In Issue 39
Smarty Pants – Sixth Anniversary Celebration
This weekend Fritz and Mark, owners of Smarty Pants, the neighborhood bar in the Times Square Shopping Plaza on the corner of Oakland Park and Federal highway, will be celebrating their 6th anniversary with 3 days of events.
Fritz and Mark have been together almost 22 years, as Mark tells it “I deserve a medal.” They met at the infamous Club Caribbean where Fritz bartended poolside. Mark was living in West Palm Beach but came down for a leather competition and, as Mark puts it, “The day I met Fritz I never left him. We have been together ever since.”
As most of you probably remember before the venue became Smarty Pants it was the Bushes. Fritz worked as a bartender at the Bushes for many years under the ownership of Jimmy Rains. Jimmy knew that Fritz and Mark were interested in owning a bar and when he decided that he wanted to sell he contacted them and made the sale. Once they purchased the bar, naming it was easy as Fritz loved the song Smarty Pants from the group First Choice and always said that if she ever owned a bar that would be its name.
When it was the Bushes it was just a neighborhood bar, however now their philosophy is, “Big club ideas in a small venue.” For example, they routinely have drag shows, piano martini nights and they are always decorating the bar in themes.
Smarty Pants’ current line-up includes:
Sundays they feature free hot dogs all day and at 8:30 pm is Charity Bingo, with money going to AIDS charities.
Tuesdays from 5 to 9 pm is their live martini piano bar, featuring owner Mark (unless his full time job as a traveling concert artist and product specialist for a major keyboard manufacturer takes him out of town). If he is gone then Steven Frank (formerly from Club Caribbean) replaces him.
Wednesday features a trivia challenge with a wheel filled with fabulous prizes, from 6 to 9 pm.
Thursday nights at 9 pm features drag shows starring Veronica Daniels and Auntie Mame and the last Thursday of the month is Amateur Drag Wars.
Friday and Saturdays at 9 pm features karaoke with Don Casteel, who has one of the largest music libraries in Broward County.
The 6th anniversary weekend begins this Friday, September 25th with a free dinner buffet and kick off party at 5 pm followed by karaoke. Saturday features a free breakfast to order prepared by Shawnie Bob at 8 am and a free bar-b-que at 1 pm. Following that is Chic Lisitano live with a early CD release party from 4 pm to 8 pm and karaoke afterwards. On Sunday there will be a free bar-b-que and the Flamingo Auto show starting at noon, followed by a matinee drag show at 2 pm with Auntie Mame and Veronica Daniels. After that Chic Lisitano is back with her CD release party at 4 pm, followed by the raffle for the basket of cheer ($300 value) which will be held right before the cover all game at Charity Bingo hosted by Pedro at 8:30 pm. Tickets on sale at Smarty Pants.
