Free museums, parks, Riverwalk Fall Festival ahead this weekend
The Smithsonian Free Museum Day highlights this weekend, along with the Fee-Free Day at national parks. The events give families in South Florida the chance to enjoy Everglades National Park for free, along with museums and zoos such as Zoo Miami, Young at Art children’s museum in Davie and other museums. No coupon is needed for the national parks, but visitors must print a free pass for two to the participating museum of their choice by visiting smithsonianmag.com.
There are plenty of other events Saturday, including the Riverwalk Fall Festival, the Palm Beach STEAM Fest and a Hispanic Heritage Festival in Miramar.
Our picks for the top family events of the weekend include the following:
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Celebration, Thursday, 6:308 p.m. Celebrate Harry Potter with activities for kids of all ages. Online registration is requested for each attendee. Costumes encouraged. Free. Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, 3100 Ray Ferrero, Jr. Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. https:// bit.ly/2PO5o7w
Free Third Fridays at Miami Children’s Museum, Friday, 4-8 p.m. Visitors can roam the museum free of charge. Please leave strollers at home or in the car. Free. Miami Children’s Museum, 980 MacArthur Causeway, Miami. miamichildrensmuseum.org
Funtastic Friday and ArtsPark Movie Night, Friday, 5-10 p.m. Enjoy a DJ, inflatable bounce houses, games, and arts and crafts 5-8 p.m. The movie “D2: The Mighty Ducks” (PG) starts at 8 p.m. Free; lawn seating available. The ArtsPark at Young Circle, 1 Young Circle, downtown Hollywood. hollywoodfl.org
Movie Daze & Food Truck Frenzy, Friday, 6-9 p.m. Pack your chairs and blankets and enjoy a variety of food truck vendors and a free movie at Riviera Beach’s Bicentennial Park. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Free. Bicentennial Park, 190 E. 13th St, Riviera Beach. rbcra.com/ events-calendar
Cooling Station at Zoo Miami, Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Beat the summer heat at Florida Power & Light Company’s Cooling Station at Zoo Miami’s Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day event. Chill out by walking into a larger-than-life ice cube that refreshes with music and a blast of liquid nitrogen. Free. Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St., Miami. smithsonianmag.com
Palm Beach STEAM Fest 2018, Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Familyfriendly event for ages preschool to 12th grade with activities and concepts for creative and fun problem-solving, including a Tinkering Station, botany, math games, fossils and more. Free. Palm Beach State College, 4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth. palmbeachstate.edu/events/steamfest
Riverwalk Fall Festival, Saturday, 12-4 p.m. Enjoy carnival-themed games, competitions, face painting, train rides, live music, vendors and food trucks in a free, petfriendly family festival at Esplanade Park, 400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Pets must be leashed. goriverwalk.com
Hispanic Heritage Festival, Saturday, 611 p.m. Enjoy live music by Proyecto Uno, Oro Solido, Jimmy El Leon and El Che Lopez, music by DJ Willy and DJ Loka, dancers, a Venezuelan band, plus vendors and Latin cuisine. Free. Miramar Amphitheater at Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway. miramarfl.gov/1327/ Upcoming-Events