🐟 You've driven past all of these

The train that built your city turned 130 this year.

On February 22, 1896, the first Florida East Coast Railway train rolled into a tiny settlement called Pompano. There were no roads. No real buildings. Just a handful of settlers and a surveyor who allegedly named the town after a fish he ate for dinner.

Henry Flagler, retired oil exec turned Florida railroad obsessive, had been pushing tracks south after a freeze killed the citrus crops up north. Pompano grew up alongside those tracks. Settlers came from Georgia, the Carolinas, the Bahamas. A general store opened at NE 1st and Flagler Ave in 1900. By 1908, it was officially a city. By the 1920s, the population had quadrupled.

Then hurricanes happened. Then the Depression. Pompano went back to farming, and in 1939 opened a farmers market with what was supposedly the longest loading platform in the world. The city added "Beach" to its name in 1947, turned farmland into subdivisions in the '50s, and here we are.

130 years later, the trains still run through town. Here's what else is happening this week. 👇

📅 Announced April 20, 2026 📍 John Knox Village · 651 SW 6th St

Pompano's own John Knox Village just earned top marks from U.S. News & World Report in their 2026 Best Senior Living rankings - picking up high ratings across Independent Living, Continuing Care Retirement Community, and Assisted Living categories.

JKV has been a fixture in Pompano since 1967 and recently brought on Melissa Honig as President & CEO, the first woman to hold the role in the community's 58-year history. Between the national recognition and new leadership, this is a good moment for one of Pompano's most established institutions.

If you've got parents, grandparents, or yourself weighing options, it's worth a look.

👉 johnknoxvillage.com

📅 Applications open now through May 1, 2026 📍 Apply online at pompanobeachfl.gov 💰 Funding varies · City-funded

If you run a nonprofit that serves Pompano Beach residents, the city is accepting partnership applications for FY 2026–2027 right now. This is the one annual window to apply. The funding priorities this year fall under two pillars: Workforce-focused Excellence (job training, education) and Community-focused Excellence (behavioral health, senior services, community events).

The deadline is May 1 at noon sharp — no extensions. If you missed the info session on April 15, the application guidelines and sample docs are all on the city website.

Worth passing along to anyone you know doing community work in Pompano.

👉 pompanobeachfl.gov/government/community-partnerships

📅 Coming soon — City Commission weighing approval 📍 NW 15th Street corridor 💰 $10 million · Broward County + federal funding

Pompano commissioners are set to consider a $10 million improvement plan for NW 15th Street — and this one's a big deal for the northwest side. The project would add dedicated walking and biking lanes, improved crossings and intersections, and landscaping throughout the corridor.

Translation: a street that's long been car-only territory is about to get a real infrastructure upgrade. The money's coming from a mix of Broward County and federal dollars, so this one's not hitting the city's wallet.

If you use NW 15th Street for anything other than driving through it, this changes the game.

👉 pompanobeachfl.gov

📅 Tour & Taste: 1st Saturdays · 9:30–11:00 AM · Free 📅 Fun in the Garden Workshops: Select Saturdays · 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Free 📍 1089 NW 6th Ave, Pompano Beach 💰 Free to visit · Plot rentals $40/year

Three vacant lots in the Blanche Ely neighborhood. That's what this was. Now it's a full acre of organic produce, herb gardens, mosaic art benches, and one of the most quietly impressive community projects in Pompano Beach.

The Patricia Davis Community Garden is run in partnership with Fruitful Field Inc., and the whole operation is built on a simple idea: teach people how to grow their own food. They do it through apprenticeships, youth programs, workshops, and volunteer days — and 40% of every harvest gets donated to local food pantries and Our Father's House Soup Kitchen.

The move is the monthly Tour & Taste on the first Saturday of each month. Farmer Will walks you through the garden, you sample whatever's in season — herbs, greens, tomatoes, eggplant — and you leave knowing more about growing food in South Florida than you did when you showed up. Free. No registration drama.

Want your own plot? Forty bucks a year gets you one. Volunteers are welcome Wednesdays (10 AM–5 PM) and Fridays (10 AM–1 PM) — show up, help out, and take home some of the harvest.

🚗 Parking: Street parking on NW 6th Ave. 👉 parks.pompanobeachfl.gov/patricia-davis-community-garden · Contact Farmer Will: 561-245-0815 · [email protected]

📅 Thursday, April 30 · 8:00 PM📍 Location: Revelry — 227 S. Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL 33062 | Ages 21+

This isn't a judged show or a show-and-shine — it's a social. Roll up on a cruiser, sport bike, touring rig, vintage build, or whatever you've got. Park it out front, grab a seat inside or post up by the bikes, and hang out.

Revelry's running drink specials and food specials from the kitchen all night, so you can actually eat well while you're out. Free motorcycle parking, so you lock up and relax. And if your crew doesn't ride? Doesn't matter. This is as much about the people as it is the bikes.

Good soundtrack. Easy atmosphere. The kind of night where you stay longer than you planned.

🎟️ Tickets / RSVP | Groups of 4+: Reserve a table on their site 📞 (954) 295-6662 👉 revelryfla.com

📅 Friday, May 1· 6:00–10:00 PM 📍 Location: NE 1st Street & N. Flagler Ave · Downtown Pompano Beach (near Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, 41 NE 1st St)

Pompano's monthly First Friday block party is back. Yes, there's live music — but Untapped is just as much about the art. Stroll the gallery openings at Bailey Contemporary Arts, check out the Artists in Residence final exhibition, browse local artist and vendor booths, and eat your way through a rotating lineup of food trucks. Free, family-friendly, and the best excuse to actually walk around downtown on a Friday night.

