Shaggy to headline Florida Jerk Festival on July 4th
Aside from the Jamaican jerk cuisine, the highlight of this year’s Florida Jerk Festival Palm Beach will undoubtedly be Grammy-winner Shaggy taking the stage on Sunday at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach.
The diamond-selling, internationally known reggae singer is the biggest act to ever play the festival since it started in 2003. Previously known as the Palm Beach Jerk Festival, the festival was on hiatus last year — both here and at a sister festival in Orlando — because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“With this rebranding, who else but Shaggy could we get to be our headline,” says Damian Tater, founder and CEO. “We want to go for that crossover audience.
Shaggy is the perfect person [to relaunch] our first festival in South Florida since the pandemic.”
Also on the bill will be dancehall quartet LUST and soca singer Skinny Fabulous.
Shaggy has over 30 million in album sales and has placed eight singles on the Billboard Top 100 chart. His latest release, “Go Down Deh,” is a collaboration with dancehall artists Sean Paul and Spice.
Born Orville Richard Burrell, Shaggy is also known for working with Sting, producing the 2019 Jamaican homage album “44/876” (Jamaica’s country calling code and area code). Shaggy’s solo chart-toppers include “It Wasn’t Me,” “Boombastic,” “In The Summertime,” “Oh Carolina” and “Angel.” He has also delved into acting, playing Sebastian in the ABC production of “The Little Mermaid Live!” in 2019 and “Blast,” a 2004 action movie.
“We’re extremely excited because we’ve been trying to work with Shaggy for a few years,” adds Tater, who lives in West Palm Beach. “But you know what they
say, nothing happens before its time.”
Why the Fourth of July?
The timing of this year’s Florida Jerk Festival is no accident.
“Normally this festival is on Memorial Day Monday,” explains Tater. “But, of course, no one knew what was really happening. Reached out to the venue, and they said they didn’t think so, based on ... everything that was going on at the time. Then one day I said to myself, ‘Why not try July 4th?’ And i think it’s perfect timing. People are wanting to go out. They’ve been locked away for almost two years and now we’re saying to them, ‘Come out and celebrate
your independence.’ ”
The Palm Beach Jerk Festival was staged at West Palm Beach’s Meyer Amphitheater for its first 10 years.
“We outgrew that area…. and we decided go to the fairgrounds where space would not be an issue,” Tater says. “We’ve been there for the past eight years.”
What about the jerk food?
In addition to the entertainment and a kids area with rides and games, there will be food vendors offering all kinds of Caribbean fare, including of course, jerk dishes.
At the Jerk Experience — for the price of a VIP ticket or an added $20 ticket — you can sample various jerk-flavored items such as jerk ice cream and jerk popcorn.
“Anything you think of can be jerk,” says Tater, who was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. “We’re going to expand your taste buds beyond what most people think of what is jerk. Everybody, they eat mostly jerk chicken and jerk pork, right? Well, the Jerk Festival is going to show you different items that you thought could not be jerk.”
If you go info
The Florida Jerk Festival Palm Beach will take place from 2-11 p.m. Sunday at the South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach.
General admission tickets are $35 ($5 for children under 12).
VIP tickets are $135 ($60 for children under 12) and allow unlimited food and drink, access to the Jerk Experience, access closer to the stage and limited access backstage.
Jerk Experience tickets to sample jerk food dishes are $20.
Onsite upgrades will be available.