High-riding deejay Jamal, known for hits such as Balandor, and popular dancer-turned-deejay Ding Dong and the Ravers Crew, are among the acts for the inaugural Clarendon Jerk Festival at Woodleigh Estate.
The event is scheduled for this Saturday. The event’s promoter, Clarendon-born Lance Roache, said he always wanted to host an event to give back to his parish.
“From a marketing standpoint, we’re seeing strong traction across the parish — there’s a real buzz building, and the excitement continues to grow each day. We’ve also been receiving solid support from a wide range of stakeholders, including vendors, sponsors, and community partners, which is a great sign for the success of this inaugural staging. Overall, the energy is building as we move toward final days of preparation,” said Roache.
He said that the primary target is families across Clarendon and surrounding parishes.
“The event is designed as a true family fun day experience. During the day, our focus is foodies, families and children. We have included free health screening check-up where we have partnered with the May Pen Hospital, to also conduct diabetes, hypertension and other medical screenings. During the evening, it’s all about the adults, and Jamaican entertainment culture,” he explained.
Roache added that promotions outside of Jamaica have shown interest from people within the diaspora to attend.
“Most notably, we are seeing a massive ‘homecoming’ effect. We already have over 100 patrons confirmed to travel from the US, Canada, and England. We want every guest, from our residents to the returning diaspora, to feel the heartbeat of the parish and the warmth of a true Jamaican welcome,” said Roache.
Some of the other entertainment attractions include celebrity and pan chicken cook-off, domino and ludo competitions, and a cultural showcase featuring emerging acts from the parish including Deizzle, Pypline, Ching Boss and Inpha-Reblitive.
