I parked in the company’s dirt lot along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale – where The Las Olas Grand Condominium stands now – walked under the SE Third Avenue drawbridge (still there), flashed my new employee badge at security and took the elevator up into the blockhouse of a newspaper office building/printing press on East Las Olas Boulevard, where the 42-story Las Olas River House stands today.

My new boss, Heather Lajewski, walked me through the sprawling, bustling newsroom (hundreds of people worked there in 1990) to the features copy desk on the far side of the room. She showed me where I would sit – which happened to be next to a fellow University of Kansas grad, Gretchen Day(-Bryant).

Somebody will probably correct me, but I think there were 12 of us on the features desk then. Heather introduced me to all of them, with a few words about each. I remember Ann Carter, another new desk mate, introducing me to a quiet page designer at the far end of the desk. “That’s Greg Carannante,” she said. “The ’60s were very good to him.’’ (They were.)

Heather took me around next to meet all of the editors and writers for Showtime, Lifestyle, Home & Garden, Travel, Food, Arts & Leisure, etc. – and then we went to work, editing their stories and building all of the hundreds of features pages each week in the 450,000-circulation (or so) daily newspaper.

Somebody will probably correct me, but I think at least seven people read each story before it appeared in print then: The writer (presumably, though not always a given), an assistant section editor, the section editor, two features copy editors (me), the assistant features desk editor, the features desk editor and, sometimes, the assistant managing editor – or even the managing editor. That does not include the occasional “good catch’’ by someone looking out for us in the composing room – who’d call the desk and wonder, “did you mean to write ‘Sedona’ instead of ‘Sonoma’ in this wine story headline?” (I did not.)

What you see pictured above – the “Sun-Sentinel Smartscan Request form’’ – is a relic of that time. We features desk editors had to fill one out for each of the hundreds of photos that appeared in the newspaper each week. So in this rare, borderline historic document, you can see that I sized a photo from the deathless 1991 Orion Pictures film “F/X2,” starring Bryan Brown, to fill a 4.19-inch x 3-inch hole on pg. 4 of the Arts & Leisure section of the May 12, 1991, newspaper. If you go check the archives in the public library, children, you’ll actually see your dad’s handiwork there on pg. 4 of the A&L section for all eternity! (Unless I confused it with a photo of Sedona – in which case, never mind!)

It took me an intolerably long time to master this skill – as my (sometimes) patient desk mates and the composing room could easily confirm – but I eventually figured out how to get photos to fit without appearing upside down or sideways or with a picture of Sedona instead of Bryan Brown.

So, this is where I started, 35 years ago, with a copy of (Jayhawk journalism professor) John Bremner’s “Words on Words” by my side, squeezed into a tiny space next to (Jayhawk) Gretchen Day(-Bryant) in a sprawling newsroom full of hundreds of people – copy editing stories, writing headlines, making sure the photos fit – just a tiny part of the Greatest Editing Machine ever assembled. (Notwithstanding the Sedona-Sonoma debacle.)

And because (I guess) I showed my bosses I could learn such skills, they kept asking me to try new things – and to do more. My wife, Cecile, and I were new parents within a year after I started working here, with day-care bills to pay, and a friend at work said the way to get ahead at the Sun-Sentinel was to always ask – to quote Billy Idol from “Rebel Yell” – for “more, more, more!” So I did.

When the travel editor, Thomas Swick, was looking for staff stories for his Travel section, I asked to do that (and my story about a Bastille Day party in France was my first byline in the Sun-Sentinel – thank you, Tom!) When an opportunity to write stories for Lifestyle Editor Stuart Purdy came around, I asked to do that (and one of them got picked up by The Washington Post – thank you, Stuart!) When an assistant features editor job opened up, I asked to do that, too. Then features editor.

Then my first magazine experience, a cover story on the Pier 66 that I wrote on a rotation with the staff of Sunshine, the Sun-Sentinel’s weekly magazine, with Editor John Parkyn and Assistant Editor Dave Wieczorek. Then as editor of Sunshine, when Mr. Parkyn retired, with my friend from the features desk, Greg, who was now the art director there; and my friend Dave, who, thank goodness, stayed on as assistant magazine editor.

Then founding editor of City & Shore, the Sun-Sentinel’s new magazine – thank you, Dan Norman; thank you Greg and John Dolen; and thank you Elizabeth Rahe, who has edited all of my columns (including this one) since the first one. Then founding publisher and editor (with founding associate publisher Lori Jacoby and account executive Valerie Feder) of spinoff City & Shore magazines PRIME and Explore Florida & the Caribbean and a couple of books, Looking Back and Looking Back II, and our first all-digital magazine with current publisher Caroline Pinsker, designed by my friend and art director Anderson Greene.

The Sun Sentinel has always challenged me and rewarded my effort along the way – even today, as editor in chief of City & Shore’s suite of magazines – and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked so long here at what’s now the South Florida Sun Sentinel (no hyphen since 2008) with so many wonderful, talented colleagues – many of whom have become my friends.

I’m still working with one of them, Gretchen Day-Bryant, who’s now the editor of the whole newspaper!

So what am I starting next? More of the same – just not as much. This 25th anniversary issue is the last general issue of City & Shore, as the Sun Sentinel Co. focuses on niche publications going forward. I’ll be editing two of those – both C&S spinoffs – PRIME (in March and October) and Explore Florida & the Caribbean (in May and November) this year, my first of “semi-retirement.’’ I’m also going to try to write a book – there, I’ve said it – about what, I’m not yet sure.

Maybe about my 44 years in South Florida, or what it’s like to start a magazine or about the day 35 years ago I started working at my beloved Sun-Sentinel.

That’ll be easy. Because I remember everything.

markgauertmagazines@gmail.com

Online bonus: My scrapbook

I wanted to be an astronaut. Then a geologist. Then a paleontologist. Then, wait, an astronaut again.

At no point in my early life did I think of becoming a magazine editor. Too bad because I know now it’s really what I’ve always wanted to do. I just didn’t know it when I was an astronaut-in-training.

As a magazine editor going on 30 years – first for Sunshine, the Sun-Sentinel’s weekly Sunday magazine, then as founding editor of City & Shore, PRIME and Explore Florida & the Caribbean – I’ve gotten to do things I never would have dreamed. Better than being an astronaut, geologist, paleontologist or astronaut again? I think so.

Like the time Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin taught me over dinner how to sign the three words that are most important to her, “Courage, dreams and success.” Or Ted Koppel, the definitive TV newsman when I was a kid, telling me over dinner that the story we did on him was the best he’d read. Ted Koppel! (Really nice guy, too.) Or Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the only speaker in the series we sponsored a few years ago with Broward College who sold out the Broward Center venue, who couldn’t have been a more inspiring speaker – or kinder person to come back to speak with us again for this special 25th anniversary issue.

Does it get any better than that? Wait.

