Things to Do in Boca Del Mar

As they continue to find their ice-footing this year, the Panthers strive to wrest control of the NHL's jungle gym by dominating visiting pucksters on their home ice. Witness the squad's skate-borne feats of athleticism as they attempt to vanquish their Eastern Conference foes the Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, or Toronto Maple Leafs. Premium lower-bowl seating gets spectators close enough to see the intricate weaving of line formations and collect ice flecks from the players’ skates to make snow cones. Your exact stadium location will be determined upon your arrival, and groups must purchase tickets together for consecutive seats if they don't want their painted torsos' letters to accidentally spell, "Flo, rid a pant. Hers."

With only 130 seats, Mosaic Theatre can justly claim that there’s not a bad seat in the house. Designed to be a maximally flexible space, the venue changes its seating for every performance to enhance the theatergoing experience for visitors or to clear way for the mid-play goat chorus line.

The original Strikers were born in 1977, when the Miami Toros moved to Broward County. Donning their popular red-and-gold hooped uniforms, the team experienced instant success—so much so that Lockhart Stadium underwent two seating expansions to accommodate the club's rapidly growing fan base. During those years, a playoff game between the Strikers and New York Cosmos drew a crowd of 77,691, which still stands as the record for a U.S. Pro League soccer match and most people squished into a single soccer net.

Even with all their success, the Strikers relocated to Minnesota after the 1983 season. The team returned five years later, and for more than two decades, competed as part of several leagues. Finally, after a failed attempted to bring Major League Soccer to Miami, the Miami FC of the United Soccer League decided to officially adopt the Strikers moniker and move to the North American Soccer League for the 2011 season. The Strikers didn't waste any time announcing their rebirth, as they made the league's championship series that same season.

The aroma of salt and butter fills Alco Capital Theaters in Boynton Beach. Manager Larry Forbes has worked in theaters for three decades, having started out projecting midnight rock flicks at a drive-in in Fort Lauderdale. He therefore balances a sentimental attachment to film with the practical aspects that make it good for business. "If there's a problem and you have a technician—which we do onsite all the time—you can fix it immediately," he points out. Although the majority of work is projected from film, the theater's eight screening rooms are not warehouses for nostalgia. Digital and Dolby 3-D projectors deliver sharp pictures and immersive experiences to stadiums of 1,500 lumbar-supportive seats, as digital speakers and ADA listening devices make eardrums quake.

During the winter, moviegoers prepare for the upcoming awards season with a full slate of Academy Award–nominated films. On some summer days 700–800 kids will flood the theater by 10 a.m. for adventure flicks and romantic comedies, and when things slow down in the fall, Forbes fires off notices of indie premieres and director Q&A sessions to members of the Movi-E Mail Club, who have chatted with director Susan Seidelman and burgeoning stars from The Palm Beach County Film & Television Institute. On federal holidays, the staff host a special matinee for students, and every Tuesday they pile free popcorn into reusable plastic buckets and vacant laps. The theater's dedication to its audience extends to special requests—Forbes remembers slipping a man's wedding-proposal video into the previews one night. Although he doesn't remember the film, Forbes does remember the woman's answer: she said yes.

At two locally owned locations, The Electric Bicycle Store team tends to a herd of battery-powered steeds that carry riders along the smooth pathways of South Florida. The shop stocks bikes by Pedego, Sanyo, Schwinn, Stromer, Trek, and others, and the staff helps outfit riders with accessories such as helmets and solar chargers. With rental packages, riders take to bike paths with helmets, lights, locks, chargers, and baskets that can fit a few pounds of spaghetti for midride snacks.

On April 26-28, the Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival unites friends and neighbors with gourmet food, fine spirits, and live music from the tri-county region throughout a three-day celebration. When not hunkering down for starlit picnics or strolling through Quiet Waters Park, attendees can expand their palates with wine-and-food pairing workshops, an around-the-world tour of wines, and seminars by an international cadre of wineries. Showcasing the rich culinary heritage of the region, the food tastings run the gamut from hearty braised-beef dishes of English-pub fare to fresh seafood dishes of South Florida to fondue. Friday invites guests to a vineyard party backed by live music, where they dig into lavish four-course feasts accompanied by glasses of wine selected by professional sommeliers. On Saturday, ticket holders stroll through the park's scenic avenues to savor decadent chocolates, top-shelf wines from Europe and the Americas, and a spread of cuisine from local Mexican, Greek, American, Italian, and fusion restaurants. The Deerfield Beach Wine & Food Festival sends patrons off with a relaxing outdoor Sunday-morning brunch chock-full of fresh seafood catches, buffet stations of European breakfast fare, and bloody marys and mimosas. As guests nibble and sip to their hearts’ content, they’re serenaded by the dulcet tones of Gyorgy Lakatos.