Photos & Story By Rachel Galvin

Art Basel is back. After a break in 2020 due to COVID-19, the uber-popular art event is back with a vengeance. They brought together 253 leading galleries from around the world, representing 36 countries and territories.

This year, some new participants from Africa were a part of the show, adding to its diversity, including Afriart Gallery from Kampala; First Floor Gallery Harare with spaces in Harare and Victoria Falls; SMAC Art Gallery with spaces in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Stellenbosch; and Rele Gallery with spaces in Lagos and Los Angeles.

Due to the issues surrounding the pandemic that galleries were having, they also relaxed many of the exhibitor application requirements, including the minimum number of exhibitions a gallery must hold per year, the need to have a permanent space and the number of years the gallery must have been in operation. The changes allowed the fair to welcome a broader range of first-time participants, including the newly-opened Nicola Vassell in New York and the roaming Kendra Jayne Patrick Gallery.

This reporter found this year’s event to be the best yet as people seemed genuinely happy to be out in public again, albeit still in masks. It was the friendliest Art Basel ever and still brought forth cutting-edge and groundbreaking artworks just as it does every year.

More photos available on the Observer Newspaper Online Facebook site.

The annual Ocean Way Holiday event will be held on Saturday, December 4 at the Main Beach Parking Lot in Deerfield Beach. They will be bringing back the lighting ceremony, live entertainment, holiday character show, photos with Santa, giant interactive snow globe, stilt walkers and more!  Be sure to check back at a later date for details. 

The City of Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Department is following and monitoring the current COVID-19 situation and will be following the recommended CDC & Broward County guidelines.

The 8th Annual Deerfield Beach Fall Festival will take place Saturday, October 16 at Pioneer Park from 4 to 9 p.m. Enjoy a day of fun with the entire family! This festival event includes several fun activities such as story telling, arts & crafts, archery, hay ride, picking up goodie bags from our local non-profits, picking out your perfect pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, enjoying our live entertainment, and much more! 

The City of Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Department is constantly monitoring the current COVID-19 situation and will be following the recommended CDC & Broward County guidelines. 

The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton opens their 8th season with the smash international hit Mamma Mia!  This sunny, funny mega-musical is infused with joy, nostalgia and the iconic hit songs of Swedish supergroup ABBA.  Broadway stars Jodie Langel and Sean McDermott lead an all-star cast including Meg Frost, Aaron Bower, Britte Steele and more. The show runs from October 7 to November 14, 2021. Tickets are $75-$95. The Tavern at The Wick is open for pre-show dining. Learn more at www.thewick.org or call the box office at 561-995-2333.

“After the past 18 months, I think we all deserve a dose of unbridled fun, and Mamma Mia! is that and more,” Marilynn A. Wick, managing executive producer. “This international phenomenon ran on Broadway for 14 years and has dazzled a global audience of over 65 million. It is the ultimate giddy guilty pleasure that will have you singing and dancing in the aisles.”

Based on the songs of the pop group ABBA, Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson. The musical unfolds on a Greek island paradise where Sophie, a soon-to-be-bride, longs to discover the identity of her father. Bringing three men from her mother’s past back to the island on the eve of her wedding leads to non-stop laughs and explosive song and dance numbers to ABBA hits including “Super Trouper,” “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Thank You for the Music,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes It All” and “SOS.”

The Wick is delighted to welcome back Broadway and National touring stars Jodie Langel (Donna) and Sean McDermott (Sam).  The rest of the all-star cast includes Britte Steele as Rosie, Aaron Bower as Tanya, Robert Koutras as Bill, Doug Chitel as Harry, and Meg Frost as Sophie. The show is directed by Larry Raben, with musical direction by Eden Marte and choreography by Stephen Casey.

Matinee performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 pm. Evening performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm.

Masks will be required for all guests and temperature checks will be done at the door.

The Wick Theatre is located at 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33487. For more info. and tickets, visit https://thewick.org/events/mamma-mia.

LaBonte Handley Duo

“Mix Up Your Music”

This Friday, April 16th, Wine and Cheese reception 6:30, performance at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Center 84 SE 4 Ave., Deerfield Beach.

 $15 per person

Renee LaBonte is an internationally acclaimed concert pianist and Founding Executive Director of The Symphony of the Americas. She will be joined by the talented Sally Handley.

Limited seating and Covid-19 compliant

RSVP to Judi at 954-461-1152 or judithofdfb@gmail.com

Early morning Coffee & Connections from 8 to 9 a.m. tomorrow, July 21 via Zoom, thanks to the Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce…With Special Guest Kimberly Marie Bonner of New Day Consulting Systems. She will focus on how to survive during COVID-19. She is a Business Scale Expert with over 20 years of experience. To register, visit https://deerfieldchamber.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/4703