Cancelled in 2020 and 2021, the Coral Springs Festival of the Art was back this past weekend in a…read morebig way to celebrate it's 17th year of bringing culture to the Coral Springs community. Coordinated by Shirley Richards who founded the event in 2005 and a 30-member executive committee, it is held in the parking lot of The Walk shopping plaza on University Drive. Since its inception, the event has grown to 30,000 visitors, 200 volunteers, and 175 artists and crafters. It is so large it takes up two streets. Since the parking at the shopping center is closed, festival goers are urged to park at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, located at 2855 Coral Springs Drive, and the City Hall Garage, located at 9500 W. Sample Road. The festival is held from 10 AM until 5PM. There is food from tents as well as the restaurants in the shopping plaza. There are two stages set up on each end with one featuring performances by Irish, Polynesian, and Peruvian acts, while the music stage held performances by jazz and country music artists, and a tribute to Tina Turner. Some of the many tents set up in the street held works by by fine artists for sale while others were vendors selling accessories, clothes, plants, and food. There was a great variety of things for people to purchase. This was my first year attending the festival and I didn't realize how big it had gotten. I will definitely come earlier next year to see more of the entertainment. I love that this festival is held right in my backyard. This is a great event for families and it is very dog friendly too!

Coral Springs art festival. It is the 19th annual one for the year. Many tents to visit with a…read morevariety of art, plants, food, music and entertainment . This was the 19th annual one, however, it is the last one they are hosting. A nice day to walk around and view the artist, plants, food, and speciality vendors with tents and tables to display their merchandise The pencil art was creative and something I have never seen before. I enjoyed listening and watching the bands and entertainment. There had different entertainment scheduled the following day. The local honey is always good to purchase. I also bought kettle corn since I missed it at the fair . There were food at tents and trucks to purchase. Parking was tough since can't park by the plaza but some people still parked there including me and walked down to the festival. I noticed others parked across street too. There was a trolley to take by City hall . The bathrooms were in restaurants nearby to use. All in all, it was a nice festival and sorry it will be the last.

Another year to celebrate the anniversary of the City of Coconut Creek 1967- 2026 together with 250…read moreyears celebration of America . It began at 2 Pm and ended just after 800 with the fireworks show . Many vendors and tables to visit and purchase from locally. I did notice they decided to charge $20 for non residents for the rides to get a wristband and free for residents this year. There was a drama theatre show and some others which I missed. It did rain at one point and they had to clear the field because of the lightning alarms that went off. I was actually about to leave anyway for the day and return later in the evening for the "Hot Hits" band and fireworks show from Zambelli which is always amazing. They situated the tent to eat food and sit down towards the back so not in the middle of everything which was much better. I also noticed a fenced off area from the main stage which seemed weird since it was separated from each side so not many were dancing as it was in the years past and the rain in between put a little damper on it too. Something new this year was a cooking demonstration from the Chef and owner of the restaurant Setto Mezza showing how to make fresh mozzarella. There was a $5 admission for that tent which also included a sample too which was delicious The shuttle bus from casino was available as usual, if not you had to park in the neighborhood because closer parking is for vendors and officials . The regular carnival food was available to purchase throughout the day . Many vendors to visit during the day with some goodies too.

Another year at the annual butterfly festival, did not disappoint. Went early before the lines and…read moregot to enjoy all the rides. This year residents get to ride for free, non residents pay a $20 entrance fee if they want to go on the rides. The rainy weather put a pause on the events and rides but once it finish the show went on. The fireworks got cut 5 mins short due to the cloudy conditions and limited view of the lights. But overall great experience. See ya next year!

Artoberfest is an annual Oktoberfest festival held at city hall in Coral Springs. During the day…read morethey have a free kinder fair with inflatable bounce houses, face painting, and carnival style games. Princess Rapunzel paid a visit. They also sell beer, wine, and German food like chicken schnitzel, knockwurst, bratwurst, potato pancakes, and apple strudel. There were a few vendors selling German items, jewelry, and flower wreaths for your hair. There was also an art show. At night there were performances by the Swinging Bavarians and a dance group. There is free parking in the city garage and at an adjacent parking lot. Admission to the festival is free. A lot of area festivals charge admission and this one doesn't which is nice and frees up your money for more beer. While not the largest Oktoberfest in the area it has a nice home town feel to it and you are bound to run into neighbors and friends.

