The season of reindeer games means drinking games in South Florida, and this weekend there will be a few new ways to make merry in places that were already worth your time. One of them, Ray’s Hometown Bar at laidback Freehand Miami hotel, will lean into the kitsch of Mariah Carey, who, with all due respect, is to Christmas what Lee Greenwood is to patriotism. I kid, people! I may be persuaded … but it will take a Christmas miracle.
THURSDAY
Visions of sugar plums: “’Twas the Night Before …” by Cirque du Soleil, the acrobatic troupe’s first holiday show, opens at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Thursday for a run through Nov. 30. Based on the Clement Clarke Moore poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” this family friendly production follows a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays, set to a soundtrack of holiday classics reinvented by Cirque du Soleil. Weekend performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; noon, 3 and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $80.50. Visit Kravis.org.
Runaway imagination: Tragedy inspires a young man to jump on a moving train, landing him in a traveling circus and the adventure of a lifetime in “Water for Elephants,” the touring Broadway musical that will have its final performances this weekend at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. A “visually triumphant” (Sun Sentinel) combination of circus artistry, puppetry and special effects, remaining performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $48.68. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
Páez and love: The Argentina-born singer-songwriter and filmmaker Fito Páez, about 40 years removed from his debut solo album, “Del 63,” arrives on a U.S. tour with his ambition and storytelling at their peak. Exhibit A: The magical realism of his new album, “Novela,” 25 tracks of evocative, romantic poetry and imagination. And he remains a charismatic stage presence, as seen on his recent Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. Paez will perform at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available, starting at $63.39. Visit MyHRL.com.
Forecast in the ’80s: Pembroke Pines’ Beats and Bites series will bring Throwback Thursdays to the plaza outside the Charles F. Dodge City Center from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring ’80s music from locals Juanabe, plus food trucks and vendors. Admission is free, and it’s BYO chair or blanket. Visit PPines.com/specialevents.
FRIDAY
Carey on, wayward son: You don’t need to squint to see the aforementioned Ray’s Hometown Bar done up for the holidays — with its wood-paneled walls, pool table and working fireplace (apparently, though I’ve never seen it in action), it feels like your grandma’s New Jersey basement. That’s a compliment. Beginning on Friday, Ray’s will be dressed up as Mariah Carey’s Holiday Wonderland Bar, featuring Mariah-inspired decor, cocktails, a “Letters to Mariah” station and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on repeat. Bartender! The theme runs through Dec. 28. Visit Instagram.com/raysbarmia.
More drinks: A couple of other Instagrammable spots will get their holiday cocktailing on this weekend with the global bar pop-up called Miracle opening Friday at the Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. The event, which runs through Dec. 28, will feature seasonal decor, music, themed activities and festive cocktails in newly designed mugs. Old favorites such as the Christmapolitan and the Snowball Old-Fashioned will be joined by new sips including Candy Cane Lane, Dancing Sugarplums and Blitzen Barrel. Visit CarouselClub.com/miracle. Miracle also will set up at Ravish Kitchen & Cocktails in Lantana starting Nov. 28. … A nationwide tiki-culture spinoff of Miracle is Sippin’ Santa, which will bring a tropical holiday vibe and cocktails (Sugar Plum Mai Tai, Coco Ho Ho, Frost Bite) to a redecorated Juicy Cocktail Bar in West Palm Beach on Friday through Dec. 31. Visit Instagram.com/juicycocktailswpb.
Street smart: Taking place Friday through Sunday, this weekend’s Street Fair is one of the most accessible and popular features of the Miami Book Fair, with more than 250 tented exhibitors selling books and artisanal crafts, along with live music, poetry and a variety of food from Smorgasburg Miami. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (gates open at 9 a.m. daily). Admission is free on Friday. Single-day tickets for Saturday or Sunday are $12, $7 for those older than 62, $5 for guests age 13-18 and free for 12 and younger. Two-day passes for Saturday and Sunday cost $18/$12/$8. Visit MiamiBookFair.com.
Birds of a feather: The inaugural Deerfield Beach Turkey Trot Bar Crawl will take place in the Cove Shopping Center on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. The event will be hosted by Cove Brewery, no strangers to fun events and community involvement, and will benefit Nina’s Place, a free community market and pantry serving local families. Bring a canned item to donate and you’ll receive a card to get stamped when you make a purchase at five stops on the crawl. Return the card by 6:30 and you’ll be entered in the 7 p.m. raffle. Festive attire highly recommended. Stops will also include Casa Maya Grill, St. Pat’s Irish Pub, SeaSide Subs, Patrizia’s, Pilar and Won-Tom’s. Visit Instagram.com/covebrewery.