Register online and you're entered into a giveaway for a free event of your choice.

🆓 Free 👉 pompanobeacharts.org/events/untapped

📅 Saturday, May 2 · 10:00 AM–2:00 PM📍 Location: Pompano Beach Community Park — 1660 NE 10th St

If you've got kids between the ages of 2 and "I want to drive a fire truck," this is your morning. Fire engines, police cars, dump trucks, sanitation rigs — all parked, all open, all available for your kid to climb on and honk. The first hour (10–11 AM) is sensory-friendly: no sirens, no horns, no flashing lights. After that, all bets are off.

They're also bringing the Zensory Zone Van — a quiet, staffed space with soft lighting and weighted blankets for anyone who needs a break.

🆓 Free · 🚗 Free parking on-site 👉 parks.pompanobeachfl.gov

📅 Saturday, May 2 · 10 AM–5 PM (continues Sunday) 📍 Location: E. Pat Larkins Center — 520 MLK Blvd

Not a bead person? You might be after this. The Intergalactic Bead Show rolls through Pompano twice a year with 80+ vendors selling gemstones, vintage beads, freshwater pearls, lampworked glass, cabochons, and every supply you'd need to start making your own jewelry. It's weirdly addictive. Even if you walk in just to browse, you're walking out with something.

🆓 Free admission 👉 beadshows.com

📅 Saturday, May 2· 11:00 AM📍 Location: Blanche Ely House Museum — Pompano Beach

First Saturday of the month means Story Time at one of Pompano's most underrated spots. A featured author reads their book in person, kids do a hands-on art project tied to the story, and everybody gets a healthy snack. It's free, it's short, and it's one of those quiet little events that makes you feel like you're raising your kids right.

The museum itself is worth a look too — the restored home of educators Blanche and Joseph Ely, now a cultural hub showcasing the history of Pompano's northwest community.

🆓 Free · Registration encouraged 👉 pompanobeacharts.org/ely

📅 Saturday, May 2· 4:00–8:00 PM📍 Location: Old Town Square — Downtown Pompano Beach

You don't need a horse or a fancy hat (though nobody's stopping you). The city's throwing a full block party for Derby Day in Old Town with a car and motorcycle show, local vendors, and enough going on that you'll forget the race is two minutes long. Come for the cars, stay for the energy, leave before it gets dark and weird.

🆓 Free

Galuppi's — The Long Run (Eagles Tribute) | 7:30 PM | Check site for tickets

Sands Waterfront — Live music | Weather permitting | Check site for performers & times

Lucky Fish Beach Bar & Grill — Live music | 6:00–9:00 PM | Free

Briny Irish Pub — Live music nightly | Check site for performers & times

Galuppi's — Private Stock / True Rumours (Fleetwood Mac Tribute) | 7:30 PM | Check site for tickets

Sands Waterfront — Live music | Weather permitting | Check site for performers & times

Lucky Fish Beach Bar & Grill — Live music | 6:00–9:00 PM | Free

📍 1300 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL 33062 | 🕐 Open 24/7

There's a members-only indoor golf club on Federal Highway that most people have no idea exists. Scramblers Golf Club has private simulator bays running 500+ courses — Bethpage Black, Harbour Town, Torrey Pines, Kiawah — in 4K with pro-level launch monitors tracking every data point on your swing.

Membership is month-to-month, no long-term contract. You get 24/7 keycard access, so you can book a round at 6 AM, on your lunch break, or at midnight. Play solo or bring up to 8 for scramble, match play, best ball, whatever. Bring your own clubs, your own food and drinks — it's a private club, so all of that's fair game. They also run weekly leagues and offer on-site instruction.

This is Scramblers' first Florida location after expanding from Charleston, and Pompano got it first.

📞 (561) 221-2991 👉 scramblersgolf.com · Apply for membership

🌤️ Friday 85°F · 10% chance of rain · Looking great

⛅ Saturday 88°F · 5% chance of rain · Hot and clear

🌤️ Sunday 79°F · 85% chance of rain · Rain is very likely

👉 Live forecast: forecast.weather.gov →

📍 820 NE 18th Ave, Pompano Beach

An all-inclusive playground designed for kids of all abilities to play side-by-side. Equipment focuses on physical, cognitive, creative, and social skills. Also has pavilion shelters, picnic areas, grills, a walking track, tennis, and handball courts. One of the most thoughtfully designed parks in Pompano and barely anyone talks about it. 🆓 Free

📍 Right by the Fisher Family Pier · N Pompano Beach Blvd

The playground next to the pier has climbing stations, swings, slides, spinners — and a splash pad right next to it where kids can run through fountains until they're soaked. Ocean views the whole time. Grab ice cream next door and call it a morning. 🆓 Free

📍 NE 18th Ave & NE 16th St

20+ acres of synthetic turf fields, a disc golf course, a playground, walking track, picnic tables, and a dedicated Canine Corner dog park if you want to bring the pup. Big enough that you won't feel crowded on a Saturday. Good for families who want space to spread out and let everybody do their own thing. 🆓 Free

If The Catch has become part of your Thursday routine, hit reply and tell me one thing you'd want more of. Hidden gems? More events? Restaurant tips? A few replies might even show up on the website.

Means a lot. 🐟

That's the week. Bike Night Thursday, Untapped Friday, Derby Day Saturday, and enough happy hours to fill every afternoon in between. Don't say we didn't warn you.

See you next Thursday. 🐟