Each year, after the spicy aroma of jerked food subsides at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, Eddy Edwards and his team return to the drawing board to plan the next year’s show.
More innovations
Three weeks (November 12) before the 18th Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival renewal at Markham Park in South Florida, Edwards is promising more of the innovations that has made it, arguably, the leading event of its kind in North America.
“We are always looking for creative ways to keep the festival fresh. Sometimes, we will focus on the culinary side, sometimes on the entertainment or at times making adjustments to improve the patron’s overall festival experience,” Edwards told CNW.
Interactive games
“This year, we will introduce some interactive games that will bring back memories to many of the adults.”
Domino tournament memorializing Ruddy Schaffe
Among the fresh activities are: sponsors utilizing the Internet and social media to engage patrons; a redesigned Grace Village which offers patrons opportunities to engage with the product; and expansion of the popular Pattie-eating contest. There will also be a domino tournament in memory of Ruddy Schaffe, who was director of the festival’s annual Tournament, but who died last May.
“We plan to make a special presentation to his memorial fund in his honor,” said Edwards.
The affable Edwards grew up in Harbor View, a middle-class community in eastern St. Andrew, Jamaica. He moved to the United States in 1979, first settling in New York, but has lived in South Florida since 1981.
Festival began in 2000
He started the jerk festival at the C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines in 2000, and has seen it grow from a family event attended by Jamaicans, to an inclusive calendar show that attracts mainstream sponsorship.
Sponsorship
Publix, the leading supermarket in Florida, is a major sponsor, as well as Western Union, Sprint and Broward Visitors and Conventions Bureau.
Edwards stressed said that support is critical. “As the festival grows, and widens its appeal it is important to get more corporate support. The influence and spending power of our audience, which is predominantly Caribbean-American, is one of the reasons many companies find the festival attractive and they want to engage our audience and win them over,” he explained. “We are very mindful of this and work closely with our sponsors to deliver positive results, not just at the festival, but before and after.”
This is the third production of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival for 2017. The first took place in June at RFK Stadium in Washington DC; the second was held at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York.
Participating musicians
Each event features music. Tarrus Riley, Morgan Heritage, Yellowman and the Sagittarius Band, Leon Cordero and the Code Red Band are booked to perform at next month’s show.
For what’s cooking at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival,visit the link: Culinary gloves off Jerk Festival
