Arabian Nights Festival

After 78 years, no damned hurricane -- or even four of them -- is gonna put the kibosh on Opa-locka's Arabian Nights Festival. Originally scheduled for mid-September, the long-running shindig was postponed due to the unrelenting storm season but has emerged invigorated and expanded. It'll be studded with celebrities from...

By Jonathan Zwickel

December 9, 2004

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

After 78 years, no damned hurricane -- or even four of them -- is gonna put the kibosh on Opa-locka's Arabian Nights Festival. Originally scheduled for mid-September, the long-running shindig was postponed due to the unrelenting storm season but has emerged invigorated and expanded. It'll be studded with celebrities from TV and film as well as a variety of local food vendors. Friday night's lineup features R&B operators Avant and Carl Thomas, and on Saturday, things get going with a fantasy parade and fireworks display. The party really heats up with the night's super-sized musical roster: local funkateers Spam Allstars, classic soul rockers War, and old-school rap superstars Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, and the Sugar Hill Gang all take the stage. Arabian Nights comes around only once a year, and this time, they're really letting the genie out of the bottle.

The festival takes place Friday and Saturday, December 10 and 11, at the Opa-locka Airport at NW 146th Street and 37th Avenue in Miami-Dade County. Tickets cost $20 per day, or buy a two-day pass for $35. Call 305-688-4611.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.