South Florida's August is looking a lot more festive than the heat might suggest. Broward and Palm Beach counties have more than a dozen events on the calendar, spanning Caribbean heritage celebrations, craft beer tastings, dance festivals, and monster trucks.
Caribbean culture takes center stage early in the month. The Jamaica Emancipendence Ole Time Fair comes to Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater on Aug. 1 — free to attend, with a $10 parking fee — featuring performances by Ky-Mani Marley and others. That same day, the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale hosts Emancipation Day: Freedom Across the Caribbean, a free event with music, storytelling, and food vendors. On Aug. 8, the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center hosts the 64th Jamaican Independence Celebration headlined by Beenie Man and Marcia Griffiths (tickets start at $50), while Wilton Manors welcomes back PrideFête, Florida's only LGBTQ+ Caribbean cultural festival, with presale general admission tickets starting at $8.
Mid-month brings Obon Weekend to Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach (Aug. 15–16), where guests can honor ancestors through memory slips, taiko drumming, folk dance workshops, and a lantern-launch dinner. Then on Aug. 22, the 5th Annual West Palm Beach Beer Fest — now held at Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach rather than its namesake city — offers unlimited tastings from local and national breweries for $64.48 general admission. Monster Jam also rolls into Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise that same weekend, with shows Saturday and Sunday and Pit Party access available for an additional fee.
Rounding out the month, the inaugural Banyan Dance Festival fills West Palm Beach venues Aug. 3–8 with performances and community dance experiences, and a Lip Sync Battle fundraiser for Boca Raton arts education takes the stage at the Studio at Mizner Park on Aug. 27. Ticket prices and full details for all events are subject to change.
This roundup was originally reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