The Coconut Creek Fall Harvest Festival is supposed to be an old fashioned country festival. It is…read moreheld every year at Sabal Pines Park. The Coconut Creek's Womens club has craft vendors selling a variety of items for holiday gift giving, police outreach, bounce houses, crafts, and children's activities, entertainment on the stage, photo opportunities, and food trucks. At night they had a huge blow up screen showing the FSU versus Notre Dame football game. Parking is always a pain when Coconut Creek holds a festival here and there are 3 good sized parking lots. They generally have a shuttle bus running from Monarch High School but I came later in the evening and they let me park on site. If you live in the surrounding Winston Park neighborhood you really luck out by being able to walk over. This festival is a great gathering point for the community of Coconut Creek. I don't think it's one of those type of events that draws a lot of people from outside of the community. The real fun of this event is that if you live here you are likely to bump into people you know so you can catch up with them. My friend in Parks and Recreation plans the events for the city so it was fun to run into her. I also saw some of my students who attend my school and other people I haven't seen in a while. This festival has a great hometown feel that reminds me why I love living in Coconut Creek so much.

Such a great time. Great food. Cool rides. Lots of parking,…read morelots of security, a bunch of games... Fun event, got us out the house finally! Loved it!

Another year of the Fall Festival The annual one the city puts on is great for families. Every year…read morethere is the regular pumpkin carving contest and build your scarecrow. They also have costume contest for all age categories and groups. I arrived later this year so didn't catch the band just heard the music as I walked around. It sounded like country music. There were many tables of vendors and numerous food trucks to buy food beverages and sweets from. I noticed the haunted house was no longer in the field but a smaller version down one of the aisles maybe for safety purposes and or convenience. Did not see the hay rides that they had from years past but did have pony rides . Years ago I recall more tables doing raffles for baskets which I thought was a better way to keep everyone engaged. On the back aisle there was a few games which was nice for the kiddos. They should have more DIY types of games booths. There was one to guess what's in the box and put your hands in each box creepy Halloween stuff inside . Monarch highschool baseball team was actually one of the best. They decorated pumpkins and had kids toss rings to go on the stems for a prize they also had a raffle for a Thanksgiving meal to collect money for the team and a bucket of candy for trick or treaters. The DIY games, to me, have always been more fun then the typical carnival/fair games and always a great hit.

The Living Story of Coral Springs is a $150,000 public art piece that was installed this year in…read morehonor of Coral Spring's 60th anniversary in 2023. It is located next to the Coral Springs History Museum and across from Aiello Field in Mullins Park. Spanish artist Casto Solano (b. 1958) was selected to create the art piece. Solano has exhibited throughout the United States and Europe as he gained acclaim as a modern artist. He began his art career as a visual artist painting landscapes. Now he creates sculptures in corten steel. Corten steel also called weathered steel was designed to not need paint. Over a few months it transforms into a stable rust appearance. Solano's sculptures have precise shapes with natural rusted textures. Solano is now based out of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. This art work is made up of six book shaped sculpted panels that are 5.5 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. The panels feature engraved depictions of city history during the past six decades starting with On the Edge of the Everglades and ending with Looking to the Future. Another panel was Continuing to Grow. Scenes I saw included a festival Ferris wheel, the Coral Springs Covered Bridge, a person on horseback, and a Seminole tribe member. It was fun to try and see what images you could make out in the art. I noticed that the farther you moved back, the easier it was to see individual images. Sixty years doesn't seem like very much history but in that short tine Coral Springs has grown into a thriving city. This art work is a great representation of how far they have come as they develop even more great projects for future growth.

