The Westmoreland Curry Festival 2013 is the premier annual curry food show in the Caribbean and this will be Westmoreland's 13th annual event. It's a major fundraiser for the Manning's School and other worthy charities in Westmoreland Parish. Over 10,000 local and international visitors patronize the festival every year.

The festival is a family fun-fest with face painting, a children's play area, and craft and vendor booths. It appeals to adults as well with enjoyable evening music entertainment by popular local reggae and gospel artistes. And, of course, curry, curry and MORE curry!

Curry Chicken

Chefs from across the island showcase their signature curry dishes. They range from traditional dishes such as curried goat, chicken, shrimp etc. to the more adventurous, such as curry octopus curry conch in sorrel, and even curry grater cake. Curry goat (my all-time favorite!) is KING, of course, but there are always plenty of other foods to choose from. Seafood dishes are popular as well, so be sure to try some curried crab, curried octopus, curried conch and curried fish.

Where and when?

The Westmoreland Curry Festival will take place on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Manning's School (celebrating 275 years since its founding in 1738) on Beckford Street in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland (a pleasant 30 minute drive from Negril). There is adequate paid parking. The gates open at 11:00am and continues until the party ends! Keep up to date with the festival and the scheduled performers on Facebook.

At the gate, tickets are J$1,000 (about US$10) for adults and J$300 (about US$3.00) for children. Advance tickets are available for J$700 at:

• Royale Pharmacy, Rose Street, Sav-La-Mar
• Fontana Pharmacy in Sav-La-Mar, Kingston, Montego Bay & Mandeville
• National Travel Service in Sav-La-Mar, Negril & Lucea
• Manning's School at the Westmoreland Curry Festival Office

Beenie Man live at Bob Marley Birthday Bash 2006 at MX3 in Negril (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Entertainers scheduled to appear include Beenie Man, Tifa, Spice, Baby Tash, Ken Boothe, Ernie Smith, Lovindeer and others.

If you can't be there this year but my article made you hungry, have your own Jamaican food festival at home! Try this recipe for Curry Goat or Curry Shrimp. They are both DELICIOUS!

Curry in Jamaica??

So how did Jamaicans come to love so much curry anyway? When Spain lost Jamaica to the British in 1655, the British transformed much of the island into sugar plantations. About a century later the slave trade diminished and many laborers came to the island from places like China and East India. Apparently the parish of Westmoreland had a particularly high concentration of Indian immigrants - and with them came their cuisine! Jamaica is well-known today for its spicy food, and Indian spices (such as curry) compliment the distinct flavors of Jamaica's own wonderful spices. Today, of course, the festival features the curried culinary influences from the Amerindians, West Africans, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and Lebanese as well. As the Jamaican motto says - "Out of many, one people"!

Related articles from around the Web

• Jamaica: the two sides of Negril
• Negril - Caribbean Food that speaks for itself
• The Journey of a Thousand Frustrations....
• Curry Chicken Recipe

The post Westmoreland Curry Festival 2013 | Jamaica | Sunday, April 28 appeared first on keepitjiggy.com.

If you love "road food" as much as I do and are driving between the North Coast of Jamaica and Kingston or Spanish Town via Route A1, be sure to make a rest stop at the famous Faith's Pen near Mount Diablo, in the central mountain area of Saint Ann Parish. Specifically, this Jamaican-style "truck stop" is located right along the edge of a winding section of road between the rural communities of Mount Rosser and Moneague, about 12 miles south of Ocho Rios. There's no way you can miss it.

You'll find a strip of food vendor stalls with funky names like Rapheal’s Cooling Spot, John Bull, the Love Zone, Lion's Den and Cherry's One Stop, where you can do a little “eating pon di road”. Take a break to sample some real Jamaican country cooking. Each stall has its own specialties like cow cod soup or roasted corn, and you can usually find tasty jerk pork, jerk chicken, steamed fish, roast yam, roast breadfruit, ackee and saltfish, bammy and festival, curry goat and Mannish Water (goat head soup). You can also buy soft drinks, juices, and the famous Red Stripe Beer, and so on. You should also find some fruit stands along the road.

