Markham Park, Sunrise is the place to be this Veteran’s Day, Sunday, November 11 for the Biggest Caribbean Food Festival in the USA!
The Festival will be celebrating 17 years of hot and spicy flavor, culture, entertainment, and just about everything you want in a fantastic day of Caribbean food, fun, and family.
Public Culinary Pavilion
The Publix Culinary Pavilion, one of the event’s hottest features, lures festivalgoers year after year to experience fierce cooking competitions and mouthwatering foods. This year, two of South Florida’s premier news anchors will face off in the Celebrity Quick Fire Challenge.
Todd Tongen defending title
| Two-time champion Local 10’s Todd Tongen is looking to hold on to his title in the Publix Culinary Pavilion, accepting the challenge from South Florida entertainment maven turned morning anchor, NBC 6’s Roxanne Vargas. |
The returning champion is encouraged and had this to say, “This year I will be going for a three-peat at the Jerk festival. While I may have been born in Minnesota, I have jerk and curry running through my veins and have been told I am a Jamaicasotan! Respect!” Can Tongen’s jerk dish back up his talk or will Vargas deliver an upset with her cooking skills?
WSVN 7 sports director Donovan Campbell and Miss Jamaica Universe Emily Maddison will also be putting their cooking chops to the test in the Celebrity Quick Fire Challenge.
Miss Jamaica World Beach Beauty
Miss Jamaica World Beach Beauty 2009 Kamila McDonald – an accomplished sports nutritionist and personal trainer – will be jetting in with her mini-me for a quick mommy-and-me cooking demonstration sure to excite the taste buds. Then, Straight Outta Raleigh, North Carolina are food artist Treisha Hall and her partner Executive Chef Ken Dixon. They can’t wait to showcase their Jamaican Mi Creole Couples Cooking Demonstration for those who enjoy cooking together.
Never a shortage of talent and culinary delights, the Publix 2018 Cook-off parallels all the amazing action taking place under the main tent. Returning 2017 champion Chef Troy Tingling is fired up and ready to take on four new challengers vying for the coveted Dutch Pot trophy and cash prize winnings.
Variety of cultural presentations
You can’t afford to miss everything this festival has to offer-authentic foods, extraordinary cultural presentations, and memorable performances from musical giants such as Freddie McGregor, Marcia Griffiths, The Mighty Diamonds, as well as popular artists like Ding Dong and L.U.S.T. So, grab your tickets early, bring the family, friends, and neighbors out for a day of family fun, fantastic food, and non-stop entertainment.
For those looking to indulge in a more exclusive experience, VIP Vibe offers the best of everything-including a prime viewing area in front of the main stage, elegant décor, delectable gourmet tapas, unlimited drinks, a full bar, and VIP parking. For general admission, kids 10 and younger are free!
Tickets are now on sale at the festival’s official website www.JerkFestival.comand are also available at retail outlets in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
The 17th Annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival is presented by Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc. in association with Partners for Youth Foundation. Sponsors are Grace Foods, Publix Supermarkets, Western Union, The Jamaica Tourist Board, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Visitors & Conventions Bureau, Guinness, Chen Medical Senior Centers, WAVS 1170, National Weekly, and VP Records.