There was the time I drove a $518,255 Lamborghini Aventador 155 mph on a West Palm Beach racetrack for a story on luxury for the magazine. (About as close to being an astronaut as I’m ever going to get.) Or the time I shot hoops with the World Champion Miami Heat’s Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade, Shane Battier and fellow Kansas Jayhawk Ray Allen at AmericanAirlines Arena – and actually scored a point!

“That was a really nice shot!’’ said Allen, possibly astonished. (I quit while I was ahead.)

I could talk about the time I was invited to be a judge at the American Fine Wine Competition. (Sampling 630 wines is hard work. Really!) Or the time I rode my bike from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach and back for a Kids in Distress charity event. “You helped a child today,” a volunteer said at the end of the 100-mile ride. It felt good – even better to get off the bike.

Or the time cellist Yo-Yo Ma sent me an autographed CD because of my column “Beeping With the Enemy,’’ in which I confessed that my watch alarm had gone off during a particularly sublime account of Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor at Miami’s Arsht Center. Agggh!

“Please accept this CD as a token of my appreciation for your honesty – and willingness to share it publicly – and for being a patron of the arts,” a note with the CD read. I felt better, though still mortified.

Though maybe not as much as the time I accepted a dare one October to wear a pair of pink heels to walk in support of breast cancer awareness. I wasn’t mortified because of the cause, which I’m proud to support. It was because I broke my wife, Cecile’s, shoes during the walk.

“Those were my favorites!” she said. I was really mortified then. And there were no subsequent autographed CDs.

I could go on, but waves of art directors over the years (two in particular, my friends Greg Carannante and Anderson Greene) have encouraged me to show, not tell. So here’s a partial scrapbook from my 30 years as a magazine editor. Something I never thought I’d be.

All pressed now into my memory, forever.

markgauertmagazines@gmail.com

8 29th annual History Makers fundraiser, presented by Alligator Ron & Ali Bergeron, Miles & Tara Forman and Murphy Family Charitable Trust, honoring the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers. Wine, spirits and food, and entertainment and memorabilia and other collectibles from the exclusive H. Wayne Huizenga collection. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale. $125, $250 VIP.  historyfortlauderdale.org/archives/7467.

9-11 & 23-25 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents The Greatest Show On Earth, acro-salsa troupe, contortion, acrobatic bikes, hoop diving and Bailey the Robo Pup. Times vary from Jan. 9-11 at the Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; and Jan. 23-25 at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise. Ticket prices vary. ringling.com.

10-11 37th Annual Downtown Delray Beach Festival of the Arts, more than 275 artists bring life-sized sculptures, handcrafted jewelry, wearable art, paintings, music and more for sale. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days at 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Free. artfestival.com.

11 Seventh Annual Jazz in the Gardens Concert Series – Celebrating the Greats, listen to jazz from Yvette Norwood-Tiger among the monumental works. 1-3 p.m. at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, 253 Barcelona Road, West Palm Beach. $35 adults, $30 ANSG members and seniors, and $12 children. Reservations required. Upcoming performances include Troy Anderson and The Wonderful World Band Feb. 8 and Nikki Kidd March 8. ansg.org/palm-sundays.

15 Smarty Party: Science of Sleep, presented by the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, fireside chat with recipient of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Medicine, Dr. Michael Young, and two-time Emmy winner, national journalist Deborah Norville. Young will speak on his work on circadian rhythms as well as his current research on the impact sleep and meal timing have on longevity. 6 p.m. cocktail reception, 7 p.m. dinner and fireside chat at the Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. coxsciencecenter.org/smarty-party.

15-17 Pepsi National Battle of the Bands in the Palm Beaches, inaugural celebration of HBCU excellence, music and culture, featuring six of the nation’s top marching bands, and community and educational events. Various locations in Lake Worth Beach and Boca Raton. Competition takes place at 4 p.m. Jan. 17 at Flagler Credit Union Stadium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Ticket prices vary. nationalbattleofthebands.com.

16-Feb. 8 To Life 6 – Stories & Music Celebrating the Contributions of Jewish Composers, Artists & Comedians to Broadway & Hollywood, honoring composers and entertainers such as Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, Stephen Sondheim, Mel Brooks and Barbra Streisand. 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. $46. myboca.us/2647/To-Life-6.

17-19 South Florida Strawberry Festival, strawberry treats, entertainment, kids’ activities, rides, inflatables, shopping and America’s Got Talent Stunt Dog Show. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Sunset Cove Amphitheater in South County Regional Park, 12551 Glades Road, Boca Raton. $15 with code SWEET26, $22.32 or $41.52 (includes one entry, unlimited rides and inflatables). soflostrawberryfestival.com.

19-25 Seventh Annual Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, signature events, culinary classes and exclusive dinner series showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s culinary scene. Headline celebrity personalities and chefs include Richard Blais, Eddie Jackson, Nancy Fuller, Jason Smith, Clarice Lam, Ron Dimpflmaier, Remy Powell and Dario Stephen. Times, locations and ticket prices vary in Fort Lauderdale. vlfoodwine.com.

22-Feb. 28 Tequila Town, six-week immersive journey into the heart of agave culture. More than 10 rooms with experiences from multisensory Jalisco landscapes and symbolic blessings of the agave, to live music, artisan markets and Agave After Dark dinners that pair top chefs and mixologists. Timed entries from 4 to 10:30 p.m. at 4710 NW 37th Ave., Miami. 21 and up. $80.28 general admission, $118.16 VIP. tequila.town.

27-30 Palm Beach Design Days, brings together the best in design, architecture and creative innovation with 100 percent of ticket sales supporting The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. Panels, conversations, book signings, pop-ups at venues around Palm Beach. Times, locations and ticket prices vary. palmbeachdesigndays.com.

FEBRUARY

5 Preservation Hall Jazz Band, honoring traditional New Orleans jazz while pushing the boundaries of the genre. 7:30 p.m. at Glazer Hall, 70 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite P70, Palm Beach. $110-$125. glazerhall.org.

6-7 Andrew Dice Clay with special guest Jon Lovitz. 7 p.m. Friday and 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday at Boca Black Box Center for the Arts, 8221 Glades Road #10, Boca Raton. bocablackbox.com.

6 Ann Storck Center’s 30th Annual Celebrity Chefs, food from local chefs, free cocktails and open bar, entertainment, auction items and a live cooking demo by Chef Anthony Iracane from the current season of Below Deck. 6 to 10 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. $200. Rock ‘n’ roll-inspired cocktail attire. bit.ly/celebchefs2026.

6 13th Annual Empty Bowls Palm Beach, fundraiser for the Palm Beach County Food Bank. Local restaurants donate signature soups and freshly baked bread served by community leaders. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, 141 S. County Road, Palm Beach. $40 in advance online, $45 at the door (includes soup, bread, cookie and bottled water. Handpainted ceramic bowl and goodie bags (while supplies last), and access to the bake sale and silent auction. pbcfoodbank.org/emptybowlspalmbeach.

