You know jerk chicken. But what about jerk spaghetti? Jerk oysters? Jerk oxtail? Jerk ice cream?
Vendors and chefs from across the Caribbean and South Florida are putting a jerk twist on just about anything this Sunday at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival. The festival is celebrating its 22nd year at Miramar Regional Park from 1 to 10 p.m.
The festival moved to a larger part of the park to accommodate more guests and vendors, said festival managing partner and CEO Eddy Edwards. This year, the festival is featuring more than 30 vendors plus cooking competitions and chef demonstrations. The night ends with a reggae and dancehall concert featuring Elephant Man, Nigy Boy, Shuga, The Fantells and Chalice.
Edwards said he aimed to elevate the look and feel of the festival while celebrating diverse Caribbean food and culture. "We're inviting everybody for Sunday dinner," he said.
"Food is that ultimate connector that pulls everybody together," Edwards said. "In South Florida, where you have such a diverse community, we find that within all the various cuisines, there are so many common things that we all eat. We may cook them a little different or call them a different name, but when it comes to food, we always find commonality in food."
Besides plenty of options to eat, Edwards said the festival is hosting several events and showcases to keep people entertained. The festival is hosting its Celebrity Cook Off with Local 10 anchor Alexis Frazier battling NBC-6 anchor Kris Anderson and its Chef Clash where Chef Alain Lemaire and Chef Winston Williams will face off.
On the Publix Culinary Stage, Boston-based Chef Darian Bryan and South Florida-based Chef Travis Reece will hold cooking demonstrations.
After attending the festival for the first time last year, Chef Reece said he's excited to come back to show off his new creation: a jerk spaghetti bolognese with mini corned beef meatballs. He'll be on stage at 2 p.m.
"It's just a little twist on things, a Italian, Jamaican vibe packing all the Caribbean flavors into it," he said. "It should be fun."
Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Reece came to South Florida in 2022 with dreams of sharing his food. He started out making food at a Pembroke Pines gas station. Just a year later, he opened his restaurant Chef Reece Kitchen in Davie.
"We're grateful for that," he said. "Being in the Grace Jerk Festival, just connecting with the community, that's something that I love doing. Just being out there is a fun family vibe."