Events
Rum Lovers Take Over Fort Lauderdale’s Waterfront
Six Themed Bars Transform The Wharf into a Rum Lover’s Waterfront Escape During The National Rum Day Festival.
August 15th, 2026
The National Rum Day Festival at The Wharf Fort Lauderdale was a whole vibe, top to bottom. High energy, a heavy crowd and incredible energy from start to finish.
Held Saturday, August 15, the festival transformed The Wharf into a massive celebration of all things rum. More than 100 varieties were spread across six themed destinations: Pirate’s Cove, Tiki Beach Bar, Havana Nights, The Rum Reserve, New Orleans Lounge and Bermuda Yacht Club. Each brought its own personality, cocktails and atmosphere to the party.
The Wharf was a natural fit for something this ambitious. Located along the New River just steps from Las Olas Boulevard, the 54,000-square-foot open-air venue features multiple bars, food vendors, communal areas and riverside lounge seating. It already has the feel of a waterfront party on a normal weekend, so turning the entire place into a rum playground didn’t require much of a personality change.
They brought out over 100 rums, with dope themed setups everywhere you turned, from a pirate-style main bar to a frozen tiki spot serving blue raspberry rum snow cones. Instead of feeling like one enormous tasting line, the different areas encouraged you to move around and see what was happening next.
For those looking to take their rum a little more seriously, The Rum Reserve offered a tasting flight with a cigar pairing. But plenty of the festival leaned toward the playful side of drinking rum, and that was where some of the night’s most memorable moments happened.
The food was on point too, featuring rum-infused smash burgers and fish tacos, plus plenty of unique drinks to wash it all down. The Wharf’s regular culinary lineup includes Smashies, Carlos & Pepe’s and The Piefather, giving the waterfront venue several different options when hunger starts catching up with the cocktails.
Standout moments for me were riding the blender bike at the interactive mojito station, grabbing some food at the stalls and sitting down for a solid game of dominoes.
And yes, the blender bike was exactly what it sounds like.
There’s something pretty entertaining about having to pedal for your cocktail, and interactive touches like that kept the festival from becoming nothing more than walking from table to table collecting samples. Between the games, food, themed bars and waterfront setting, there was always somewhere else to wander.
As the sun went down, the festival atmosphere blended naturally into what The Wharf does particularly well. The venue regularly revolves around cocktails, music and waterfront events, with its combination of shaded communal areas, outdoor seating and New River views giving people room to mingle rather than stay planted in one spot.
It definitely lived up to the hype, though given the nature of a rum fest, things naturally got a little rowdy.
Security ended up having to escort two overly intoxicated people out. They weren’t being belligerent or aggressive, but adding a dedicated sobering-up lounge with free water and seating would be a smart move for future years so folks have a safe spot to regroup before heading out.
With more than 100 varieties of rum available and six hours of festivities scheduled from 5 to 11 p.m., encouraging guests to pace themselves is important. A cool-down area wouldn’t take anything away from the party. If anything, it would give people an opportunity to recharge and safely enjoy more of it.
That moment certainly didn’t overshadow the night.
The National Rum Day Festival delivered exactly the kind of celebration its name promised, while The Wharf’s open-air riverfront setting helped give it an unmistakably Fort Lauderdale personality. There were serious pours for rum enthusiasts, frozen concoctions for people looking to have some fun, rum-infused food when hunger kicked in and enough activities to keep the evening from revolving entirely around what’s in your glass.
All in all, it was a great night, and I’m definitely looking forward to coming back next year.
After rum snow cones, blender bikes, smash burgers, dominoes and more rum than anyone could reasonably sample in one evening, the National Rum Day Festival proved there’s a whole lot more than one way to celebrate what’s in the bottle.
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Luli Fama celebrates its Paradise Found Cruise ’27 swimwear and resortwear collection with a luxury Miami launch at its Dadeland Mall boutique.
August 20, 2026
Miami swimwear favorite Luli Fama is stepping into Cruise ’27 with Paradise Found, a new swimwear and resortwear collection inspired by tropical escapes, exotic prints and effortless vacation glamour.
South Florida Insider has already taken a closer look at the Luli Fama Paradise Found collection, and it feels made for Miami.
The new Cruise ’27 collection combines the bold, body-confident swimwear Luli Fama is known for with elevated resort pieces designed to move effortlessly from the beach and pool to cocktails and dinner.
On Thursday, August 20, Luli Fama will celebrate Paradise Found with an exclusive evening at its newest Dadeland Mall boutique in Miami, complete with fashion, light bites, personalized surprises, and a luxe espresso martini bar.
Inside Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 Collection
Paradise Found is inspired by the feeling of discovering a hidden tropical retreat.
Think lush landscapes, warm golden hour light, exotic patterns, and silhouettes made for somewhere beautiful.
The collection features Luli Fama signatures, including flattering ruched details, seamless construction, adjustable fits, and statement swimwear, alongside an expanded selection of resortwear.
We especially love the pieces that blur the line between swim and ready-to-wear.
Flowing dresses, sleek coverups, and body-skimming silhouettes make it easy to transition from a sun-drenched afternoon to an evening out without losing that relaxed resort feeling.
It is sensual, polished, and unmistakably Miami.
Luli Fama Brings Luxury Resort Style to Miami
There is a reason Paradise Found feels so natural in South Florida.
In Miami, resortwear is not reserved for vacation.
A swimsuit can become part of an outfit. A coverup can take you to lunch. A flowing resort dress can carry you from an afternoon by the water straight into cocktails and dinner.
Luli Fama has always understood that lifestyle.
Paradise Found takes it a step further, creating a Cruise ’27 wardrobe that feels as appropriate for a tropical getaway as it does for a weekend in Miami.
The campaign captures that mood beautifully, pairing the collection with palms, lush greenery, tropical architecture and the kind of sun soaked setting that makes you want to extend your vacation indefinitely.
Paradise Found Comes to Luli Fama at Dadeland Mall
Luli Fama will bring the world of Paradise Found to life on Thursday, August 20 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at its newest boutique at Dadeland Mall in Miami.
The intimate celebration will bring together invited guests, influencers, celebrities and media for an early look at Cruise ’27.
Luli Fama is also dressing invited guests in pieces from the brand, allowing the new collection to be experienced the way it was designed to be worn: in motion, styled and out for the evening.
Luli After Hours Espresso Martini Bar
Fashion is only part of the experience.
For the Paradise Found celebration, Luli Fama is introducing Luli After Hours, an Espresso Martini Bar inspired by the glamour of the collection.
Guests will be able to sip three specialty espresso martinis created for the evening.
The Luli Babe puts a polished spin on the classic espresso martini, while Golden Hour pairs salted caramel with edible gold shimmer. Miami After Dark takes a richer approach with chocolate hazelnut and a cocoa dust finish.
Along with cocktails, guests can expect light bites, curated details and a special personalized surprise.
The result feels less like a traditional retail event and more like checking into a private resort for the evening.
A Miami Swimwear Brand Celebrates at Home
For a brand with such a strong connection to South Florida, launching Paradise Found in Miami feels especially fitting.
Luli Fama has built its identity around colorful, confident swimwear and resort fashion with a distinctly tropical point of view.
Paradise Found carries that identity into Cruise ’27 while giving it a more elevated, escapist mood.
And with Luli Fama’s newest boutique now at Dadeland Mall, Miami shoppers have another destination to experience the brand in person.
After getting our own closer look at Luli Fama’s Paradise Found Cruise ’27 collection, we can safely say the name fits.
Paradise has officially been found, and this time, it is in Miami.
Check out the collection HERE
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