7 Tour of Kitchens & Tropical Living, self-guided journey through some of Coral Gables’ most stunning private homes and kitchens. Food and drinks from top local restaurants and spirits brands. Benefits the Coral Gables Community Foundation and the Culinary Arts Program at Coral Gables Senior High School. 9 a.m. check-in, 10 a.m. tour at The Plaza Courtyard, 3011 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables. Ticket prices vary. gablesfoundation.org/events/tok.

7 FLIPANY 5K Fun Run, fitness, food and fun benefiting FLIPANY’s programs that expand access to healthy meals, nutrition education and wellness initiatives for children and families. 9 a.m. at Markham Park, 16001 W. State Road 84, Sunrise. $35 adults, $20 kids (includes breakfast, Family Wellness Fair, Kids’ Zone and raffles). flipany.org/events.

11-22 BATSU!, inspired by a Japanese comedy style, comedians compete to avoid electric shocks, paintballs, a giant egg-smashing chicken and more punishments. Times vary at Abdo New River Room at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave, Fort Lauderdale. $64.90-$88.50. browardcenter.org.

12-22 & 26-March 22 Mr. Swindle’s Traveling Peculiarium and Drink-Ory Garden, a 90-minute adults-only show with acrobatic acts, comedy and stunts. Dr. Elixir’s Drink-Ory Garden opens one hour before the show starts. Times and ticket prices vary at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton (Feb. 12-22) and Carlin Park, 400 S. State Road A1A, Jupiter (Feb. 26-March 22). $55 to $90. mrswindles.com.

12 Andrea Bocelli’s Romanza – 30th Anniversary World Tour, celebrating the singer’s 1997 breakthrough album, “Romanza.” 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. $227.70-$2,071. myHRL.com.

14-March 1 “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical featuring the singer-songwriter’s chart-topping hits and classics. Times and ticket prices vary at Slow Burn Theatre Company at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. slowburntheatre.org.

14-15 ArtiGras, 41st annual fine arts festival showcasing a juried exhibition of gallery-quality art from 300 artists, a Youth Art Competition, ArtiKids Kids Zone and entertainment. Benefits local charities. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days at Gardens North County District Park, 5101 117th Court N, Palm Beach Gardens. $15 in advance, $20 at the gate, free for kids under 12. artigras.org.

19-22 25th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, cooking competitions, demos and classes, open-air tasting tents, brunches, intimate dinners, late-night parties, among other events. 100 percent of net proceeds benefit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. Times and prices vary at locations from Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale and Homestead. sobewff.org.

21 Cleveland Clinic Palm Beach Ball, black-tie fundraiser with cocktail reception, dinner, entertainment and dancing. 7 p.m. at The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach. $1,250. clevelandclinicflorida.org/palmbeachball.

MARCH

6  15th Annual Community Care Plan Non-Profit Awards, honoring Broward non-profit organizations and leaders, presented by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and hosted by 211 Broward. Red-carpet arrival, entertainment and luncheon. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Grand Ballroom), 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. Tickets can be purchased here: https://211-broward.org/non-profit-awards

A phased opening began this fall for the new Glazer Hall, a $30 million-plus revitalization of the Regency-styled theater where the first full-length American classical ballet, “The Princess,” premiered during its inaugural 1958 season — and no less than the grand dame of the stage, Helen Hayes, starred in revivals of “The Cherry Orchard” and “The Glass Menagerie” in the early 1960s. New programming is scheduled to kick into high gear in January with “The Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai Circus” on Jan. 22, singer Corinne Bailey Rae on Jan. 23 and “An Evening with James Patterson & Mike Lupica,” on Jan. 25, with a wide variety of acts in the weeks to follow, https://glazerhall.org/#events.

“The great thing about this venue is that it’s going to be everything for everyone,” says Allison Stockel, who’s served as the center’s executive director since April. She compares the variety of the programming to that of Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut, which she previously operated.

“One weekend was like a microcosm of what the entire season looked like,” Stockel says. “You know, there was a dance program next to a comedy, next to family, next to rock, next to pop or jazz or opera. And that’s what we’re going to do here.”

Stockel adds that sponsors will also be doing some special cocktail parties and dinners for members, alluding to Glazer Hall’s multipurpose dynamic as a non-profit theater, cultural center and event space.

“All sorts of things are going to be happening,” she says.

The revitalization of the once-illustrious facility began about five years ago. Originally called The INNOVATE, the name was changed to Glazer Hall in honor of co-founders and co-chairs Jill and Avie Glazer, longtime Palm Beach residents whose vision, dedication and a financial commitment of more than $15 million have been central to the project.

“The Royal Poinciana Playhouse has languished in the dark for far too long. We felt it was time to turn on the lights and bring this jewel box back to life,” says Avie Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with his wife shares a passion for philanthropy.

“It was the board that said, you know, with just the amount of sweat equity, you guys deserve this,” Stockel says in explaining the name change for Palm Beach’s first new nonprofit arts organization in more than 60 years.

What emerged from the Glazers’ vision and equity is a 27,000-square-foot performing arts center that retains the exterior appearance of the Royal Poinciana Playhouse as well as some interior architectural details, such as architect John Volk’s historic staircase and certain color schemes.

“And so it has the same feel,” Stockel says. “You don’t walk in thinking that you’re in a different space. You walk in thinking, ‘Wow, this looks similar to what I remember it to be.’”

However, that is largely where the similarity ends.

“From the outside, it looks exactly the same, but it’s a different theater,” Stockel says. “It used to be, you’d walk into a very small lobby. And there was no water view. Now the lobby is front to back. You walk in and you see the water at the other end. There’s also a water-view terrace. Prior to a show, members can go out and have cocktails out there.”

Water is also the focus of perhaps the most distinctive feature of the renovation — instead of a traditional backdrop, the scene behind the theater’s stage can be a live view of the Intracoastal Waterway.

“Now you can do something where if you have a solo artist who doesn’t want a lit-up screen behind them, they can have the view of the water and the sunset,” Stockel says. “And because it’s a multipurpose space, when you have parties and private events, well, it’s just the most gorgeous view.”

There is a 1,200-square-foot, second-floor space for those events in addition to the option to reconfigure the theater’s seating, which has been halved from the original capacity of 800 to now 400 seats.

“So that’s very different as well,” Stockel says. “But it’s going to have really everything — state-of-the-art equipment for lighting and sound and movies. And the bathrooms are twice the size of what they used to be.”

Does the center’s director expect that the limited capacity will lessen the venue’s  own “star power,” so to speak?

“No, while the seating may be less, it’s going to have big names, because, look, a performer is going to get what a performer is going to get. Right? It’s whatever they cost. I ran a 500-seat theater and we would get Willie Nelson and Kristen Chenoweth and Squeeze and Blondie and major names that would perform in theaters four times our size.

“So the difference is that your tickets are going to be a little higher, right? Because if an artist costs, you know, $100,000, and then you have your expenses, divide that by the seats, and that’s your ticket price. I mean, it’s simple math.”

But, Stockel points out, there’s a payoff for the audience. “What you get as a patron is the ability to see these amazing names, these really world-renowned performers in a tiny, intimate venue. It feels like you’re seeing them in your living room. I think that was the allure of the venue that I used to run and that’s going to really be the allure of this.”

