From juggling to history lessons — Fourth staging of JRF under way in Montego Bay
The Jamaica Rum Festival is under way at The Aqueduct in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, to the excitement of its attendees, which includes tourism stakeholders, culture junkies, entertainment seekers and visitors to the parish and the island from near and far.
Providing a welcome mix of seminars, entertainment, thirst-quenching cocktails, mouthwatering cuisine and exposure to a diverse collective of visionary entrepreneurs in the Artisan Village, the festival is proving itself worthy of ‘world-class’ festival status.
Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best rum brands, and today Appleton Estate, event partners and sponsors have pulled out all the stops for what is being billed as the biggest rum festival in the Caribbean.
Appleton Estate, J Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, Monymusk Rums, Hampden, and Worthy Park Estate have been busy hosting educational seminars on mixology and food pairing.
The main stage is also alive as Debbie Bissoon and Dufton Shepherd engage the early birds basking in the sun.
Later, the festival will heat up with a live showcase presented by Appleton Estate Jamaica with a dynamic roster of talented recording artistes, including D’Voyce, D’Burnz, Runkus, and Kalyra, followed by Sevana, Tessanne, Romain Virgo, Sanchez and Capleton who is sure to bring the fire.
Are you at the festival or planning to attend? A few things you should try:
1. Take your time when walking through the Heritage House, which delves into the history of Jamaica’s rum and its contribution to our culture.
2. Be sure to head to the Artisan Village and support our local entrepreneurs who have been given a unique challenge of utilising rum and/or its by-products to create a unique item.
3. Imbibe at either of the mixology bars and enjoy rum responsibly.