The Kamloops Caribbean Food and Music Festival will make a triumphant return | infonews
A previous Caribbean Food and Music Festival in Salmon Arm in 2019.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kamloops Caribbean Cultural Society
August 14, 2022 – 2:16 pm
After years of postponement due to COVID-19, a Kamloops festival will showcase the culture and cuisine of its Caribbean residents.
The Kamloops Caribbean Festival returns August 20 to Riverside Park from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and is open to everyone.
The first-ever Caribbean festival was last held in 2019 before COVID-19, but has since been canceled due to pandemic restrictions, said Kamloops Caribbean Cultural Society founder and director Jeremy Rodney.
READ MORE: The tastes and sounds of the Caribbean come to Kamloops with a new festival
“We were looking forward to it, hoping to have the chance to hold it again. It means a lot now because we can actually showcase our food and our music,” he said.
They started planning late this year due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, but are now moving full speed ahead.
In the morning, the opening music will begin, followed by a flag ceremony featuring all the countries of the Caribbean, with activities and bands playing throughout the afternoon.
Rodney left Jamaica in 2013 and he estimates more than 400 people from the Caribbean live in Kamloops. Kamloops census data shows that 235 people of Caribbean descent live in the city.
“People come here every day,” Rodney laughed, adding that he can’t keep up with them all, but Kamloops is attractive to those in the area because of its mild summer weather.
“For me personally, my friend invited me, he said ‘summer is nice but winter is harsh.’ It’s peaceful,” and safe, Rodney added.
For those who may not be familiar with Caribbean cuisine, he recommends trying the jerk chicken and pork or for vegans, they create a vegan dish of ackee and saltfish, a Jamaican breakfast treat , with pieces of vegetables instead of salted fish.
Rum cake, a delicious dessert made with fruits and spices, will also be available, he said.
follow the company Facebook page to stay informed of festival events.
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