Since 2001, the Jerk Roots Yam Festival has authentically presented Caribbean culture through entertainment, food and craft in a family-friendly environment rooted in education and empowerment to over 60,000 attendees. From the inception, Festival organizers have remained committed to providing quality entertainment in a safe space. Organizers work to retain and build Caribbean culture by presenting Caribbean, especially Jamaican culture, in a true and positive manner.
Presently, the Festival has locked the market as the only New York production that presents Caribbean culture to an intergenerational audience numbering in the thousands. In the near future, the Festival will expand throughout the United States and eventually, internationally, continuing to present Caribbean culture in a dynamic and educational framework. Organizers intend to make the Festival lasting institution that maintains healthy representations of Caribbean traditions and instills a sense of responsibility in Caribbean communities and cultures.
© T.I. Williams
