The Museum of Discovery and Science in downtown Fort Lauderdale closes to regular visitors on Friday, Oct. 23, so that it can host the 30th Annual Wine, Spirits and Culinary Celebration, a night of tastings that runs from 5 to 11 p.m. inside the museum and out onto Second Street. This year the evening honors Steve Halmos and Keith Koenig, the two men MODS credits with founding the event three decades ago.

The celebration is presented by Bank of America in partnership with Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, and the museum calls this edition a Pearl Anniversary. Proceeds go to the STEMobile, the MODS outreach program that takes hands-on science lessons out of the building and into the community.

How the night is laid out

MODS has split the evening into five stages, each with its own door time, so what a guest sees depends on the ticket they hold:

  • 5 to 6 p.m., Pearl Reserve Cocktail Hour. A bar hosted by the two honorees, pouring the drinks Halmos and Koenig picked themselves.
  • 6 to 7 p.m., VIP entrance. Early access to the tasting floor and the VIP lounge.
  • 7 to 10 p.m., Grand Tasting and Beer Garden. The general admission portion, with food from restaurants and wine and spirits poured throughout the museum.
  • 8 to 11 p.m., Food Truck Experience. A Brews and Bites setup on Second Street outside the building.
  • 10 to 11 p.m., After-Party. A closing toast to the 30 years beneath the Great Gravity Clock, the kinetic sculpture in the museum's atrium.

What tickets cost

There are three individual tickets and two group packages, according to the museum's event page:

  • Grand Tasting, $150. General admission at 7 p.m.
  • VIP, $300. Early admission at 6 p.m. plus access to the VIP lounge.
  • Pearl Reserve Experience, $400. The 5 p.m. cocktail hour at the honorees' bar, plus a VIP ticket for the rest of the night.
  • Grand Tasting package, $1,500. Twelve general admission tickets.
  • VIP Host package, $2,900. Twelve VIP tickets with 6 p.m. entry and lounge access.

Tickets and packages are sold through the event page on mods.org. Companies interested in sponsoring can reach the museum's events team at 954-713-0918.

Who is behind it

The 30th anniversary committee lists Kim Bokamper, Darin and Ryan Cronin, Brett Hart, Alan Hooper, John Magee and Tim Petrillo.

The timing lines up with a larger milestone for the museum itself. MODS has been marking its 50th anniversary this fall, and the celebration is the next signature event on its calendar after the anniversary weekend, followed by a dinner the museum has titled A Golden Dinner: Looking Toward 50 More.

If you are visiting the museum this week

Because the building is given over to the celebration, MODS and its AutoNation IMAX Theater are closed to regular admission all day Friday, Oct. 23, and reopen Saturday, Oct. 24, at their usual hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday). Families planning a museum day this week should move it to Thursday or the weekend.

The City of Fort Lauderdale has also posted a traffic advisory for the event, in effect around the museum from 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, so drivers heading through the Riverwalk and Second Street area that day should expect changes and allow extra time.

Plan your night

The 30th Annual Wine, Spirits and Culinary Celebration is Friday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 11 p.m. at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second Street, Fort Lauderdale. Individual tickets start at $150 for general admission at 7 p.m., with VIP entry at 6 p.m. for $300 and the honorees' cocktail hour at 5 p.m. for $400. Tickets are on the MODS website, and general questions go to the museum at 954-467-6637.

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