Markeshia Ricks Photo
The Jamaican American Connection shares information about Jam Rock.
Rain and wind didn’t stop the annual celebration of Caribbean heritage in New Haven.
For the fourth year, immigrants representing more than 25 island nations of the Caribbean gathered at DeGale Field in Goffe Street Park to celebrate their history and culture through music, dance, and food at their Caribbean American Heritage Festival.
Organizers Smith-Holness, Christine Bartlett-Jose, Shermaine Cooke-Edmonds and Paula Ferguson.
“It has been tremendous trying to put this together,” Karaine “Kay” Smith-Holness said Sunday. “And is officially National Carribean-American Heritage month. And four years ago we actually had a conversation with Mayor Harp and she said, why don’t we do something about it. And this is what we’ve done.”
Attendees dressed in colorful representations of their islands …
The Jamaican native is one of the original founders of the event which started off at City Hall and became so popular that it had to move to the park. She shared the stage with fellow organizers Christine Bartlett-Jose of St. Lucia, Shermaine Cooke-Edmonds of Dominica and Paula Ferguson of Grenada.
… and flew their flags proudly.
“The Caribbean nationals have been in New Haven since the 1600s and it started with St. Kitts and Nevis,” Smith-Holness told attendees. “And if you ever know anything about St. Luke’s — St. Lukes is the first Caribbean church here in New Haven. So what we are trying to do as an organization is to keep our culture alive while we are here in the City of New Haven.”
The Trinbago American Association hangs its banner.
The event featured food vendors serving Caribbean favorites like jerk chicken and curried goat, which sold out first, much to the disappointment of some of the people patiently standing in line and bouncing to the music.
Mayoral candidate Marcus Paca makes the rounds.
Students from the Hamden Academy of Dance showed off their moves while the wind and rain whipped their costumes, and author Vangella Hazle Buchanan, a professor from Central Connecticut State University, read excerpts from her book.
Mayor Harp, who served as Grand Marshal of the kickoff processional, checked out the happenings at the tents.
Smith-Holness, already thinking about next June, told attendees to “bring a friend, tell a friend and a friend and a friend.”
Haitian- American Georges Clermont sharing his Piman-Cho! pepper-based salsa.
“We would like to make it bigger and better,” she said. “So we’re asking you to support and bring out your islands.”
Puerto Rico also came to represent.