Show starters

Programming at Glazer Hall is scheduled to kick into high gear in January 2026, with a wide variety of acts to follow, https://glazerhall.org/#events.

I know because they ended while I was watching Kendrick Lamar’s super-aerobic Super Bowl halftime show. I promised myself, kicked back with a sack of tortilla chips, guacamole and margaritas, that I would absolutely POSITIVELY resume my resolutions and start getting Lamar fit the next day. Then it was March, maybe. OK, July 26.

I know because by then, it was clear at my annual checkup that my resolutions hadn’t lasted long this year. The doctor confirmed it, frowning at my charts. The same doctor who’d confirmed the year before that chips, guacamole and margaritas were not, technically, part of a “Mediterranean Diet.’’

“I don’t know how anyone even survives on what you eat,’’ he said. “As for exercise, find something you like to do and just stick with it.’’

Putting down chips, guacamole and margaritas would be easy, I said. Football season was still weeks away – easy fix! At least until preseason.

As for exercise, I’d had trouble keeping my resolutions because I’d been trying to keep them by doing the same old, same old things. Running on a treadmill. Riding a bike. Opening sacks of chips, avocados and tequila bottles and calling it part of a “Mexican Diet.”

So I resolved that if I was ever going to keep my resolutions, I had to try something completely different. Something I hadn’t tried before. Something that might keep me interested long enough to keep my resolutions. At least until the new year when I could make up and ignore some new ones.

Maybe Pilates, I said, pulling the name of an exercise out of the blue. I’d never tried that before – I wasn’t even sure how to pronounce it. Puh-la-teez, I said, sounding it out. It sounded austere, repentant, painful.

Asking around, though, I started hearing good things.

“Pain is not a regular thing in Pilates for me at least AND over time my core strength has increased,’’ one friend said.

“I LOVE Pilates!” said another. “It’s been so good for me.”

“I recently started Pilates and LOVE it,’’ said a third.

It was clear people I knew who’d tried Pilates had come away pleased with the experience. Except for the apparent side effect of uppercasing words in sentences.

They convinced me to give it a try and, as it just so happened, renowned Pilates instructor Nofar Hagag herself was teaching a Pilates class that week at her studio in Miami Beach. I figured I might as well go full on into the unknown with an instructor with a roster of well-known students.

“If you haven’t tried Nofar Method yet, this is your chance to see why it’s gained a cult following in both New York and Miami among names like Karlie Kloss, Emily Ratajkowski and Brooke Shields,” a spokesperson for the Nofar Method said. “Known for its unique 50-minute format that combines 25 minutes on the Reformer and 25 on the Cadillac, it delivers an intense, full-body workout that’s both refined and transformative.”

Any exercise that involved supermodels and 25 minutes on a Cadillac seemed like something I could stick with. But I stood in the hallway outside the door of Nofar’s second-floor studio on Washington Avenue not sure I should go in. Everybody coming out of her class looked preternaturally fit. Supermodelesque. Whereas I looked like I’d just set down a sack of chips.

But Nofar could not have been nicer, welcoming me in.

“Each class is created to meet you exactly where you are, whether you’ve been active your whole life or are just starting your fitness journey,” she said, reassuringly.

I followed her into a room that appeared to contain the beds they give kids in summer camps, only with four metal posts on each corner that supported parallel bars with springy straps hanging down. These were the Reformers.

She then took the preternaturally fit class of six – and me – through various stretching movements, first on my back, then on my knees, then in various standing positions with the springy straps. I was soon sweating a lot but, somehow, keeping up with them. At one point, I even played catch across one of the Reformers with a classmate – and we were the only two people who didn’t drop the big heavy ball. Ha! I can hang with the preternaturals!

After 25 minutes, we exchanged the room with the Reformers for a room with the Cadillacs, which I was disappointed to find looked more like rowing machines than luxury cars. We spent another 25 sweaty minutes on those, working on balance and resistance training.

“I don’t get it,” I said to Nofar. “I made it through class, and I don’t feel any pain! I took a spinning class a few years ago, and I couldn’t move afterward.”

“Pilates isn’t about exhausting your muscles to the point of soreness,” she said. “What’s most important is that your body feels safe and happy moving during the class, which is the foundation for transformation.”

It did. I do. I LOVE Pilates! (Uppercasing words is a side effect.)

So much so that I was re-inspired to resume all of my new year’s resolutions. Going to Pilates. Running on the treadmill. Riding my bike. I was on a roll.

Until the morning I rolled off my bike, fell and spectacularly skinned both knees. I’d been balancing in my driveway, waiting for an Amazon fulfillment truck to pass in the street, and I just toppled over. (I never do that! I blamed Jeff Bezos.)

There went biking. There went running. There went Pilates, since fully functioning knees are essential on the Reformers and the Cadillacs.

There went my resolutions that didn’t last long for a third time this year.

But now’s the time we start to think about resolutions for the new year. And I’ve already resolved to make mine happen, starting Jan. 1. Maybe in time for halftime with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl in February, latest.

OK, maybe March. POSITIVELY.

-mgauert@cityandshore.com 

“I think this year we will be hopscotching around Florida where we have lots of family and also a few restaurants,” he says, referencing his Michelin-recommended Four Flamingos kitchens in Key West and Orlando. “We may springboard over to the Caribbean for the New Year but we’re still figuring that out.”

That “hopscotching” will surely entail a holiday feast — and that’ll likely involve a go-to dinner for the James Beard-nominated cookbook author and TV personality.

“I usually will make a roast,” says Blais, co-host of Fox’s Next Level Chef and winner of Bravo’s inaugural Top Chef All-Stars. “One year it might be prime rib, the next some duck or a pork shoulder. Recently we started building on the traditional roast dinner, getting the whole family involved the following day in turning the leftover duck into some hand-pressed, homemade tacos.”

Another of Blais’s holiday dining traditions is perhaps less, um, traditional: mashed rutabaga.

“It’s incredibly simple,” says Blais, who trained at The French Laundry, Daniel and other culinary epicenters. “Boil chopped and peeled rutabaga in salted water and then crush it with a potato masher. Add some white pepper and salt and that’s it! You can certainly add a little butter, but I’ve found that, with an assortment of other creamy and buttery things on the holiday table, the rutabaga fills a better role without the added butter.”

He has the restaurants, cookbooks and TV shows, but the chef has his fingers in lots of other pies as well: Trail Blais, his culinary consulting group; the Food Court and Starving for Attention podcasts, which he hosts; and his brand of “Stand-Up Cooking” performances, which draw enthusiastic audiences across the country.

“Chefs can be too serious sometimes,” Blais says. “I like studying stand-up and I enjoy having fun, so I like to showcase a bit more of my ‘whole human’ side. Nate Bargatze is a favorite and I’ve been a fan well before he popped. I think it probably started because my dad loved Steve Martin and I grew up listening to his albums. So there is probably some deep-rooted reasoning to why I enjoy comedy writing so much.”

