A day celebrating the vernacular of the world’s great looters and plunderers didn’t sound very entertaining. What would a Halliburton CFO have said at breakfast this morning? “Might have to give up the second suite at Cowboys Stadium, honey. Damned economy!” What’s fun about that?

But I just found out that International Talk Like a Pirate Day is about channeling Long John Silver, not Goldman Sachs. So, yeah, that could work.

If you’re looking for a place to get your Jack Sparrow on for this year’s Talk Like a Pirate Day on Saturday, consider the recently opened Pirate Republic Bar and Grill on Fort Lauderdale’s New River. You’ll find the requisite Jolly Roger motif, three bars, dockside dining, a great view, a live band (Wednesday-Sunday nights) and the game on HD upstairs and down.

But the best reason to hoist a drink here is that there’s a bar here at all. The Pirate Republic Bar and Grill sits where the treasured-by-many Shirttail Charlie’s used to be before the development crowd set their sights on this bend in the river. Instead of an empty condo tower, the looming symbol of our hijacked economy, you have a place to kick back and enjoy South Florida’s simple pleasures.

A lot of what you may remember about the waterside dining experience at Shirttail’s remains intact, if with a more menacing decor. And, yes, during a recent Sunday afternoon visit to the Pirate, there were bikinis in the pool. The Pirate Republic Bar and Grill is at 400 SW Third Ave. Info: 954-779-7677.

If you really want to get into the spirit, the best place for tips to bone up on your skull-and-crossbones chatter is talklikeapirate.com, where TLAPD founders John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy) break it down for you. You also can read the Cap’n’s tweets at “thecapnslappy” and the duo offers a video tutorial here.

Bull shots
Those crazy taurine-fueled kids are at it again, this time with the Red Bull Street Style regional qualifier in Miami. This odd marriage of soccer, break dancing and hip-hop bravado engages competitors in at least 40 countries in similar Red Bull events, including Friday night’s throwdown at 6 inside the old Virgin Megastore at the Sunset Place mall. You can register until 5 p.m. at the event, and you can watch for free. Members of Miami FC are scheduled to be on hand. But don’t take my word for it: Get an eyeful of the derring-do earlier this year in the Budapest competition here. Info: myspace.com/redbullstreetstyle.

Foxy vampires and free parking!
The monthly midnight horror-movie party hosted by 93 Rock personality Goat returns to the Sunrise Cinemas at Las Olas Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale tonight with Jennifer's Body, starring Megan Fox. The 21-and-older fun begins at 11 p.m. and includes horror-themed games and prizes with Goat's Gore Geeks, plus beer and wine served at the bar, and a few Coyote Ugly girls in school uniforms for good measure. Tickets are $6.66. Nice. And, nicer, free three-hour parking in the garage at Southwest Second Street and the railroad tracks with a parking ticket stamped at the theater. Get more info from Goat himself here. Next month: Saw 6.

Want to be on TV?
Are you a playa? A playee? MTV casting directors will be at Pangaea at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Friday, looking for contestants for the reality show Is She Really Going Out With Him? Basically they’re looking for guys and gals who think they’re too good for their partner… That could be anyone, especially my wife. Free Belvedere for ladies until midnight to get everyone in the proper mood. Info: 954-581-5454, Pangaea-lounge.com.

Loud? Ya think?
Back by popular demand to Cinema Paradiso this weekend is It Might Get Loud, Oscar winner David Guggenheim’s (Inconvenient Truth) eloquent documentary exploration of the rock guitar with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, U2’s the Edge and Jack White of the White Stripes. Screenings are 7:45 p.m. Saturday and 6 and 7:45 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9, $7 for seniors and students, $5 for members. Cinema Paradiso is at 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale. Info: 954-525-3456, fliff.com.

Props for Propaganda
The Miami-based Spam Allstars take a road trip to Propaganda (6 S. J St.) in Lake Worth on Saturday. Looking ahead, Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls, left, hit Propaganda on Oct. 21. Admission to each show is $10. Info: 561-547-7273, propagandalw.com.

