Need a banquet hall near Pompano Beach for a church anniversary, gala or Caribbean celebration? The Center for Spiritual Living Fort Lauderdale rents its venue at 4849 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, about 9 minutes (3.8 miles) south of Pompano Beach on Dixie Highway. The Main Auditorium seats 275 for a program or 110 for a seated dinner, with parking for 150 vehicles.
At a glance
- Distance: about 9 minutes and 3.8 miles from central Pompano Beach, straight down Dixie Highway (SR 811).
- Program and banquet: Main Auditorium, 2,944 sq ft, 275 auditorium-style or 110 seated dinner.
- Reception and silent auction: Welcome Lobby, up to 200 cocktail-style.
- Committee meetings and breakouts: Multipurpose Room, 40 conference-style to 70 cocktail-style.
- Kitchen: included at no additional charge with the auditorium or Multipurpose Room; place settings for 200 with the auditorium.
- AV: sound, projection, streaming and a presidential teleprompter, staffed by the Center’s team.
- To book: Jim Wood, Director of Operations, 954-566-2868; parking on site for up to 150 vehicles.
Why Pompano Beach organizers look to Oakland Park
Pompano Beach is a big city with a big civic life. With 112,046 residents in the 2020 census, it’s the sixth-largest city in Broward County, and its calendar runs from the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival and St. Coleman’s Italian Festival to the Holiday Boat Parade and the Annual Blues and Sweet Potato Pie “Juneteenth” Festival.
Behind many of those events are churches, heritage groups, alumni associations and nonprofits, and they all need a ballroom-style room a few times a year. A church marking 50 years, a scholarship fund’s annual banquet, or a cultural society’s independence-day dinner needs a stage, a sound system, round tables and a kitchen, all in one place.
The Center for Spiritual Living in Oakland Park offers exactly that combination, a short drive down Dixie Highway. The building welcomes events of every kind and every background, and “religious and spiritual events” sit on its rental list right beside banquets, fundraisers and celebrations.
How far is it from Pompano Beach?
From the center of Pompano Beach, the drive is about 9 minutes and 3.8 miles. You simply follow Dixie Highway (SR 811) south, with a little over 3 miles on South Dixie Highway in Pompano and the last half-mile on North Dixie Highway in Oakland Park.
That time is a typical estimate from the city’s center point, not adjusted for traffic. Pompano Beach covers a lot of ground, so guests from Palm Aire or Pompano Beach Highlands in the west, or from Hillsboro Shores in the north, should plan on a longer trip. Rush hour on Dixie will add time too.
For a church group or a family hosting a big dinner, a single-road route is a gift. Elders and out-of-town relatives can follow it without GPS, and a church van can make a couple of runs before the program starts.
Church anniversaries, heritage banquets and Caribbean celebrations
Pompano Beach has deep roots in Black and Caribbean community life. In the 2020 census, 28.0% of residents were Black (non-Hispanic), and as of 2010 the city had the highest concentration of residents of Haitian ancestry in the country, at 9.3%. Those numbers show up in the city’s institutions and celebrations.
Church anniversaries and pastoral appreciation dinners
A church anniversary often has two parts: a service or program, then a banquet. The Main Auditorium handles both. Seat up to 275 for the program, with a sound booth for the choir and guest speakers and a presidential teleprompter for the keynote. For the banquet, the room seats 110 at its thirteen 60-inch round tables, with place settings for 200 included. Confirm the room turnover plan with Jim Wood.
Heritage galas and Black history programs
The city’s cultural landmarks include the Blanche Ely House Museum, the Historic Ali Cultural Arts Center and the Kester Cottages, home of the Pompano Beach Historical Museum. The city and its CRA are also planning a new E. Pat Larkins Center honoring Pompano Beach’s first Black mayor. Heritage organizations that honor that history often hold February programs, scholarship dinners and Juneteenth-season events, and the auditorium’s projection makes it easy to present archival photos and tributes.
Caribbean celebrations: soca, kompa and family
The city hosts an annual Caribbean Fest, now in its 5th year in 2026, celebrating soca and kompa music along with Caribbean food and heritage. Private celebrations carry the same spirit: Haitian Flag Day dinners, cultural association galas, christening parties and big family birthdays. The auditorium gives you a dance floor and a sound system, and the kitchen gives your caterer two microwave ovens, a commercial coffee maker and two refrigerators, including a commercial reach-in unit with 26 tray holders.
Which room fits your guest count?
All capacities below come from the venue’s rent our space page.
| Room | Size | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Auditorium | 2,944 sq ft | 275 auditorium-style; 110 seated dinner | Church anniversaries, galas, award banquets, cultural performances |
| Multipurpose Room | 1,026 sq ft | 70 cocktail-style; 50 auditorium-style; 40 conference-style | Planning committees, choir rehearsal, small receptions, green room |
| Welcome Lobby | 1,418 sq ft | 200 cocktail-style | Registration, silent auctions, pre-dinner receptions |
A common gala pattern: guests arrive in the lobby, browse the auction, then move to the auditorium at the dinner hour. A guest list above 110 for dinner is the point to talk through options with Jim Wood.
Planning tip: If your program and your banquet are both in the auditorium, print two run-of-show sheets: one for your emcee and one for the Center’s AV operator. Mark every cue, from the processional music to the slideshow to the final prayer or toast.
