On Thursday, October 29, there are two shows on the same night on Forest Hill Boulevard. Ticket to the Moon, an Electric Light Orchestra tribute, plays the Wellington Amphitheater at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks and the local market run from 5 to 9 p.m. At the other end of the boulevard, Don McMillan headlines Palm Beach Improv on the upper level of The Mall at Wellington Green.
A year ago the second show would have been in West Palm Beach. Now it's in Wellington, and that changes how a Wellington evening works this fall. The Village's Amphitheater still owns Thursday. The mall has become a full night out on Fridays and Saturdays, with a dinner, a headliner, and a bar next door to the stage. The calendar from now through mid-December makes the most sense when you read both venues together.
The comedy club came back from the Kravis Center
Palm Beach Improv lost its longtime home when CityPlace was redeveloped. According to the Sun Sentinel, it then spent three years putting on shows at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Its new room is a 13,700-square-foot space on the mall's upper level, between Macy's and CMX Cinemas.
The club opened over Labor Day weekend with Nate Jackson's Big Dog Comedy Tour, The Wellington Edit reported. The Sun Sentinel quoted owner and operator Christopher Carbo on why the mall won the search. He said it offered "ample free parking, the square footage we required, and a central location easily accessible from all directions." He also said longtime patrons in Wellington and nearby areas would appreciate "no longer having to deal with downtown traffic or paid parking."
The Improv books like a touring venue, so the dates matter. The club's events page lists Mojo Brookzz on October 30 and 31. From the Sun Sentinel's season announcement, two more names fall in our window:
- Ralph Barbosa: November 6–7
- Damon Wayans: December 3–6
That August list is now more than two months old, so check the club's own calendar before you buy tickets.
Copper Blues is the part you don't need a ticket for
The second half of the upper level opened October 16 and 17, when Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen held its grand opening. The Palm Beach Post noted it's the same brand that operated at CityPlace until that building came down in 2023.
According to the Town-Crier, the room holds up to 275 people across the bar and outdoor seating. The menu runs to American pub food like Copper Nachos and Steak Frites, plus cocktails such as the Strawberry Fields and the Champagne Supernova. The Town-Crier says it will offer happy hour specials and plans to add brunch "in the near future." It's also the Improv's official bar and restaurant. You can stop in before or after a show, and it serves diners and music fans who aren't seeing the comedy at all.
Reports differ on how many nights a week it has live music. Carbo told the Sun Sentinel in August it would be five nights. The Copper Blues site is the place to check the lineup on any given evening.
Copper Blues co-founder Robby Day described the plan to the Town-Crier this way:
"We look forward to becoming a place where people can come together for a night out, whether they're joining us for dinner, drinks, live music or a show next door."
The mall is saying the same thing. In the same Town-Crier story, general manager Asad Sadiq called the pair "another important step" toward a "premier destination for dining and entertainment." He said the mall is "focused on creating more reasons for guests to visit, stay longer and enjoy experiences that extend well beyond traditional shopping." We covered the business side of that shift in our post on what the empty Nordstrom signals along State Road 7. The entertainment side is now open, and you can use it this weekend.
Downstairs keeps different hours
The upper level is for grown-ups after dark. The first floor is where families end up, and it was rebuilt this year too.
Arcade Time moved from the second floor to a 13,000-square-foot space on the first floor, at Suite 122. It has modern and retro games, a pinball alley and billiards, and The Wellington Edit lists its hours as 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Kids Empire, at Suite 268, is a 15,000-square-foot indoor playground for ages 1 to 12. It has a multi-level maze, slides, ball pits and a toddler zone, and with all-day admission you can leave and come back the same day.
So one parking lot now covers a family afternoon and a date night. A household can split up and meet back at the car.
Two ends of Forest Hill Boulevard, one calendar
This is where the two venues start to fit together. The Village's free events at the Wellington Amphitheater, 12100 Forest Hill Boulevard, cluster on Thursdays and around the holidays. The mall at 10300 W. Forest Hill Boulevard fills the weekends and adds its own holiday events. Here's what's posted from publication day through mid-December:
| Date | Village of Wellington | The Mall at Wellington Green |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Thursday Nights ft. Ticket to the Moon, 5–9 p.m. | Don McMillan at the Improv |
| Fri.–Sat., Oct. 30–31 | Mojo Brookzz at the Improv | |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Thursday Nights ft. The Derek Mack Band | |
| Fri.–Sat., Nov. 6–7 | Ralph Barbosa at the Improv | |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony, 8:15 a.m., Veterans Memorial | |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Thursday Nights ft. Magic Ann | |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Santa's Arrival / Kid's Club, 5–7 p.m. | |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Thursday Nights ft. Vinyl Highway | |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Black Friday hours, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. | |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Holiday Cultural Celebration & Tree Lighting, 5–9 p.m. | Damon Wayans opens a Dec. 3–6 run |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Grand Menorah Lighting, 5:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Hanukkah Celebration, 3–6 p.m. | |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Thursday Nights / Holiday Bizarre | |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Holiday Boat Parade, 6 p.m., Town Center Promenade | Holiday Gift Workshop / Kid's Club, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | 42nd Wellington Holiday Parade, 10 a.m.–1:30 p.m. |
The Village notes that event dates and times can change. Check the November and December calendars and the mall's events page the week of.
Most weeks, the two venues don't compete. Thursday Nights brings about 18 food trucks and more than 35 local vendors, and the Village asks guests to bring their own blankets or chairs. Through November, the Improv's bigger names land on Friday and Saturday. The two Thursdays with something big at both ends are October 29 and December 3. December 3 is the night of the tree lighting with the Wellington Jazz Band and Almost Carpenter, and it's also the first night of the Damon Wayans run. Wayans plays through December 6, so the tree lighting gets Thursday and the comedy can wait for the weekend.
Three evenings, start to finish
A Thursday in November. Get to the Amphitheater at 5 p.m. for the food trucks and market and stay for the band. Then decide whether the night is over. Copper Blues serves people who aren't seeing a show, so a late drink upstairs at the mall is the easy add-on.
The Ralph Barbosa weekend, November 6–7.
- Have dinner at Copper Blues on the upper level.
- Walk next door to the Improv for the show.
- If there's a band on after the set, go back to Copper Blues.
The Improv's own showroom also serves a full menu, from appetizers to dessert, so dinner can happen at your table instead.
Saturday, November 14, with kids. Santa's Arrival runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and includes a pajama party, a bubble show, and milk and cookies. Arcade Time downstairs is the place to burn off energy before or after. On the way home, La Coppetta Matta at 10660 Forest Hill Boulevard, Suite 150, has more than 24 gelato flavors, Italian ices and affogato. Sisters Laura and Patricia Generoso opened it September 6.
One more name for the list. Diadem Pickleball Complex at 10570 W. Forest Hill Blvd. is still coming. Plans call for climate-controlled courts, simulators, and an on-site restaurant and bar called Cat 5. Its September target passed without a confirmed opening date.
If you're piecing together the whole year, our summer 2026 guide to Wellington covers the months before these openings. Our Wellington neighborhood page keeps the rest in one place.
We live and work in western Palm Beach County, and new places like these come up in a lot of our conversations with clients. If you're thinking about a move within Wellington, or just want to know how a new venue might shape your corner of town, I answer my phone. On Call Realty is happy to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation.
