Family-friendly events for all ages
The Heart of Rock and Roll JR.
Thu–Sat May 21–23 · 📍 Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · TBD · Details
The Huey Lewis-scored Broadway musical, junior version — performed by the Broward Center youth ensemble. Catchy, '80s, family-built.
Dance Theatre at Heron Bay Annual Recital
Sat–Sun May 16–17 · 📍 Coral Springs Center for the Arts · Coral Springs · From $68 · Details
The local dance studio's end-of-year showcase on the Coral Springs main stage. If you've got a kid in the program, you already know.
🥂✨ The A-List
Galas, upscale experiences & unmissable headliners
Samantha Bee: How to Survive Menopause
Sat May 16 · 7:30 PM · 📍 Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · From $80 · Details
Full Frontal's Samantha Bee in the smaller Amaturo room — sharp, no-filter, the comedy ticket of the night for grown-ups.
Brazilian Voices: "Bossa Nova & Wellness"
Sun May 17 · 11 AM · 📍 Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center · Downtown Fort Lauderdale · TBD · Details
Ninety minutes of bossa nova, breathwork, and singing-bowl sound healing. Bring a mat or take a chair — different, in a good way.
Willie Nelson with Lily Meola
Tue May 19 · 8 PM · 📍 Pompano Beach Amphitheater · Pompano Beach · TBD · Details
Willie Nelson. Outdoors. Tuesday night. That's the whole pitch.
CAZZU: LATINAJE EN VIVO
Thu May 21 · 8 PM · 📍 Hard Rock Live · Hollywood · From $26 · Details
Argentine trap and Latin pop superstar Cazzu, live in Hollywood. The reggaeton ticket of the week.