THE WEEKLY GLEANER | AUGUST 8 - AUGUST 14, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 10 THE 10TH annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, held at the RoyWilkins Park in Queens, NewYork, met and exceeded the expectations of the 15,000 supporters who attended the popular event. The event’s culinary experiences, cultural presentation, kids zone and festival main stage were the crowd favourites. “We’re very pleased with the results from the event,” said Eddy Edwards, marketing director for the festival. “The turn out was strong, the people seemed to really enjoy themselves, and the production came off without incident.” The festival, which is produced by VP Records and Jerk Festival USA, has earned the distinction of being the“biggest Caribbean food festival in the USA” and is the largest Caribbean-themed event in Queens. Debut stage per formances by dancehall hitmaker Laalee, Protoje and Lila Ike’ added to the overall vibe of excitement at the show. The show also starred Nadine Sutherland, who did a ‘90s dancehall segment that included a special appearance by Spragga Benz. There was a dual performance from festival favourites Romain Virgo and Christopher Martin dubbed ‘Singers in action’. DJs Platinum Kids and Sky Juice provided the musical joggling to keep the audience rocking for more than five hours. The 30 food vendors in attendance enjoyed brisk business, as patrons enjoyed authentic Jamaican fare, mostly prepared on site. Queens-based restaurant advocacy group Queens Together sponsored a “people’s choice award” competition for selected restaurants at the festival, with T&G Flavors from Cambria Heights taking home the trophy. The signature Caribbean festival was also attended by NewYork City Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Councilman from the Southern District Leroy Comrey; CongresswomanYvette Clarke; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; Congressman Lee Zeldin and Chef Ron Duprat. 15,000 turn out for Grace Jamaica Jerk Festival A section of the crowd of 15,000 patrons who attended the Grace Jamaica Jerk Festival at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York on Sunday, July 31. CONTRIBUTED Pat Chin flashes a smile after being presented with a proclamation from NYC Mayor Eric Adams (right) at the Grace Jamaica Jerk Festival held at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, on Sunday, July 31. At left is Chris Chin. CONTRIBUTED
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