The week ahead in Wilton Manors runs from a gallery's last open hours on Saturday night to a dog costume parade at Colohatchee Park on Thursday and the closing weekend of Island City Stage's murder comedy on Dixie Highway. Here is what is worth leaving the house for between Saturday, Oct. 17, and Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, and why.

Saturday, Oct. 17: last look at the Island City Juried Art Exhibition

The 15th Annual Island City Juried Art Exhibition at Art Gallery 21 wraps up tonight, with the gallery open from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Island City Cultural Center, 600 NE 21st Court. Admission is free, as it always is at this all-volunteer nonprofit, which has shown local work since 2012 inside the former Woman's Club of Wilton Manors, a building that dates to 1956.

The reason to go tonight rather than shrug and wait: according to the gallery's own season schedule, the space is closed Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, and the next show, a Gold Coast Watercolor Society group exhibit, does not open until Nov. 21. The winners of this juried show come back for their own exhibit starting Dec. 19, so tonight is your chance to see the full field before the judges' picks get pulled out of the crowd. The city calendar lists the same 5 to 7 p.m. window.

Saturday, Oct. 17: board games at the library

If you have kids, the Wilton Manors Public Library at 500 NE 26th St. sets out board games in its children's area every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is free, drop-in and open to all ages, which makes it the easiest low-stakes outing of the weekend: no tickets, no schedule to keep, and you can leave when someone gets tired.

Tuesday, Oct. 20: an evening wellness class at Stafford Park

On Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m., Stafford Park and Nature Preserve at 823 NE 28th St. hosts a Relax Creative Wellness session built around rhythm, movement and creative expression for adults and children together. The cost is $15 per person, and one child gets in free with a paying adult, so a parent and kid can go for the price of one. Registration runs through the link on the city's event page.

Thursday, Oct. 22: chair yoga with sound therapy

The city's senior programming lineup has a useful one on Thursday morning: Chair Yoga Empower Hour and Sound Therapy from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Island City Cultural Center. The class works on balance, flexibility and strength from a seated position, then closes with tones and vibrations meant to settle the body. It costs $4 for Wilton Manors residents and $5 for everyone else, which makes it one of the best-value hours on the calendar this week, and a gentle way in for anyone who has been meaning to start moving again.

Thursday, Oct. 22: dogs in costume at Colohatchee

The city's Fur the People series, the campaign to crown Wilton Manors' first Dog Mayor, rolls on with its Bark the Vote and Costume Parade from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Colohatchee Dog Park, 1975 NE 15th Ave. It is free. The canine candidates get dressed up and walk a parade route, and any dog owner is welcome to bring a pup in costume and join the fun.

The timing is the point: it lands nine days before Halloween, so the costume you already bought gets an early outing among people who will actually appreciate it. The city's Fur the People page lays out the full series, which is run by the Leisure Services Department.

Through Sunday, Oct. 25: the final week of Who Killed Joan Crawford

Island City Stage, at 2304 N. Dixie Highway, is in the last stretch of Who Killed Joan Crawford, a revival of the company's own 2016 world premiere, written and directed by Michael Leeds. The setup is pure camp: five men show up at a cabin in 1993 for a soap star's birthday, each dressed as Crawford in one of her famous roles, and then the guests start dropping one by one. It runs 90 minutes with no intermission and carries a nudity warning, so plan accordingly. Thursday, Friday and Saturday matinee seats are $50, and Saturday and Sunday performances are $55. The run ends Oct. 25.

Friday, Oct. 23, is the company's Women's Night at the Theatre: a 7 p.m. reception with light bites and drinks, then the 8 p.m. performance, for $50. If you have never been to the theater at all, ask about its Free Friday tickets, a grant-funded program that offers first-time visitors a free seat while supply lasts. Call the box office at 954-928-9800.

How to stack the week

The best night is Thursday. Start with the dog parade at Colohatchee in the late afternoon, then head over to Dixie Highway for a show, and you have done the two most Wilton Manors things on the calendar in one evening. And if you only have tonight, go to Art Gallery 21: after 7 p.m. that exhibit is gone, and the gallery stays dark for two weeks.