Weekend things to do: Winterfest, two SantaCons, a new place to watch Dolphins-Jets

This is the most socially joyful weekend of the 2023 holiday season, with the celebration of the final days of Hanukkah and the glow of Christmas, and more contemplative mingling, just in the distance. So the next few days bring us the Winterfest Boat Parade (Boyz II Men grand marshals) and its attendant waterfront cocktail parties; two (two!) SantaCon bar crawls in Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale; two nights of Andrea Bocelli at Hard Rock Live; and the Y-100 Jingle Ball, with shocking pink headliner Nicki Minaj. Elsewhere, there’s a new sports bar to watch Dolphins-Jets on Sunday, and the answer to your question: “Whatever happened to the band Zebra?”

Note to readers: With inclement weather likely to linger across South Florida through much of the weekend, consult websites that accompany these listings for the latest information on outdoor events. Cancellations will be noted as those decisions are made.

THURSDAY

Red, white and booze:SantaCon Delray Beach will add its costumed bar crawl to the hustle and bustle of East Atlantic Avenue on Thursday from 7 p.m. to midnight. Check-in is at Honey, and other participating venues include Salt7, The Wine Room, The Office, The O.G. and Thrōw Social, which will host an after-party at midnight. A $30 ticket gets you free admission to all venues, a $40 VIP ticket comes with admission and a free drink at each venue. Visit Instagram.com/honeydelray. In case you’ve lost the user manual, SantaCon is a different kind of bar crawl. You’re dressed as Santa or some other symbol of the season, so you do not want to hurt the brand. Be of good cheer, but not drunk. And tip your bartender. SantaCon Delray also will be accepting (new unwrapped) toy donations for the 33rd annual Delray Beach Holiday Toy Drive. For information, visit SantaConDelray.EventBrite.com.

Christmas carols:A cappella group Pentatonix have turned the holidays into something of a cottage industry — their new release, “The Greatest Christmas Hits” (a double album!), is the quintet’s seventh holiday album. They perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Remaining tickets start at $95+ at MyHRL.com.

What you want: If you are a tri-state ex-pat of a certain vintage, the soundtrack of your misspent youth likely includes Zebra, who went from being your favorite Led Zeppelin tribute bar band to their own thing with an eponymous 1983 debut album that includes radio hits “Who’s Behind the Door?” and “Tell Me What You Want.” The original band — Randy Jackson, Felix Hanemann and Guy Gelso — will perform on Thursday from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach. In a deviation from tradition at Galuppi’s, you’ll need a ticket and/or table reservation for this show: General admission costs $49.99+, with tables for two, four or six people available for $75+ per person. Visit Galuppis.com.

Holiday cocktails: Kapow Noodle Bar, with locations in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park and on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, has a new menu of four holiday cocktails available, including the eye-catching and eye-opening Polar Express-o-tini, which melds Skyy (vodka) Infusions Espresso, Borghetti coffee liqueur, espresso, peppermint, and Dugan and Dame coffee bitters ($16). Visit KapowNoodleBar.com.

FRIDAY

Weekend laughs:Writer and comedian John Mulaney (also an actor — who caught him on Season 2 of “The Bear”?) brings more dark and hilariously told tales of very personal woe (who saw his recent special “Baby J” on Netflix?) to Hard Rock Live at 8 p.m Friday. Tickets are available, starting at $48+, at MyHRL.com.

Come on down:The touring “Wheel of Fortune LIVE!” will bring its iconic roulette whirligig and other games of chance to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Friday at 8 p.m., hosted by Mark L. Walberg, seen on “Antiques Roadshow” and a variety of TV game shows. For tickets (starting at $25+) and to register for a chance to compete onstage, visit Kravis.org.

EVENT CANCELED: The time of your life: The Amphitheatre at Old School Square in downtown Delray Beach will be the setting for a screening of “Dirty Dancing” accompanied by a live band and the inevitable audience sing-along. Gates open at 6 p.m., with the digitally remastered film and concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. and a post-screening party with the band and singers continuing until 10 p.m. Tickets begin at $29+, with VIP access for $125+. Visit DelrayOldSchoolSquare.com.

St. Nick and St. Paul:Nu Deco Ensemble returns to the Arsht Center in Miami at 8 p.m. Friday as the thrill-seeking classical orchestra created by Jacomo Bairos and Sam Hyken offers another adventurous program that features collaborations with rising operatic baritone Will Liverman and eclectic Southern soul band St. Paul & The Broken Bones. The evening will include “Nu Nutcracker,” an NDE spin on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, and a suite celebrating iconic singer Tina Turner. Tickets start at $35+ at Nu-Deco.org.

