Searching for a banquet hall near Lauderhill, FL? The Center for Spiritual Living rents event space at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, about 14 minutes from Lauderhill. Its Main Auditorium seats 110 for a banquet dinner or 275 auditorium-style for a ceremony or memorial, it can stream to family overseas, and on-site parking holds 150 vehicles.
At a glance
- From Lauderhill: about 8.2 miles, about 14 minutes via Sunrise Boulevard, I-95 and Commercial Boulevard (typical; traffic varies)
- Banquets: up to 110 seated dinner in the 2,944 sq ft Main Auditorium
- Ceremonies and memorials: up to 275 auditorium-style
- Receptions: Welcome Lobby for up to 200 cocktail-style; Multipurpose Room for up to 70
- Streaming: professional sound and video booth with projection, streaming and a teleprompter, run by the Center’s team
- Kitchen and parking: kitchen included with the auditorium or Multipurpose Room; on-site parking for 150 vehicles
- Book: Jim Wood, Director of Operations, 954-566-2868
Why Lauderhill clubs and cultural societies look to Oakland Park
Lauderhill has deep West Indian roots. As of 2000 it had the highest percentage of residents of Jamaican ancestry of any city in the United States (20.11%), and about a quarter of residents had been born in the Caribbean, including people from Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, The Bahamas and Guyana. The city’s sister cities are Chaguanas in Trinidad and Tobago and Suzano in Brazil.
Communities with roots like these tend to organize through associations: island-heritage societies, alumni groups from schools back home, church auxiliaries and sports clubs. Each one eventually needs a room for an awards night, an anniversary banquet or an independence celebration. That room has to seat a full dinner, handle speeches and music, and leave space for everyone to park.
Our venue in Oakland Park does all of that about 14 minutes from the city, and it welcomes events of every kind and every background. The Center for Spiritual Living Fort Lauderdale lists banquets, fundraisers, non-profit events and end-of-life celebrations among the events it hosts. Your event does not need to be spiritual.
How far is it from Lauderhill?
From the middle of Lauderhill, the venue is about 8.2 miles away, a typical drive of about 14 minutes. The usual route takes Northwest 47th Avenue to West Sunrise Boulevard (SR 838), heads north on I-95 and exits east on Commercial Boulevard (SR 870), which leads to North Dixie Highway.
That’s a typical, non-traffic-adjusted estimate from the city center. Members coming from Inverrary or the Northwest section start from a different point, so their time will vary. Allow extra time for evening traffic when you set a start time.
If your members are spread across central Broward, see our notes on family celebration space near Lauderdale Lakes, event venues near Plantation and venue rental near Sunrise.
Cultural society banquets and cricket club award nights
Cricket clubs and sports associations
Lauderhill is home to one of the most important cricket grounds in the country. Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, at U.S. 441 and Sunrise Boulevard, opened on November 9, 2007. It was the first U.S. cricket pitch certified by the ICC to host international matches, hosted New Zealand against Sri Lanka in 2010 and staged the United States’ first-ever One Day International series in September 2019. The West Indies team has played there more than any other side.
Clubs that play in and around Lauderhill need somewhere to close out a season. An end-of-season awards dinner fits the Main Auditorium well: 110 guests at round tables, a stage for trophies and speeches, and a projection screen for a season highlights reel. A league annual general meeting works in the same room set auditorium-style for up to 275, or in the Multipurpose Room for a smaller committee.
Cultural and island-heritage societies
Heritage associations host independence dinners, scholarship banquets and fundraising galas. A sample flow: a reception in the 1,418 sq ft Welcome Lobby with music and a welcome table, then dinner and program in the auditorium, with the national anthem, a keynote on the teleprompter and the scholarship presentations. If you’re raising money, the auditorium’s projector can display your fundraising goal and sponsors.
Celebrations of life with family watching from abroad
When a family has roots in Jamaica, Haiti or Trinidad, many of the people who most want to attend a memorial live overseas. About 15.6% of Lauderhill residents were 65 or older in 2020, and the Inverrary area has a long history as a home for retirees and snowbirds. Families here want a memorial that brings everyone together, near and far.
The Main Auditorium can seat up to 275 for the service, and the professional booth can stream it so relatives abroad can watch live. The projector handles a photo tribute, and the sound system makes every speaker audible in the back row. Afterward, guests can move to the Welcome Lobby or the Multipurpose Room for a reception, with the kitchen available to your caterer or family. Our livestream page shows the same setup in action.
Planning tip: If you’ll stream a service or banquet to family overseas, send the link a day ahead with the start time in their local time zone. Ask the Center’s AV team for a short test with the speakers before guests arrive.
Which room fits your guest count?
