BY: JELANI GRANT
The 17th Annual Grace International Jerk Food and Music Festival is scheduled to return to Centennial Park in Etobicoke from August 9th -12th . #GraceJerkFestTO is sure to trend throughout the weekend as guests share their creative and delicious Caribbean meals.
It has become an expectation that during the summer, Toronto is abundant with food and entertainment festivals for anyone to find something they like. A jerk-fanatics dream come true, the festival has always demonstrated that chicken is only the beginning of potential delicacies blessed by talented chefs using their varied jerk recipes.
Each year vendors offer authentic Caribbean cuisine, with varying jerked seafood, chicken, pork and other meats that venture out of the ordinary. The festival has always attracted guests with their guarantee of good food and entertaining events. “Over the years attending the Grace Jerk Festival has become a tradition for people of all ages across Ontario,” said Jerkfest Executive Director Anthony Plummer.
Along with past features such as the So You Think You Can Jerk Competition, the jerk chicken eating competition, the Love & RnB Edition, and the TD Cultural Stage, the festival is also holding a Meet & Greet boat cruise aboard the River Gambler on the 9th, opening up the weekend’s festivities. The evening cruise will treat guests to a jerk chicken and escovitch salmon dinner as well as the opportunity to meet Canadian RnB singer Melonie Durrant and Jamaican Reggae duo Chaka Demus & Pliers. “We are very excited for Chaka Demus and Pliers to be joining us at the festival this year…this duo has so much spirit and experience behind them. Their authentic performance will be sure to capture that,” said Plummer.
During the three-hour cruise, five patrons will be selected for a meet & greet with Fantasia at the festival on Friday. The Grammy award-winner will headline this year’s Love & RnB Edition, themed Ladies of Soul for this year.
Chef and Twist Catering founder La-toya Fagon will host a live cooking show on Saturday and Sunday. She will demonstrate her varied signature dishes during live workshops at 1:30 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm. Fagon has appeared on Rogers Daytime Toronto as well as training others at top restaurants in Toronto, Mexico and parts of Europe.
Families and children will be able to enjoy face painting, balloon characters, rock climbing as well as a meet and greet with Caillou and the Care Bears on Saturday and Sunday. Over the years, all of these featured events have earned the Grace JerkFest a spot on Festivals & Events Ontario’s (FEO) top 100 festivals since 2011. With the TD Cultural Stage and a number of local Caribbean food vendors, the festival directly connects local talent with thousands of visitors enthused about West Indies culture.
A prelude to the Jerk Festival is the internationally known Caribana Grande Parade, which holds dozens of events beginning in July until the first weekend of August. The actual parade is scheduled for August 4th and that same night a boat party, known to sell out quickly, will be held. Pan Alive, Canada’s premiere Steel Pan competition, will be held Aug 3rd , featuring some of North America’s best Steel Pan orchestras, competing for the Best Steel Band title. Following the parade’s festivities, Sakpasetoronto, Perle Noire Ent, Toxic Sounds Crew will provide a final taste of Caribana with the Rep Your Flag Day Boat Cruise.
Tickets can be purchased on the website and the names of six ticket outlets across the GTA can also be found online. The website also includes ticket and hotel packages which automatically submits you into a draw for a chance to win a three-night vacation for two. Be sure to bring lawn chairs and blankets so all of the jerked festivities can be enjoyed comfortably. “We are so excited to be back for our 17th year and we encourage everyone to join us as we celebrate the fusion of jerk food, pulsating music, family-friendly entertainment and good vibes,” said Plummer.