Most of the cooks and workers of Faith's Pen come from the small nearby community of the same name. In times past, Faith's Pen was kind of a ramshackle set up of falling-apart shacks built nearly on top of the road. There was little space for parking and you had to take your life in your hands to find a safe spot to stop! Luckily, things have improved. With some investment in 2012 from Red Stripe (see Gleaner article below) and others, the stalls have been reconstructed with nicer signage and shutters for shade. They also provided parking in back for the buses that stop to let tourists get a taste of something delicious. There are also restrooms, but they come with a small usage fee to, hopefully, help keep them clean. According to a newly developed Faith's Pen website:

"The Faith’s Pen Rest Stop has made major improvements, providing customers with a more welcoming and comfortable dining experience. Ample seating has been provided so that you can relax and enjoy your meal in the serene and mountainous surroundings of the Faith’s Pen Rest Stop. Make Faith’s Pen your next adventure when traveling through the picturesque mountains of Jamaica."

If business is a little slow, you may be rushed by eager vendors who want to convince you to buy from their stall. Don't be intimidated; the vendors are friendly (if you are) and you just may run into an interesting character or two to talk to. I recommend looking for the stall that has the longest line; they are usually the best cooks and have their faithful clientele for a good reason!

Faith's Pen is a fun cultural experience, even if you can't be tempted by the food. There's a relaxed vibe with reggae music playing, and the aromas will make your stomach rumble. The food is good and reasonably priced.  You can usually find the stalls open between about 7AM and 10PM.

Related articles from around the Web

• Stop-Over Ochos Rios, Jamaica
• Red Stripe pressing ahead with goal to reduce costs through Jamaican-grown inputs
• Jamaican Dominoes

The post Faith’s Pen Jamaica | Tasty Road Food in Saint Ann! appeared first on keepitjiggy.com.

There's at least one error to point out: Brooke Shields' movie, Blue Lagoon, was NOT filmed in Jamaica. Despite Portland's being home to the world-famous Blue Lagoon, the movie was apparently shot on Nanuya Levu, a privately owned island in Fiji, while the blue lagoon scenes were shot in Champagne Bay, Vanuatu. HOWEVER, there have been thousands of movies filmed, at least in part, in Jamaica. Here are some of the most prominent ones you may recognize that WERE filmed in the Port Antonio area! (source: IMDB.com)

• Lord of the Flies (the original in 1963 & the remake in 1990)
• Club Paradise (1986) with Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole
• Clara's Heart (1988) with Whoopi Goldberg
• The Mighty Quinn (1989) with Denzel Washington
• Instinct (1999) with Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding, Jr.
• Knight and Day (2010) with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz

One more small thing: At the end of the article, the author tells you that Port Antonio is "three hours overland from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport." This is true if you travel through Saint Thomas (a lovely but slower drive because of the road conditions). It's more like a 2-hour drive when you take the Junction route to Port Antonio through the parish of Saint Mary, also a beautiful drive. If you go this way, get directions and don't drive it yourself at night.

If you're not an "upscale" traveler and want to stay in Portland to enjoy the beauty, check out our page about other lodging options in & around Port Antonio. If the Alligator Head property the author mentions interests you, you can stay at one of three homes located there. Visit them on the web for more information. Now, enjoy "The Roots of Heaven"!!

- - - - - - - - - -

The Roots of Heaven

On Port Antonio's jungle-wrapped beaches, you won't worry about a thing

via The Roots of Heaven | Port Antonio, Jamaica - WSJ.com.

By DAVID KAUFMAN

MUCH LIKE HEMINGWAY'S HAVANA or the Rockefeller compound in Puerto Rico, the tiny Jamaican hamlet of Port Antonio is where society, Hollywood and luxury came together during the Caribbean's 1950s heyday.

Back then, "Porty"—as the town is affectionately known—was a sleepy, banana-shipping village on Jamaica's isolated northeastern coast, quietly favored by an adventurous slice of the global elite. Errol Flynn arrived on his schooner in 1946 and established the cattle and coconut estate that his widow, Patrice Wymore, still calls home.

The REAL Blue Lagoon in Portland, Jamaica. Photo: ©KeepItJiggy.com

German Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza bought land on Alligator Head, a short drive from downtown, where his daughter, Francesca von Habsburg-Lothringen, now throws legendary seafront New Year's Eve parties. Even Queen Elizabeth II came to town as an early visitor to Frenchman's Cove—a 17-hectare compound that opened in 1961 as one of the world's first all-inclusive luxury resorts. Nineteen years later, Brooke Shields immortalized the region's raw beauty when she shot "The Blue Lagoon" a short drive from Port Antonio's Lilliputian downtown.