Capacities here match our event space rental page exactly.
| Room | Size | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Auditorium | 2,944 sq ft | 275 auditorium-style; 110 seated dinner | Club award banquets, society galas, celebrations of life, annual meetings |
| Multipurpose Room | 1,026 sq ft | 70 cocktail; 50 auditorium-style; 40 conference-style | Committee meetings, small memorials, post-service receptions |
| Welcome Lobby | 1,418 sq ft | 200 cocktail-style | Pre-dinner receptions, repasts, mingling after a service |
Explore the rooms for your banquet
What’s included: tables, linens, place settings and the kitchen
For a club or society running on volunteers, having the basics included makes a big difference. A Main Auditorium rental includes:
- Thirteen 60-inch round tables (seating 8 each) with basic linens
- Buffet tables in three sizes and six square card tables, with basic linens, for a buffet line, trophy display or registration
- Six high-top cocktail tables with black linens or spandex
- 275 tan banquet chairs, two blue linen couches and two blue linen club chairs
- Place settings for 200: salad and dinner plates, full dinnerware, basic linen napkins and water glasses
- Kitchen access and complimentary password-protected Wi-Fi
The kitchen comes with two microwave ovens, a commercial coffee maker, a double-door refrigerator and a commercial reach-in refrigerator with 26 tray holders. There’s no additional charge for kitchen use when you rent the Main Auditorium or the Multipurpose Room.
Sound, video, streaming and teleprompter
The Main Auditorium’s fully equipped professional sound and video booth includes projection, streaming capability and a presidential teleprompter. It’s staffed by the Center’s own team, and equipment and operator fees are quoted on inquiry. For a banquet, that means clean audio for speeches, a highlights video on the big screen and a stream for members who moved away. For a memorial, it means a recorded service the family can keep.
Planning checklist for your Lauderhill event
- Confirm your headcount with the club or family, and decide if you need a seated dinner, theater seating or both.
- Call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 for availability and a quote.
- Walk the space with your committee chair or a family representative.
- Write the program: anthem, welcome, dinner, awards or tributes, closing.
- Book the AV team for projection, streaming or the teleprompter.
- Confirm your caterer and what they’ll use in the kitchen.
- Ask the Director of Operations to walk you through policies, setup and breakdown times.
- Send directions with the address and the Sunrise Boulevard to I-95 to Commercial Boulevard route.
When to book: sports-banquet season and August independence celebrations
Club award nights tend to land at the end of a playing season, and many West Indian associations celebrate the August independence anniversaries of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago with dinners and dances. If your event is tied to one of those dates, start the conversation a few months ahead. Celebrations of life often come with short notice, so just call and we’ll tell you what’s open. You can also see what’s already on the building’s schedule on our calendar.
Parking and arrival for guests coming from Lauderhill
Lauderhill got its name when writer William Safire talked developer Herbert Sadkin out of “Sunnydale.” When Sadkin pointed out there were no hills, Safire replied there were probably no dales in Lauderdale either. Our venue is equally flat and easy to reach, with on-site parking for up to 150 vehicles and a short walk into the Welcome Lobby.
For a 110-guest banquet, that’s room to spare. For a full 275-person memorial, encourage families to carpool. To learn about the organizations we work with in the community, visit our community partners page, and for every city we serve, see the Broward County event venue guide.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the venue from Lauderhill?
The Center for Spiritual Living at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park is about 8.2 miles and about 14 minutes from central Lauderhill. The typical route is Sunrise Boulevard to I-95, then east on Commercial Boulevard. Times are typical and traffic varies.
What is a life celebration party?
A celebration of life is a gathering that honors someone’s life with stories, music, photos and food, often in a warmer tone than a traditional funeral. It can happen weeks after a passing, which gives families time to plan and travel. Our Main Auditorium seats up to 275 for the program and can stream it to relatives who cannot attend.
What is the order of events at a celebration of life?
A common order is a welcome, an opening reading or song, a eulogy or life story, shared memories from family and friends, a photo or video tribute, a closing, and then a reception with food. There’s no single required format. The auditorium’s sound, projection and streaming support each part of the program.
What do you say at a celebration of life service?
Most speakers share a specific story, describe what the person meant to them and close with a thank-you or a hope for the people left behind. Short, personal and honest works best. A microphone and the teleprompter in our Main Auditorium can help nervous speakers through their remarks.
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 Multipurpose Room holds up to 70 cocktail-style, 50 auditorium-style or 40 conference-style. The Welcome Lobby holds up to 200 cocktail-style.
Can our caterer use the kitchen?
Yes. Kitchen use is included at no additional charge with the Main Auditorium or the Multipurpose Room. It has two microwaves, a commercial coffee maker, a double-door refrigerator and a reach-in refrigerator with 26 tray holders.
Is there parking for guests?
Yes. The venue has on-site parking for up to 150 vehicles, so guests park on the property and walk straight into the Welcome Lobby.
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 use the contact page.
Planning a club banquet, a society gala or a celebration of life from Lauderhill? We’d be glad to show you the rooms. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 or reach out online to set up a visit. The banquet room details are a good place to start.