I was at their shop right before it closed and purchased crystals and reiki candles for my mother…read more She was really out of balance and had numerous medical evaluations with different specialists after being diagnosed with early breast cancer a few months prior, so I decided she should try crystals. I went to this shop for the first time and felt such serenity. I could have honestly been there all day. The owners were great. I told them I wanted to help my mother but didn't give them any details. They directed me to get the 7 chakra candles and crystals that were prepared with reiki by Armando. He instructed me how they should be used and it worked. My mother meditated with the candles and crystals on numerous occasions and not only did all her medical evaluations come back negative she's healthier than she's been in a long time. I feel that she is better not only because she has had a positive attitude and I gave her those candles with love but also because of how they were prepared. Thank you both so much!!!I'm hoping to see you both again and continue to learn from you. Kathy A.

Marizel and her family are truly gifted seers, teachers, coaches and healers. They are warm and…read morebeautiful beings. I highly recommend The Witches Garden.

I'll give Margate credit... for being a nondescript little municipality stuck between Coral Springs…read moreand Coconut Creek, they put on some pretty good shows. The Margate Under the Moon series happens about once a month at the end of summer in to fall, and they bring in 15-20 food trucks, set up the stage for bands all night, and have the fair stands going with clothes, trinkets, and packaged food. It's super family-friendly, with lots of folks bringing out the wagons, pop-up shades, and lawn chairs to chill out and watch the bands. I know they sell beer too, and I think I spied (but didn't investigate) a full bar hiding in the middle. Parking is easy with the near-empty shopping center across the street.

This was another great experience with my Coconut Creek community at the annual cultural festival…read moreArtsfest. It is held indoors and out at the community center on Lyons Road. Thankfully the rain held off until late afternoon. This years theme was Mexico. The festival opened at 10 AM with a parade of nations. Entertainment was held at the outdoor bandshell and included a mariachi band performance and the Folklorico Dancers. Both the musicians and dancers were very talented. Kids could make sugar skull masks, glitter maracas, and a cactus paper craft. There was also a scavenger hunt, storytelling, and a magic show for them. Many kids were also playing on the playground and at the splash pad behind the community center. Adults enjoyed the art show and hand made items for sale in the auditorium. There were a couple of food trucks and a tent selling Mexican food, drinks, and desserts. Inside the lobby was a Mexico history display. This was the 9th year of the festival and it has a free admission. This is just one of the many nice free events Coconut Creek puts on for residents throughout the year. Parks and Recreation does a great job with their family friendly events making it just one of the many reasons I love living here.

This year the city decided to do a tribute to America for its 250th birthday. They touched on NASA…read moreand the proclamation of emancipation. They had art and vendors inside the court. The band played some oldies, a kids section of arts and crafts,air brush and temp face painting. A few food trucks out back, a table of multicultural with a other table to raffle items for a win. A section in the back allowed a person or paint on a huge portrait. Different areas for a learning, buying and having fun for the whole family experience.

It was the 12th anniversary of the Taste Of Tamarac at the Tamarac Community Center. I've only…read morerecently found out about this annual event. When I heard tickets were only $8.00 for samples of food from over thirty restaurants I had to check it out. The event ran from 11:30 am to 3 pm. Since I had other things to do in the morning Clyde and I didn't get there until about 1 pm. I was worried they would have already run out of food since we got there late. A few tables were running low, but there was plenty left. The room was large with tables lining the walls. In the center of the room was more tables. It was crowded but there was room to walk around. There were no long lines for food, although there may have been earlier. The food offerings were good, some better then others. There was sandwiches, pizza, rice and beans, chicken, donuts, several Caribbean dishes and much more. Soft drinks were two for $1.00. Parking was a problem. When we got there several spots were empty in the parking lot. In spite of that the entrances were blocked and we were told to park over two blocks away. It seemed like a long walk in the afternoon heat. It was a nice event. People were friendly, the food wasn't fancy but it was pretty good. I'm glad I went and I'll comeback next year.

From the owner: Taste of Tamarac Business Expo is an annual Saturday lunch event with kids activities and…read moreentertainment for all the family. Live music, raffles, giveaways, photo opportunities and restaurants from the local area tempting you with delicious samples and future offers all under one roof for 4 hours.