Christopher Martin, Baby Cham, Iwer George and Sailor Jane will headline the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Miramar Regional Park in South Florida, organizers announced.
The annual festival, presented by Publix, will feature reggae, dancehall, and soca on stage throughout the day. DJs Walshy Fire of Major Lazer, Richie D, and Extatic Sound will round out the entertainment.
The event, known as “The Ultimate Sunday Dinner,” has been a fixture in Florida’s Caribbean community since 2001. Organizers say it began at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines with about 4,000 attendees and seven vendors. It moved to Markham Park in Sunrise in 2005 as crowds grew, then to Miramar Regional Park in 2019. Organizers have said attendance now exceeds 15,000.
The festival has become one of the largest showcases of Caribbean food and culture in the southeastern United States, and a gathering place for South Florida’s large Caribbean diaspora. Carson “Eddy” Edwards, a festival co-founder, has said the event highlights the Caribbean’s influence on American culture.
“Great food, great music and great company are at the heart of the Jamaican Sunday dinner tradition,” Edwards said. “We’re bringing that spirit to life with an entertainment lineup that celebrates the diversity and energy of Caribbean music.”
Martin, a Jamaican reggae singer, is known for “Cheaters Prayer,” “I’m a Big Deal,” and “Paper Loving.” Baby Cham, a dancehall artist, will perform hits including “Ghetto Story” and “Vitamin S.”
Iwer George, a veteran soca artist from Trinidad and Tobago, is known for “Come to Meh” and “Ah Home,” and for “Stage Gone Bad,” his Road March-winning collaboration with Kes. Sailor Jane, a Florida-based reggae vocalist, performs original music such as “Walk Good” along with reggae and ska versions of Sade songs, including “Smooth Operator” and “No Ordinary Love.”
Beyond the music, attendees can sample jerk and other Caribbean dishes, watch culinary competitions and demonstrations, and join family activities. An interactive Culture Corner will be hosted by Jody Ann Gray and Raul Blaze.