☀️ GOOD MORNING, HOLLYWOOD!
Good morning, Hollywood. Well, the confetti has settled - the World Cup is over, and after six weeks with the world in our backyard, it’s a little quiet out there. We’ll send the tournament off properly up top, then get practical: Florida’s back-to-school tax holiday just kicked in, the hurricane outlook is looking friendlier than usual, there’s a brand-new nonstop to Colombia’s coast, and Hard Rock has a monster week. Grab your coffee and let’s go.

📰 IN TODAY’S BLEND
⚽ Spain win the World Cup - and our watch party wraps the summer
🎒 Florida’s back-to-school tax holiday is on
🌀 NOAA’s quieter-than-usual hurricane outlook
✈️ A new nonstop from Fort Lauderdale to Colombia
🎧 A loaded week at Hard Rock Live
🍜 Spotlight - Zhō, a pan-Asian showpiece for Dania Pointe

📅 WHAT’S HAPPENING - July 21-24

Tuesday, July 21 - Today!
🎬 $1 Summer Movies at Regal Dania Pointe, from 11 AM
🍽️ Hallandale Eats: prix-fixe menus at 26 restaurants (through Aug 20)

Wednesday, July 22
🖼️ “Force of Nature: Hurricanes and Hollywood” opens at the ArtsPark Gallery - reception 6:30 PM, free
🏊 Wellness Wednesday at Dania Pointe - free yoga 6 PM + Zumba 7 PM, on the Lawn
🎬 $1 Summer Movies at Regal Dania Pointe, from 11 AM

Thursday, July 23
🏛️ Broward Property Appraiser Outreach at Hollywood City Hall (2600 Hollywood Blvd) - 10 AM-noon
🎭 Latin Nights at The Village at Gulfstream Park (Hallandale) - free salsa lesson 6 PM, dancing to 9 PM
🎬 $1 Summer Movies at Regal Dania Pointe, from 11 AM

Friday, July 24
🎧 Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire at Hard Rock Live - 7:30 PM
🍸 National Tequila Day Tasting at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort - 4-5 PM, ticketed
🛍️ Night Market Friday at Dania Pointe - artisan vendors + bites, from 6 PM

COMING UP
🖼️ “Force of Nature: Hurricanes and Hollywood” opens at the ArtsPark Gallery - Wed July 22
🎧 Disturbed at Hard Rock Live - Sat July 25
♠️ Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open - July 28-Aug 11
🍽️ Common Room + the Brooklyn Room coming to 2032 Harrison St, Hollywood
🥯 Bagels & Co. coming to 303 S. Federal Highway near Young Circle
🎟️ Tito Puente Jr. & His Orchestra at the Miniaci Center, Davie - Sat Sept 12

🌡️ High: ~93° | Feels like ~106° | Hot, mostly dry, breezy
The rain takes a break. After a stormy weekend, we’re back to hot and mostly dry - highs around 93 with a heat index near 106 in the afternoon, and only about a 10% chance of a shower. A breezy south wind (10-15 mph, gusting near 20) takes a little edge off. Standard summer rules apply: hydrate, find shade midday, and never leave kids or pets in a parked car.

Source: National Weather Service / CBS Miami

⚽ Spain Are Champions, and Our Watch Party Sent the Summer Off Right

It’s over, and it went to the wire. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s World Cup Final to claim their second title and first since 2010, Ferran Torres striking in extra time after 98 scoreless minutes. It was equal parts masterclass and heartbreak: Spain piled up 12 shots on target to Argentina’s zero, and Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez made a Final-record 11 saves just to keep it close. For Lionel Messi, almost certainly playing his last World Cup, it was a quiet goodbye - just 15 touches all night.

Down here, the tournament went out with a party. Downtown Hollywood turned Hollywood Boulevard into a fan zone on Sunday for the official Watch Party - giant screens, food trucks, vendors, and live entertainment, with fans packing the street to ride it out together. It was free, it was open to everyone, and it was the perfect local bookend to a summer that put seven World Cup matches at Hard Rock, right in our backyard.

And that’s a wrap on all of it. From the group stage through Saturday’s Bronze Final and Sunday’s title, South Florida spent six weeks at the center of the soccer universe. It won’t be back for a good while - so savor it. What a run.