Odd couple
The uncompromising big boys of Bowling for Soup (“presented by 7-Eleven Slurpee, flavored by Coke”) perform Friday at Revolution, followed by a smaller boy, Hannah Montana heartthrob Mitchel Musso (presented by Disney) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Soup tickets are $8. Musso tickets are $17, but for $49 you can get the VIP treatment, which offers an hour of pre-concert chit-chat, autographs and photo opps with Musso. Revolution is at 200 W. Broward Blvd. Info: jointherevolution.net, 954-727-0950.

Odd couple II
Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland, right, is yet another celebrity musician dabbling in fashion, and on Saturday will perform at Mansion in Miami Beach in conjunction with a catwalk show of his vests, pants, hats, ties and scarves for the Weiland for English Laundry line (in stores early 2010). Admission: $20. Free drinks and admission until 11 p.m. Tonight one of hip-hop’s most engaging performers, Big Boi from Outkast, takes the Mansion stage with the ubiquitous DJ Irie. Admission: $15. Mansion is at 1235 Washington. Info: 305-695-8411, mansionmiami.com.

The median is the message
Downtown West Palm Beach officials will again try to remind us of the value of urban green spaces by turning two Clematis Street parking spots into a mini park, complete with trees, shrubs, lounge chairs, café tables and music. It’s all part of the fifth annual National Park(ing) Day being celebrated on Friday in a handful of cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago.

The goal is to “turn public focus toward the benefit of having green space in urban areas while encouraging people to sit, relax and get to know each other,” said Raphael Clemente, the Downtown Development Association’s associate director and urban planner.

The event will run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on two metered parking spots in the 200 block of Clematis (just outside Design Within Reach and Starbucks). Info: 561-833-8873, westpalmbeachdda.com.

Meatballapalooza!
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the mouth-watering adventure based on the children’s best-seller, gets a fitting IMAX welcome during opening weekend festivities at the Museum of Discovery & Science in Fort Lauderdale. On Saturday and Sunday, kids can decorate and devour a free cupcake with the purchase of a combo ticket (museum and movie), and all movie ticketholders get a free sample of spaghetti and meatballs from 11 a.m. to noon, courtesy of Buca di Beppo in Davie. Combo tickets are $17, $14 for kids ages 2-12. IMAX only: $13, $10 kids 2-12. Advance ticket info: 954-713-0940, mods.org.

Making a Statement
The popular local indie duo the State Of on Saturday has a release party for their first full-length studio album, Day of Abandon, at the Awarehouse, the buff event and gallery space in Wynwood (550 NW 29th St., Miami). Steph Taylor (piano/synths, vocals) and Nabedi Osorio (drums, vocals) will perform select tracks from the album at the party, which begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $10, and includes an open bar sponsored by Mako Vodka. Info: thestateofmusic.com.

Culture, anyone?
The Culture Network, a new website with the admirable goal of bringing artists and culturally minded businesses together, launches with a party Sunday night at Gallery 101 in Fort Lauderdale. The event features a performance by actor and arts patron Steven Bauer, right, and his band, along with artists from the new Fox reality show Work of Genius, free food and drinks. Admission is $10, free by signing up for a $30 Culture Network membership, and benefits the Breast Center at Broward General Medical Center. The party runs from 7 to 11 p.m. Gallery 101 is at 3042 N. Federal Highway, suite 100. Info: 954-882-1861, theculturenetwork.net.

Art beats
The Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale will get creative on Sept. 25 when it hosts a late-night art party at Gryphon nightclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The event celebrates the artist and collectors featured in the museum’s current exhibition, With You I Want to Live, images from which will be projected throughout the nightclub. Along with the typical Gryphon night of music (DJ Roland), costumed dancers and a party vibe, you’ll get free admission 10 p.m. to midnight, along with two free drink tickets. Admission after midnight is $20. Info: 954-262-0236, moaflnsu.org.

