AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 NIGHTS, Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale,
954-525-3456, www.fliff.com.
Cinema Paradiso is taking audiences Around the World in 80 Nights. Throughout this year, the art house theater is hosting evenings that spotlight various countries with film, cuisine and culture activities. Film admission is free, thanks to a Knight Foundation Art Challenge grant. There may be a charge for pre-film events, receptions and cuisine sampling, with proceeds benefiting various charities. Upcoming featured countries include Africa, March 14; Australia, March 16; Colombia, March 23; and Trinidad and Tobago, March 30. Many more international nights are in the planning stages. Visit the website for details.
THE BARKERS PET RESORT, 761 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-888-2274, www.barkerspetresort.com.
The term pet resort may seem to be an overstatement, until you see The Barkers. The new, 15,000-square-foot pet boarding hotel, day care and spa features individually decorated “suites” with plush bedding and flat-screen televisions. Specially designed separate areas host T-cups and felines. Attended day-care rooms are spacious, brightly decorated and well equipped with playthings. The retail store offers supplies from gourmet treats to canine clothing, and the spa provides a wide range of grooming services plus therapeutic massage. Training services and obedience classes are also available. The grassy outdoor play yard even has an in-ground pooch pool. It is a resort, after all.
CALL OF AFRICA’S NATIVE VISIONS GALLERY FUNDRAISER, 6:30-9:30 p.m., March 18, 807 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-767-9714, www.callofafrica.com; RSVP required.
When Kirsten and Ross Parker learned of the elephant orphan program in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, they were moved to help. Orphanage workers rescue young elephants whose mothers have been killed, often by ivory poachers, and care for them until they can be released back into the wild. The Parkers decided to host events at Call of Africa to raise awareness and help fund the adoption of several elephants. “We want to watch their progress over the next few years,” Kirsten says.
The events include a reception on March 18 with renowned wildlife sculptor Loet Vanderveen. Vanderveen brings great sympathy to his bronze sculptures, Kirsten says, capturing the essence and movement of the animals. The wine and hors d’oeuvres reception will include a talk by Angela Godinho of Miami, a trustee of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org), which runs the orphan project. She will tell about her introduction to Sheldrick, the founding warden of Tsavo East National Park, and his amazing widow. Dame Daphne Sheldrick worked with her husband for 25 years, until his death in 1977, and she has continued the mission to this day. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Vanderveen’s art will benefit the adoption fund. Call the store to RSVP.
11TH STREET ANNEX, 14 SW 11th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-767-8306, www.twouglysisters.com.
How lovely it would be to have lunch with your two sisters at their place. It would be even lovelier if your sisters were gourmet cooks who presented you with several delectable options – and didn’t even expect you to help with the dishes. Such is the experience at 11th Street Annex, a cozy eatery tucked into a neighborhood just west of Andrews Avenue. Jonny Altobell and Penny Sanfilippo are the sisters, who welcome diners with casual warmth and a lunch menu that changes day to day, including a vegetarian option, plus soup with flatbread and desserts. “We also can accommodate special diets, particularly if they call in advance,” Penny says. The Annex is open for lunch Monday through Friday and the first Saturday of the month; closed during some holiday times, including April 2-9. Visit the website and check out their entertaining newsletter, filled with special events, nutrition wisdom, even recipes.
KARANKY, 613 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-616-5258, www.karanky.com.
The ancient Quillacinga Indian art of mopa-mopa has come to Las Olas in the new shop, Karanky. The store features intricately adorned cedar wood masks, animal figures, vases and abstract pieces that appear to be painted. However, they are actually decorated through a centuries-old process practiced by 16 families of Quillacingas in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador. Owner Maria X. Lopez Paz explains the process: The buds of the mopa-mopa tree are boiled in water until they form a resin, which is colored with plant-based hues and stretched by a pair of artisans using their hands and mouths to create thin sheets. They warm a sheet in their hands, place it on the wood and cut it with a knife to form the designs, which adhere permanently without glue. The craftsmen use their own original sketches, which are never repeated, she says. What does Karanky mean? “It’s my father’s name,” says Lopez Paz. He lives in Aruba, home to another Karanky shop, and he continues to practice his art.
CLUELESS ON LAS OLAS, April 15, registration at the corner of SE Ninth Avenue and Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, 954-288-7201, www.browardpartners.com.
Death of an Auctioneer is this year’s murder mystery game benefiting Broward County’s school/business partnership program, Partners In Education. Registration and street party begin at 5:30 p.m., the clue search through shops and restaurants starts at 7 p.m., and the final clue/award ceremony starts at 9 p.m. Registration is limited to the first 400 sleuths; tickets are $40 per person or four tickets for $120, available via the website through April 13; $50 on-site, if available.
MODS WINE & CULINARY CELEBRATION, April 16, Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-713-0954, www.mods.org.
More than 30 area restaurants will offer delectable tastings paired with 200 wine samples from around the world at this 15th annual fundraiser for MODS. The event includes a VIP Champagne Martini reception and After Hours Delights reception, VIP wine tasting plus a silent auction. VIP admission is $150; regular admission is $85. Presale tickets, ordered by March 16, are $135 and $75, available via the website or by calling 954-713-0954.
AIR LAUDERDALE BEACH FEST, April 24 & 25, Fort Lauderdale Beach, 954-762-7000, www.airlauderdale.com.
The beach bristles with excitement during two days of aerial displays paired with a beach festival. Held in conjunction with Fleet Week, the event kicks off 10 days of activities to celebrate and honor the military. Check the website for details and $5 pre-sale tickets.