Revving up:Revolution Live in downtown Fort Lauderdale has tickets on sale Friday for a couple of noteworthy concerts: jazzy hip-hop trio Digable Planets on Feb. 18 (advance tickets $35.50+) and punk icons Social Distortion and Bad Religion in an outdoor block party on April 27 (advance tickets $52.50+). Also recently announced was Wolfgang Van Halen at the Rev on May 12 (advance tickets $29.50+). Visit JoinTheRevolution.net.

SATURDAY

Santa is floating to town: Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the historic Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, also known as “the Best Show on H2O,” also known as the world’s longest holiday cocktail party, flows through the middle of downtown Fort Lauderdale on the New River before pouring into the Intracoastal Waterway on its 12-mile journey to the turn-around on Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach. If you do not have friends offering their catered patio to see the slow-moving spectacle, the official viewing area is at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park (southeast corner of Las Olas Boulevard and the Intracoastal). The gates open at 4 p.m., and you’ll find a seated viewing area, the Stella Artois Culinary Courtyard, live entertainment and family activities. The parade should reach the park at around 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30, or $25 for kids age 10 and younger. For more information, visit WinterfestParade.com. … If you’re looking for something a little more elevated, the Riverside Hotel will host a watch party from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with an open bar, for $79+. See the EventBrite.com page.

Holiday spirits:SantaCon returns to Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., with the same rules mentioned above in Delray Beach. Stay jolly, my friends. Check-in is at YOLO/O Lounge, with SantaCon drink specials found at Rooftop @1WLO, B Square Burgers + Booze, American Social, Big City Tavern and Salt7. Participation is free. Visit Facebook.com/santaconftl.

Saint Nicki:Tickets starting at $20+ are available for the Y100 Jingle Ball at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, with a lineup that includes Nicki Minaj, Marshmello, AJR, Flo Rida, Ludacris, Nicky Jam and more. Visit iHeart.com/jingle-ball. Rap and fashion icon Minaj this week announced dates for her 2024 Pink Friday 2 World Tour, with the closest performance to South Florida on March 22 at Orlando’s Amway Center (a Brightling ride away, remember). Visit NickiMinajOfficial.com.

A bowl full of Bocelli:Popular Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performs at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood with a seasonal production highlighting his 2022 album “A Family Christmas” at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are scarce, starting at $285+ at MyHRL.com.

Flea the scene:The Flamingo Flea will help allay your holiday gifting anxiety with an afternoon of shopping among its carefully curated lineup of local vendors on Saturday at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton. The Flea runs from noon to 4 p.m. and will be accompanied by the restaurant’s well-regarded brunch offerings and craft beer, if you’re so inclined. Visit FlamingoFlea.com.

Clematis green:Vegan restaurant Ve, opened on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach less than a year ago by Sub-Culture Group, will introduce its winter menu during its Plant-Based Pop-Up tasting event on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gathering, co-hosted by SoFlo Vegans, will include live music and free vegan bites, beverages and other goodies to anyone who RSVPs at Facebook.com/VeWPB/events or on the EventBrite.com page.

Shopping Society:The cheerful gals of Sunny Side Up Market will host the Merry Christmas Market on Saturday at Society Las Olas on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Vendors will be set up on the terrace from noon to 4 p.m., with yoga and prosecco from noon to 1 p.m. (BYO mat) and live music 1 to 3 p.m. It would be good karma to bring an unwrapped toy for families at Broward Partnership. Visit Facebook.com/sunnysideupmarketBGN/events.

SUNDAY

A new place to hate the Jets:It’s Dolphins vs. Jets Weekend and if you are looking for a new place to watch the game, I can recommend an old place. But it’s new, too. Iconic downtown Fort Lauderdale restaurant Carlos & Pepe’s recently unveiled a beautiful renovation, courtesy of new owners Paula and Rich Ehmke, that now includes a bright and airy indoor-outdoor bar at the front of the house crowned by large TVs dedicated to games. The rest of the restaurant has been beautifully refreshed with a comforting, polished warmth that should appeal to both new residents and longtimers. See for yourself at Instagram.com/carlosandpepesfl.

Gotta have that phunk: New Orleans funk outfit Dumpstaphunk will join forces with rising bassist-singer Karina Rykman and local singer-songwriter R.L. Cooper at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the lovely Miami Beach Bandshell, a concert that sends all proceeds to the Miami Beach JCC. Doors open at 5 p.m. Ticket cost $38.63 at MiamiBeachBandshell.com.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.