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Here are three opportunities to distract your kids this weekend and possibly leave them with the impression that you actually have a clue. Not easy in my house.

Boy crazy
Hannah Montana star Mitchel Musso , left, will dish out what the little girls understand in concert on Saturday at Revolution in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Like all productions from the Disney factory, Musso has been hot right out of the box. His self-titled Walt Disney Records solo album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Top 200, and the debut single Hey hit No. 8 on the iTunes pop chart. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $17. But for $49 you can get the VIP service, which offers kids an hour of pre-concert chit-chat, autographs and photo opps with Musso. Revolution is at 200 W. Broward Blvd. Info: jointherevolution.net, 954-727-0950.

Meatballapalooza!
It's opening weekend for the really big screen debut of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at the Museum of Discovery & Science in Fort Lauderdale. On Saturday and Sunday, kids can decorate and devour a free cupcake with the purchase of a combo ticket (museum and movie), and all movie ticketholders get a free sample of spaghetti and meatballs from 11 a.m. – noon, courtesy of Buca di Beppo in Davie. Combo tickets are $17, $14 for kids ages 2-12. IMAX only: $13, $10 kids 2-12. Advance ticket info: 954-713-0940, mods.org.

Arrrrgh!
It’s probably been Jolly Roger-ed on your calendar for months, but as a reminder, Saturday is the 15th annual International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Some kids get confused about how this works: My daughter wants to talk like Capt. Feathersword, my son like Lastings Milledge.

The best place to look for tips to bone up on your skull-and-crossbones vernacular is www.talklikeapirate.com, where TLAPD founders John Baur (Ol’ Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy) break it down for you. You also can read the Cap’n’s tweets at “thecapnslappy” and the duo offers a video tutorial here.

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The brooding LA-based duo She Wants Revenge has a diverse array of influences, from Joy Division and Bauhaus to Timbaland and Joaquin Phoenix (who directed the video to Tear Us Apart a while back) -- but make no mistake, you can dance to it. They’ll prove it tonight at Revolution (200 W. Broward Blvd.) in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets: $16 at 954-727-0950 or Ticketmaster.

Later in the evening, SWR bassist/percussionist Adam Bravin (left, with co-conspirator Justin Warfield) puts on his club DJ persona, Adam 12, to spin the Dirty Hairy party at Liv nightclub at the Fontainebleau (4441 Collins, Miami Beach). Admission: $30 for guys, $20 girls. (But you’re on the list, right?) Info: livnightclub.com, 305-
674-4680.

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Big celebration happening over at Tate's comic book store and, really, you'd have to be some sort of super hero yourself to take advantage of all the weekend has to offer. Renaissance man Pharrell Williams will be flexing his might; Matthew Sabatella will channel Captain America; and there are multiple chances to watch the superest hero of all, Family Man, save the day. That would be you. Or him.

N.E.R.D. Fest
The biggest show of the weekend (Sorry, Boss) is the Future Classic Festival with N.E.R.D., left, as the headliner on Saturday at Soho Studios at the Wynwood Convention Center (2136 NW 1st Ave., Miami). Along with N.E.R.D., the Pharrell Williams-Chad Hugo moonlighting project, the fashion/art/video/skateboard event includes performances by a who's-who list of local favorites, including Awesome New Republic, Spam All-Stars, Locos Por Juana, Afrobeta, Suenalo, Artofficial, Mayday, the Hongs, Elastic Bond, Keen One, Jorge Moreno, Ray Milian, Tom Laroc and more. Tickets for the 16-and-older event are a reasonable $25, $70 for the VIP treatment. Get them at futureclassicfestival.com and at select area record stores, from Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale (www.myspace.com/radio_active_records) to Sweat Records in Miami (www.sweatrecordsmiami.com). The festival runs from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. More info: 305-416-9330.

