PLANATATION – The Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, along with the Caribbean Professionals Network, is thrilled to share details about the upcoming third annual Rum Cake and Caribbean Black Cake Festival. The festival scheduled for Sunday, October 20, 2024, from 2 to 6 PM at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
This event, created with South Florida bakers from the Caribbean, will celebrate Caribbean culture and food diversity. Attendees can try different varieties of rum cakes from Spanish, French, and the Dutch Caribbean. They can also taste the famous black cake. This cake is a dark fruit or plum pudding cake. It is popular in many English-speaking Caribbean countries.
Experience a Taste of Caribbean Flavors
Guests can enjoy festive cake tastings and light holiday drinks. Pre-sold tickets cost $15 per person. Tickets bought on site are $20. Visitors can choose which tropical flavors they want for their Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. After tasting the cakes, guests can buy slices or whole cakes. They can also place orders for holiday events and other special occasions.
Attendees are also welcome to explore the museum, where they can learn more about the rich history, culture, and art of the Caribbean.
Highlighting the diversity of the Caribbean, this year’s event will feature bakers representing a broad array of 16 countries and islands including Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Virgin Islands.Ganache Bakery products at 2023 Rum Cake and Caribbean Black Cake Fest. | Photo by Christian Ossohou (Island Syndicate)
This occasion honors Caribbean traditions while also promoting local small enterprises run by Black, Hispanic, women, and various other diverse business owners. It aligns with the mission of Island SPACE to elevate the profile of Caribbean culture throughout the diaspora.
The Rum Cake and Black Cake Fest was first presented by Caribbean Professionals Network in Washington, D.C., where it received an overwhelmingly positive response. The inaugural Island SPACE staging launched in November 2022. Following a successful second event in 2023, Island SPACE is anticipating an even greater turnout this year.
Guests will have the chance to win copies of “Taste the Islands: Culinary Adventures in a Caribbean Kitchen,” “The Cake Bible,” and desserts cookbooks from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Island SPACE board president Calibe Thompson expressed enthusiasm for the event, saying, “Rum cake and black cake are quintessentially Caribbean foods. They are a genuine cultural connector of all our nations. This was one of our best-attended annual events in 2023, and we expect it to grow more each year. People have an amazing time enjoying the entertainment and togetherness vibes—they don’t want to leave!”
For more information about the Rum Cake and Caribbean Black Cake Fest, visit Island SPACE Rum Cake.
The Rum Cake and Caribbean Black Cake Fest is made possible in part by the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Broward County Cultural Division, “King” George Jograj, Dr. Lydia Malcom of Authentic Behavioral Health LLC, and her husband, Mr. Waynewright Malcolm, and the following funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Judith Cornfeld Fund for the Arts, Helen and Frank Stoykov Charitable Endowment Fund, The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation Broward Community Fund and Samuel F. Morrison Community Impact Fund.
