There’s never a bad time to visit the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area. Take it from someone that lives there, year round, there is always something great to do. From the spectacular weather to festivals (must do Halloween – Wicked Manors mentioned at end of the post), multiple pride celebrations from February to June to this year in November (which we will also mention at the end of this post), and locals that are always ready to welcome you into their bars, restaurants, shops, to visiting Greater Fort Lauderdale’s 24 mile stretch of sand and surf (or view it on live beach webcams).
What has made this 2021 summer even more exciting for locals and visitors has been LauderDeals, an extensive list of local offerings available from June 1st through September 30th. With these deals stretching throughout Broward County’s 31 neighborhoods, LauderDeals gives visitors and residents plenty of ways to indulge in the perfect getaway or staycation in the “Yachting Capital of the World.” From the ocean to the everglades, visitors and locals should explore all of what the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area has to offer and this makes it easy.
LauderDeals Hotel Deal Examples:
Hotel Deals range from discounted room rates, offers for third or fourth nights free, resort and dining credits, free or discounted parking, complimentary upgrades, and more. I’ve stayed at a couple of these as a treat to myself and what a staycation they were!
- W Fort Lauderdale
- Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach
- Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
- Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort
LauderDeals Things To Do Deal Examples:
Things To Do Deals include 2-for-1 admission or discounted rates at attractions. I’ve done three of these, will do those three again in a heart beat and have two more to go!
Special LauderDeals offers are also available for Florida Residents and first responders and military at sunny.org/lauderdeals.
“We invite visitors to indulge in a much-deserved getaway and local residents to vacation in their own backyard, where they can relax and recharge while taking advantage of LauderDeals savings to discover spectacular offerings you can only find here. This is a great time to enjoy a hotel stay and pair it with culture-rich experiences, fun family attractions, incredible dining options and some pampering, all at a discount.” – says Stacy Ritter, CEO and President of Visit Lauderdale.
And yes, we may have missed a month of LauderDeals as they did start on June 1st. BUT … the deals go on until the end of September and they actually do get more expansive as summer heats up.
Additional August Specials
Beginning in August, LauderDeals offers will expand with the addition of packages I have personally loved. Both the Dine Out Lauderdale specials, a collection of taste-tempting three-course prix-fixe menus priced at $35 and $45; and the self-pampering delight of Spa Days, signature treatments at resort and day spas, many with prices starting at $99, are just the thing to take advantage of during August. Travelers, add them to your stay, locals, go find that new place to eat or treat.
There’s one thing I love when I look to navigate the exhaustive list of amazing places to eat around me in Greater Fort Lauderdale. I usually beg my friends to decide as there are too many to choose from. Dine Out Lauderdale will be my saving grace for August as I will just go down the list of suggested places as it is the perfect way for residents and visitors to explore new restaurants or revisit some of their favorite places that are offering special, limited-time menus. These restaurants are located throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale, so diners can work their way through the county’s eclectic culinary scene. From beautiful beach views to luxury, intimate settings, and from local, family-owned eateries to hidden gems, there are a variety of dining options to satisfy every palate. I may start off on the ones along the intracoastal water way as I find that to be so pleasant and relaxing.
If you are still concerned about COVID as we all should have it on our minds, you can visit Greater Fort Lauderdale COVID-19 Travel Information as information is always changing. Just like everywhere in the country mask-wearing mandate are varied from venue to venue. Airports and airplanes still require masks as well as other forms of public transportation. So carry that mask, just in case.
Beyond LauderDeals and Beyond September?
And what if you cannot make it here for LauderDeals from June 1st to September 30th? Like I said, there is always something to do here from boat shows to concerts to just perfect relaxation and pampering. So If you cannot make it down by the end of September … start planning for other events to attend, two of which are epic.
Wicked Manors
Wilton Manors always celebrates Halloween on the night of Halloween. There’s no moving this epic gay holiday to a safer night. Debauchery does not reschedule. I’ve attended many years, but here is one of my years of coverage, back in 2015 – Wilton Manors Celebrates ‘Wicked Manors’ With 30,000+ In Attendance
There are many videos and pics out there of Wicked Manors. Here’s a video of Wicked Manors 2019 when the theme was “7 Deadly Sins”. It shows a variety of costumes present, but missed out on showing all of the men that think body paint and a jock strap is a costume. We like their thinking.
Keep a bookmark on wickedmanors.org for updates for this year as no announcements have been made yet.
Fort Lauderdale Pride 2021
Fort Lauderdale has announced that it will be hosting its 2021 Pride Festival Nov. 20-21 on Fort Lauderdale’s beach and this year’s theme will be “Glitter and Gratitude.”
“As we enter our 44th year as Florida’s first LGBTQ Pride festival, we are reminded of how far we’ve come and how much we have to be grateful for. The LGBTQ community has seen significant changes in our community and in society and this year’s theme, Glitter and Gratitude, honors those accomplishments.” – Miik Martorell, President of Pride Fort Lauderdale
Keep checking back on Pridefortlauderdale.org for more information, but this is what we know so far:
- Nov. 18 – Pride Runway Fashion Show at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which will include designs by alumni from Bravo’s Project Runway along with local designers.
- November 20 & 21 An epic two-day beach festival to include a street parade down GAY 1A (A1A), three stages of entertainment, 150 vendors, headlining performances, and sunset concerts with top DJ’s that will have you dancing on the beach into the night.
- Trans Pride will feature local trans-led organizations, businesses and resources. This year, the festival will focus on highlighting local trans programs and services that can assist the LGBT community in recovering from the pandemic.
‘About Greater Fort Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale boasts an average year-round temperature of 77˚F and has 3,000+ hours of annual sunshine and is known as the Venice of America and Yachting Capital of the World. Explore 4,000+ eateries, 300+ miles of navigable waterways, eight distinct beaches, a thriving arts and culture scene, craft breweries, rooftop bars, diving, fishing and other outdoor adventures, world-class shopping and boats, yachts and superyachts moored at the area’s many marinas – all conveniently located in the center of South Florida.
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