Despite its pop- and high-culture connections, Port Antonio remains much as Ms. Shields and Her Majesty left it. Blame it on the terrain. Unlike land-and-lounge resorts like Negril or Montego Bay, Port Antonio is a good three hours by jeep from Kingston airport, across a 100-kilometer slice of the rugged Blue Mountains. The journey is bumpy but breathtaking—past Kingston's sprawl and tiny fishing villages, along snake-slim roads lorded over by towering king palms and dense with snack-shacks, taxi-vans and uniformed schoolchildren. There are brief tropical downpours—but what else could you expect en route to the parish of Portland, the lushest and wettest of Jamaica's 14 districts, of which Port Antonio is the capital? The ride ends with a coastal hug along the Caribbean, past rolling pastures and farmland to one side, clear sapphire shallows to the other.

Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio, Jamaica with small cruiseship in port on this beautiful day.

Private charter flights (€230-€300 one-way between Kingston and Port Antonio; US$300-$400) are an easier alternative, as is docking by yacht at Port Antonio's modern Errol Flynn Marina. But until a long-promised airport upgrade and scheduled air service arrives, most visitors still travel overland.

This mix of regal and rustic sets the tone for much of Port Antonio, where the action is dictated by the landscape and local culture rather than resort attractions or cruise-ship excursions. "Port Antonio is the 'other' Jamaica, with little crime and incredibly welcoming locals eager for foreigners to join their community," says British-born hotelier Jon Baker. "This is a place whose renaissance is firmly in play."

Much of that renaissance can be attributed to Mr. Baker himself, a former Island Records executive who opened Geejam, a resort with just four suites and one villa, plus a state-of-the-art recording studio, back in 2008. Shrouded in towering rain forest, with a tiny private beach, cozy al fresco nightclub and secluded hilltop guest-villa, Geejam's low-key luxury appeals to pop stars, actors and artists ranging from Alicia Keys and Scarlett Johansson to the elusive graffiti phenomenon Banksy.

Mr. Baker says he sees Port Antonio as a potential successor to more established island idylls such as Anguilla or St. Bart's, where yachters, creative types and financiers will gather precisely because of its isolation and exclusivity. To expand that appeal, Mr. Baker has recently joined with Jamaican-Canadian billionaire Michael Lee-Chin to open two more properties: the 13-villa Trident and nearby Trident Castle, a restored eight-bedroom château-esque compound once favored by paparazzi-shy power couples like Daryl Hannah and the late John F. Kennedy Jr. Mr. Baker's holdings—along with a handful of private villas, including a pair owned by Francesca von Habsburg—currently represent Port Antonio's plushest accommodation.

Frenchman's Cove, Portland, Jamaica

The crescent-shaped beach at Frenchman's Cove remains as inviting as ever, wrapped in jungle and popular with young Jamaicans and Europeans, but the resort's rooms feel a bit dated. Though still functional and comfortable, the hotel has lost its former sense of luxury.

Not that this really matters—these resorts are just where you sleep after a packed day in Porty. In its densely packed downtown, for instance, the 19th-century courthouse and red-and-white brick Portland Parish Church stand as proud remnants of colonial-era grandeur. Nearby, the Musgrave Market heaves with tropical fruits, colorful hand-woven textiles and music merchants selling custom-mixed CDs by pan-Caribbean reggae, calypso and soca artists. The market also offers mento music, the mostly acoustic precursor to reggae that was practically invented in Port Antonio. Back at Geejam, the Jolly Boys, local legends "discovered" by the Flynns more than half a century ago—perform regular mento sets when not touring Europe and Asia.

Vintage postcard: "Rafting Party - Rio Grande - Port Antonio, W.I."

If you're looking for something a bit quieter, try the almost silent, slow-motion raft rides down the Rio Grande, 45 minutes from downtown, where Errol Flynn is rumored to have romanced his many mistresses. More than 6 meters long and handmade from local bamboo, the rafts glide gracefully past the jungle, gently propelled by the churning currents and a lone oarsman balanced worrisomely upon their bow. Halfway down, the rafts stop along the river's edge for passengers to enjoy a healthy lunch of stewed crayfish and steamed bok choy. Much heartier eating, meanwhile, is found at the jerk chicken and pork shacks above Boston Bay, a major surfing spot where, legend has it, the modern incarnation of Jamaica's fiery national dish was invented in the 1960s, and where Errol Flynn's fashion-model grandson still hits the swells.

