Music and food were a big part of the block party

If you want a taste of the old Grove, the place to be is Village West. The neighborhood is turning into a dynamic fun-filled, art filled, music-filled place. MKTplace, which is the new green market on the corner of Douglas and Grand is the cornerstone. Add that and KROMA gallery a block away and that area of the Grove is the place you want to be.

On Saturday, there was a Goombay Plaza Block Party where you could taste the flavors of Coconut Grove's Bahamian roots while enjoying decadent eats by local vendors, with board games and live Caribbean music provided by a local band. 

Our old fav Ms. Cheezious had their food truck on hand, too. It took Village West to get the food trucks into the Grove!

People had fun playing a big Jenga game.

And live music was a big part of the day. It all took part under the new huge mural by artist Wendell McShine, who painted the mural done earlier in the week.

Commissioner Ken Russell and his daughter welcomed folks to the block party.

The Miami Assoc, of Realtors sponsored the block party. The MKTplace is sponsored by the Knight Foundation, KROMA and the University of Miami along with the Coconut Grove Collaborative.

The MKTplace is a weekly thing at Douglas and Grand each Saturday. That is to say, the green market, not the block party, but to me I see them as being one and the same.

The Village West is alive, vibrant and a lot of fun.

Photos by Harry Emilio Gottlieb