Miramar festivals to celebrate sights, sounds and flavors of Caribbean culture

Miramar will host two free Caribbean cultural festivals this summer, bringing Bahamian and Jamaican music, food and traditions to Broward County.

The events offer South Florida residents a chance to celebrate island heritage close to home.

Here are key takeaways:

• The inaugural Bahamas Goombay Broward festival runs Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 9 p.m. at City Hall Plaza in Miramar, featuring food, music and a Junkanoo band.
• Commissioner Avril Cherasard, who is Bahamian, said she wanted to bring the Bahamas to Broward for residents who can’t easily travel to the long-running Coconut Grove Goombay festival, which has been held since 1977.
• Attendees can expect live performances from four Bahamian artists, a culture village, a craft market and Bahamian food, with two Junkanoo rushes — the best one happening after dark.

• Musician Ky-Mani Marley, one of Bob Marley’s children, will headline the Jamaica Ole Time Fair on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 3 to 11 p.m. at the Miramar Regional Park Amphitheater.
• The fair marks Jamaica’s 64th anniversary of independence and will include a cultural showcase and the Coronation Farmers’ Market, a re-creation of the famous Kingston market.
• Other performers at the Jamaica event include Louie Culture, Warrior Love Band, D’Yani and DJ Billy Slaughter. Admission is free; parking costs $10 and can be purchased in advance.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.