The Jamaican Jerk Festival in the Miami metro area—officially the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival—is one of South Florida’s signature Caribbean events, drawing thousands of food lovers and music fans to Miramar Regional Park, just northwest of Miami. Now more than two decades old, it has grown into what organizers and regional media describe as the largest Jamaican food festival in the United States.
Launched in 2001 by promoter Eddy Edwards and partners, the festival was created to showcase Jamaican jerk cuisine and celebrate the wider Caribbean community in South Florida, home to one of the country’s largest Caribbean-heritage populations. Early editions started modestly, with only a handful of vendors and a few thousand attendees, but the crowd has swelled over the years to well over 10,000 people at Miramar Regional Park, and in peak years as many as 25,000.
Today, the event is produced by Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc., and presented by Grace Foods, the Jamaican food brand that lends the festival its official name. It has also expanded beyond South Florida, inspiring sister festivals in Queens, New York, and the Washington, D.C., area, though the Miramar edition remains the flagship.
At its heart is jerk—Jamaica’s famous style of marinating and slow-grilling meat over pimento wood. Festivalgoers can sample jerk chicken, pork, fish, and even contemporary twists such as jerk seafood, jerk vegetarian dishes, and jerk-infused snacks and desserts. Multiple food vendors line the park, turning the grounds into a smoky outdoor kitchen where the scent of allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, and thyme drifts over the crowd.
The festival is designed as a full-day cultural experience, blending food with live entertainment. Stages host reggae, dancehall, gospel, and soca performances from prominent Caribbean artists, alongside local bands and DJs. Over the years, lineups have included international acts and legacy reggae groups, as well as popular dancehall performers, helping cement the festival as a major date on the Caribbean music calendar in South Florida.
Beyond the main stage, visitors can watch cooking demonstrations featuring celebrity chefs, jerk cook-off competitions, and family-friendly contests. Cultural zones highlight traditional Caribbean storytelling, folk performances, and children’s activities, while a vendor marketplace offers crafts, clothing, and Caribbean products. Organizers emphasize that the festival is meant to be both entertaining and educational, giving attendees a deeper sense of Jamaican history and the African diaspora influences behind jerk culture.
Recent editions of the festival have also taken on broader community themes. For example, coverage of the 2025 event notes partnerships with sponsors such as Publix and VP Records and highlights charitable efforts and community engagement, including support for relief initiatives in Jamaica following major storms. Local media describe the festival as a vibrant gathering point where the South Florida Caribbean community comes together with visitors from across the U.S. to celebrate food, music, and resilience.
Held annually in November, typically from early afternoon into the evening, the Jamaican Jerk Festival has become a staple of the Miami-area events calendar. For residents and visitors alike, it offers a flavorful introduction to Jamaican culture—a place to “come for the food, stay for the fun,” and experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of the Caribbean without leaving South Florida.