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photo by steed media service
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CEO, Metro Caribbean Media Group
From food to music, Caribbean culture is a major contributor to the
spice of Atlanta. With there being such a large population of people
who hail from Caribbean countries residing in the metro area, Jamaica
native Glen Simmonds felt the need to organize a festival that would
celebrate and unify the community.
“The festival focuses on
Caribbean culture and cuisine. The main emphasis was to have an avenue
to showcase things Caribbean. [We] also [wanted] to have a signature
event in metro Atlanta that people of Caribbean heritage – or people
who enjoy Caribbean culture – can come to,” says Simmonds, the CEO of
the Metro Caribbean Media Group. An Atlanta resident for 21 years,
Simmonds plans to celebrate the second annual Atlanta Caribbean Jerk
Festival this Labor Day weekend. Slated for September 2 at
Panthersville Stadium, the event will be a fun filled experience for
people of all ages. Partnered with the American Cross and Air Jamaica,
the festival will feature food, live music, blood drives, and a Jerk
cooking competition where the winner will be flown to Miami to compete
in their annual Jerk Festival.
“Last year we did the
festival; we had over 1,000 people. This year we’ve put more time and
effort into it. We’ve acquired more partners in our effort to promote
the event, so we’re feeling very optimistic about the outcome,” says
Simmonds.- jason thompson
For more information, log onto www.atlantajerkfestival.com.
