Portland Food Festival tomorrow
DOLPHIN BAY, Portland — The inaugural staging of the Portland Food Festival is set for the Folly Oval, Port Antonio, on Sunday, April 1.
The festival was launched at Bay View Eco Resort in Portland, last Thursday.
Organiser Rockell Douglas-Clarke said the event is a ‘family food festival’.
“This event represents hard work and innovative skills of true Portlanders… We are in no way wealthy individuals… and we have so much love for this beautiful parish. The event celebrates ‘all things Portland’. It will feature a kids’ village fashion show from local fashion designers, auto show, cooking competition, petting zoo and live performances. It will provide Portlanders with an income-generating opportunity while providing residents and visitor alike with an entertaining event during the Easter season. Local farmers and craft and food vendors will have access to over 8,000 expected patrons,” she said.
Part proceeds will go to the Maternity Ward of the Port Antonio Hospital and the Port Antonio Women’s Centre.
Marjorie Leyden-Vernon, director of Community Cultural Services Division Jamaica Cultural Development Commission — representing Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange — said: “This is a wonderful way to showcase the best of what Portland has to offer, as Portland is famous for the Boston jerk and the historical Blue and John Crow Mountains, which is a world heritage site. Our cuisine is well-known and used across the world and this is another way to show off our food as food tourism fits into our authentic culture.”
Deputy mayor for Portland Rohan Vassell and Daryl Whyte-Wong from Tourism Product Development Company endorsed the event.
— Everald Owen