Bahamian and Cuban Culture Celebrated at the Annual Conch Revival Picnic at the Key West Museum of Art & History

Key West Art & Historical Society, Great Events Catering, and Unity Table at Williams Hall are teaming up to present the annual Conch Revival Picnic, an informal Conch heritage dinner prepared by acclaimed chefs Martha Hubbard and Dave Fuhrman on March 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in Clinton Place Park outside the Key West Museum of Art & History. (Photo Credit: Damali Phipps)

Guests gather for the Conch Revival Picnic, a community celebration of Bahamian and Cuban culinary traditions featuring historic recipes, live music, and picnic-style dining. (Photo Credit: Damali Phipps)

March 9, 2026 – (KEY WEST, FL).  Key West Art & Historical Society, Great Events Catering, and Unity Table at Williams Hall have teamed up to present their annual picnic-style heritage dinner prepared by acclaimed chefs Martha Hubbard and Dave Fuhrman.  This year’s Conch Revival Picnic takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on March 18 in Clinton Place Park, located just outside the Key West Museum of Art & History at 281 Front Street.

The new location complements the museum’s recently opened Smithsonian-backed regional FOOD: Celebrating Conch Cuisine exhibition, offering guests the opportunity to experience the island’s culinary heritage both inside the museum galleries and outdoors through a communal dining celebration.  The picnic pays homage to the island’s Bahamian and Cuban culture through food, music, and a convivial community atmosphere.

This year’s menu begins with butler-passed hors d’oeuvres including bollos, conch salad, picadillo empanadas, and yuca frita croquetas.  The buffet dinner features whole roasted pig, whole roasted local fish, braised oxtail (rabo encendido), curried chicken, rice and pigeon peas, Jamaican jerk vegetable stew, Cuban foo foo, peel-and-eat Key West pink shrimp, tomato, avocado and pickled onion salad, hearts of palm with roasted pepper salad, and Lighthouse picnic salad.

Desserts include chocolate tres leches with coconut custard, Queen of All Puddings, guava cheesecake empanadas, and date cake with dulce de leche.

Inspired by Society board member and island native the late Dianne Zolotow, the Conch Revival Picnic tradition was launched in 2016 to increase awareness of Key West/Conch culture by preserving and promoting historic recipes created and consumed by Conch families for generations but which have, over time, been disappearing from memory and tables.  Many of the recipes are inspired by the postwar Key West Woman’s Club Cookbook edited by original Conch and first Florida Keys woman mayor Wilhelmina Harvey, as well as recipes from other historic cookbooks in the Society and Key West Public Library collections.

“Key West Art & Historical Society is honored to partner with Great Events and Williams Hall to celebrate our local Bahamian and Cuban communities for this year’s picnic,” says Society Executive Director Michael F. Gieda.  “Hosting the event beside the Key West Museum of Art & History also allows us to connect this living culinary tradition with the stories and foodways explored in our new Smithsonian-affiliated exhibition.”

Visit kwahs.org/whats-on to purchase your tickets.  Children under 12 admitted free with adults.  For more information and to access the full menu, contact Cori Convertito at 305-295-6616 x507.  Sponsored by Great Events Catering and Williams Hall.