Serious comics
At the annual comic book industry confab know as Comic-Con in San Diego several weeks ago, among the awards handed down was the Eisner Award for best comic book store. And who among us was surprised that it went to South Florida's own Tate's Comics in Lauderhill? Owners Tate and Amanda Ottati will celebrate (and unveil their Eisner) at a party on Saturday at the shop (4566 N. University Drive), which will include refreshments and a mini sale of 25 percent off all back-issue comics and 10 percent off everything else. The party is from 2 to 9 p.m. Info: 954-748-0181, tatescomics.com.

Tunes for what ails you
A great night of live music can blow away life's BS like a hot coffee colonic. It doesn't get anymore refreshing than Sunday night's bill at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale: the Reverend Horton Heat, Truckstop Coffee and Johnny and the Fleshrockets. Info: 954-564-1074; cultureroom.net.

He sings America
South Florida folk troubadour Matthew Sabatella is a champion of the core American values found in the music heard on "the paths of the pioneers, sailors, immigrants, '49ers, farmers, slaves, abolitionists, soldiers, mountaineers, cowboys, railroaders and activists." He'll pay tribute to the United States in a 9-11 concert with his Rambling String Band at the Sunrise Civic Center Theatre. The show is Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Info: 954-747-4646, matthewsabatella.com.

It's Raines, they pour
Ashley Raines is another singer whose sound evokes the nation seen from a slow-moving boxcar. The Midwest-raised multi-instrumentalist uncrates his high-lonesome poetry Thursday night at the Transit Lounge (729 SW 1 Ave., Miami). And as if you needed the encouragement, free shots from 9 to 11 p.m. Info: 305-377-4628, transitlounge.us.

Can you dig it?
On Saturday and Sunday the national championships of the Dig the Beach volleyball series will fill the sand off Ocean Drive on Miami Beach with the lean and the taut and the tan. So, of course, you are wondering, where is the after party? Well, there are two: Finnegan's Way (1344 Ocean Drive, www.finnegansway.com) hosts the Corona Extra Players Party on Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m., then the ballers head to Liv nightclub in the Fontainebleau (4441 Collins, www.livnightclub.com) for a throwdown featuring DJ Faarsheed. More info: digthebeach.com.

Rumble & Hum
Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale this weekend has two documentaries of interest to music fans. Soul Power looks at the three-day music festival that coincided with the famous Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire in 1974. The concerts paired African musicians with such popular American performers as James Brown, Bill Withers and B.B. King, and offers a glimpse back to a time when the musical crossover between the two nations was emerging. Screenings are at 5 p.m. Saturday and 4 and 6 p.m. Sunday.

The CP will also offer the ultimate documentary for rock guitar devotees: It Might Get Loud, an exploration of the instrument from three of its more distinctive voices: Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's the Edge and Jack White of the White Stripes. Screenings are 7 and 8:45 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets for Soul Power and It Might Get Loud are $9, $7 for seniors and students, $5 for members. Cinema Paradiso is at 503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale. Info: 954-525-3456,  www.FLIFF.com.

You can get it if you really want
This weekend's shows are your last opportunity to catch the powerful musical The Harder They Come at Miami's Arsht Center, and for the rest of the run a limited number of tickets are 50 percent off. The show, based on the seminal 1972 film starring reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, is performed 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Premium $95 seating is now $47.50, with the remaining $50 seats now $25, while they last, at arshtcenter.org. More info: 305-949-6722, 866-949-6722.

Norton after dark
The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach does the community reach-out thing with Thursday Nights at the Norton, this week featuring a range of family-oriented events, music from Ruling Mercury, a screening of the 1927 Buster Keaton romp College and a tour of the new exhibit of George Segal sculpture. The museum is at 1451 S. Olive Ave. Info: 561-832-5196, http://www.norton.org.

