PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — This year, many outdoor festivals have found their way back after COVID-19 put a stop to large-scale events for the past two years. The annual Philly Caribbean Festival returned to Penn’s Landing on Sunday for its 36th year.
The event was such a feast for the senses, says organizer Vincent Heath, that if people stopped and closed their eyes, they would feel for a moment like they were on a Caribbean island.
“You can go on vacation here at Penn’s Landing at the Caribbean Festival,” Heath said. “It is on the coast. You can’t beat the water, the Caribbean music and the aroma of our sweet spices everywhere.”
Along with culinary delights, the festival featured art and live music – reggae, international rhythm, hip-hop, gospel and the pulsating sounds of steel band. Sunday also featured poetry, skits and dance performances.
Caribbean Festival Committee photo
And for anyone thinking of planning an island getaway, festival organizers have got you covered.
“If you want to go fishing in the Bahamas, there’s someone there to tell you about it. If you want to play golf in Jamaica, you can get information about it,” Heath said. “While we’re having fun, we’re educating the public.”
Caribbean Festival Committee photo
The purpose of the festival is to showcase the culture of the Caribbean islands – it represents almost all of them – and what they have to offer Greater Philadelphia. The Caribbean Festival Committee, which presents the festival each year, also works to draw attention to the historic contributions Caribbean people have made to the world.
“Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Antigua – the list goes on and on. There are over 13 different islands that are members of the Caribbean Festival Committee,” Heath said.
Beyond its cultural functions, the committee also offers the Philly Caribbean Festival Student Scholarship.
“That’s one of our main goals for this festival,” Heath said. “We award approximately five scholarships a year, and have done so for the past 34 years.”
The Caribbean Festival Committee is part of the social and cultural committee of the Caribbean/American Association of Pennsylvania, Inc.
