☀️ GOOD MORNING, HOLLYWOOD!
Good morning, Hollywood. Big day for our little slice of the coast: the national travel press just put Hollywood Beach in the spotlight, JetBlue is going all-in at our home airport, and Hallandale is sprouting cranes. We've also got free movie nights downtown, a heads-up on mosquito spraying, and a lovely free outing for the kids. Let's get into it.

📰 IN TODAY'S BLEND
🏖️ Hollywood Beach earns national buzz
✈️ JetBlue goes big at Fort Lauderdale
🏗️ Hallandale's building boom
🎬 Free movie nights under the stars
⚠️ Mosquito spraying around town this week
🏕️ Spotlight - a free Family Nature Club in Hallandale

📅 WHAT'S HAPPENING - July 9-12

Thursday, July 9 - Today!
🎭 Latin Nights at The Village at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - free salsa lesson 6 PM, dancing to 9 PM
🏕️ Parks & Rec Month "Power of Play" activities in Hallandale - free, all ages
🎬 $1 Summer Movies at Regal Dania Pointe, from 11 AM

Friday, July 10
🎭 Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias at Hard Rock Live, 8 PM
🛍️ Night Market Friday at Dania Pointe - artisan vendors + bites, from 6 PM
🎟️ Kids Night Out at The Village at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - free family fun, 6-9 PM
🏆 Live thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - Royal Palm Meet, first post 12:50 PM

Saturday, July 11
⚽ World Cup Quarterfinal: England vs Norway at Hard Rock Stadium, 5 PM
🏆 Live thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - Royal Palm Meet, first post 12:50 PM
🍽️ Yellow Green Farmers Market (Hollywood) - 200+ vendors, 10 AM-6:30 PM
🏊 DAER Dayclub pool party at Seminole Hard Rock (Hollywood), Sat-Sun

Sunday, July 12
🏆 Live thoroughbred racing at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - Royal Palm Meet, first post 12:50 PM
🍽️ Yellow Green Farmers Market (Hollywood) - 200+ vendors, 10 AM-6:30 PM
🏖️ Family Sunday at Dania Pointe - family activities on the Lawn
🏊 DAER Dayclub pool party at Seminole Hard Rock (Hollywood), Sat-Sun

COMING UP
🍽️ Mystic Social Club opens in Dania Beach - around July 16
☕ Keke's Breakfast Cafe opens on Sheridan St, Hollywood - mid-July
⚽ World Cup Bronze Final at Hard Rock Stadium - Sat July 18
⚽ World Cup Final downtown Hollywood watch party - Sun July 19
🎧 Disturbed at Hard Rock Live - Fri July 25
♠️ Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open - July 28-Aug 11

🌡️ High: ~91° | Feels like 102-106° | Hot and humid, dust easing
The Saharan dust is thinning out, but it stays hot and sticky. Look for mostly sunny skies early with the usual afternoon storm chance building inland, and feels-like readings in the low 100s. Hydrate, grab shade midday, and keep the umbrella handy for a quick afternoon downpour.

Source: National Weather Service / CBS Miami

🏖️ Hollywood Beach Is Having Its Moment

If it feels like everyone is suddenly talking about Hollywood Beach, you're not imagining it. Parade just named our stretch of sand one of South Florida's must-book destinations, calling it the "slow-burn shore" that's finally having its big moment.

The magazine points to the 2.5-mile Broadwalk, the walkable beachfront lifestyle, and the city's roughly $1 billion transformation, where boutique hotels, wellness-focused living, and elevated dining are reshaping the laid-back vibe without erasing it. It follows a 2026 Tripadvisor "Best of the Best" nod for Hollywood among the top U.S. beaches.

Translation: the secret's out. Expect more visitors, more buzz, and more reasons to be glad you already live here. Maybe take the win with a sunset walk on the Broadwalk this week.

Source: Parade

✈️ JetBlue Goes Big at Fort Lauderdale

Good news if you fly out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International: starting today, JetBlue is offering 55 nonstop destinations from FLL as it moves to fill the gap left by Spirit Airlines' shutdown.

The airline is running about 130 flights a week right now, nearly double last year's, and expects to reach 150 daily departures by year's end. CEO Joanna Geraghty calls it a "generational opportunity," with close to 400 connecting itineraries and expanded service to Latin America, including Colombia and Puerto Rico.

For locals, that means more nonstop options right up the road at our home airport. One caveat: with a low-cost carrier gone, analysts warn fares could tick up, so it's worth shopping around before you book.

Source: NBC6 South Florida

🏗️ Hallandale Beach Is Booming

Our neighbor to the south is having a development moment. A new report from The Real Deal maps a wave of projects in Hallandale's pipeline - residential towers, a branded hotel, and an office building - as buyers priced out of Miami-Dade and Palm Beach look to Broward.

Among the highlights: Seven Park, an eight-story, 121-condo project across from Peter Bluesten Park (already 60% sold); a 15-story, 246-room Homewood Suites by Hilton near Gulfstream Park; and Square Hallandale, an $85 million office-and-retail development with pickleball, padel, and a cold plunge. Bigger still, the 10-acre Oasis Hallandale is bringing two 25-story towers and 500 residences.

One local broker summed up the shift bluntly: people aren't just vacationing here anymore, they're moving families and businesses in. Growth brings traffic and cranes, but it's also a sign of a city on the rise, right in the bullseye between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Source: The Real Deal

🎬 Free Movie Nights Under the Stars

Looking for an easy, free night out downtown? Every Friday, ArtsPark at Young Circle hosts Movie Night on the amphitheater lawn - a family film on the big screen under the stars, starting around 8 p.m.

Just bring a blanket or a couple of beach chairs and settle in. Recent showings have leaned family-friendly (think Lilo & Stitch and Lightyear), and it's all set in the heart of Hollywood, steps from Harrison Street's restaurants and shops.

It's one of the best free tickets in town on a summer weekend. Check the city calendar for this Friday's title, grab dinner nearby, and make a night of it.

Source: City of Hollywood

⚠️ Heads-Up: Mosquito Spraying This Week

A quick heads-up: Broward County Mosquito Control has been treating parts of Hollywood this week, with spraying scheduled through Friday, July 10.

It's routine for our wet, buggy summers, but a few easy steps help. Bring pets and their water bowls inside during spraying, cover backyard fish ponds, and dump standing water from planters, buckets, and gutters to stop mosquitoes from breeding.

And the usual drill for you: wear repellent at dawn and dusk, and long sleeves if you're out near the water. A little prevention goes a long way this time of year.

Source: City of Hollywood / Broward Mosquito Control

🏕️ A Free Family Nature Club in Hallandale

Here's a sweet, free way to get the kids off their screens: Hallandale Beach's Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department is running a Family Nature Club as part of Parks & Recreation Month, with hands-on nature exploration for all ages at Ingalls Park (735 SW 1st Street).

The sessions are billed as a fun-filled hour of discovering nature's "amazing secrets" together, part of the department's daily "Power of Play" programming all July long. It's free, all ages welcome, and registration is required (kids must bring an adult, adults must bring a kid). It's a lovely reminder that some of the best local outings don't cost a thing - check the Hallandale Beach Parks page for the next session and to sign up.

Source: Hallandale Beach Parks & Rec