The Jamaican Jerk Festival, scheduled for Sunday, September 18 from noon to 9 p.m. will take place at Markham Park this year. Since its inception in 2002, the Jerk Festival had called C. B. Smith Park home, but a new ruling by the park’s administration called for all events with music at C. B. Smith Park to end at 5:30 p.m. This caused the event to have to search for a new venue.
“At first we were disappointed,” says Eddy Edwards, CEO of Ridims Marketing, and one of the promoters of the Jamaican Jerk Festival. “But after several meetings with Broward park officials, we decided that Markham Park was the best place to stage the Jerk Festival.”
The Jamaican Jerk Festival has rapidly become one of South Florida’s premier Caribbean family events. It has a broad general market appeal because the popularity of ‘Jerk’ crosses all ethnic boundaries in Florida’s dynamic, multi-ethnic population. The Jerk Festival is a celebration of authentic Jamaican Jerk in its various forms, and the festival includes Jerk Cook-Off Competitions, Cultural Displays, Live Entertainment, Domino Competitions and a Children’s Fun Zone.
“Patrons will find that it is very easy to get to Markham Park, as it is accessible from any of our major highways,” says Edwards. “Getting in and out of the park is quite effortless, and with the plans we have in place, traffic should flow easily and parking will be adequate.”
Markham Park is located at 16001 W. State Road 84 (State Road 84 at Weston Road) in Sunrise.
Vendors and cook-off contestants can begin registration by calling Ridims Marketing at 305-891-1242. Space for vendors is limited and is assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. Alumni associations and non-profit civic organizations will be offered special reduced rates for booths.
The Jamaican Jerk Festival is produced and presented by Ridims Marketing and Jamaica Awareness, Inc. Sponsors include Western Union, Air Jamaica, Grace Foods, Ting, D&G Sodas, JRS Tours, DelancyHill, P.A., HOT 105, WAVS Radio and Mystic1580.
