The Fort Lauderdale International Film Fest has officially opened it's year-round art house theatre called Cinema Paradiso. The former church and Vinnette Carroll Theatre has been retrofitted into a movie theatre with 35mm film, 16mm film and video projection. The cafe serves wine, beer and popcorn! Free parking is available at the County parking garage just down the block. Cinema Paradiso is located at 503 Southeast 6th Street one block east of the County Courthouse and just north of the New River Village apartment complex.   Click here for the latest Cinema Paradiso listings. 

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The Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District encompasses 22 blocks in the Downtown and includes the Museum of Art, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Discovery and Science, the Fort Lauderdale Historical Museum, the Stranahan House, Florida Grand Opera and the Concert Association of Florida. The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment Passport is your ticket to all of Fort Lauderdale’s important cultural venues. This package of prepaid tickets to museums and historical sights also includes seven days of unlimited transportation on the waterways of America’s Venice. 1/2 price on available tickets to the Broward Center of Performing Arts, and a 7-day Water Bus pass. The Passport is the perfect package at the perfect price - $48.00

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Broward County Library Events 
Broward County Main Library. 100 S. Andrews Avenue

Free ongoing Exhibit  Frank Lloyd Wright: An Exhibition of Books and Art - Broward County Main Libary. From the collection of Don Singer. The exhibit features approximately 54 books, periodicals, advertisements and perspectives, fabrics, photographs, stamps and other artifacts and artworks dating from 1897 to the present.

Be sure to visit the Cultural Information Center at the Broward County Library to learn about the cultural offerings in Broward County. The facility also offers a ticketing kiosk, on-line ticketing with event information, an electronic calendar and more! For more info., please visit Broward Arts.

Broward County Public Art and Design is on tour, with the completion of a year-long project, allowing visitors to the Broward County website at Broward Arts to surf the full spectrum of public art in the County, interacting with each artwork, by map; image; location; artist statement and biography; medium, and some fun trivia on what was going on in the world at the time of the unveiling.

A new brochure, the Public Art and Design Guide and Map, is also available. Please call 954-357-7457 if you would like to have a copy sent to you.

LUNCHTIME BOOK DISCUSSIONS! Downtown Fort Lauderdale workers looking for "food for thought" at lunchtime are invited to join the Brown Bag and Book Luncheon Book Review and Discussion Group held from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. every other month at the Broward County Main Library.

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Daily Entertainment

Las Olas Riverfront - live entertainment daily in the waterfront gazebo. Wide variety of over 50 shops, restaurants and entertainment. Regal Cinema offers 15 screens for movies and every month the Riverfront hosts exciting events - Arts and Crafts Show, Street Parties and More! Call (954) 522-6556 to receive a schedule of upcoming events.

Merchants include A Step Above, Palm Produce, Vogue Italia and many, many more fine shops!

Las Olas Riverfront is located one block south of Broward Blvd. and one block west of Andrews Ave. For additional information, call (954) 522-6556.

Interlude Bar & Cabaret is a great spot for enjoying live weekend entertainment! On Friday and Saturday nights, hear the great sounds of Miguel Reyna, Pianist & Joe Benoit, Bass; Sunday night, Suzy Howard Jazz Singer. Interlude is located on the Riverwalk just west of the Andrews Avenue Bridge.

Art Bar - on the corner of Brickell Ave. and SW 2nd Street, displays and sells local artists works. Also enjoy 80's and 90's music. For more info., call (954) 524-0044 or visit www.artbarfortlauderdale.com.

Great Strides Event to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Saturday, April 8 from 8am-noon at Las Olas Riverfront.

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Laffing Matterz- an intimate and luxurious 175-seat cabaret theater featuring a live, original, musical comedy revue spoofing current events. Laffing Matterz is housed in the historic McCrory building in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. For more info., visit http://www.laffingmatterz.com/ or call (954) 763-5236.

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For more information on Himmarshee Village click Downtown Himmarshee. For a complete listing of area restaurants, click Downtown Dining   - courtesy of Riverwalk. Be sure to check out all the Entertainment and Cultural Information now available at the new Riverwalk Web site at http://www.goriverwalk.com/.

Riverhouse Restaurant - 4pm-7pm every Friday. Free Sushi! - 301 SW 3 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (954)525-7661.

Hungry for More? Try the City Park Mall for lunch time fare. Located on the ground floor of the City Park Garage along SE 1st Street. Open for breakfast or lunch, enjoy such downtown favorites as the City Park Cafe, the Downtown Deli and Moe's Sandwich Shop.

Las Olas Boulevard at 350 City Center

Experience, Samba Room - cuban bar and Latin Cafe, Timpano, the Italian Chophouse, Jacksons or the Japanese Steakhouse. All are open for lunch and dinner. You can also enjoy some hot coffee and Starbucks or a sandwich at Quinzo's.

Now Open - Eurobread and Cafe on the ground floor of the Summit on NE 2nd Street.

Sunday Brunch - at Brasserie Las Olas, 333 E. Las Olas Blvd. 11am-3pm. Don't forget Happy Hour from 5-7pm and live entertainment every Fri. and Sat. at 9pm. (954) 779-7374.

Downtown Council - meets at the Tower Club monthly. $20 for members and $25 for guests. Call (954) 462-6000, ext. 8009 for reservations.

Downtown Council Breakfast - Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30am.

Historic Walking Tours at Old Fort Lauderdale - available the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month October - May.  For info. on these and other historical events and tours, call the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society at (954) 463-4431 x10. Must reserve. Cost $10.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce to view UP COMING EVENTS, "REGISTER ON-LINE at www.ftlchamber.com   * Click Calendar of Events.

Flyball Classes for your Dog! -  held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays at Markham Park and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sundays at Quiet Waters Park.
Proof of rabies vaccination is required, and dog owners should bring a collar, a six-foot leash, treats, a bowl and water, and bags to collect dog waste. Markham, 954-389-2000; Quiet Waters, 954-360-1315.$45/four classes.

 For more information on special events and recreational opportunities sponsored by Broward County, be sure to click Broward County Parks and Recreation.
 

The Fort Lauderdale Antique Car Museum - priceless storehouse containing 16 Packard automobiles from 1909-1940's, along with special collections of automobile memorabilia and a gallery dedicated to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. For an appointment, call (954) 779-7300.

Stranahan House Tours - guided tours of this historic home are available on the hour 10am-3pm Wed. - Sat. and 1-3pm on Sundays. (954) 524-4736. During the summer, the Stranahan House will be offering storytelling and Young Writer's workshops for grades 3-5 this summer. Please call the Stranahan House for dates and times or click Stranahan House .

SPORTS

Miami Dolphins Football Season Tickets: (305) 620-2578

Florida Marlins Major League Baseball: in Dade (305) 350-5050, in Broward (954) 523-3309, in Palm Beach (561) 966-3309
Florida Panthers Hockey Season Tickets: (954) 835-7000 or call the Box Office at (954) 835-8000

Miami Heat Basketball Season Tickets: (305) 577-4328

Miami Fusion Soccer Ticket Information: (800) FUSION4

Gulfstream Park Horseracing: (800) 771-TURF

Phone Numbers for Arts and Entertainment

If you or your group are planning an event in the Downtown and would like to be listed on the DDA website, e-mail your request and information to Marti or fax to (954) 463-8412.