Key Biscayne residents know how to celebrate, and when the celebration has been 35 years in the making, the party quickly becomes special. This coming Saturday, Sept. 26, the celebration takes over the Village Green in what Village Manager Steve Williamson is calling “a nice family day.”
Among the highlights of the 35th Anniversary Community Festival is the Vendor Village at the Village Green Park’s promenade. Residents attending the event, which runs from 5-9 p.m., can enjoy live music from the popular Cortadito group, community performances, children’s activities, field games and business and community vendors, and, of course, restaurants and delicious tastes of Key Biscayne.
Since this is a food column, let’s talk about the food options residents of all ages will be able to enjoy while keeping the party going.
Local food options for attendees include Agua Miel, Casa Silva, Il Mercato, Island Party, Narbona Gelato and Wholly Smokes.
Below is a brief description of what you might find and enjoy at this Taste of Key Biscayne.
Agua Miel: An evening stop worth savoring
Agua Miel is bringing its coffee truck with an evening menu made for easing into the night. Expect a curated matcha station, specialty iced drinks, caffeine-free fruit and herbal infusions and a mix of light savory and sweet bites, fresh, colorful and easy to enjoy while walking the festival.
Coffee lovers are covered too, with specialty decaf that keeps the ritual of a beautifully made cup without the late-night buzz. What makes Aguamiel especially appealing, though, is as much how it serves as what it serves. The team has built its identity around warmth, hospitality and genuinely personal service, creating the kind of stop where guests linger for a few extra minutes.
That combination of thoughtful drinks, wellness-minded choices and a welcoming local spirit makes Agua Miel feel perfectly at home in a community gathering like this one.
Casa Silva: Homemade Spanish flavors, family made
Casa Silva, the family-run gourmet shop that opened this year in the Square Shopping Center, brings its homemade Spanish fare to the festival. Owner Gabriela Silva and her father, Chef Gabriel Silva, built the concept around his 25-plus years making paella, offering Valenciana, fideuá and seafood versions alongside Iberian ham croquettes, gazpacho and Russian salad.
The family traces its Paella Valenciana recipe back to Silva’s grandparents in Valencia, and the shop has quickly built a following for turning out food, as Gabriela puts it, meant to feel like something your grandmother made.
Il Mercato: Pasta-making, the fun way
For Il Mercato, the focus is hands-on, family-friendly and very much rooted in the way the brand has grown on the island. The Key Biscayne family-run business will host a free pasta-making experience for children, giving young cooks the chance to mix, shape, roll and cut fresh pasta while discovering the fun behind a tradition that usually starts with flour, hands and a very messy table.
Alongside the activity, Il Mercato will also have its frozen lasagnas available for purchase to take home; an easy way to bring a little of the day back to your own dinner table. Over the years, Il Mercato has grown through the support of local families and has become part of neighborhood celebrations, school events and community initiatives. This feels like a natural extension of that story: homemade food, local roots, kids learning by doing, and plenty of lasagna waiting in the freezer for later.
Island Party: The fun stop
Fun as local as local gets on Key Biscayne. Established in 2006 on the island, Island Party Place is bringing the fun side of Taste to the Village Green.
Stop by for all the fun stuff you can handle, including popcorn, the always-popular cotton candy (popular with kids, anyway), flavorful sno cones for that refreshing feeling, and, for a heartier option, hot dogs with chips.
There will also be a sand art craft activity for kids of all ages.
Narbona Café & Gelato: The sweet (and savory) stop
Gourmet gelato, made fresh daily on the island? Check. Flavorful, authentic Uruguayan empanadas? Check.
The popular Narbona Café & Gelato will be bringing its mobile ice cream cart for those wanting a treat in the park. The Square Shopping Center favorite, whose Uruguayan roots trace back to 1909, is known for scooping up artisanal gelato daily alongside its family’s traditional empanada recipes, a fitting pairing for a night at the Village Green. On Saturday, they will be serving their delicious dulce de leche ice creams plus another 5 delicious flavors. Also, they will be serving three delicious and popular types of empadadas: beef, ham and cheese and spinach.
Wholly Smokes BBQ: The Kind of Smoke You Follow
Key Biscayne Farmers Market regulars already know the rule: when Wholly Smokes BBQ is around, follow the smoke. Known for slow-smoked brisket, ribs and chicken, this is the kind of barbecue that announces itself before you even reach the stand: the smell does most of the marketing. Their food is hearty, deeply flavored and unapologetically comforting, with the kind of smoky crust, tender meat and generous portions that make you stop what you’re doing and eat while it’s hot.
Wholly Smokes brings exactly the right energy for a big neighborhood gathering: casual, communal and built for sharing. Expect this to be one of those festival stops that turns into a proper meal rather than a quick sample. And if the smokers are fired up on-site, even better, because few things make an outdoor community event feel more alive than the scent of real barbecue drifting through the crowd.
And stop by the Islander News booth to say hello, try your hand at doodling a new take on our logo – selected favorites will be published in an upcoming issue – and pick up the new Islander News 60th anniversary T-shirt, stamped with the line “The original island group chat” and on sale for the first time, soon to be an island collector’s item.