DELRAY DYN-O-MITE! JIMMIE ‘JJ’ WALKER JAN. 6: At 8 p.m. Thursday the Arts Garage launches an hysterical new comedy series The Art of Laughter, kicking off with TV, Film and Comedy Club superstar Jimmie “JJ” Walker. The new series will run quarterly on First Thursdays and will feature some of the best touring comedians from South Florida and beyond. Rising from the streets of New York’s ghettos to television superstardom, Walker’s catch phrase "Dyn-o-mite!" is part of the modern vernacular, and he became such a major celebrity in the 1970s that Time magazine named him "Comedian of the Decade.” Tickets to the general admission comedy shows are $30 available by calling the box office at 561-450-6357 or going online to artsgarage.org.

***

BRIDGE LIGHTING AND PINK BOOTS: Celebration will kick off a monthlong symbol of breast and cervical cancer awareness, Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Royal Park Bridge (aka “Middle Bridge”) that connects Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. All will gather at corner of North Flagler Drive and Okeechobee Blvd in West Palm Beach, under the bridge on the northwest side. At approximately 6 p.m. the bridge will be lit pink – the signature color of the Promise Fund of Florida fight against breast and cervical cancer – and remain lit in pink through January. Call 561-307-8000.

***

THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL: Summer is coming to West Palm Beach this winter with “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” making its premiere engagement through Jan. 9 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Performances take place through Saturday, Jan. 8 at 8 pm, and Sunday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee performances are Saturday, Jan. 8 and Sunday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $33 and are available at kravis.org, or by phone at 561-832-7469.

***

RETURN OF FIGHT NIGHT JAN. 8: Featuring 10 live professional boxing matches at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, 201 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Doors open at 6 pm. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Visit delrayfightnight.com/ or eventbrite.

***

PALM BEACH POETRY FESTIVAL 2022: The 18th annual festival promises six days of all-virtual literary workshops, readings, craft talks, one-on-one conferences, poet panel, and more, Jan.10-15.

Among the highlights of the upcoming Palm Beach Poetry Festival will be presentations by: + Special Guest Poet Yusef Komunyakaa, a recipient in 1994 of both the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and the 2021 Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Achievement Award. + Poet-at-Large Aimee Nezhukumatathil, a winner of both a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and the prestigious Pushcart Prize. The general public will have virtual access to all of the festival’s ticketed and free events via Zoom, including the opening night reading. To register and receive the Zoom link for this free event, or for other information including a full schedule and workshop descriptions, plus biographical information and links to the work of all featured poets. Visit palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.

***

CIVILIAN PANEL PUBLIC MEETING JAN. 10: The Miami-Dade County Independent Civilian Panel (ICP) is the impartial entity created to conduct independent investigations and review and hold public hearings concerning complaints or grievances made against sworn officers of the Miami-Dade Police Department. In this month’s meeting, the board will discuss the hiring of the executive director, the NACOLE conference, and training on police practices, among other topics. The ICP will hold its monthly meeting from 6 – 8 p.m. in the second floor County Commission Chambers of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1st Street, Miami. Meetings are open to the public, and residents are encouraged to attend and learn more about the work of the ICP. Call 305-375-1585.

***

SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR: Discount admission and ride tickets on sale now through Jan. 13 at all Palm Beach County Publix and online at southfloridafair.com, for this year’s event Jan. 14 – 30 at the South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach. Call 561-793-0333.

***

41ST ANNUAL MLK SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST JAN. 17: The Martin Luther King Coordinating Committee hosts keynote speaker Kali Denise Cyrus, M.M., MPH, psychiatrist, consultant, activist, 8 a.m. at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, with community and student awards, student oratorical speeches and more. Theme: “Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Everywhere.” Adult tickets $50, students $30, virtual tickets $25, table sponsorship $500. Call 561-832-4682 or visit mlkccpbc.org.

***

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BRUNCH AT SPADY JAN. 17: The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum will welcome social activist-parent-professor turned author Dr. Traci Baxley, Palm Beach County Schools Superintendent Mike Burke, and Palm Beach County Community Remembrance Project Committee Founder and Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss, to share their work, through the lens of Dr. King’s vision, at the museum’s first signature event of 2022, 10 a.m. at Indian Spring Country Club, 11501 El Clair Ranch Rd, Boynton Beach. A full breakfast buffet is served at the beginning of the program, tickets $40 per person, $500 per table. Visit spadymuseum.com, call 561-279-8883 or email spadymuseum@gmail.com.

*** 

GOSPEL JAM SESSIONS JAN. 23: Live Arts Miami and Rhythm Foundation present Pastor Marc Cooper and Friends, a quarterly concert series upcoming on Sunday Jan. 23 at the North Beach Bandshell, 7272 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Admission is free with RSVP. Visit northbeachbandshell.com or liveartsmiami.org.

***

MARSALIS AT KRAVIS: The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach is announcing changes to this season’s previously announced Regional Arts Classical Concert MUSIC at 2 and MUSIC at 8 Series, including Sunday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Branford Marsalis. Tickets for the new concerts are available for purchase online through the center’s website at kravis.org; or by phone at 561-832-7469 or 800-572-8471. The Kravis Center is focused on ensuring the health and safety of our audiences, artists and staff. A CDC approved mask that covers the mouth and nose is required to be worn by all guests. To learn more about our current health and safety protocols visit kravis.org/healthsafety.

***

WEST PALM BEACH GREENMARKET: Voted best farmers market in the United States, takes place on the Great Lawn along the city’s waterfront 9 a.m. 1 p.m., providing locally grown fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, plants, and specialty products. Free parking available at city-managed garages until noon, COVID-19 precautions remain in place. Visit wpb.org/events.

***

SEND YOUR ANOUNCEMENTS: To news@sfltimes.com