Hey, kids, free snowcones!
A stroll on South Beach's Lincoln Road with the kids has always been one of my favorite ways to enjoy a September Sunday afternoon. Get a head start at the Bass Museum's free Family Fun Day (themed: "Words, Birds and Picture Frames"). On Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., artist David Lisznia, creator of Tiny Stories, will lead the hands-on creative activities. The event also includes free popcorn and snowcones for the kids, and free coffee for you. Info: 305-673-7530, bassmuseum.org

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The exquisite black-and-white landscapes of renowned South Florida photographer Clyde Butcher go up Wednesday at the Boca Raton Museum of Art (501 Plaza Real). The exhibit, called "Clyde Butcher: Wilderness Visions," features his trademark large-scale images created during the past 25 years in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, the Chesapeake and, of course, Florida, exemplified by the foreboding beauty of Ochopee # 3, above. Here are a few more images from the show.

The exhibit will be up through Nov. 9. Admission is $8, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $4 students. Children 12 and younger free. Hours are Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon- 5 p.m. Info: 561-392-2500.

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I am a long-suffering Giants fan (the Super Bowl feels like a mirage now) with visions of Eli throwing passes to a 6-foot-5 guy who isn't there anymore. (Free Plax!) So, more than anything, football means a cold drink and a few wings. Here are some places I'm looking at. But, please, I beg of you, give me some more ideas. I think I'm going to need them.

Rose-colored beer glasses
Joe Rose has a big head, but they promise you'll have no trouble seeing the game at America's Backyard’s new football headquarters out on the patio in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Every Saturday WQAM 560-AM will broadcast its College Game Night show from the patio stage, hosted by Rose, left, the former Cal stud who many kids out there may not realize actually used to suit up for the Dolphins. WQAM will also host live post-game coverage for the Miami Hurricanes at America's Backyard.

On Sundays, pro fans can listen in to the live stats-geek banter of Sideline Sundays on WINZ 940-AM during 4 p.m. games.

Along with the media frenzy, you'll find a new menu (prime rib dinners, four kinds of sliders, half-pound burgers, Chicago-style hot dogs, chicken wings sold by the pound), plus drink specials galore. They include $2 16-ounce drafts, $4 for a liter; plus $5 Jack and Bacardi cocktails.

And the weather is no excuse: To keep Joe's head (and yours) dry, the place has a new awning system to cover the patio.

America's Backyard is at 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. More info: 954-727-0950, www.myamericasbackyard.com.

Free beer
Football and free beer. Poetry. Beginning Saturday, your neighborhood Quarterdeck will give you a 60-ounce pitcher of beer free when you and a buddy each order a meal. The deal is good on Bud, Bud Light and Bud Select from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and all day Sunday through Jan. 3. Info: www.quarterdeckrestaurant.com.

Hmmmm.... doughnuts
Krispy Kreme is offering football-shaped doughnuts in your favorite team colors each Saturday and Sunday all season (through Jan. 7). Just call your local store 48 hours in advance. And why not make it a Tailgate Pack, which boxes up a dozen football doughnuts with a dozen original glazed. You know you want it.

According to the wizards at Krispy Kreme, the football doughnuts are available locally at stores in Fort Lauderdale (2401 N. Federal Highway), Tamarac (10010 W. McNab Road) and Miami (590 NE 167th St.). But check www.krispykreme.com for updates.

Pigskin and Bru’s
There’s now another place to watch at Bru’s Room, with locations that stretch from Delray Beach to its spanking new spot in Coral Springs, which opened last month (1000 N. University Drive; info: 954-656-8041). There also are new patio bars going in at several locations, including the Pompano store (235 S. Federal Highway; info: 954-785-2227), where Gator fans huddle up on Saturdays.

Football-day drink deals range from $2 domestic beers and $5.90 pitchers of Bru’s Brew to $5 Skyy and Cruzan doubles. On Mondays (listen up, FSU and UM fans), all stores offer 2-for-1 chicken sandwiches and burgers.

“It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, it matters how much fun you have watching it,” says Bru’s director of operations Rick Hamilton. Hear that FSU and UM fans?

Info: www.brusroom.com.

