Yes, it's spring. More hours of sunlight mean more hours to party. Whoo! And spring also means Cajun, in case you haven't noticed. The Fort Lauderdale Cajun Zydeco Festival has come and gone, leaving many South Floridians hungry for more crawfish -- more crawfish! And more gumbo -- more gumboooo! OK, OK, geez. Calm down and wipe the drool from your chin. Johnny Longboats Fourth-Annual Spring Cajun Festival will re-satisfy your food and music needs. All the essentials for a traditional Cajun party are here: hot crawfish, Creole gumbo, jambalaya, oyster poor boys, fried catfish, barbecue ribs, pulled pork, and a turtle education booth, all situated under the "big tent." And for your listening pleasure, the Porchdogs are gonna get your booty shakin' after you're done devouring heaping portions of Cajun fare and downing a beer or five. This Tampa-based band specializes in Louisiana-style Cajun, of course, but also dabbles in classic rock, bluegrass, and island music. Just don't get a cramp. Admission is free; a portion of proceeds from food sales goes to benefit the Marine Life Center of Juno Beach (a.k.a. the "Turtle People"). Festival begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Johnny Longboats Restaurant in Ocean Mall, 2401 Ocean Ave., Singer Island. Call 561-882-1333. -- Audra Schroeder
SAT 5/24
Come Together
We're talkin' Kuumba
Kuumba means "creativity" in Swahili, and a gathering of creativity in any place is always a good thing. The third-annual "Gathering of Kuumba" takes place at Old School Square (51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach) on Saturday and Sunday. This multimedia festival showcases the "kuumba" of a variety of African-American and Haitian artists, including Afro-Caribbean folk artist Kim McKinney, doll and jewelry designer Daphne Dowell, fiber artists Terris Collins and Barbara Cheives, tile artist Sharon Jones, landscape painter Lupee Lawrence, sculptor Zanobia Jefferson, acrylic artist Turgo Bastein, colored pencil and pastel artist Anthony Burks, and others. Admission is free. Festival starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday. Call 561-243-7922, ext. 322, or visit www.oldschool.org. -- Audra Schroeder
