July 7: It's Saturday Nite!

There's something new to do on Saturday nights this summer. Along the Fort Lauderdale beach, Saturday night is alive. Well, ok, it was always pretty active anyway. Plenty to do, plenty to eat, plenty to drink. But the week's biggest party night has a different twist from 7 - 11 p.m. throughout the rest of this month. New bands, new people, new stuff to eat and drink. That's because of the weekly event called "Saturday Nite Alive." The big free bash brings lots of street vendors to A1A as well as 20 live bands. This thing stretches from the south at Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel all the way up to the Atlantic Hotel at the northern end. If you don't know it well, that stretch of our seaside road is fairly lengthy. This isn't your average beach party.

The good reasons to try out Saturday Nite Alive include some special deals. Like reduced parking rates, for instance. And trolley service up and down the beach. There's also something organizers call an "open house feel" to the hotels and other beach properties during this event.

In other words, their doors are open to the public in ways these properties normally don't offer. You can feel free to wander inside without pretending you're a guest. (Isn't that an awkward feeling, though? Hey, we've all done it.) Anyway, go check out that deluxe hotel you've been curious about. And you can also dine at any of the 25 restaurants and outside cafes or just sip a drink from some oceanside patio if you prefer. Or don't buy a thing. Simply come and walk around, people-watch and scope the bands. This is an evening that can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. That's one of the nice things about it, I think, especially for families that may be on a budget these days. Yeah, you can just take the trolley or park your car somewhere and wander up and down the gorgeous Fort Lauderdale beachfront, listening to oldies rock and Latin music and whatever else the bands may have to offer that evening. You can maybe watch the moon rise over the sea too, and then take your shoes off for a pleasant amble along the sand. Or bar hop til you drop. Well, it is Saturday night after all. Saturday Nite Alive has the music and food and whatever beverages you may want. The party is there for you. What you do with it is entirely your call.