The new Waxy’s
Waxy O’Connor’s Irish Pub just opened a waterside location in Miami’s Brickell district, and beginning this weekend they’re all about football on Saturdays and Sundays, with discounts on beer and wings. Down the road they’ll offer Waxy’s Sports Brunch by the River during football season. It will feature a la carte brunch items, punctuated by typical Irish breakfast fare, along with the regular lunch menu. A selection of “hair of the dog” cocktails also will be offered. Waxy’s on the River is at 690 SW First Court, in downtown Miami. Info: 786-871-7660, www.waxys.com.

Again, feel free to offer more ideas!

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A couple of days ago, as my wife was revealing some insight no doubt critical to my well-being, I was doing some inventory of a nearby bookshelf (It's called multi-tasking, honey), and my eyes settled on Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. The New York Times best-seller (can it be nearly 10 years since its publication?) chronicles the author's bleak year undercover trying to survive in working-poor America.

I wandered into the first chapter, set near the author's home in Key West, as Ehrenreich (articulate, educated, polite) struggles to even get a callback for jobs as a hotel housekeeper, finally ending up with a waitressing job at a motel restaurant. The work is strenuous, unrelenting, emotionally demanding and performed for an audience of hostile customers and demeaning bosses. It pays $2 and change an hour, plus tips (meager to nonexistent), and to make rent she soon takes a second waitressing job, changing uniforms in her car as she pulls through the Wendy's drive-thru for dinner.

She lives 30 gas-guzzling miles from her jobs in a sketchy cabin where she dodges the landlord's Doberman and cooks on a hot plate. And this is a castle compared to her co-workers' quarters: a couple of them live in their cars, one shares a room in a flophouse with a male friend who has a more intimate arrangement in mind, and another throws away $40 a day in a motel because she can't come up with the deposit for an apartment. And at that rate probably never will.

Ehrenreich exists like this for a month, always knowing that she's just a drive away from her old life as a comfortably compensated upper-middle class American Dreamer: granite, two-and-a-half baths, TiVo, health care and ... hope. Not so her co-workers, their dignity and futures hanging by a thread, but who exhibit a day-to-day generosity and humanity to each other that is a model for any life.

The Key West section ends as Ehrenreich, simultaneously confronted by too many tables filled with too many demanding diners, has an emotional meltdown and walks out. I, too, was spent by chapter's end.

This weekend we honor hard work and those who do it. Let’s also honor victims of the economic con game of the last few years, the unemployed and under-employed. And let’s make it count: Tip big.

Here are some places to do it:

Big '80s month
Depeche Mode, right, is first among several chart-topping '80s acts to hit South Florida stages this month. The titans of gloomily synth-y dance pop (Personal Jesus, Master and Servant) are at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise on Saturday with Peter Bjorn & John opening. Tickets: $36.75-$86.75. Other on-their-way favorites of more than two decades ago: Bruce Springsteen on Sept. 13 at BankAtlantic Center, Psychedelic Furs at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale Sept. 29, and ....

Ice? Nice, baby!
Rap icon Vanilla Ice, left, is the centerpiece of a free, three-day Labor Day weekend festival at the Seminole Casino Hollywood (4150 N. State Road 7, Hollywood). The festivities kick off Saturday with free ice skating, free food, free beer, the world’s largest free mojito tank, music from Jahfe and High Ground and a concert from Vanilla Ice (8-9:15 p.m.). Info: 954-961-3220.

Land of plenty
Heads-up for a rainy day next weekend: The exquisite black-and-white landscapes of renowned photographer Clyde Butcher go up on Wednesday at the Boca Raton Museum of Art (501 Plaza Real). The exhibit, called "Clyde Butcher: Wilderness Visions," features his trademark large-scale images created during the past 25 years in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, the Chesapeake and, of course, the Everglades. Info: 561-392-2500.

