In 2009, the 4th of July in Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County will bring fireworks to beaches and parks across the tri-county.  Where can you catch a great display of fireworks and celebrate this year?

Deerfield Beach in Broward County, will hold its annual All-American 4th of July Celebration, at the beach, starting from the pier heading north.  Events on Saturday will begin early, with games for children, water balloons, slides and tons of refreshing summer activities!  Local bands will also join in starting at around 3pm, and will continue on until the fireworks after sun-down!

Those looking for a parade may want to head over to Sunrise, at 10am.  The parade will be along Sunset Strip starting at NW 12th street, all the way down to City Park.  There will be children’s activities, ride and free food until 1pm.  From 6-10pm, at the Bank Atlantic Center, there will be bounce houses for the kides, face painters, and other fun activities.  Rain or shine!

In Miami-Dade County, head on over to Coconut Grove, for an entire day and night filled with fun!  Enjoy games and food for adults and children, and various local bands as well!  Fireworks will be held at 9pm, at Peacock Park.

Those in the Boca Raton area can see fireworks shoot off at around 9pm, at Florida Atlantic University off of Glades Road.  There will also be fireworks at Boynton Beach at Intracoastal Park, and at Delray Beach at then end of Atlantic Ave, starting at 9pm.

The Jr Olympics volleyball tournament will bring over 9,500 girls from ages 12-18 to compete for national titles.  Volleyball recruiters from colleges and universities across the nation will attend to search for prospectives students and players.

The Pan Am Cup will certainly be the highlight of the weekend, with a diverse audience.  The tournament will begin with group rounds first, which have been divided as follows:

Group A: United States, USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico
Group B: Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago

Scheduled games and events will begin Friday, June 26th, 2009.

Conservationist and protesters oppose the plan, mainly for environmental reasons.  The new plan puts forward parking garages, boat slips, and other such commercial use.  Despite the historical significance of the park being the first legal beach for African-American use during the early 1900’s, developers are still eager to create, level and build on the island.

An area of the park has already been restored and recently re-open to the public, however, the future of Virginia Key Park is still up for debate.  Currently, Virginia Key Park visitors can enjoy a playground and other restored facilities.

At a Fort Lauderdale city meeting this past Tuesday, discussion of ways to keep the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex up and running were brought about.  The complex has been around since 1928, and though used year round for national and international swimming and diving competitions, the complex does not generate enough money to keep itself open, running in the red more than $1 million each year.  The city had generated various ideas to boost revenue here, one of which included building an aquarium at the complex, however that idea was shot down at Tuesday’s meeting.  Commissioners want a tourist destination spot, one that would generate a significant amount of revenue.

The idea that has now been proposed is the creation of a small water park with slides and a lazy river.  The city is currently accepting bids to explore this option.  City planners believe that the park would create a significant amount of incoming revenue from tourists, and would help to keep the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex open for swimming and diving competitions as well.

The location is also home to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a tourist stop for many Fort Lauderdale visitors.  Money generated would also be used to renovate the museum.

There are several spots in Broward County that will be holding memorial services this weekend:

Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale - Sunday at 11am

Coconut Creek Veterans Park -Monday at 10am

Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier - Monday at 1130am

There will also be a parade in Pompano Beach, starting on 23rd Ave and Atlantic Boulevard, at 11am.  The parade will include rifle salutes, ceremonial prayer, and youth group activities.

With the introduction of Tours That Talk at the Miami Metrozoo, parents and kids alike can explore on their own time and freedom at the touch of a button!  These interactive tours allow exhibits to include pre-recorded information that makes things come to life.  With more freedom to go from place to place throughout the zoo on your on time frame, you will feel very relaxed and entertained with this educational experience. Miami Dade students are frequent visitors of the zoo, and will be those of the first to experiment and explore the new Tours That Talk.

And to note, this is NOT the Mexican Independence Day, as many Americans believe.  But that is not much of a concern to most, as Cino de Mayo in the U.S. is used by many Americans as an excuse to  drink tequila and wear a sombrero!

Need places to go? No problem! Cinco de Mayo in Miami leaves you with plenty of options.  Check out Senor Frogs in Coconut Grove or in South Beach, or just head down to Ocean Drive in Miami.  You will not find a venue or restaurant along this strip today that is not serving up a Mexican treat!

The Tournament will be held today, May 2nd, with the official start at 7am.  So get your fishing boat ready, gear up your team, and sign up today!  Fishing in Miami is great, but add to that a $15,000 first place prize? You can be sure the reels will be flying!

Starting April 15th through May 11th, Deering Estates will have a wide range of art on display, portraying the work of the students from public and private schools all across Miami-Dade County.  Students in the area learn various art expressions and mediums in their curriculum, and many are thrilled to have the chance to display their work to their friends and family, and to the public!

Deering Estate is located in Cutler Ridge at 16701 SW 72nd Avenue, and is open from 10am until 5pm every day. Stroll the halls and enjoy the pastel or watercolor creations, clay sculptures, or digital art! There is so much to see, so mark your calendar and head on over to Deering Estate this weekend.  You will not be disappointed!

South Florida residents are lucky enough to call beautiful tropical surroundings their home.  At the Biscayne National Park, you can learn more about the unique ecosystem that exists in our waters and the wildlife that lives in and around Biscayne Bay, all the way through to the Florida Keys. 

National Park Week at Biscayne National Park is offering boat rides from Biscayne Bay to the Northern part of the Keys for $20 per seat. This wonderful opportunity offers a learning experience for you and your family, allowing you to explore the waters of the Biscayne Bay and Florida Keys.  Be prepared to see wildlife, sea turtles, dolphins, or sharks!