December’s Old Town Untapped—The perfect excuse to “Make Merry”

By Zenzele Clark

For Pompano Beach residents and visitors in search of merry rendezvous, this month’s Old Town Untapped street festival supplies a wide range of communal holiday activities—that is, for one night only.

Hosted in the heart of Downtown Pompano Beach on Dec. 1st (6PM-10PM), the lively street fair is free for all ages to attend. On the first Friday of each month it serves as a venue for vendors of various crafts, live music, food trucks, and arts exhibitions in the nearby Bailey Contemporary Arts Center (BaCa), however no month is the same as the last.

This time around, tunes will be provided by Waist to Chest, “a supergroup of South Florida musicians who joined forces to spread musical holiday cheer.” Led by the band Girlfriend Material, their Christmas Surf Spectacular offers surf-rock stylings of classic Christmas songs for all to enjoy as they browse an array of holiday-themed vendors. For the anxious gift-giver, this will be a chance to get a head start on holiday shopping and find presents that are truly one of a kind.

Inside the BaCa galleries guests may find a different gift; not the kind wrapped with a bow, but rather the talents of artists currently on display, and the community of fellow art-lovers. This month’s Old Town Untapped is the last chance to see the Roots of an Identity exhibition, a vivid exploration of Latinidadcurated by the Latin American Arts Pavilion. Compiling the works of 19 artists working in mediums from sculpture to photography, the show makes an effort to hone the multiplicity of Latin experience and identity. In addition, this month’s featured BaCa Artist in Residence, Renee Rey, will have work on display in the West Gallery and open studio doors to the public. Attendees can peek in on her paintings and assemblages which form ecospheres and celebrate kinship ties.

In this season marked by joy and giving, Old Town Untapped has something to offer every member of the family. Located on NE 1 Street and N. Flagler Avenue (41 NE 1st Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33060), this month’s festivities will be a hard launch for the holiday spirit.