Today, the scotch-bonnet-spiced meat is piled high and served with flash-fried hush-puppies and fresh tropical fruit juices. Of course, as a staple of Caribbean-styled eateries from Brooklyn to Brixton, jerk has lost much of its exoticness. But the dish—if not Jamaica itself—doesn't come more authentic than in its Port Antonio incarnation.

The Lowdown: Port Antonio

GETTING THERE: Port Antonio is three hours overland from Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport, which is served from Europe by British Airways. Most Port Antonio hotels will arrange car transfers.

WHEN TO GO: Avoid the hurricane season between August and October.

STAYING THERE: Geejam (from €303 a night; US$395), Trident and the Trident Castle (from €346; US$450) are the upmarket leaders and can be reserved through geejamcollection.com. Far more spartan, though clean and comfortable, is Frenchman's Cove, with its unrivaled beach (from €85 (US$111) a night, frenchmanscove.com). Villas can be rented from jamaicantreasures.com.

WHAT TO PACK: T-shirts, swimming trunks, flip-flops and sun hats. Unless traveling during the Christmas-to-New-Year's social swirl, leave the jewelry and designer clothing at home.

Related articles from around the Web:

• Activities in Port Antonio, Jamaica
• Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee | Know What's in the Bag
• Drinking Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

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FLORIDA, United States, Tuesday April 16, 2013 – Veteran reggae star Beres Hammond will be honoured by the City Of Miami with the key to the city, which will be presented by Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, at this year’s Best Of The Best music festival.

The legendary Jamaican singer will also be presented with a Congressional Proclamation by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson for his many musical and philanthropic contributions over the last three decades.

The international Reggae star will also feature as one of the headline acts for Best Of The Best, South Florida's longest-running Memorial Weekend music festival, slated for Sunday May 26 at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.

According to promoters Rockers Island Entertainment and XO Management, in association with Massive B, Hammond will join a blockbuster list of reggae, dancehall and soca artists on the playbill.

The featured stars include Freddie McGregor, Beenie Man, Sanchez, Cocoa Tea, Elephant Man, Mad Cobra, Singer J, Mega Banton, Chronixx, Konshens, Patrice Roberts, Lyrikal, Skinny Fabolous, J.W. & Blaze and The Bahamas Rat Pack (Sammi, M Deez, SoSo, D Mac).

The Best Of The Best franchise is said to be the country's largest, multicultural, family-oriented, music and arts festival, welcoming thousands of visitors from around the United States, including New York, DC, Atlanta and Houston, as well as from the Caribbean, South America and Europe.

This year’s staging will be hosted by Jabba of Massive B, DJ Roy, Jamusa,Undisputed, Nikki Z, Screechie Bop, Juxie Fire, Bashment Kid, 1-800 Bungie and D-Life.

via Beres Hammond to get key to the city at Miami music festival - Caribbean360.

Related articles from around the Web

• Jamaican presence dwindles on Billboard Reggae chart, Americans dominate top 10
• Reggae On The River 2013 Lineup

The post Beres Hammond to get key to the city at Miami music festival – Caribbean360 appeared first on keepitjiggy.com.

 
On Sunday, April 21st, the parking lot at Liguanea Plaza in Saint Andrew will once again be transformed into the 10th Annual Liguanea Art Festival, and filled with booths containing beautiful works of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photography and jewelry. It's a true feast for the eyes!

The Liguanea Art Festival (pronounced lig-a-knee ) is organized by (and the brainchild of) Tony and June Wong of Liguanea Drug & Garden Centre. This is Jamaica's largest outdoor art festival, and has become the largest single-day art exhibition of its kind in the Caribbean. Below you'll find a few photos from past festivals to give you an idea of the caliber of art you can expect to find at the Festival.

Whether you're an artist, a collector, a teacher, or, like me, a fanatic about all things related to art & crafts, this is a well laid-out and well-supported festival and the perfect day out for the entire family. There's always live music, entertainment, such as dancers and drummers, as well as activities just for kids. And a good selection of food and refreshments is available for purchase.

About 90 of Jamaica's finest and best-known artists attend the festival to display and sell their works, and you can discover new up-and-coming artists who are participating for the first time. Interact with each artist, ask questions, get to know them and their work, and find out what inspires them. A beautiful Festival catalog is produced to accompany the event each year, and features the works and bios of participating artists.

