NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS, UPDATES & EVENTS!

Mark your calendars for March 13, 2010 and join us for the 2010 Fort Lauderdale St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival! The Festival will include cultural games and events, such as sheep herding, currach racing and hurling, as well as live music, entertainment, and dance performances. A special children's area will feature games, storytelling, amusements, delicious treats, contests and other activities. Additional Festival highlights include historical education and ancestry areas, trivia, cooking demonstrations, authentic Irish cuisine and much more! Click here for complete info, times and events!

Fifth Annual Andy Hurst Fish Fry & Auction March 26th.

St. Sebastian's - Friday evening, March 26. Social Hour at 5:30 pm, delicious fish at 6:30 pm. Bring your family and friends to enjoy this great community event! Feel the Caribbean beat. Dance to the steel drum band. Shop fabulous finds at the Auction. Raffle, too! Coach Hill is back to run sports for the children in the field. Reserve your tickets now; call Annie, 954-524-9344, adults $15, children $10. It’s a blast! See you there!

Broward County Library Foundation's Annual 'Literary Feast 2010', March 19-20th

The 22nd edition of Literary Feast, Broward County's premier literary event, will bring 21 acclaimed authors to South Florida, Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20. Benefiting the Broward Public Library Foundation, the annual celebration treats booklovers of all ages to author readings, book signings, a student writing contest and the program's signature "A Night of Literary Feasts."

'Night of Literary Feasts' on Saturday, March 20 (6 pm) - The signature fundraising event begins with cocktails, a silent auction and book signings at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Guests are then treated to intimate dinner parties with the authors in private homes and upscale South Florida restaurants. Ticket packages start at $150 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets to "A Night of Literary Feasts," call (954) 357-5954 or visit http://www.literaryfeastonline.org.

Dine, Drink & Discover! at the 15th Annual Wine and Culinary Celebration at the Museum of Discovery & Science on April 16

The 15th Annual Wine and Culinary Celebration will take place at the Museum of Discovery and Science on Friday, April 16, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This event has been made possible by Bank of America. Named one of the "10 Best Annual Fort Lauderdale Events" in 2007 by Gold Coast Magazine, the Wine and Culinary Celebration will feature a progressive sequence of wine and food pairings, each bound to delight, educate and entertain guests. Over 30 of South Florida's top restaurants and chefs will be represented, as well as wines from wineries around the world, courtesy of Southern Wine and Spirits. The event also features a silent auction and a complimentary wine glass for every guest. This year's event features a spectacular Chef Spotlight. Three chefs will be giving cooking demonstrations on stage in the Museum lobby. Chef Paula DaSilva of 3030 Ocean, Chef Sean McDonald of ilios and Chef Johnny Vinczencz of Johnny V's will be featured. For more info and tickets, click here...

Stranahan House Museum in Fort Lauderdale Hosts Annual 'Pineapple Jam' May 8th.

On Saturday May 8th at 7PM, Stranahan House supporters and guests will enjoy scrumptious selections from a menu of “Floribean” foods while listening to the fabulous sounds of Steel Pan Music. The event will take place at the Stranahan House Museum grounds, our city’s most captivating venue on the New River. For those not familiar with the museum, it was the former home of Frank and Ivy Stranahan. Dating back to 1901, it is the oldest home in our city.

Beyond it’s historical importance, the museum is a major educational highlight for school children throughout the area. Over four thousand school children visit the home each year to see how the settlers of our area lived. The funds from this event will help support the continuation of this very important experience for our children. For resevervations and information please contact: Ellen Murton, 954-524-4736 or stranahan1@aol.com or visit their website at http://stranahanhouse.org/Events

Presented by Entre Nous, this FLIFF fundraiser is a unique collaboration with the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a not-for-profit educational organization promoting swimming as a key to fitness, good health, quality of life and the water safety of children. We will feature the opportunity to experience a guided tour of the museum exhibits and be entertained with a Fort Lauderdale Dive Team Demonstration, Synchronized Swim Show, and a Fashion Show of Swimwear through the Ages. The gorgeous setting overlooking the water, hors d'oeurves, a fabulous meal, cocktails, music both live and taped, and great company will make for a special ticket for the spring season. Another highlight of the evening will be the Entre Nous' silent auction chaired by Crystal Beastrom Diaz. Tickets: $55.00 - Contact Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival at (954) 525-FILM for more info and tickets.

Fort Lauderdale's iconic International Swimming Hall of Fame was 'Best Sports Museum' in Florida by the independent travel and tourism site, 'The Official Best Of Florida 2010'. Making this distinction even more impressive is that 'The Best of Florida 2010' site does not accept advertising on either its television programs or websites. Instead, it researches state tourism information, CVB resources, online travel sites and conducts premise visits to select its annual 'Best Of Florida...' lists exclusively on merit. If you haven't been to our International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) recently, make a point to visit soon! It's a fabulous and world-famous archive of the greatest people, events, competitors and swimming history that will make you understand why this is such an important attraction to have in our city! Click here for more info...