Expect a few punchlines when Blais performs his cooking demonstration at VLFWF’s Grand Tasting event, which he says will offer a taste of his two Florida restaurants.

Of course, he’ll have plenty of celebrity company at the Fort Lauderdale festival, held just as we get our post-holiday feasting second wind, Jan. 19-25. In tandem with such other national culinary stars as Eddie Jackson, Nancy Fuller, Jason Smith and more, the festival will celebrate the region’s top chefs, restaurateurs, and food and beverage innovators, including Michelin-recognized restaurants and James Beard-nominated talent. The event will attract foodies and regular old food-lovers from throughout South Florida and across the country for a weeklong celebration of tastings, dining experiences and chef showdowns.

“This seventh-annual celebration is our biggest yet, highlighting the incredible talent, flavors and creativity that make the destination a premier culinary hub,” said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “Accompanied by national celebrity talent, the festival continues to showcase what makes Greater Fort Lauderdale unique.”

In partnership with Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, VLFWF’s menu of diverse epicurean experiences includes culinary classes and an exclusive dining series as complements to these signature events.

WOK ‘N ROLL

Thursday, Jan. 22, 7-9:30 p.m., Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade, advance tickets $90.

Hosted by pastry chef Clarice Lam, this evening of Asian-inspired cuisine is accompanied by live music.

BBQ AT THE BEACH

Friday, Jan. 23, 7-9:30 p.m., Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, advance tickets $95.

Hosted by Food Network star Chef Jason Smith with special guest Ron “Captain Ron” Dimpflmaier, the 2025 BBQ champion, this event features live entertainment against the backdrop of Fort Lauderdale Beach and a friendly competition to crown the new champ.

THE GRAND TASTING

Saturday, Jan. 24, 1-4 p.m., Las Olas Oceanside Park, advance tickets $120.

This festive beachside main event features unlimited tastings of over 100 food and beverage offerings, DJ music, wine/cocktail seminars and celebrity chef cooking demonstrations by Richard Blais, “Captain Ron” Dimpflmaier and former NFL player and Food Network personality Eddie Jackson. A VIP Experience (tickets $350) includes the shaded Delta VIP Lounge with special food and beverage offerings and such additional perks as noon admission.

PICNIC IN THE PARK

Sunday, Jan. 25, noon-4 p.m., Las Olas Oceanside Park, free.

A family-friendly affair with food trucks, kid-friendly cooking demonstrations by Remy Powell and Dario Stephen, live entertainment, the JDCH Kid’s Zone and local artisan vendors.

BEACHSIDE BRUNCH

Sunday, Jan. 25, 1-3:30 p.m., the Lawn at Las Olas Oceanside Park, advance tickets $90.

Hosted by Food Network star Chef Nancy Fuller, with Eddie Jackson as special guest, the brunch serves up fare crafted by some of the region’s top culinary talent.

For tickets and more information, please visit vlfoodwine.com.

At its 29th annual History Makers fundraiser, History Fort Lauderdale will honor the South Florida hockey franchise for its sports legacy — back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, three consecutive Finals appearances and six consecutive postseason campaigns — but also for the team’s corporate philanthropy, civic responsibility and historic preservation efforts.

Set for 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at War Memorial Auditorium, this year’s History Makers celebration continues a tradition of recognizing individuals and companies who have made significant contributions to the growth of the City of Fort Lauderdale.

“For more than three decades, the Florida Panthers have united the sports, business, media and philanthropic communities through their commitment and dedication to excellence,” said Patricia Zeiler, History Fort Lauderdale’s executive director. “Their stewardship in overseeing the transformation of the historic War Memorial Auditorium into an exciting new entertainment and recreation hub and enhanced time-honored memorial for Broward County’s military veterans is unprecedented.”

Since taking the ice for the first time in 1993, the Florida Panthers have created an outstanding civic legacy. Their two championship runs alone have boosted the local economy by at least $110 million, according to the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority.

But the team’s effect has made its mark off the ice as well. The Panthers invested $100 million into the construction of their official practice facility, the Baptist Health IcePlex, and the adjacent, recently revitalized historic War Memorial Auditorium in Holiday Park. As part of the project, the Panthers renovated all veteran art and monuments around the 44,000-square-foot multipurpose concert venue, including a merchant marine monument and various plaques honoring Broward County war veterans and casualties.

“One of the most important aspects to the revitalization was to preserve the historic 50-year-old legacy of War Memorial Auditorium, elevate the Broward County veteran monuments and provide a first-class experience for guests attending events here,” said Rob Stevenson, Florida Panthers chief operating officer.

In addition, the Florida Panthers Foundation focuses on areas ranging from supporting health and education initiatives for children to raising awareness of the endangered Florida panther. Since the 2016-17 season, donations from various fund-raising events have contributed more than $8 million to local nonprofits in the South Florida community.

Previous honorees of the History Makers fundraiser have included such notable organizations and individuals as the Miller Family of Miller Construction Company, Galleria Fort Lauderdale, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, H. Wayne Huizenga, Chris Evert and Jimmy Evert, Winterfest, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Title sponsors are Alligator Ron and Ali Bergeron, Miles & Tara Forman and the Murphy Charitable Trust.

Formerly Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, History Fort Lauderdale offers educational experiences, cultural exhibits, research and preservation for future generations. Among its visitors, its Fort Lauderdale History Center and museums welcome 3,000 students each year.

Tickets for the History Makers fundraiser are $125 each. Event attendees can also get a VIP tour, including the locker rooms, underground basement and more, for $250. War Memorial Auditorium is at 800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale. For tickets, event sponsorships or more information, please visit historyfortlauderdale.org.

You know the ones.

Among wines in handy range on our rack for reflection this year, in no particular order, are:

Double Diamond 2022 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP: $90), with juicy notes of plum and black raspberry. A bit harsh out of the bottle, maybe even standoffish. But let it breathe, and you’re rewarded with the kind of finish you hope will extend to the rest of the year.

Nothing like walking into a home around the holidays to the scent of a freshly baked pie. Or, if nobody’s in the mood to bake, open a bottle of Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah (SRP: $50) and let it breathe. If this isn’t blackberry pie in a bottle, it might be black cherry cobbler, black plum or boysenberry. Soft as a ruby-colored sunrise right out of the bottle, with a finish that keeps giving till sundown.

A particular standout, Mount Veeder 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP: $70) is caramally smooth and delicious. You’ll pick red fruits, black cherry and fig from the smorgasbord of flavors here. If there’s any left over after a grilled steak or hamburger, try it with goat cheese. You’re welcome.

Another particular standout, J Vineyards 2022 Russian River Chardonnay (SRP: $40) is crisp and clear as a mountain stream over pebbles. (And just as pretty). A chardonnay for people tired of oaky chadonnays, this one’s a fruit stand of pear, white peach and pineapple flavors. Reserve only for the particularly nice on your list.