Before bed, PJs and beer!
After a six-year absence, Coconut Grove’s gloriously wacky Great Grove Bed Races return on Sunday with Indy racer Helio Castroneves, left, as grand marshal. It's free. On Saturday, of course, is the associated Pajama Pub Crawl drawing the night-capped to nine of the Grove's favorite watering holes. Registration begins at 6 p.m. at Fat Tuesday's, with the crawl at 7. The $20 registration fee gets you a coupon for a beer at each pub. All of the proceeds go to Alonzo Mourning Charities. Info: info@thegreatgrovebedrace.com.

Can you Karu?
Suenalo brings a rare dose of live music to Karu & Y (71 NW 14th St., Miami) Friday night.

Let's get together and feel alright
Dubfest, the daylong reggae and ska celebration, lights up the ArtsPark in downtown Hollywood on Saturday. Bunny Wailer, right, co-founder with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh of the legendary Wailers, headlines a bill that includes Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger and Lee “Scratch” Perry. Tickets are $35, $40 day of the show. On Sunday, reggae great Beres Hammond performs at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach). Tickets: $45-$75. Info: 561-459-9281.

Light the candle
N.O.R.E. (a.k.a Noreaga) celebrates a birthday with Raekwon and Fat Joe Friday night at Sobe Live (1203 Washington, Miami Beach).

$2,500 dogs
What’s Labor Day weekend without shoving a bunch of hot dogs down your throat? Mardi Gras Gaming & Casino (831 N. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach) inaugurates its annual Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday with the winner getting $2,500 and a championship belt. Registration info: 954-924-3200, 877-557-5687.

Crank this
Soulja Boy is due at Mansion (1235 Washington, Miami Beach) Sunday night, after the America's Most Wanted tour stop at BankAtlantic Center with Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Drake, Pleasure P and Jerimih.

Tattoo you, tattoo me
"Off the Needle," an exhibit of art by some of South Florida's top tattoo artists, opens with a reception Saturday night at Bear & Bird Boutique and Gallery in Lauderhill. The show will be up through Oct. 10.

River of life
The SunTrust Jazz Brunch  celebrates Brazilian Independence Day one day early on Sunday. The free 11 a.m.-2 p.m. festival on several stages scattered under the trees on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale will feature sounds from Clube do Choro, Caliente Jazz Sounds, Steve B. and others. As always, plenty of food, drink and shady spots to throw down a blanket. Info: 954-828-5363.

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Tickets for Jerry Seinfeld’s three stand-up performances at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach are now on sale. The shows are 7 p.m. Oct. 23 (a Friday) and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24. Tickets are $51 to $81. Info: 561-832-7469, 800-572-8471 or the Kravis box office.

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Conrad Oberg, a 15-year-old music prodigy from Jacksonville, opened the recent 40th anniversary Woodstock festivities at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the upstate New York site of the original 1969 Festival. He was asked to play The Star Spangled Banner, echoing the seminal performance of Jimi Hendrix. Not a trivial honor.

Last year Oberg was named the most popular teen musician in the country by watchers of the Cartoon Network. Not a trivial demographic.

If you fit somewhere in the middle of those two age groups, you may be intrigued. Perhaps more so because Oberg, whose story includes sharing stages with Pinetop Perkins and Robert Randolph, happens to be blind.

Oberg performs Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Mellow Mushroom in Delray Beach. Best of all, it’s free. More info: 561-330-3040.

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The groovy ghouls over at Bear and Bird Boutique & Gallery in Lauderhill (4566 N. University Drive, above Tate's Comics) are now taking entries for "Candy Apples & Razor Blades," a witty Halloween-themed exhibit open to all local artists.

The rules are simple: Anyone who can drop off and, more importantly, pick up their artwork qualifies. Entries, limited to one per person, must be Halloween-y, no larger than 11 by 14 inches, and have a hanger element secured to the back.

Go here to find out how to register and make sure you'll get your name on the exhibition flier.

The show is up Oct. 17-Nov. 13. And you'll be invited to the opening party and the closing-night "pick up yer art" shindig. Info: 954-748-0181.

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