Liguanea Plaza is located in Kingston at 134 Old Hope Road, Matilda’s Corner. As always, admission and parking are free. There is also free shuttle service provided from the Sts. Peter & Paul Church grounds and Mailpac Services on Old Hope Road. Hours: 10AM to 8PM. Find out more at the Liguanea Art Festival website.
 

Alphanso Blake (right). Photo credited to PreeJamaica.com - http://www.preejamaica.com/

Work by Chungknight. Photo credited to YardEdge.net - http://www.yardedge.net/

Photo credited to AyoOutLoud - http://ayooutloud.wordpress.com/

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Difference Between Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, High Mountain Coffee, and Other Jamaican Blends

By J. Martinez

Good coffee, one of life's most delicious little luxuries, is available in almost overwhelming variety. One little corner of the market, however, has become particularly well-known across the globe for its incredibly smooth and flavorful beans. Jamaican coffee is something any coffee lover has got to try, and is mild and smooth enough that even those who aren't hooked on the drink will love it. Before you try it, though, it will definitely help to know the difference between Jamaican Blue Mountain® coffee, Jamaican High Mountain coffee, and all other Jamaican coffee.

Jamaica Blue Mountain® Coffee

The breathtakingly beautiful Blue Mountains run from Port Antonio in the north down a southern path to Kingston. Here, at elevations from 3,000 to 5,500 feet, grows Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee. This name is a globally protected certified mark. This means that in order to be properly certified and labeled as such, the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica must conduct a thorough inspection to ensure quality. The rigor is truly worth the final product. The resulting brew you can get from these beans is one of the most sought-after in the world; it is mild, and remarkably without bitterness, yet with an incredibly aromatic complexity. Environmental conditions are the secret for this perfect taste; a nutrient-rich soil under cool and misty air grows the beans that world has fallen in love with.

Jamaican High Mountain Coffee

Just below the sloped fields of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, at elevations between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, grows the coffee called Jamaican High Mountain. Though not quite up to par with the sophisticated complexity and lack of bitterness of its higher altitude cousin, these beans will still brew a deliciously smooth, semi-sweet, and highly aromatic beverage. For those with a tight budget who still want the experience of the coffee from Jamaica's mountains, this is an excellent option. Like other coffees from the region, it needs to be certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, so be sure to check the label before you make your purchase.

Other Jamaican Coffee

All coffee grown in Jamaica below 1,500 feet is known as Jamaican Supreme or Jamaican Low Mountain. Conditions at this level are not ideal (you could view one side of a mountain a bit like a line on a graph, indicating increasingly favorable environmental conditions for cultivation). Though the coffee you can get from this region is not necessarily bad, if you are going to have a taste of Jamaican coffee, you should at least try to find some Jamaican High Mountain, if not Jamaican Blue Mountain®.
 
 
J. Martinez is the owner of J. Martinez & Company Fine Coffees, selling gourmet estate and single-origin coffees from all over the world, including Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee and Hawaii Kona Coffee. Learn more about Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee at http://www.martinezfinecoffees.com/specialty-coffee-espresso-blue-mountain/jamaica-blue-mountain-coffee.html.

Article Source: Difference Between Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, High Mountain Coffee, and Other Jamaican Blends.

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April Special Season Band Price of US$220 for Smirnoff Dream Weekend are now available for purchase.

Coming off the heels of another successful year for the festival, The Dream Team says the anticipation for 2013's staging is higher than ever! They sum up what to expect for this year as follows: 6 star-fuelled days, 10 super events, and exceptional service delivery with world class execution and production second to none. It’s time to take it to another level.

The ‘Super Ten’ 2013 line up is as follows:

Thursday August 1 – Dream Live Concert
Friday August 2 – Day – Beach Rave
Friday August 2 – Night – Twisted Spiritz
Saturday August 3 – Day – Daydreams
Saturday August 3 – Night – Yush
Sunday August 4 – Day – Extreme Wet n Wild
Sunday August 4 – Night – Beer Vibes
Monday August 5 – Xclusive
Monday August 5 – Miami Jouvert
Tuesday August 6 – IGLOO

Smirnoff Dream Weekend continues to grow annually with local and international patronage almost at a 50/50 split. As such, the 2013 thrust will focus on Brand Jamaica and the festival as a global brand, the largest of its kind in the Caribbean and themed accordingly ‘Larger Than Life’ – fun, sun, music, vibes and beautiful people!