Source: FIFA / City of Hollywood

🎒 Stock Up: Florida’s Back-to-School Tax Holiday Is On

Summer isn’t over, but the calendar is already whispering “back to school” - and the state is chipping in on the bill. Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday runs from Monday, July 20 through Thursday, August 20: a full month with no sales tax on the things families are about to buy anyway.

Here’s what qualifies: clothing, shoes, and bags (backpacks, handbags, and wallets included) at $100 or less per item; school supplies at $50 or less; learning aids and puzzles under $30; and personal computers or accessories up to $1,500 for home use. A $95 pair of sneakers rings up tax-free; a $110 pair does not - the limit is per item.

A couple of catches: the break doesn’t apply at theme parks, hotels, or airports, and it doesn’t cover rentals or repairs. Otherwise it’s a genuinely good window to save, whether you’re outfitting a kindergartner or finally replacing that laptop. Full details are at floridarevenue.com.

Source: Florida Department of Revenue

🌀 A Quieter Hurricane Season - So Far

A bit of reassuring news as we head into the heart of storm season: NOAA is calling for a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. The official outlook puts the odds of a quieter-than-usual year at 55%, forecasting 8 to 14 named storms, of which 3 to 6 become hurricanes and 1 to 3 grow into major ones.

The main driver is El Niño, which tends to crank up wind shear across the Atlantic and tear developing storms apart before they can organize. That’s a helpful headwind - literally - during what’s usually the busiest stretch of the year.

The catch, and it matters: “below-normal” is not “no risk.” It only takes one storm to make it a bad season for you, and peak activity runs mid-August through October. NOAA updates the outlook in early August. Now is the time to refresh your supply kit, confirm your evacuation zone, and check your insurance - not when a cone is pointed our way.

Source: NOAA

✈️ New Nonstop: Fort Lauderdale to Colombia’s Caribbean Coast

Fresh off a summer of Colombian pride around here, this one lands nicely. Avianca has launched daily, year-round nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Barranquilla, the lively port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The first flight took off July 15.

It’s a real convenience for our large local Colombian community, which has long had to connect through Bogotá or Panama City to reach the country’s northern coast. The southbound flight (Avianca 229) leaves FLL at 10:10 p.m.; the return (228) touches back down here at 8:20 p.m. Barranquilla becomes Avianca’s fourth Colombian destination from Fort Lauderdale, joining Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali.

And it’s a genuinely fun place to land - home to Carnaval de Barranquilla, one of the world’s great festivals, plus the riverfront Gran Malecón and the beaches of nearby Puerto Colombia. Less polished than Cartagena, more everyday Colombia. A nice option for visiting family or just chasing some cumbia.

Source: Caribbean Journal

🎧 A Loaded Week at Hard Rock Live

If you need a post-World Cup thrill, the Hard Rock has you covered - starting with a genuine bucket-list bill. Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire bring their co-headlining “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour to Hard Rock Live this Friday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. That’s “All Night Long,” “September,” “Boogie Wonderland,” and “Hello,” all under one roof.

The very next night, Saturday, July 25, it’s a hard pivot: metal titans Disturbed take the same stage. And if your game is cards rather than concerts, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open runs July 28 through August 11, with the Big 4 Championship carrying a $3 million guarantee.

Concert tickets are through the Hard Rock Live box office and the usual outlets. Whatever your speed, it’s a big couple of weeks a short drive from home.

Source: Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood

🍜 Coming to Dania Pointe: A Pan-Asian Showpiece Called Zhō

Dania Pointe’s dining lineup is about to get a serious upgrade. BOL Hospitality Group - the local team behind Social Room, Bae Korean Grill, and the coming Common Room in Downtown Hollywood - has announced Zhō, a 6,700-square-foot pan-Asian restaurant slated to open at Dania Pointe in the fourth quarter of this year.

The concept is thoughtful. Named after the Chinese word for a traveling boat, Zhō is built as a “culinary vessel” journeying across Asia - rooted in Chinese tradition, refined with Japanese technique, and pulling standout regional dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, and Korea. Not fuzzy fusion, but each cuisine on its own terms, alongside an Asian-inspired cocktail program.

It’ll seat around 210, with patio dining and an open kitchen anchored by a sushi bar, set in a warm, wood-heavy space designed by architect RJS with P2 Interiors. You’ll find it on Pointe Drive next to the Fort Lauderdale Improv. Something to look forward to as the year winds down.

Source: WhatNow Miami / BOL Hospitality