Eddie's picks: 3 best things to do this weekend in Palm Beach County
The season is seriously getting underway, with several noteworthy festivals and events happening this weekend.
The Van, Surf & Skate Expo 2022
Whether you've been surfing since you were a baby and have hit every backyard ramp from here to Maine or you just love watching it for the culture and the vibe, the Van, Surf & Skate Expo 2022 should be on your radar.
On Saturday, this all-day festival at The Plaza@Riverwalk in Jupiter promises to be off the Richter scale with skating, surfing, vans, fashion, music and more.
The event kicks off at 10 a.m.
Maybe you're old and it takes a few minutes to get moving or to register what hurts today; or you're one of the super-duper plastic-elastic yoga kids today (anyone under 35 is now a 'kid'). Either way, you can loosen up with an adult surf yoga session and/or the RX Fitness class right off the bat.
After that little bit of Zen, take it up a notch or two as the skateboard ramp opens for practice.
The big dogs will hit the ramp and take to the skies in the Big Air Contest at 12:30 p.m. and Best Trick Contest at 5:30 p.m.
Throughout the day, top surfboard makers including Stryker Hawk, Drew Bagget, Brett Prinz and Mick Miller, will be "mowing some foam" and shaping some beautiful surfboards during several demonstrations.
Do you check James Wieland's Surf Forecast several times a week? Want to know how he manages to figure out Florida's ridiculously fickle surf? Find out from the man himself as he gives a talk on "Tracking Ocean Swells."
There will also be a fashion show and plenty of live music by Axcents and Drifting Roots.
While you're there, check out the delicious eats by Mana, Surf Taco and Golden Juicery as well as plenty of beverages.
If all this surf and skate culture has you thinking about maybe, just maybe, selling it all, living in a van and chasing waves around the country until the money runs out (or you need new rotator cuffs, knees, or a hip... just sayin') there will be a 'Van & Surf Life Travel Destinations' discussion and vans on display to get those dreams flowing.
What: The Van, Surf & Skate Expo 2022
Where: The Plaza@Riverwalk, 25 S. Coastal Way, Jupiter
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday
Cost: Adults $20; ages 12 to 17 $10; under 12 free
Information: vansurfskateexpo.com
*
Sunset Tequila & Mezcal Festival
A celebration of agave, art, live music and food, this festival happens Satuday at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton.
Fans of the elixirs derived from the beautiful succulent known as agave will be able to enjoy unlimited tastings of some of the world's best tequila and mezcal spirits, including Codigo 1530, Cazadores, Herradura, Tanteo Jalapeno, Espolon, Ghost Tequila, El Tequileno and Jarritos. Some celebrity tequilas will also be in the mix, including The Rock’s Teremana and Eva Longoria’s Casa Del Sol.
Though there will be plenty of blancos, reposados, añejos and mezcals on hand to sample and drink, there also will be seltzers, cervesas and Tito’s vodka.
To keep the drink/food scales properly balanced, several restaurant pop-ups will be on site, including The Wolf of Tacos out of Miami; Drinking Pig BBQ; Ghost Kitchen Collective; Yakitori Boyz and Lazy Oyster.
A Sunset "Mercado" featuring wares from top cultural artisans and crafters will be available for festivalgoers to explore.
Then there's the music.
Get ready for an amazing sonic experience with live music by Artikal Sound System, The Resolvers, Xperimento and Spred the Dub.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Kula Cares, a Boca Raton-based organization that provides educational supplies to underserved communities.
Festivalgoers are asked to drink responsibly and find safe, alternate means of transportation after drinking alcohol.
What: Sunset Tequila & Mezcal Festival
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
When: 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday
Cost: tickets start at $55
Information: sunsettequilafest.com
*
Native Garden Tour
Hosted by the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, this tour will showcase five private gardens in Palm Beach County and one public natural habitat that are all landscaped with Florida native plants.
Though all use native plants, each home garden has its own theme.
The garden in the Village of Golf is "A Five-Star Garden and Habitat"; the two in Delray Beach are a "Backyard Paradise" and "An Impressive Lawn-Free Landscape"; and the two in Boca Raton are "Where the Seagrapes Meet the Mangroves" and "Oasis in a Green Desert."
Though these are private residences, each will have a docent present to answer questions. Most plants will be labled and plant lists available at the homes.
A lone non-private residence is also on the tour: the Delray Historical Society Heritage Garden. Conceived in 2017 as a collaboration between the Historical Society and the Grass River Garden Club, the garden teaches the importance of using native plants to mitigate the dwindling green space and natural habitats in the city tat comes with increased development.
What: Native Garden Tour
Where: six locations in southeast Palm Beach County
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society members free, nonmembers $10
Information: palmbeach.fnpschapters.org
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He has lived in the West Palm Beach area for more than 30 years and, from mild to wild, will cover noteworthy community happenings. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best things to do: Weekend of Surf & Skate, Tequila fest, garden tour
