In Brief - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

TIME ZONE: Eastern
AREA CODES: 954, 754
FOUNDED: 1911
POPULATION: 165,521
AIRPORT: Fort LauderdaleHollywood Int'l Airport (FLL)
WEBSITE:  www.sunny.org

---

BY THE NUMBERS

169 miles of navigable water channels, giving it the nickname "Venice of America"

23 miles of sunkissed beaches in the Greater Ft. Lauderdale area

3,000 hours of sunshine per year, on average

---

NEWS FLASH

For the Love of Art /// Art loving parents will have more to love this spring, when the Young At Art Museum opens the doors to its new home, the New Young At Art Museum. The $26.5 million, 55,000squarefoot LEEDcertified building will feature four interactive galleries that promote the arts to young da Vincis, and house the Broward County Library, to boot. www.youngatartmuseum.org

Parrothead Paradise /// There are more cheeseburgers in paradise to come — a 99year lease was recently approved for a new Margaritaville Resort to be built on Hollywood Beach for a 2014 opening. The 15,000squarefoot resort will have 349 rooms and cost upwards of $130 million. www.margaritaville.com

---

CULTURE CALENDAR

Feb. 11 to March 11 (weekends) 
FLORIDA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL Deerfield Beach, FL (19 miles from Fort Lauderdale)
If you'd rather spend the day jousting than lazing and would happily trade in a burger for a turkey leg, then this fest is for you. Step through the castle gates and into the 16th century to watch glass blowing, archery demonstrations while feasting like a king and enjoying live music. www.renfest.com/deerfieldhome.asp

Feb. 11 
JEFF DUNHAM
Pay for one comedian and you'll get eight(he's even introducing two new characters!). Catch the infamous Comedy Central ventriloquist and standup comedian on his latest tour. Which of his characters will appear — NASCARloving redneck Bubba J, grumpy Walter or Achmed the Dead Terrorist? Doesn't matter, they're all feisty and hilarious, helping make Dunham one of America's ofthemoment comedians. www.jeffdunham.com