What’s included: tables, linens, place settings and the kitchen
Galas get complicated when every chair and plate comes from a separate rental company. A Main Auditorium rental at the Center includes:
- Thirteen 60-inch round tables seating 8 each, with basic linens
- Rectangular buffet tables (two 18×72-inch, six 30×96-inch, six 18×96-inch) with basic linens
- Six 34×34-inch square card tables and six 24-inch high-top cocktail tables with black linens or spandex
- Two blue linen couches, two blue linen club chairs and 275 tan banquet chairs
- Place settings for 200: salad and dinner plates, full dinnerware, basic linen napkins and water glasses
- Kitchen access and password-protected complimentary Wi-Fi
The buffet tables are well suited to a family-style Caribbean spread or a church potluck line. Kitchen use is at no additional charge with the Main Auditorium or the Multipurpose Room.
Plan your banquet in Oakland Park
Sound, video, streaming and teleprompter
For a program-heavy evening, the Main Auditorium’s fully equipped professional sound and video booth does the heavy lifting. It handles microphones for the choir and speakers, projection for tribute videos, and streaming for members of the congregation or family who are watching from Haiti, Jamaica or up north. The presidential teleprompter keeps the keynote speaker looking at the audience instead of their notes.
The booth is staffed by the Center’s team. Ask Jim Wood about equipment and operator fees when you request a quote. If your event includes a concert or a performance, see the arts at CSL for a sense of how the stage is used.
Planning checklist for your Pompano Beach event
- Confirm your committee, your budget owner and your guest count range.
- Decide on the shape of the evening: program only, banquet only, or both, and check what each room includes on our venue rental page.
- Pick two or three dates and call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 for availability and a quote.
- Ask Jim to walk you through policies on food and beverage, décor, vendors and timing.
- Book your caterer and send them the kitchen equipment list.
- Write a run-of-show and share AV cues, videos and slides with the Center’s team.
- Line up sponsors, ad journal pages or auction items if it’s a fundraiser.
- Print the address, 4849 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, on tickets and programs.
- Schedule a walk-through with your decorator and emcee.
When to book: heritage months and the holiday season
Some dates are predictable. February heritage programs, Juneteenth celebrations, end-of-school banquets for students from Blanche Ely High School and Pompano Beach High School, and the year-end holiday stretch all bring a rush of event planning. Church anniversaries often land on the same weekend every year, so if yours does, call well ahead.
Pompano Beach also has a strong senior community, with 20.3% of residents 65 or older in 2020 and a city calendar that includes bingo nights and an Oldies Music Singo & Dance Show. Senior luncheons and dinner dances fit the auditorium’s 110-seat dinner layout. To see what’s already on the building’s schedule, check the Center’s calendar.
Parking and arrival for guests from Pompano Beach
The on-site lot holds up to 150 vehicles. For a 110-guest banquet, that’s comfortable. For a 275-seat anniversary program, encourage carpooling or church-van runs.
If your guest list stretches up the coast, our Lighthouse Point event venue post covers that drive, and inland families can see our guide for Coconut Creek events. Beachside planners can read about hosting from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. For drive times from every corner of the county, see our Broward County banquet hall and venue guide. Groups that partner with the Center can learn more on our community partners page.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the venue from Pompano Beach?
The Center for Spiritual Living is about 9 minutes and 3.8 miles from central Pompano Beach, heading south on Dixie Highway (SR 811) into Oakland Park. That’s a typical drive time, not a traffic-adjusted one, so allow extra time at rush hour or from the western side of the city.
How many guests can the Center for Spiritual Living hold?
The Main Auditorium seats up to 275 auditorium-style or 110 for a seated dinner. The Welcome Lobby holds up to 200 cocktail-style, and the Multipurpose Room holds 70 cocktail-style, 50 auditorium-style or 40 conference-style.
Can our church hold its anniversary service and banquet here?
Religious and spiritual events, banquets and celebrations are all listed on the venue’s rental page. The Main Auditorium can host the program and the seated dinner, and Jim Wood will help you plan the timeline and room setup.
Do we have to be members or share CSL’s beliefs to rent the space?
The rental page lists a wide range of events, from weddings and conferences to banquets, fundraisers and religious events of many kinds. For the specific policies that apply to your group, call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868.
Is there Wi-Fi for presenters and guests?
Yes. Password-protected complimentary Wi-Fi comes with the Main Auditorium and the Multipurpose Room, which helps with presentations, online check-in and auction apps.
What are some good event venues in Broward County, Florida?
Strong choices match your guest count, include tables and dinnerware, and have parking on site. The Center for Spiritual Living in Oakland Park offers a 275-seat auditorium that seats 110 for dinner, a 200-guest lobby, a kitchen, AV support and parking for 150, about 9 minutes from Pompano Beach.
How can we cover the cost of a venue for a nonprofit event?
Many organizations ask a sponsor to underwrite the venue, sell program ads, or fold the rental into ticket prices. Knowing what’s included helps too: the Main Auditorium comes with tables, chairs, linens and place settings for 200. Call Jim Wood for a quote so you can build your budget.
How do I get a rental quote and check dates?
Pricing is by inquiry. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 for availability and a quote, or reach out through the contact page.
Bring your committee for a walk-through before you sign anything. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868, or send us your date and guest count. We’re nine minutes down Dixie Highway from Pompano Beach.