For those for whom the holidays would not be the holidays without a big piece of meat, meet Beringer Vineyards’ 2022 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP: $40). A bold wine that holds its own with prime rib and beef tenderloin, but with enough balance to work with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy as well. Also nice, if you have any left, with soft and hard cheeses. Pace yourself, delayed rewards are the best.

The 2022 The Estates Fumé Blanc (SRP: $65) comes out of Oakville with an autograph on the label from the late Robert Mondavi himself, and a flavorful glass of pear, lychee, orange blossom and maybe even a little mango. At 14.5 percent, it’s one of the highest alcohol recommendations on this list, but a testament to the revered winemaker’s skill at control and structure. You’re going to want to keep the autograph.

For anyone who’s been particularly nice on your list this year – OK, extraordinarily nice – Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (SRP $294) is the stocking stuffer of choice. Our – and a little publication called Wine Spectator’s – favorite of the year, Don Merlchor cabernet is a ruby-red glass of raspberry and plum flavors that will reward any deep look back on the year that was, or look forward to the year to come.
Whether it’s a year for a glass, or a bottle.

26 Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening of musicianship, visuals, lighting and storytelling. 8 p.m. at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. $58.25-$529.75. casino.hardrock.com.

28-30 “The Nutcracker,” Boca Ballet Theatre’s 2025 production starring American Ballet Theatre dancers Zimmi Coker and Carlos Gonzales. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Olympic Heights Performing Arts Theater, 20101 Lyons Road, Boca Raton. $25-$55. bocaballet.org/season.

28-Dec. 24 “A Christmas Carol,” Alan Menken and Lynn Ahrens’ 1994 musical adaptation. Times vary at The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. $109-$119. thewick.org.

29-30 West Palm Beach Fine Art Show, outdoor, tent-based show featuring a juried selection of original, handmade art from national and local artists. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Meyer Amphitheatre, 104 Datura St., West Palm Beach. Free admission. hotworks.org.

30 Hot Brass: Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire, a tribute show of hits with four lead vocalists, and horn and rhythm sections. 2 to 4 p.m. at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach. $45 and up. pompanobeacharts.org.

December 

2 Fourth Annual Magnolia Luncheon, United Way Broward’s Women United honoring women who are raising essential resources, addressing complex challenges in the community and creating long-lasting social change to help people in need. Keynote by author Kindra Hall, Shopping Boutique Marketplace and Magnolia’s Secret Garden Raffle. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. $200 nonmembers, $150 members. unitedwaybroward.org.

5 Broward Education Foundation 2025 Hall of Fame Awards, honoring the achievements of alumni and community leaders who have made a lasting difference in Broward County. 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Fort Lauderdale Baptist Church, 301 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. $75. browardedfoundation.org/halloffame.

5-7 Art Basel: Miami Beach, leading galleries from five continents show significant works by masters of modern and contemporary art along with emerging stars. The show is divided into sectors, each with a specific focus, and features art and culture conversations. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily at Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive. Ticket prices vary. artbasel.com/miami-beach.

6 Savor Boca: A Centennial Celebration, a historical photo scavenger hunt, self-guided tasting tour at 10-plus local restaurants paired with cocktails inspired by the flavors, trends and spirit of each decade from the 1920s to the 2020s, or a VIP guided tour with elevated tastings and full-sized cocktails at four restaurants. Benefits Brain Bowl Events. Times vary at Mizner Park, 327 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. $35-$150. savorboca.com.

6 Evening of Enchantment, celebrating the DeVos-Blum Family YMCA’s 25th anniversary with dinner and dancing, silent auction and music by The Headliners in an outdoor tent. 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the DeVos-Blum Family YMCA, 9600 S. Military Trail, Boynton Beach. Cocktail attire. $375. ymcaspbc.org/25years.

6-7 “Handel’s Messiah” and Holiday Pops, South Florida Symphonia Orchestra’s tradition performed with guest vocalists and the South Florida Symphony Chorus. Chat with Dr. Alan Mason 30 minutes before the concerts. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Parker, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale, and 4 p.m. Sunday at Shepard & Ruth K. Broad Performing Arts Center at Barry University, 11300 NE Second Ave., Miami Shores. Ticket prices vary. southfloridasymphony.org/handels-messiah.

6 & 13 Candlelight: Best of “Bridgerton” on Strings, top hits from the acclaimed Shondaland series on Netflix performed by the Collins Quartet. 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Yamato Road. $38-$65. 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at First Presbyterian Church of West Palm Beach, 301 S. Olive Ave. $71.50-$89.50. candlelightexperience.com/bridgerton-concerts.

7 Sugar Plum Dreams, a night of fine dining, live and silent auction, entertainment, visit from Santa Claus, interactive activities and photo ops to benefit the Quantum House. 4:30 to 7 p.m. at The Club at Admirals Cove, 200 Admirals Cove Blvd., Jupiter. $375 adults, $125 children. quantumhouse.org/sugar-plum-dreams.

7 South Florida Presidents Council Toys in the Sun Run and Festival, charity motorcycle ride and music festival with headliner Gretchen Wilson. Vendor village, food and collecting of holiday toys for children in need. Starts at 8 a.m. at the Oasis Parking Lot on State Road 7 across from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, and ends at the Bergeron Green Glades Ranch, 21111 SW 16th St., Weston. Ticket prices vary. sfpctoyrun.com.

8 Ninth Annual Holly Jolly Symphony Fête, Palm Beach Symphony’s luncheon with silent auction and music. 10:30 a.m. at the Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. $300. palmbeachsymphony.org/support/holly-jolly.

11-14 Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, presented by Wine Spectator, featuring more than 50 chefs and culinary talent along with 20-plus signature events and tastings. A portion of proceeds benefits Els for Autism. Various locations in Palm Beach County. Ticket prices vary. pbfoodwinefest.com.

13 The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, decorated boats of all sizes travel along the New River, east to the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale and north to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. Parade starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Stranahan House, 335 SE Sixth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets available for purchase for the Parade Viewing Area with seating, Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park, 80 Las Olas Circle, Fort Lauderdale. Other viewing areas include bridges and The Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. winterfestparade.com.

13-21 Miami Beach Holiday Festival of Lights, presented by Miami Beach Classical Music Festival. Musical performances, orchestra music, Santa Claus, the Grinch and Elsa, snow and projection mapping displays across the 1400 block of Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Performances outside The Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Drive, at 6:15 and 7:15 p.m. Dec. 13 and 6 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14, 20, and 21. Free admission. miamimusicfestival.com.

14 Winter Wonderland – A Frozen Family Celebration, brunch party and performance of Disney’s “Frozen.” Proceeds benefit the Broward Center’s arts-in-education and community engagement programs. Noon at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Proceeds benefit the Broward Center’s arts-in-education and community engagement programs. $375. browardcenter.org/family_celebration.

27 “Swan Lake,” presented by Classical Arts Entertainment, with handpainted sets, over 200 custom-designed scenery elements and international ballet stars. Two acts with one intermission. 7 p.m. at Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs. $40.04-$79.42. thecentercs.com.

