The Village of Key Biscayne's annual end-of-summer barbecue for seniors hits a milestone this year: its 15th edition, this time with a "Latin Flavor" theme featuring Cuban music and Bad Bunny on the playlist.
The free event starts at noon Thursday, Aug. 27, in the Island Room at the Key Biscayne Community Center. Organizers expect a larger-than-usual crowd, including a large population of snowbirds, according to the Islander News.
Roxy Lohuis-Tejeda, the Village's adults and senior services coordinator, said the Latin theme will blend old-time Cuban music with newer artists. A 15-minute dance performance by the Enhanced Performance Troop, choreographed by Community Center instructor Marilyn Myles, rounds out the entertainment.
"I grew up in the North and we close out the summer season around Labor Day," Lohuis-Tejeda said. "You would like your final BBQ before the cold season arrives."
The barbecue typically draws about 100 people. It is free for Key Biscayne seniors and other residents; guests of seniors pay $10.
The Key Biscayne Village Council and Town Hall staff are expected to attend. The event is organized in partnership with the ASK Club (Active Seniors on the Key), an all-volunteer group open to island residents aged 50 and over at no membership fee. Many of the seniors who attend have volunteered with neighborhood cleanups and with It Takes a Village, a Key Biscayne nonprofit supporting individuals with special needs.
About 38% of Key Biscayne's roughly 14,500 residents are 50 or older, according to Islander News reporting on the Village's AARP Age-Friendly Community designation.
Residents can call (305) 365-8900, ext. 1211, for more information.
Coming up around Key Biscayne and Coconut Grove:
- Thursday, Aug. 20: "Biscayne Poet" Ariel Francisco reads his debut collection at a Coconut Grove bookstore.
- Thursday, Aug. 27: 15th annual End of Summer Senior BBQ, noon, Key Biscayne Community Center. Free for residents.
