J’cans celebrate at St Ann Jerk Festival

and in a performance that lasted for approximately half an hour. But even when he exited the stage, patrons begged for more, and his return was even more scintillating.

The excitement further exploded when Tommy Lee hit the stage shortly after 11 p.m., having been warned by organisers to keep it clean. Lee’s performance was one of simply class, as he miraculously managed to keep it clean while captivating the audience.

Hanna said: “I have to thank all the sponsors, including Rainforest, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Louie McLaren, and Members of Parliament Daryl Vaz and Lynvale Bloomfield. Without their input, the gala would have been a miserable failure. And as promised, all four schools will benefit through a monetary contribution, which will be disbursed in short order.” This pig’s head, with sunglasses fitted, drew much attention. OCHO RIOS, St Ann: THE THIRD staging of the St Ann Jerk Festival at Turtle River Park on Independence Day, Saturday, August 6, was the main celebratory event in that resort town for the holiday season.

Jamaicans from home and abroad turned out for the event, which was billed for the entire family, with some people decked in the national colours of black, green and gold.

The jerk festival was more than just about jerked delicacies; it boasted rides and fun and games for the kids and a stage show to close the event.

Kirkland Kelly of promoters Streets Entertainment said the event was satisfactory, with the food stalls boasting a wide array of foods and featured more than the usual jerked chicken, pork, fish and other meats.

“We also had jerked lobster, jerked rabbit and jerked reindeer,” Kelly pointed out. Reindeer, not a regular on the Jamaican plate, is said to be as healthy as fish.

STYLISH HOG

A jerked hog head, with a pair of sunglasses placed on it, drew a lot of attention and elicited much laughter.

The stalls appear more impressive than last year as the festival showed signs of growth.

There were lots of rides for the children, who enjoyed themselves while the adults sampled the food offerings.

Others, having eaten, sat on the grass – some without even spreading a towel – and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Several of the children took part in dance contests, much to the amusement of the crowd.

Later in the evening, the stage show featured a line-up of dancehall artistes, including I-Octane, Vershon, Zagga, Granpa Entatain, Charly Black, Deep Jahi, among others. One of the youngest patrons, Daijaun, who will actually celebrate his first birthday on August 26, feeds himself jerked chicken at the festival. Jerked lobster and fish ready for the taking.