28 Brunch with Purpose: The Sow Project at Vizcaya Village, seasonal menu crafted by chefs Ben Vaughn and Dave Krog with intimate seating. Supports The Sow Project’s free culinary workforce development programs. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Vizcaya Village Garage, 3250 S. Miami Ave., Miami. $65.87, $28.52 (12 and under). eventbrite.com.

January 

6 Barry Manilow, the Grammy, Tony and Emmy award-winning singer’s final show in South Florida. 7 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena, 1 Panther Parkway. $39-$574. barrymanilow.com.

8 29th annual History Makers fundraiser, presented by Alligator Ron & Ali Bergeron, Miles & Tara Forman and Murphy Family Charitable Trust, honoring the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers. Wine, spirits and food, and entertainment and memorabilia and other collectibles from the exclusive H. Wayne Huizenga collection. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale. $125, $250 VIP. historyfortlauderdale.org/archives/7467.

8 “Forever Yiddish 3 – Songs and Stories from the Shtetl,” with Yitzhak Fried and pianist Alan Mason. Proceeds benefit Leket Israel, the leading food rescue organization in Israel. 7:30 p.m. at Aventura Arts & Culture Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura. $62.86-$88.23. aventuracenter.org.

8-25 “In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience,” featuring comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh, and a wine expert guiding audiences through tasting five wines with a side of jokes. Times vary at the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. $112.10-$147.50. browardcenter.org.

10 Boca Raton Seafood Festival, second annual event with local seafood vendors, music and nautical-themed activities and competitions for all ages. noon to 8 p.m. at Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real. $10 advance, $15 at the door, free for children 10 and under. myboca.us/2698/Seafood-Festival.

18 Boca Ballet Theatre 35th Anniversary Gala, performance with professional dancers from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Ballet, cocktail hour and dinner onstage with the show’s stars. 3 p.m. at Florida Atlantic University’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. $350 performance and dinner, $75 performance only. bocaballet.org/35th-anniversary-gala.

19-25 Seventh Annual Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, signature events, culinary classes and exclusive dinner series showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s culinary scene. Headline celebrity personalities and chefs include Richard Blais, Eddie Jackson, Nancy Fuller, Jason Smith, Clarice Lam, Ron Dimpflmaier, Remy Powell and Dario Stephen. Times, locations in Fort Lauderdale and ticket prices vary. vlfoodwine.com.

​​23 Corinne Bailey Rae, R&B performance by Grammy Award-winning artist. 8 p.m. at Glazer Hall, 70 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite P70, Palm Beach. $127.50 – $137.50. glazerhall.org.

24 HomeSafe’s 23rd Annual Classic Rock & Roll Party, auction, dinner and private concert with Mike DelGuidice, touring vocalist with Billy Joel’s band. 6 p.m. at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. Ticket prices vary. helphomesafe.org/TheClassic2026.

31 Penn & Teller’s 50th Anniversary Tour, magic’s legendary duo. 8 p.m. at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. Tickets start at $45. casino.hardrock.com/hollywood/events/penn-and-teller.

Save the date 

Feb. 21 Cleveland Clinic Palm Beach Ball, black-tie fundraiser with cocktail reception, dinner, entertainment and dancing. 7 p.m. at The Breakers, 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach. $1,250. clevelandclinicflorida.org/palmbeachball.

Editor’s note: Please confirm events prior to attending. 

The November Holiday Issue of City & Shore magazine, available in time for Black Friday shopping and beyond, is full of great gift ideas, things to do and seasonal entertainment possibilities.

First on our list is a visit from Stevie Nicks, the grand dame of classic rock, who arrives at Hard Rock Live on Dec. 10, rescheduled from Sept. 3 after she fractured her shoulder. Most recently, viral clips have elevated the 77-year-old singer’s profile among younger generations, abetted by last year’s single, “The Lighthouse,” and its galvanizing video.

“TikTok has also given another classic Nicks song, ‘Silver Springs,’ new life — as it has to some degree, Nicks herself,” writes Greg Carannante in our story. “Drawing almost 21.5 million views since 2023, the video is from a 1997 Fleetwood Mac reunion concert that became ‘The Dance’ live album and film.”

At last check, resale tickets were still available for the show — though at prices far above what it cost to see her and Fleetwood Mac in the “Rumours” glory days of the late 1970s. Still, a thoughtful gift for any fan of great music.

We’ll also get behind the wheel of Vittori’s Turbio, a new hypercar that’s been going fast onto aspirational-hypercar lists since its debut in Opa-locka in October. We’ll also slip into some show-stopping holiday fashion from Carolina Herrera, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, among others; take a road trip to Christmas — the actual place in Orange County, Florida; and, just in time for Art Basel, go inside five South Florida homes that demonstrate how love and appreciation for arts of all kinds begins at home.

All of this — plus previews of The Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, CP Group’s 10th Annual Tree Lighting & Holiday Extravaganza in Boca Raton, Toys in the Sun Run and Festival in Weston, The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade in Fort Lauderdale, Art Basel in Miami Beach and other notable events this holiday season — in the November issue of City & Shore, this weekend in print, online and digital. Click here to check it out.

Because this is not your father’s — or your grandparents’ or possibly great-grandparents’ — Pier Sixty-Six.

Yes, the resort that started in 1957 as a hotel, marina and fuel dock by the Phillips 66 Petroleum Co. (hence the Pier “66”) still spreads across 32-acres along the 17th Street Causeway and the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale. Yes, the Pier Top lounge still revolves a complete turn every 66 minutes 17 floors atop the landmark tower, the way it did when it opened 60 years ago. The Windows on 66 lobby bar is still a great place to ride a barstool and watch the space Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli and Shirley MacLaine and a registry of stars walked to get to their rooms here long ago.

It’s all a new and gleaming space again, fresh from a respectful, billion-dollar renovation, just in time for the 66th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Oct. 29-Nov. 2. The rooms, the restaurants, the pools, the Spa, the staff, the celebrities. All ready to make memories they’ll still be talking about 60 years from now.

What’s cooking

Calusso and Sotogrande

Some of the best food in Fort Lauderdale is coming out of the kitchens at these two stand-out restaurants on the marina side of Pier Sixty-Six.

Starting with Executive Chef Jonathan Kaiser’s “snacks’’ at French-Italian inspired Calusso — Brandade Deviled Egg, with smoked trout, hen egg and caper; Sofrito Crisp, with saffron, aquafaba and chives; and an Oysters Caprese that former South Florida Sun Sentinel Dining Critic Mike Mayo declared (in the September Food, Dining & Spirit Issue) a “showstopper.” (It is, but I somehow managed to keep eating anyway).

There’s a madly romantic Bistecca For Two, with grilled lemon, maitre d’butter and bordelaise, for all the people looking for something to eat after swirling around the Pier Top cocktail lounge embraced in a love seat. There’s Heritage Chicken, with roasted maitake, charred onion and truffle jus gras, for those who believe Julia Child was right when she said a restaurant should be judged on how well it does chicken. (Exceptionally well here). It’s all good and filling, but pace yourself and stick around for the Honey Semifreddo, with honeycomb and comté cheese, which Mike Mayo also declared a “showstopper.’’ (He’s right again, but I managed to eat the home-made mignardise sweets they brought with the check anyway).

