Pompano Beach Hosts 8th Annual Light Up MLK Historic Ali Cultural Arts Hosts Concert After Tree Lighting Ceremony

Pompano Beach Hosts 8th Annual Light Up MLK Historic Ali Cultural Arts Hosts Concert After Tree Lighting Ceremony

The Pompano Beach CRA will kick off the holiday season with the 8th Annual Light Up MLK event Saturday, December 2, 2017. Activities begin at noon, 7 p.m. tree lighting, 8 p.m. concert at The Ali Location: Annie Adderly Gillis Park, MLK Boulevard and Historic Ali Cultural Art, free event featuring live local musical performances, a new MLK Holiday Market, a beautiful tree lighting ceremony and exciting before-and after-events at Historic Ali Cultural Arts.

“Light Up MLK is a fun and festive day for the entire family,” said Tiara Striggles, CRA special events and marketing manager. “It is an opportunity for residents and visitors to experience what Downtown Pompano Beach is becoming: a lively and exciting, walkable district with a variety of activities to enjoy including live music, shopping, dining and cultural exhibits.”

During the day, attendees will enjoy live entertainment hosted by Hot 105.1 radio personalities Tamara Gant & Rodney Baltimore. Among other amazing performances, national recording artist Jimmy Bo Horne will also perform. Children will be invited to participate in an array of interactive holiday festivities including, live holiday characters, stilt walkers, sugar cookie decorating, holiday card & ornament making, and interactive art. Santa will make a special appearance in the City’s Antique Fire truck to spread his jolly good cheer throughout the park, while distributing candy and taking holiday gift wishes from kids of all ages! Event attendees will enjoy complimentary non­alcoholic beverages and bites that will be available from neighboring restaurants including Bojo’s Seafood and Finley’s Taste of the Real Bahamas Restaurant, both tenants in the CRA’s 731 Retail Shoppes on Martin Luther King Blvd. Additionally, the CRA will have stations to share information and gather public input regarding redevelopment ideas to improve the Annie Adderly Gillis Park, creating a more inviting community-gathering plaza.

This year’s event will also feature the new MLK Holiday Market, a popup retail market at Annie Gillis Park and along MLK Boulevard, established for local entrepreneurs to showcase their creations and discover new opportunities to grow their businesses.

“Providing a pop-up retail opportunity like this for local artisans and entrepreneurs is one of the many ways CRA’s activate redevelopment areas and showcase the area’s potential to residents, future business owners and investors,” said Idella Grisset, CRA communications director. The Holiday Market vendors will feature a variety of specialty gift items, and attendees will have the opportunity to shop with and support small, local businesses in Pompano Beach.

To round out the festive evening, the Historic Ali Cultural Arts will present a special Light Up MLK Ali After Hours event. The concert will begin at 8 p.m., opening with Ali’s house band, Ali Soul Connection. They will be followed at 9 p.m., by the Miami Sound Byte Band, playing all your favorite R&B, Motown, funk and pop hits!