Caribbean festival on Hartford waterfront Saturday: reggae bands, jazz, jerk chicken, dance performances
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The 17th annual Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, 300 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford.
The colorful event will feature music by reggae star Johnny Osbourne and other performers, food, teens in Caribbean carnival costumes, dance performances and kids’ activities. The parade will begin at 12:05 p.m.
The theme of the festival is “Divided by Water, Together by Culture.” The rain date is Sunday. Admission is free.
Other performers — encompassing the music of Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, the Virgin Islands and Dominica — are jazzmen Elan Trotman and Nelson Bello, gospel singer Jabez, singer Annicia Banks, Tribal Legacy Band, Platinum Band, Amandla Band, Kali Walé Bey, Hartford Steel Symphony, Sound Pipers, Sweet Noyz, Janice Hart and Greg Roy.
The Children’s Village, on the grounds of the adjoining Connecticut Science Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include face painting, carnival mask decorating and games.
The festival is presented by Riverfront Recapture, Taste of The Caribbean Arts & Culture CT and other community organizations including the Greater Hartford Arts Council.
Rev. Dr. Shelley D. Best, CEO of the arts council and of West Indian descent, said the festival “helps to elevate the creative economy while increasing engagement and diversity within the arts community.” tastect.org.
Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
