Get Movin' for Goombay

Comments (0) By Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik Thursday, Jul 6 2006

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As if you needed an excuse to head to Key West. The weather is ideal for a jaunt to our adjoined archipelago, and there is a party around every corner. This weekend, visitors will encounter the 26th annual Goombay Summer Festival, a uniquely Key Westian celebration rooted in Bahama Village, where hard-working immigrants have settled since the Nineteenth Century. The two-day summer block party has a culturally inclusive, deliberately specific date. It falls after Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of African-American slaves, American independence on July 4, and Bahamian independence on July 10.

“Our festival will be encompassing all of the preceding independence celebrations. There’s nothing like the Key West way of doing things. There will be Caucasians, Hispanics, and black people all celebrating together. Oh yeah -- Goombay in Key West. It’s the locals’ favorite event,” brags event organizer Ken Sullivan. The scent of conch fritters and the irresistible lure of island music will attract revelers to today’s free Backyard Party kickoff, which begins at noon at the Coral City Elks Lodge. At Saturday’s Best of the Bahamas concert, vibrant paraders will groove with the Key West Island Junkanoos and the Royal Bahamian Police Band on the Truman Waterfront. Admission to Saturday’s concert costs five dollars. Call 305-797-7225.
July 7-8