Profile - Anthony Plummer/Executive Director, Caribbean Arts & Promotion

The summer of 2002 - the birth of the International Jerk Food and Music Festival (JerkFest Toronto) – an idea from Anthony Plummer that became a reality. He arrived in Canada from Jamaica in 2000 and immediately asked his friends and family, “What is there to do for fun?” There were not a lot of options that appealed to him. Sure, in terms of large festivals, there was the Taste of the Danforth and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, but there was definitely room for more in the summer months! While living in Jamaica, Plummer heard how great JerkFest Jamaica was, so when he moved to Canada, he knew this was exactly what Toronto needed.

“What better way to celebrate Jamaica and the Caribbean in the summertime than with food and music?” asks Plummer. “There is no better way!”

Plummer is a lover of all food as well as music and enjoys spending time outdoors, which aligned perfectly with the elements of the festival. Along with being the founder and executive director of JerkFest Toronto, he is a high school teacher and describes himself as a family man. He has been married for the last 10 years and is the father of four children. It’s safe to say that balancing all of this could be stressful and challenging, but Plummer admits that thanks to his wife and his time management skills, he is able to juggle it all.

“Being a Jamaican, it is nice to know that I can create an event from the islands where people admire the culture and music, and can be one together in the park,” shares Plummer.

Many of us see JerkFest Toronto as one of the hottest festivals in the city filled with great vibes, tasty jerk cuisine, and entertainment from all over the world. However, planning the venture behind the scenes was not always a piece of cake. As Plummer began looking for venues to host the festival, he did face a few challenges. The biggest one being financial, and not having enough people who believed in the idea to put the money behind it. But with perseverance and dedication, JerkFest Toronto now has the support of the federal and provincial government, along with individuals and companies who sponsor the festival annually.

One can describe Plummer as a grateful and generous person who takes his social responsibility seriously and is always looking for ways to give back to the community. He sees himself and JerkFest Toronto as partners in the community serving those who are near and dear to him. Over the last 20 years, JerkFest has shown its appreciation for patrons by giving back through scholarships, bursaries, and community outreach initiatives. Attendees have been encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the park, where bins are strategically placed at the entrance for the food bank donations.

“We want to keep building on that... We care and don't take the patrons for granted. I know they could be taking their time and money and doing a million other things, but they take time to come out and we appreciate that,” explains Plummer.

Since JerkFest Toronto has been going on for two decades, Plummer is constantly looking for new ways to reinvent and improve the festival. There was a time when JerkFest took place at Chinguacousy park in Brampton and was only a one-day festival. It soon outgrew Chinguacousy and transferred to its current home at Centennial Park, running for up to four days. Plummer also keeps patrons engaged by securing the hottest new artists and veteran superstars to perform.

“I would never have dreamt in my wildest dreams that we would have such an outpouring of support. There are so many great memories that I can appreciate over the last 20 years,” reflects Plummer. “Centennial park is very beautiful, and to see on a bright sunny day people lounging on the hillside while they're eating their favourite Caribbean cuisine, and listening to music...it's just a wonderful sight to know we have a space where anyone and everyone can come and celebrate our rich and wonderful culture. It leaves me in a state of awe every year, with a sense of pride and honour.”