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Last Update: Oct 26th, 2020
Boatshow 2020

Fort Lauderdale Boat Show This Week

Last Week there was an Art Show on Las Olas; this week Fort Lauderdale is hosting an International Boat Show; Yes Virginia, the people who shut down the Beaches on Labor Day are inviting 100,000 people to the Fort Lauderdale beach because selling Yachts is clearly an essential service.

How thick is the hypocrisy here? We're waiting on line to get into Trader Joe's; but it's OK for every hotel to be filled and every restaurant packed for a week, because the boat show must go on. Broward county can shut down business for months but the economic impact of the Boat Show would be too devastating. We have Bertha Henry breaking up house parties in the name of public health; but 200 people at a hotel breakfast buffet is no biggie.

While they've instituted strict protocols for the show itself; there are so many people involved in putting on the boat show staying in hotels that the entire city becomes a potential hazard. If you think all these people are locking themselves in their hotel rooms and ordering Uber Eats you're a bit nutty; the workers and guests will be flooding the streets and partying in restaurants and bars in the evenings.

Will Fort Lauderdale Code inspectors be on extended duty to make sure every restaurant in the city is following all the rules? Fat chance of that; the only Citation I can find in the past month is Blondie's (where "nobody" was distancing or wearing masks) and I don't see that anything was done about it. I can't find anyone who has paid a fine since July 3; of course the new tracking system is such a piece of garbage there could be a few; but most of the "code cases" result in nothing happening.

The rationale for closing the beaches was that we didn't want those people from Sunrise and Plantation coming into our city; now we're inviting people from all over the country in so rich people can look at Yachts.

Recurring Prose

Boatshow

It's that time again. Once a year, the dreaded Boat Show rolls into town filling local venues with cretins. This year, because of all of the construction going on downtown, it's worse that I can ever remember it. Traffic is stop and go throughout the city; parking is non-existent, and you can expect long waits at drawbridges as parades of boats are moved down the new River.

On one word, the boat show is a disaster.

And while you might think that lots of rich people come here to buy boats, be warned that most of the people you'll see in area restaurants are people who WORK the show; not people looking to buy yachts.

Boat People will be everywhere.

Comment Policy Add Comment
Matthew
Reply
I really enjoy your website and reviews. Unfortunately, you are way off on this topic. The economic impact of the show for our city is tremendous. Those cretins you mention spend money in our town. Stick with restaurant reviews, you do a good job.
Gene
Reply
Lifestyle is more important than money. We move here so we can enjoy the beach and nightlife. Not to sit in traffic and not be able to get a table in a restaurant for a week.
Lynn
Reply
It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the SAME THING every year. Same Art Shows. Same Boat Parade. Same Boat Show. The Air Show used to be good now it sucks.
Administrator
Reply
Let me clarify. It's a disaster for residents. It's worse this year with all of the detours already in place. The art shows where nobody buys art are great for Las Olas Company tenants too, but they're just an annoyance for everyone else.

We finally get some great weather; perfect for eating outside and enjoying the beach, and we have to lose a week to the boat show.

You're free to only read the restaurant reviews. Nobody is twisting your arm.
Laura G
Reply
A perfect day today and I can't go to the beach on Halloween. nuf said.
Jesse
Reply
Eat outside or the beach? What about Hollywood Beach or Pompano Beach. they have great beaches and restaurants to enjoy. Expand outside your silo and enjoy something other than Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Administrator
Reply
Talk about missing the point. Nobody "wants" to go to either of those places.
Bruce
Reply
I’m sure it’s better business for the beggers and panhandlers.

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