Welcome to this edition of The Palm Beach Weekender. In today’s newsletter I’ll be featuring a weekend events preview (full list will be sent Thursday), Weekly Scoops, a Local Spotlight, and a new section called Beyond The Palm Beaches. Enjoy!

In today’s TPBW edition:

• 🎉 Two new openings at Nora

• 🔦 Local Spotlight: an amazing wildlife sanctuary

• 🌴 Beyond The Palm Beaches: a bookstore from another world

Weekend Events Preview

🎪 Garden Bros Nuclear Circus
🥂 Historic Northwood Hills Centennial Home Tour
🥗 WPB GreenMarket: Salad Cooking Demo
🖼️ WPB Fine Art Show

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Weekly Scoop

🦐 New restaurant taking over Mulligan’s Beach House
Ocean Ave Kitchen & Bar will be replacing Mulligan’s on Singer Island. The new restaurant will feature a bright, modern space with a focus on fresh seafood and an innovative cocktail menu. They plan on opening sometime in January.

🍕 New pizza spot opens at Nora
Juliana’s Pizza, the popular Brooklyn pizzeria founded by the legendary Patsy Grimaldi, opened its first location outside of Brooklyn in West Palm over the weekend at Nora. You can find them at 875 N Railroad Ave, West Palm Beach

🥯 H&H Bagels opens at Nora
H&H Bagels, one of New York City’s most legendary bagel spots, has opened its newest location at Nora. Check them out at 890 N Railroad Ave, West Palm Beach.

✈️ Spirit Airlines brings back cheap direct flights to Newark
Starting next month, you’ll be able to fly from West Palm to Newark on Spirit for as little as $30. It’s a direct flight that takes about two hours and forty minutes. Which is cheaper and faster than what other airlines are currently offering.

🍦 New ice cream shop opening soon in West Palm
Frost Ice Cream is preparing to open in West Palm Beach very soon. They’ve been renovating the old two story Hall Hardware building on Dixie, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’ll let you know when they’re officially open.

🦉 Last Palm Beach County Hooters announces closing
The Hooters in Boca is the last one still open in the county and it has recently announced that they will be closing when their lease expires on February 28, 2026.

Local Spotlight

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

📍Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, 17855 Rocky Pines Rd, Jupiter
🎟️ Free (donations are encouraged)

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite places to visit in the county: Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. I feel like they don’t get nearly enough recognition for everything they do for our local wildlife. 

About Busch Wildlife

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization in Jupiter that has been rescuing and rehabilitating Florida’s wildlife for decades, caring for thousands of sick and injured animals every single year. They provide them with the necessary veterinary care and a safe environment to recover and, if possible, be released back into the wild.

The ones that can’t survive on their own stay there permanently, becoming ambassadors that help teach visitors about the wildlife that lives all around us.

What To Expect

You can visit the sanctuary for free (admission is by donation), and you’ll get to see everything from playful otters splashing around in their pond to Florida panthers lounging in the shade. As you walk the trails, you’ll come across signs sharing each animal’s rescue story and explaining why they couldn’t be released back into the wild.

Depending on when you visit, you can catch one of their daily programs, maybe an alligator presentation and feeding, or a talk about owls where you might see a beautiful Great Horned Owl up close.

Everything is outdoors except for the reptile building and the welcome center/gift shop. It’s always a great place to bring the family and a fun way to learn about our native wildlife and how important it is to .

Beyond The Palm Beaches

Old Florida Book Shop

📍Old Florida Book Shop, 3426 Griffin Rd, Fort Lauderdale
🎟️ Free to visit

About a mile west of the Fort Lauderdale Airport, tucked away in a quiet plaza, you’ll find the Old Florida Book Shop. This beautiful bookstore transports you into another world. It reminds me of something you’d find in Europe or in the world of Harry Potter. 

About the Old Florida Book Shop

The Old Florida Book Shop’s story stretches back decades through its founder, William Chrisant. A lifelong book lover from Ohio, he spent years collecting rare books, maps, antique furniture, and rugs before bringing his collection to Florida and opening the bookstore in 2009.

Inside the store you’ll find a little bit of everything, rare first editions, antique maps, old manuscripts, and even some vintage magazines from the 1920s. There are books on art, architecture, poetry, science, Floridian history, and much more. Truly every corner holds something unexpected.

What To Expect

The atmosphere is what makes this place magical. Soft classical music plays in the background, Tiffany lamps cast a warm glow over oak tables, stacks of books that seem to climb all the way to the ceiling, and the scent of old paper fills the room. 

There’s even a cute and friendly shop cat named Peter who you’ll see wandering around. This bookstore is what all bookstores should aspire to be. A little nostalgic, a little mysterious, and full of life.

Final Thoughts

If you plan on visiting, keep in mind that it can get a bit crowded, especially on the weekends. Other than that, I definitely recommend checking it out, it's the perfect place to find your next read or simply explore a beautiful bookstore.

Thanks!
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