Piercing the veil: Grammy-winning country singer Carly Pearce arrives at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday, a concert originally scheduled in 2024, but it turns out we’re better off for the delay. Pearce has been working on new music and just released a compelling new single, “Dream Come True,” which pulls back the curtain on the personal cost of success. The Hard Rock Live audience will be one of the first to hear the song after Pearce performed “Dream Come True” live for the first time at the Grand Ole Opry last Saturday. Tickets start at $42.30 at Ticketmaster.com.
Brick house: Engaging singer-songwriter Ben Folds will bring his Ben Folds & a Piano tour to the Coral Springs Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Friday for an evening of eclectic promise (psst: he released his first Christmas album last year). Special guest Lindsey Kraft will open. Tickets start at $64.50. Visit TheCenterCS.com.
Up in Smoke: Country-rock ramblers Blackberry Smoke will share music from their excellent Dave Cobb-produced album “Be Right Here” at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. A few tickets are available, starting at $52.81. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.
SATURDAY
Fowl ball: The 39th annual Delray Beach Turkey Trot 5K returns to Anchor Park on Saturday morning for a scenic loop along the oceanfront that is the envy of runners across the country. Registration is $35 for participants age 15 and older, $25 for those younger than 15. Register in advance at VictorySportsMgt.com/dbtt5k or on site beginning at 6:30 a.m. The run begins at 7:30 a.m.
St. Nick time: Traditionally one of the best and brightest early holiday parties kicking off the season in South Florida is the Holiday Tree Lighting at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. You’ll find a holiday market, live music, costumed characters, snow flurries, an array of food vendors and Santa, natch. The switch is scheduled to be flipped on the tree covered in 50,000 LED lights at 7:15 p.m. Visit MiznerAmp.com.
The annual tree-lighting festivities at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton have something for all ages. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Classic Celia: Celia Sinfónica is a unique tribute concert that will transform the favorite songs of salsa icon Celia Cruz into sweeping symphonic arrangements, performed by the FIU Symphony Orchestra and a team of vocalists and instrumentalists. Catch the concert at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.34. Visit ArshtCenter.org.
Saturday laughs: Comedian, actor and sometime PGA Tour correspondent Katt Williams comes to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Saturday at 8 p.m. Scattered tickets are available, starting at $83.90. Visit MyHRL.com. … The Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach will host Comedy for the Dogs at 2 p.m. Saturday, featuring headliner Carl Rimi, Bob Rayhart, Eric Rosenblum and host Jenny Baitch. Proceeds will go to A Dog Named Black Jack Animal Rescue Recovery Inc, a California nonprofit trying to expand in Florida (visit ADogNamedBlackJack.com). Tickets cost $33.85 at ImprovFTL.com.
Crazy eight: Mathews Brewing Co. on Saturday will host Brewapalooza, a celebration of eight years as a critical hub of craft beer and local live music in Lake Worth Beach. The free party will run from 11:30 a.m. to midnight and feature sets from Jordan Richards, The Live Tribute, The Cure tribute LoveCats and Pearl Jam tribute Still Alive. There will be a souvenir glass giveaway (with first purchase) beginning at 11:30 a.m., and it can be filled from 12 anniversary taps and beer releases throughout the day. Admission is free. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing.
SUNDAY
Turkey Tikka: Masala Mantra, the inventive Indian restaurant in Royal Palm Beach, will host Friendsgiving Brunch & Beats on Sunday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Putting an Indian twist on Thanksgiving, the menu will include several entree options, among them Turkey Tikka Masala, along with a Paneer & Corn Chaat appetizer, Pesto Naan and Pumpkin Spice Kheer, among other items. Cost: $25 a person. The universally beloved bottomless mimosas will cost $20 extra. Visit MasalaMantraRoyalPalmBeach.com.
Mercury rising: The internationally touring concert One Night of Queen, featuring tribute band Gary Mullen & The Works, will bring all your favorite Freddie Mercury anthems to Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $42.82. Visit PompanoBeachArts.org.
Take the kids: The free Winterfest Family Fun Day will take over Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering the Broward College Snow Mountain, the Polar Express Slide and other activities, free Water Taxi rides, live music from School of Rock, cookie decorating by Publix and adoptable dogs from Good Karma Pet Rescue. After the event, the Museum of Discovery and Science (across the street) will offer free admission from 3 to 5 p.m. Visit WinterfestParade.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.
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