Somehow, 24-48 hours later, I got hungry again at Sotogrande, Chef Michael Toker’s Spanish-Mediterranean dining destination a floor below Calusso, with a comparable view of the marina. The standouts here are the mixed Mezze Plate — tzatziki, hummus, babaganoush, olive tapenade — served with a basket of hot puffy pita bread. If Julia Child had included how a restaurant grills fish she would have been a happy cuisinière here, too. If you’re looking for a dish to stop your show here, try the Dubai Tart Chocolate, with pistachio kadaif and crème anglaise. You’ll stop happy, and probably won’t be hungry again for at least another 24-48 hours.

What’s drinking

Cocktails at the Pier Top

If “Destination Dining” is a thing, can “Destination Cocktails’’ be one, too? (Please?)

Standouts worth the (pricey) valet parking at the Pier Sixty-Six include old-school martinis that haven’t changed since the days gin was the only ingredient spirit in a martini (the way it was intended) to shining-edge concoctions that playfully reference the lounge’s history and location, 17 floors up. The High Roller — Elyx Vodka, Dolin Blanc, Vermouth, Dry Curaçao, Velvet Falernum, Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe Grapefruit Spray — the Tango on Top — Amaro Nonino, Strega, Prosecco, Pineapple Juice, Matcha, Coconut Tea — and the Sixty-Six — Empress Gin, Dry Curacao, Prosecco, Lime Yuzu Soda, Lemon, Grapefruit, Blood Orange — pop to the top of the Pier Top list.

If you’re looking for a cocktail to Instagram on high from one of the most Instagrammable places in South Florida, try the Tears of a Mermaid — Lalo Tequila Blanco, Italicus Maraschino Liqueur, Grapefruit Sherbert and Tiki Bitters. A delicious, understated drink that wouldn’t dare compete with the revolving 360-degree views. Cheers.

Overheard

“Don’t worry, we’ll still have a floor when we come back!’’

Guest at the Pier Top to another guest concerned the landmark lounge’s rotating floor worked like an elevator and they would not be able to return to their cocktails after stepping away for a moment to enjoy the view from the outdoor deck.

Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel

Don’t miss

Top of the Pier 

“There’s a wait here,’’ the VIP Guest Recognition Specialist states the obvious, walking past the velvet ropes by the elevators up to Broward’s landmark lounge. “It’s quite a hot property.”

It is. A man in a sharp black suit stands at a podium at the end of the velvet rope line to confirm that you have a reservation and to confirm, oh-so nicely, that you’re dressed up enough to be borne aloft.

“Stylish pants, dresses, skirts or tailored shorts with appropriate footwear’’ for ladies, “long pants and closed-toe shoes, jackets encouraged,’’ for gentlemen are the rules he delivers with velvety charm.

“I love the way you’re coordinated!’’ the man at the podium Project Runways a woman in line, sizing up her outfit. It’s a dress code that encourages compliance by compliments.

Passing muster, we whisk up the elevator in exactly 66 seconds to the 17th floor, where everybody’s smiling like they’re about to go on a Universal Studios ride. The one here moves much slower than any of those —  ranging in speed between imperceptible and glacial — as the 1965-era clockwork mechanics of the Pier Top lounge floor revolves a full 360 degrees over 66 minutes.

Couples drop into plush club chairs and love seats with foot rests for some quality time. Time enough for a glass of champagne, caviar and a cocktail (or 66). Time you won’t regret getting dressed up for.

Don’t miss part II

Zenova Spa & Wellness

The 100-minute “Authentic Florida’’ treatment here predates the current authentic Florida experience. No overcrowded roads, no spiraling insurance rates, no insects the size of mailboxes … we could go on with the ways the spa’s “Authentic Florida’’ contrasts with the current reality.

“We pay homage to a time when nature’s lush tropical gifts were used for healing and restoration,” the spa notes, “using aromatic, medicinal ingredients discovered by Florida Natives.”

The fantasy begins with a full-body brushing, followed by a Florida orange sugar polish and warm honey-coconut hydration. Next comes a warming blanket and a vigorous scalp massage. (Nice!) Then comes a citrus-infused shower, to slough off any remaining sugar, followed by a full body massage with hydrating coconut oil. Or something like that. I lost track, technically, after about minute six, but the whole experience will leave you feeling cleansed, relaxed and thinking, Florida … best state or best state ever?!

Stick around and sip herbal teas to help you “Breathe,’’ “Feel Better” and leave you “Bright Eyed” in The Sanctuary. Don’t miss the warm Sensory Shower course, part of the co-ed Via Aquae section of the 13,000-square-foot spa; followed by a stop in the “Snowroom,” where “a gentle snow massage on arms and legs helps to cool down.’’

Or not. Avoiding snow also is authentically Floridian.

Could miss

Consistency

So many of the “experiences’’ at Pier Sixty-Six are perfect. Cocktails in the revolving Pier Top lounge. The freshly baked pita bread at Sotogrande. The Zenova Spa, the before-dinner “snacks’’ at Calusso, the views of downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Intracoastal Waterway that seem to wraparound the world. The beds in the tastefully decorated rooms are comfortable, the snacks in the mini-fridge are the best (Iberico bites from Spain! Perrier-Jouet from France! Torn Ranch Chocolate Chip Cookies from California!) and the sleek Kohler fixtures in the primary bathrooms are so smart you begin to wonder if they may begin to address you.

You can get used to perfection at the Pier Sixty-Six. Until someone on staff sends you to the wrong floor for the spa. And you have to chase someone down for the check at Saltbreeze pool-side cafe. And the breakfast pastries in the basket are cold and hard at Garni on the ground floor. And guests are allowed to bring and talk on their cellphones in “The Sanctuary” at the spa. And a failing A/C unit in the bedroom wakes you up at 3:43 a.m. and 4:43 a.m. And the broccolini comes out of the kitchen cold at Calusso, a restaurant with otherwise legitimate aspirations for Michelin recognition.

Profuse apologies and, in most cases, prompt remedies, followed each shortcoming — and a big thank you for helping make the property better next time. Most of the experiences at Pier Sixty-Six are perfect. Some just have a way to go.

IF YOU GO

Pier Sixty-Six

2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, 954-525-6666, 800-722-7220; piersixtysix.com

Featuring 325 guest rooms and suites, fine dining at French-Italian inspired Calusso and Spanish-Mediterranean fare at Sotogrande, breakfast/brunch at Garni, grab-and-go items at Elate Market Cafe, Saltbreeze poolside cafe, Windows on 66 lobby bar, revolving landmark Pier Top lounge, among other culinary and beverage options; superyacht marina, 13,000-sq.-foot Zenova Spa & Wellness, three outdoor pools, waterslides, 40,000-sq.-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, Pier Explorers Kids’ Club, for ages 4-12. Starting rates from $449.