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Experience Jamaica Road Show in Mandeville on 4/13/13

From Jamaica Tourist Board:

"For Christopher Columbus, it was the “fairest island eyes have beheld”. Today it is the preferred island escape for international personalities with their pick of any vacation destination. From Elizabeth Taylor, Ralph Lauren and Johnny Cash to Jim Carrey, Sting and Sade, Jamaica has seduced them all. It’s your turn to succumb to the allure that makes Jamaica so loved around the world.

Rediscover the beauty and magic of your island home. Feel the soft white sand between your toes, the cool spring water against your skin, close your eyes and savor intense flavor on your tongue, surrender to the sway of a reggae beat. EXPERIENCE JAMAICA and enjoy great deals and savings during this special promotion; created with you in mind!"

The post “Experience Jamaica” Road Show in Mandeville tomorrow (4/13) appeared first on keepitjiggy.com.

Published: Sunday | April 7, 2013

A new gallery and craft shop has been opened by artist Thorold DeMercado in Brown's Town, St Ann, to serve the north coast and surrounding areas.

DeMercado, who returned to the island last year after living in the UK for the past 16 years, recently held his second successful exhibition at the Pegasus Gallery, said he hopes to attract clients from the northern part of the island and visitors who travel to the birthplace of reggae icon Bob Marley in Nine Miles.

According to the artist, the gallery showcases his own work, as well as pieces from local artists and crafts people. He also offers a portrait service where clients can have their picture painted in oil from their favourite photograph without having to pose for hours for the artist.

"Since the opening in January I have been approached by many locals who paint and do craft work but don't have a ready outlet apart from the usual tourist spots, so I hope to give them some more exposure in the gallery," DeMercado said. "I have so far 'discovered' two very talented young painters who I have taken under my wing and look forward to developing them so they can progress to more formal training," he said.

Students from the nearby high schools have also visited the gallery for tips and reviews of their work for the approaching CXC art exams.

"I love to pass on what I know to young people, and I also encourage students from the primary schools to do drawings for me which I exhibit in the shop," DeMercado said.

The gallery is situated on Top Road close to the historic Brown's Town market , and is named 'Ma Becky's' in honour of his great-grandmother, who hailed from the town,.

"I have always dreamed of returning to live in the place where I spent so many happy summer holidays and I am glad I have the opportunity to bring art to the people of the area, and help the children to appreciate the visual arts," he said.

He can be contacted at demercadot@gmail.com

via Artist opens gallery in Brown's Town - Arts & Leisure - Jamaica Gleaner - Sunday | April 7, 2013.

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By Willie Howard
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

LAKE WORTH — The 15th annual Reggae Fest is expanding to three days this year and is set for Friday through Sunday at Bryant Park.

More than 10,000 attended Reggae Fest last year, making it the second most popular event in the city behind the Street Painting Festival in February, said Jaene Miranda, chief executive officer of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the annual spring music festival.

Miranda expects attendance to reach 15,000 this year with the addition of a third day and the quality of the bands scheduled to perform.

Headliners at this year’s Reggae Fest include Dirty Heads, a reggae band from California scheduled to play on Saturday night, and Third World, a Jamaican band established in 1973 whose sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco. Third World is scheduled to perform Sunday afternoon.

Other performers scheduled to perform include Ras Kokay & the Rythmadix, Bradley Brown, Army of Gideon, Hor!zen, Jahfe and The Resolvers.

The Bryant Park boat ramps and the east side of South Golfview Road adjacent to the park will be closed Friday through Sunday for Reggae Fest. The boat ramps will reopen at 6 a.m. Monday.

Valet parking will be available. Vendors will sell food and artwork during the event. No coolers, alcohol or weapons will be allowed inside the festival gates.

The chamber of commerce is accepting applications for volunteers to help with Reggae Fest. Applications can be downloaded at www.lwreggaefest.com. For information, call the chamber at 561-790-6200.

Reggae Fest

What: Lake Worth’s 15th annual reggae music festival featuring live music, food and artwork.
When: Friday through Sunday. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Friday; 12:30-10 p.m. Saturday; and 12:30-6 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Bryant Park, along the Intracoastal Waterway at east end of Lake Avenue, Lake Worth.
Tickets: $10 ($15 after 6 p.m. on Saturday). Two-day pass $15 (online purchase only).

More information: 561-790-6200 or www.lwreggaefest.com.

Reggae Fest to be held in Lake Worth | www.palmbeachpost.com.

Related articles from around the Web

• Strong cast for Bajan reggae fest
• Reggae Fest features food, music & dance

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